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Topic: GRINDHOUSE HeadsUp - Missing Reel, Dirt

Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-07-2007 03:26 AM

quote: John Plasket
Did I forget to mention that this is on the actual marquee, not the website? I'm guessing that whoever had it put there might have known something about how the film was going to be exhibited.

Considering that the theatre in question has digital projection on each of its screens, the DLP notation was probably already present on the marquee from the previous week and whomever had marquee duty for this week failed to remove it.

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 04-07-2007 10:21 AM

How about someone who WORKS at one of these Carmikes jump in here... [Wink]

FWIW, the Rave (75% DLP) and the Carmike (100% DLP coverage) in Allentown are running it in 35mm. The other two Carmikes near me aren't even running it.

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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 04-07-2007 02:06 PM

Bobby Henderson said:

"I expect at least a few dunderheads among viewing audiences to gripe at projectionists for messing up this movie"

Right on. Very first show yesterday one of the floor managers asked me to come down and speak to a patron. This idiot asked about the "missing reel". When I explained the facts to him, he said "well, it said to see the management". Obviously, this fool couldn't read, either, and was looking for a freebe, which of course, he didn't get. [Big Grin]

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David M. Leugers
Film Handler

Posts: 43
From: Fairfield, Ohio, united States of America
Registered: Jan 2005

posted 04-07-2007 02:43 PM

I know what the directors are going for, but it is a real insult to the pros in the booth. I have not seen a buggered up film in ages, probable decades ago. It is taken for granted that when I finally get to see a popular film that has been out for over a month with hundreds of showings the print will still look pristine. Maybe if they compared it to seeing a film in school on a poorly maintained and operated 16mm shredder...

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 04-07-2007 03:18 PM

Perhaps one of the purposes of making Grindhouse is for sales people to use it as an example of "film" when comparing to digitally originated and digitally projected movies.
[Roll Eyes]

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John Plasket
Film Handler

Posts: 16
From: Berks County, PA, USA
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 04-07-2007 07:36 PM

REPORT FROM THE CARMIKE 5: That was definitely film. I couldn't see back into the booth, but I could tell. Score one for the analog crowd (i.e. me).

To make things more confusing, the list of showings on the theater door listed DLP for every one except Grindhouse.

Also:

quote: David M. Leugers
I have not seen a buggered up film in ages, probable decades ago.

"Decades ago" is definitely what they were going for. I pictured the grungy projection booth from Fight Club.

Also, considering where the two hotly-debated "missing" reels are, I'd have to guess that maybe they were stolen (from the "grindhouse" booth, not the real world), as opposed to not being shipped or being skipped over.

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Mike Schindler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1039
From: Oak Park, IL, USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 04-07-2007 08:02 PM

quote: Bobby Henderson
Perhaps one of the purposes of making Grindhouse is for sales people to use it as an example of "film" when comparing to digitally originated and digitally projected movies.

I highly doubt it, since half of the movie did originate digitally, and the other half is by a guy who has repeatedly stated that anything digital is evil.

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Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-08-2007 12:00 AM

quote: John Plasket
That was definitely film. I couldn't see back into the booth, but I could tell.

Lemme guess...the scratches and missing reel were the giveaway? [Big Grin]

quote: John Plasket
To make things more confusing, the list of showings on the theater door listed DLP for every one except Grindhouse.

I fail to see how your observation makes the situation more confusing. It would seem to me that if the notations near the doors indicated DLP for everything except "Grindhouse" then they got it right. No DLP notation = 35mm film presentation. (So it appears they have a correct presentation notation near the theatre doors and on the website but not on the outside marquee.)

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John Plasket
Film Handler

Posts: 16
From: Berks County, PA, USA
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 04-08-2007 12:14 AM

Good point. I guess it's mostly the fact that they're telling me two different things, combined with a near-total takeover of DLP at that particular theater. And maybe just a bit of gun-jumping.

(Also, I forgot to mention that the door showtime sheet was absent when I took the picture of the marquee, most likely because it had not been printed for the week.)

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Mike Perju
Film Handler

Posts: 90
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Nov 2002

posted 04-08-2007 01:15 AM

Mike,

In this case digital lost (again)!!! Mr. Rodriguez's picture falls apat a numerous times during his segment, even though the Genesis camera was a great improvement over the HDF-900. (It had the same problems Apocalypto had as far as I was concerned).
I still can't believe someone would vouch for digital after the visual disaster "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" was, never mind if they were a DP! (It still looked bad on DVD, for fuck's sake!!!)

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Alex Grueneberg
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 125
From: Chicago, IL
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 04-08-2007 02:56 AM

Day 2, two prints in our largest auditoriums (420). Not one complaint, and I caught wind that a few customers even mentioned to a floor manager that it made them realize how good our other films really look!
[thumbsup]

This is exactly what I had hoped for. Bringing film projection to their attention, and film done right and wrong.

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Mike Heenan
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1896
From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 04-08-2007 03:18 PM

I haven't seen the film yet so I can't say if it sucks but I was thinking they should chop about 10 min or so from each movie... a lot of Corman's old films tend to be on 4 full reels, and most "grindhouse" films I've had in my collection were around 90 min or so. Sicne each film had a missing reel, that would put the true RT of each one at just under 2 hours which is another anti grindhouse thing it has going.

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Mike Perju
Film Handler

Posts: 90
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Nov 2002

posted 04-09-2007 12:33 PM

Mike,

In the movie, they should quote "Missing Footage" instead or "reels". There really isn't a 20min. gap in the story anywhere, more like 5 to 10 mins. tops.

Mike

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 04-09-2007 03:19 PM

quote: John Plasket
Good point. I guess it's mostly the fact that they're telling me two different things, combined with a near-total takeover of DLP at that particular theater. And maybe just a bit of gun-jumping.

John, are you talking about the Carmike 5 in State College, PA? If so, it has Christie CP2000 projectors on all 5 screens. Carmike usually leaves at least 1 or 2 film projectors intact at each multiplex with new CP2000 units installed alongside. It's pretty easy to spot the booths that have both 35mm and digital, although the CP2000 units don't stand as tall as a 35mm film projector. You might not spot one so easily if you're looking back up toward the booth port glass at a severe angle.

quote: John Plasket
To make things more confusing, the list of showings on the theater door listed DLP for every one except Grindhouse.

That comment also grabbed my attention. The guys AccessIT and Christie will often install flat, non-illuminated metal signs on the auditorium doors featuring logos for AccessIT, Christie and Texas Instruments. They're more of a permanent fixture, not something that would be removed and replaced from one show to the next.

Some newer Carmike locations have LED text displays above each auditorium entrance (instead of or in addition to back-lit mylar boxes). The info on those boards is easy to change, although you're pretty limited on the number of characters you can show.

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Jarryd Beard
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 229
From: Hellertown, PA
Registered: Jul 2004

posted 04-09-2007 03:58 PM

As I may or may not work at this theatre in question, I will try to clear up a few of these issues. [Wink]

First, that "DLP" on the marquee was an error. A staff member forgot to take it down from the previous week. It was not a ploy, but a human error that has been taken care of. Grindhouse is playing in 35mm. Second, the time sheet being referred to hangs in the front doors of the building. Indeed, everything else is playing in digital. That's why all other features have "DLP" next to the titles. Third, only one auditorium still has operational 35mm projection. You can tell because there are two projection ports. All other auditoriums are DLP only. Because all auditoriums are digital capable, there are the DLP placards mounted outside of each one.

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