In those photos you can see that the THX surround speakers are still there and covered in plastic. The THX system will still be used then? The IMAX auditoriums I have been in don’t have arrays of surround speakers on the side/back walls. They just have a pair of large speakers hanging in the rear corners.
has anyone seen The Hobbit here in HFR yet? I saw it in HFR at Arclight La Jolla (a brand new Arclight down in San Diego). I wanted to like it, but after seeing HFR with my own eyes, I realize that it will take a while to get used to. Motion in the picture is crystal clear, but its a clarity I’ve only been used to seeing up until now in video games running at 60fps. So i was constantly feeling like I was watching a video game instead of a movie. HFR will take some getting used to for me.
I saw The Hobbit here in 3D HFR and Dolby Atmos. In addition to the usual arclight usher giving a short speech before the movie, there was a guy from Dolby who talked about the HFR and Atmos sound system. He mentioned that the auditorium (number 7 which has a little over 200 seats and maybe a 50 foot screen) has 38 speakers – only 3 of them subwoofers. The bass during the movie was not spectacular. They should add more subwoofers.
The 3D glasses were active shutter I think. They seemed to dull the picture and color a lot worse than the passive glasses that real3d and imax3d uses. I think they should switch to passive 3d glasses.
well I guess Star Wars ep. 7 will play here in 2015. Those liningup.com or countingdown.com or whatever fans won’t have to walk as far now, lol. Remember what happened back in ‘05 with ep. 3? Lucas/Fox booked it into the Dome instead of Grauman’s, but the SW fans camped out in front of Grauman’s anyway for six weeks, then marched down Hollywood blvd and over to Sunset on opening midnight. For ep. 7 they’ll only have to walk across the street, lol.
“Harry Potter was rocking for the midnight show tonight. The line to get in stretched around Hollywood Blvd and down Orange hours before the show was to start. This was the Chinese of old….”
that’s great to hear Cliffs. :)
do you remember what trailers were shown before Harry Potter?
well, tickets are now on sale for KUNG FU PANDA 2 at Arclight Hollywood. When was the last time Grauman’s got a tentpole release? The last one I remember off the top of my head was CLASH OF THE TITANS, which was released the first weekend of April – April of LAST YEAR!
maybe even more of a reason for locals to prefer Arclight is the online reserved seating system. The auditorium seating chart pops up on your screen and you get to reserve the exact seats you want right from home. And I can’t remember.. the parking at Arclight is probably cheaper than Hollywood & Highland?
Maybe Mann could somehow work out some kind of a deal with Arclight to share bookings. Remember, it actually did happen last summer when Terminator Salvation actually opened at both Grauman’s/Chinese 6 and also at Arclight multiplex (but not the Dome, except for the midnight opening)
I believe Mann was owned by Westar when they filed for bankruptcy back in the late ‘90’s? Then Warner and Paramount stepped in and created an entity called WF Holdings to take over Mann. They must have spent quite a bit of money renovating the Chinese. In the forecourt they removed the boxoffice and covered walkway. Inside they upgraded the THX sound system and also put in a new screen, new screen curtains, new seats, new carpet, and enlarged the concession area by moving the projection booth back upstairs. Ever since Star Wars Episode II back in 2002, they’ve kept the booth upgraded with the best digital projection equipment.
They spent all that money spiffing the place up :) but then they don’t showcase their big budget tentpoles there anymore :(
That D-150 screen also reflects on itself and causes a washed out image.
The domed ceiling still causes sound to bounce around and mess up the stereo/surround sound imaging. Depending on where you sit dialog that’s supposed to be coming from the screen can sound like its floating in the air.
I don’t get it. I don’t get why people are actually fans of the Dome. The picture is distorted and washed out. The surround sound field is also distorted.
I believe Pacific wanted to convert the Dome to a stadium seating auditorium with a flat screen and flat ceiling when they built the Arclight auditoriums didn’t they?
Chris, did you notice if there were two projectors, or just one?
Also, since it was Real 3D I guess they used the standard polarized glasses instead of the electronic shutter glasses that Arclight Dome used for Avatar?
Was the picture nice and bright and vivid, or was it a bit dim?
“segask,
Not that I don’t totally love the outright doom and gloom you’re pontificating (and before the change has even taken place, no less), but I’m hopeful that Regency….”
—posted by Cliff…
LOL, good grief, look at me. Here Regency has stepped in and saved what is just about my most favorite movie theater and my first reaction is to be Mr. Pessimistic.
