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Topic: "Raiders" at the Uptown in 70MM

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-27-2001 08:00 AM

I haven't seen 70mm at the Uptown since Vertigo played there in 1996. At the time, it looked stunning, with perfect focus (edge-center-edge) and no visible distortion.

I agree, though, that some curved-screen setups have major distortion problems--the Cinerama Dome in LA had an absolutely godawful picture for 35mm scope. It was very dim and very distorted. The sound quality there was the best that I've ever heard, though. (Sadly, I've not seen 70mm there.)

What would have been the advantage of making "rectified" prints that could only be shown at one theatre as opposed to making standard prints that could be shown with appropriate lenses at any theatre?

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-27-2001 08:43 AM

70mm at the Dome also experienced severe lateral distortion "saucer-bowl" and I dont think Ive ever seen a film perfectly focused from corner to corner. The flat-surfaced screen also causes a washed out look. Still, I like the sound at this theatre and have enjoyed many screenings there.

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Larry Myers
Master Film Handler

Posts: 371
From: Herndon, VA, USA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 03-27-2001 02:09 PM

Steve

To me Lawrence of Arabia looked distorted on that Cinerama screen but I am sure that's me. So what's the intention at the Uptown with "Raiders". Are they going to use the Cinerama screen or not.

I also understand the screen is rather new being replaced maybe 5 years ago. When I saw "Lawrence", it was on the older screen.

Larry

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Larry Myers
Master Film Handler

Posts: 371
From: Herndon, VA, USA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 03-27-2001 04:34 PM

Steve

So is the Uptown going to show Raiders on the Cinerama screen?

Larry

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 03-27-2001 04:41 PM

I'm sorry Larry...I guess I didn't answer your question before...

Yes Raiders will be shown on the Cinerama curved screen so any distortion you perceived in LOA will also be there on Raiders (same lenses too).

As to the screen replacement...it went from a "strip" screen to "single piece". This happend for the re-release of VERTIGO. I long for the strip-screen. While the strip screen did have an issue with vertical lines due to the strips, it's contrast was vastly superior to the single sheet we have now (a Technikote XRL) which has killed our contrast. Anything above 12fL tends to start to look washed out.

Sorry I didn't answer this before.

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 03-30-2001 09:54 PM

I have recently gotten word that the Uptown's print is in pretty bad shape. It is reported to be VERY red, scratched and averages 10-15 splices per reel.

Sorry to break the bad news.

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 03-31-2001 12:29 AM

Then that's the print I ran about a year ago (and before anyone cracks a lame joke, no I was NOT the one to cause any of that damage)...except I seem to remember many more splices than you report. Still, that is the ONLY print that Paramount has in 70mm of that title in the United States.

Steve, beware of very bad mag tracks on that print. It will require quite a bit of tweeking and I was never satisfied regardless of the amount of tweeking that went into it. You would be better off running one of the recent re-prints of this title in 35mm.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 03-31-2001 03:05 AM

I was told the other day that Paramount will be re-releasing Ferris Bueller's Day Off here for some inknown reason like its 15th anniversary or something...

Yeah...makes sense... but leave Raiders to turn pink and decay.

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"It's not the years, honey...it's the mileage". Indiana Jones

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-31-2001 06:17 AM

Sorry to hear it...I'll be there on Monday, anyway, though.

With decent 35mm prints of Raiders in circulation and other decent 70mm prints (of other titles) available, why did they have to pick a title to run in 70mm for which only a red and splicy print is available???

BTW, does anyone know what happened to the 70mm print (the Canadian one) which recently played in Seattle? Hopefully it didn't get trashed...

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 03-31-2001 04:57 PM

Well now I have run it....

We have print #7001 (which I read as 70mm #1). My favorite description on the label is SR-Digital!!! (Neither of which were invented when this print was struck)

The report of the redness is true but doesn't seem as bad as I was first lead to believe (to those that haven't run red films before, then this seems very red. In the past, running red films was just part of the trade on festivals...Fortunately, there are a lot of desert stuff so the redness isn't as bad as it could be. In the first reel the redness appears rather bad since there is a lot of indoor and shadow stuff.

The scratches are worse than I thought they would be...the bulk are base and there are plenty across the screen...JJs have definately contributed to the scratching as have a host of other problems.

The splices are not as plentiful as I was first led to believe...very little loss of continutity.

The sound? It has held up intact and with many compliments to that from the patrons.

Remember, any film made before 1983 will be at the older recording standard (lower)...if you use test film made after 1983, you will have the Noise Reduction mistracking quite a bit. This will kill the highs off and the lows. I think Gordon has made some recordings of various test films so one can use a modern film to set the older levels (he measured actual test films of the various prints.

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-03-2001 01:20 AM

I saw this print tonight. The print is obviously beat-up and faded, but it's still pretty watchable. The vintage "Dolby Stereo 70mm 6-track" tag was a nice touch. The sountrack in general was excellent. As always, the presentation at the Uptown was top-notch.

The picture was kind of on the grainy side (probably not much better than 35mm), but the steadiness was far better than with 35mm. Some of the optical work looked pretty cheesy, though, but that's really just an artifact of the time in which the film was made.

Still, it was lots of fun to see this in 70mm, and I really wish that it were possible to see more current titles in this format, even if they are "only" blowups as opposed to true 65mm original photography. It sounds like I'm complaining here, but I'm really just being excessively picky, having had the chance to see a number of truly flawless 70mm prints.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

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

posted 04-03-2001 08:46 PM

Scott if you want to see grain see a 35mm print blown up to the same size

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