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Topic: Carmike no longer THX, WTF?!

Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 03-17-2000 12:54 AM

Well the memo got was sent out on Wednesday, which is too late to change print ads. As far as advertising as THX, well that was probably cooked up before the memo.

I just know we're boxing up everything that has THX on it and sending it to the District office.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-17-2000 03:38 PM

>> Call me names if you must (others have), but I'd much rather have the imperfect THX seal of approval than have quality assurance which is backed up by nobody... or by Cinemark's "Front Row Joe" the dancing cat. <<

Didn't you hear? Popcorn Penny decided she prefers "bad boys" and ran off with Clyde! Front Row Joe was do depressed he stuck his head in a popcorn popper and popped himself to death!

As goofy as it was I like Front Row Joe much better than those dumb "Image" trailers!

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Greg Anderson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 766
From: Ogden Valley, Utah
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-17-2000 04:48 PM

I was unaware of Front Row Joe's woes. Just goes to show you how infrequently I choose to waste my money at Utah's inferior Cinemark theatres.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-17-2000 07:56 PM

I used to do a THX house or two in every plex I worked on in past years. However LucasFilm doesn't seem interestd in the indies anymore and I have given up on them.

The THX division has had so many people problems and it seems that they had a huge turnover every time I did another system. These hassles are not worth the headaches. I still design at least two houses to THX standards in all the plexes I do. I also still use my R-2 on every house I eq. No exceptions there.....ever. The results obtained are way to good to consider anything else. Seems to me that when they were moved off "The Ranch" they went downhill and have not been heading back up. Perhaps George has even had enough.
Mark

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 03-17-2000 10:07 PM

My knowledge of sound systems is patheticly poor, especially since I'm a college student

. I'm sure our MTS tech uses one of these R2 units when equalizing our sound systems, which he did in Janruary.

You know what they found wrong in 98 when they recertified us? Our lights were too bright during the feature. We knew about this and it was scheduled to be fixed. Really wasn't that bad and hadn't recieved any complaints about it, but things should be as perfect as possible. The only other problem we had was that our entry doors closed to loudly. Five minutes with a wrench fixed that for both theaters. So we dropped all that money for Lucas to tell us that. Not worth it in my opinion. Our projectors and sound systems recieve regular maintanence. Maybe THX was needed a few years back to bring up standards, but until the bar needs to be raised again having the certification is just dumping money down a drain in my opinion.

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John Eickhof
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 588
From: Wendell, ID USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 03-17-2000 11:36 PM

I agree with you Mark, The R2 is a wonderful
device, I have always dis-agreed with the
LUCA$ way of doing bu$ine$$ But the tools of the trade are the best buy!! Lets keep using them! And forget the tradenames!!

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Chris Erwin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 195
From: Olive Hill,KY
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 03-18-2000 09:26 AM

I mentioned the fact a movie was playing with THX to a bunch of my friends and they said "huh?". These are people who faithfully go every week to the movies. I think this represents the movie going public. If it sounds good,most people could care less if it said Dolby,DTS or whatever.

--Chris

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-18-2000 10:12 PM

Dustin if they hadn't foudn out about the light level and the noisey doors would it have been fixed, or why hadn't it been fixed
that is part of the recert process getting things fixed that the theatre forgets about

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 03-18-2000 11:13 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Dustin Mitchell:
You know what they found wrong in 98 when they recertified us? Our lights were too bright during the feature. We knew about this and it was scheduled to be fixed.

Yup, it would have been.

quote:
The only other problem we had was that our entry doors closed to loudly. Five minutes with a wrench fixed that for both theaters.

I don't know about this. You must understand they weren't closing that loudly, I mean, the whole building didn't shake. But yes, they were closing kind of hard. At this time I was only in the concession stand though, so I don't know for sure if that was on the to do list before they came out or not.

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Bryan Redemske
Film Handler

Posts: 70
From: Cedar Falls, IA, USA
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 03-20-2000 10:28 AM

As far as I'm concerned, George Lucas and his THX crap can go jump. We're not certified and most of the people could care less. The only people who know what THX is have only seen it on their Star Wars reissue tapes and don't really know what it means anyway. Soooo...with Dolby Digital in place and good-sounding stereo everywhere else, we're fine. And not feeding George Lucas' money-wasting empire known as "The Star Wars Prequels." Episode I gets my award for worst movie of the year.

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Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 04-27-2000 03:24 PM

I just heard from a manager of a local Carmike theatre that although THX certification was originally going to be dropped, negotiations have been made and THX certification will remain in place at our location. Does anyone know the details of any recent company-wide negotiations with THX?

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 04-27-2000 03:28 PM

The only thing I've heard recently is the big stink over the Screenvision ads not being run. I'll have to see what's come in over the IQ tommorrow.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-27-2000 05:11 PM

One reason a few chains have dumped THX is cause the cost every year for the recerts. If you have a hundred screens at one chain thats alot of dough paid out to recert every year. I suspect some company hauncho decided he needed a new Rolls every year instead. But really even at a discounted price its alot of money to forkout every year, and things are not so good money wise in exhibition right now. I hava pretty much goven up on THX as far as indies go. THX really does not seem to have much interest in doing them anymore....heck they can't even properly deal with what they have out there either.
Mark

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Greg Anderson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 766
From: Ogden Valley, Utah
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-28-2000 11:42 AM

So... I went to the Carmike web site this morning and the first thing it did was play the audio of the THX "Broadway" trailer. What's up with that?
www.carmike.com

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 04-28-2000 02:23 PM

Carmike probably paid some fee to use that logo on their web site. Mann uses it in their non-sync radio program as well.

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