Let me try that again. From the bottom of my heart, I thank Regency and wish them the best of luck with the village and bruin theaters. Hopefully this is the beginning of the comeback we’ve all been hoping for in westwood.
well I’m really glad it will remain a first run movie house. But obviously Mann was losing money here. Regency knows they’ll lose money here. I wonder how long they plan to lose money here?
from what I’ve heard, in an ideal situation the screen would be at a maximum size of around 60 feet wide by roughly 25 feet high for 2.40:1 35mm. I remember a film expert (John Ptylak of Kodak) saying that’s as big as 35mm can go and still have great picture quality.
Then, if the theater has a big enough proscenium (which the Chinese does, I don’t know about the Egyptian), when going to 70mm the top masking is raised and the screen is both taller and wider for 70mm than it is for 35mm.
now that its over, my compliments to Mann theaters. I hope Regency maintains the same high level of presentation quality and theater upkeep that Mann has right up to the end. I think this theater has the best overall sound of any of the big movie palaces in L.A. (though I never got to hear the big downstairs auditorium at the Avco before they twinned it, nor the old Plitt century plaza before it was chopped up). For overall presentation quality I rate the Village the highest out of all the palaces in westwood and hollywood.
But now that the Mann era is over, what do you guys think of the job Mann did with the Village theater over the years?
they are having the Star Wars marathon here on Dec 17. It should really be at the Chinese across the street.
Has Disney been allowing their IMAX releases to open at the Chinese along with the regular format here at the El Cap?
well I see that Disney didn’t let Thor play in IMAX here.
In those photos you can see that the THX surround speakers are still there and covered in plastic. The THX system will still be used then? The IMAX auditoriums I have been in don’t have arrays of surround speakers on the side/back walls. They just have a pair of large speakers hanging in the rear corners.
so the current THX sound system will be removed, and IMAX speakers/amplifiers will take their place?
what kind of 3D setup does Grauman’s have? Active shutter glasses? Dolby3D glasses? Real3D glasses?
And there is a new THX trailer? I don’t see it on the THX website yet. Interesting.
has anyone seen The Hobbit here in HFR yet? I saw it in HFR at Arclight La Jolla (a brand new Arclight down in San Diego). I wanted to like it, but after seeing HFR with my own eyes, I realize that it will take a while to get used to. Motion in the picture is crystal clear, but its a clarity I’ve only been used to seeing up until now in video games running at 60fps. So i was constantly feeling like I was watching a video game instead of a movie. HFR will take some getting used to for me.
I saw The Hobbit here in 3D HFR and Dolby Atmos. In addition to the usual arclight usher giving a short speech before the movie, there was a guy from Dolby who talked about the HFR and Atmos sound system. He mentioned that the auditorium (number 7 which has a little over 200 seats and maybe a 50 foot screen) has 38 speakers – only 3 of them subwoofers. The bass during the movie was not spectacular. They should add more subwoofers.
The 3D glasses were active shutter I think. They seemed to dull the picture and color a lot worse than the passive glasses that real3d and imax3d uses. I think they should switch to passive 3d glasses.
well I guess Star Wars ep. 7 will play here in 2015. Those liningup.com or countingdown.com or whatever fans won’t have to walk as far now, lol. Remember what happened back in ‘05 with ep. 3? Lucas/Fox booked it into the Dome instead of Grauman’s, but the SW fans camped out in front of Grauman’s anyway for six weeks, then marched down Hollywood blvd and over to Sunset on opening midnight. For ep. 7 they’ll only have to walk across the street, lol.
I was hoping that Grauman’s would get Phantom Menace 3D, but tickets are now on sale at arclight hollywood. Oh well.
“Harry Potter was rocking for the midnight show tonight. The line to get in stretched around Hollywood Blvd and down Orange hours before the show was to start. This was the Chinese of old….”
that’s great to hear Cliffs. :)
do you remember what trailers were shown before Harry Potter?
went to the 7:10 showing of XMen First Class. Theatre was about two-thirds full maybe.
They closed the curtains in between the video preshow and the trailers.
When the curtain was closed an usher greeted the audience, asked everyone to turn cell phones off, etc.
Trailers they played were: Mr. Poppers Penguins Zookeeper Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Green Lantern Rise of the Planet of the Apes
In the footprint forecourt outside the ‘Next Attraction’ posters were Zookeeper and Monte Carlo.
This weekend they are giving free 46 oz. popcorn.
well, tickets are now on sale for KUNG FU PANDA 2 at Arclight Hollywood. When was the last time Grauman’s got a tentpole release? The last one I remember off the top of my head was CLASH OF THE TITANS, which was released the first weekend of April – April of LAST YEAR!
yes, where did you hear that Roger?
Closed as a movie theater and used as a live venue maybe?
or closed as a first run house but still used for premiers?
or Mann theaters is closing down and the Chinese would be dark until someone buys it?
More info please.
maybe even more of a reason for locals to prefer Arclight is the online reserved seating system. The auditorium seating chart pops up on your screen and you get to reserve the exact seats you want right from home. And I can’t remember.. the parking at Arclight is probably cheaper than Hollywood & Highland?
Maybe Mann could somehow work out some kind of a deal with Arclight to share bookings. Remember, it actually did happen last summer when Terminator Salvation actually opened at both Grauman’s/Chinese 6 and also at Arclight multiplex (but not the Dome, except for the midnight opening)
I believe Mann was owned by Westar when they filed for bankruptcy back in the late ‘90’s? Then Warner and Paramount stepped in and created an entity called WF Holdings to take over Mann. They must have spent quite a bit of money renovating the Chinese. In the forecourt they removed the boxoffice and covered walkway. Inside they upgraded the THX sound system and also put in a new screen, new screen curtains, new seats, new carpet, and enlarged the concession area by moving the projection booth back upstairs. Ever since Star Wars Episode II back in 2002, they’ve kept the booth upgraded with the best digital projection equipment.
They spent all that money spiffing the place up :) but then they don’t showcase their big budget tentpoles there anymore :(
all 7 auditoriums were originally THX.
That D-150 screen also reflects on itself and causes a washed out image.
The domed ceiling still causes sound to bounce around and mess up the stereo/surround sound imaging. Depending on where you sit dialog that’s supposed to be coming from the screen can sound like its floating in the air.
I don’t get it. I don’t get why people are actually fans of the Dome. The picture is distorted and washed out. The surround sound field is also distorted.
I believe Pacific wanted to convert the Dome to a stadium seating auditorium with a flat screen and flat ceiling when they built the Arclight auditoriums didn’t they?
Chris, did you notice if there were two projectors, or just one?
Also, since it was Real 3D I guess they used the standard polarized glasses instead of the electronic shutter glasses that Arclight Dome used for Avatar?
Was the picture nice and bright and vivid, or was it a bit dim?
:)
“segask,
Not that I don’t totally love the outright doom and gloom you’re pontificating (and before the change has even taken place, no less), but I’m hopeful that Regency….”
—posted by Cliff…
LOL, good grief, look at me. Here Regency has stepped in and saved what is just about my most favorite movie theater and my first reaction is to be Mr. Pessimistic.
Let me try that again. From the bottom of my heart, I thank Regency and wish them the best of luck with the village and bruin theaters. Hopefully this is the beginning of the comeback we’ve all been hoping for in westwood.
well I’m really glad it will remain a first run movie house. But obviously Mann was losing money here. Regency knows they’ll lose money here. I wonder how long they plan to lose money here?
from what I’ve heard, in an ideal situation the screen would be at a maximum size of around 60 feet wide by roughly 25 feet high for 2.40:1 35mm. I remember a film expert (John Ptylak of Kodak) saying that’s as big as 35mm can go and still have great picture quality.
Then, if the theater has a big enough proscenium (which the Chinese does, I don’t know about the Egyptian), when going to 70mm the top masking is raised and the screen is both taller and wider for 70mm than it is for 35mm.
does any one have any inside info on the length of Regency’s lease?
now that its over, my compliments to Mann theaters. I hope Regency maintains the same high level of presentation quality and theater upkeep that Mann has right up to the end. I think this theater has the best overall sound of any of the big movie palaces in L.A. (though I never got to hear the big downstairs auditorium at the Avco before they twinned it, nor the old Plitt century plaza before it was chopped up). For overall presentation quality I rate the Village the highest out of all the palaces in westwood and hollywood.
But now that the Mann era is over, what do you guys think of the job Mann did with the Village theater over the years?
well that’s it – the end of the Mann era in Westwood. Just ten years ago Mann had all the theaters in the village north of Wilshire Blvd.
Village
National
Bruin
Festival
Regent
Plaza
Westwood 4 plex
I think that was all of them.