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Author Topic: Theaters still running 35mm (please read the specifics) Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-19-2015 11:08 AM                     I have one twin left, Ritz Theater in Tooele, Utah. We are converting one of the screens over in about a week. Not sure what the plans a with the small screen yet. But it will likely run film on screen 2 for a while longer. Mark  |  IP: Logged Bill Brandenstein Master Film Handler Posts: 413 From: Santa Clarita, CA Registered: Jul 2013 posted 05-19-2015 12:50 PM                     Wow, here we are 3 months later and the Lancaster, CA theater I posted about on Feb. 27 is still running 4 of the same titles in 35mm - that's not a good sign! Again, according to Fandango. I can only imagine what Interstellar looks like after 7 months. Wish it were closer, it would be interesting to take a look, but it must be a dive.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-19-2015 01:23 PM                     Well, what do you know about that theater? Is it a place that takes care of film or do they trash a lot of prints? I don't remember what was said about that theater but, on the face of things, it is incorrect to assume that, just because they have been running the same prints, the picture must be bad. It could be just the opposite. If they have been running the same movies for all of this time, maybe that means they are a good theater.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 05-19-2015 04:28 PM                       Or that they closed and no one cared enough to notify anyone.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 05-20-2015 12:18 AM                        I drove through the Palmdale/Lancaster metro en route to a mini-break at Pismo Beach a while back. It seemed to me to be a big enough place to support two or three theaters, but I suppose that if that market was oversaturated before the digital conversion got seriously underway, one of them could have struggled to afford to convert.  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 05-20-2015 07:34 PM                     It opened in October of 1990. Maybe the lease is about to expire.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 05-20-2015 07:54 PM                     quote: Randy Stankey I don't remember what was said about that theater but, on the face of things, it is incorrect to assume that, just because they have been running the same prints, the picture must be bad. It depends on who is operating the projection equipment. The quality of the gear and how well it is maintained are also factors. Back in the 1990s and earlier it was somewhat common for a theater to keep playing a certain hit film for a really long time. Our local Carmike had 2 prints of Titanic from its original December release date both prints stayed in the two largest, THX houses until April and at least one print was still playing at the theater in May. Both prints fared very well. Back on topic, here locally the Vaska Theater is the last one in this region still showing film (and trying to raise money for a digital conversion). They've been stuck showing American Sniper and 50 Shades of Grey even though both movies are available on Blu-ray now. American Sniper has been available for digital download for nearly a month.  |  IP: Logged Bill Brandenstein Master Film Handler Posts: 413 From: Santa Clarita, CA Registered: Jul 2013 posted 05-23-2015 06:07 PM                     OK, I went. My daughter and I saw "Penguins of Madagascar" last night, where Dave the Octopus hatches a nefarious plan to mutate all penguins worldwide, such that wackiness ensues, etc., etc. Official presentation review: THEATER: Cinemark 12, Lancaster, CA ADMISSION PRICE: $3 (it's been a discount house for 16 years!) STAFF: A- (plenty of them and doing a good job) THEATER SIZE: 113 seats THEATER CLEANLINESS: B BRIGHTNESS: C+ CLARITY: A (crisp clear print, steady and no rocking, great color) PRINT CONDITION: D SOUND: Analog So this movie came out Thanksgiving weekend, meaning that it's been run nearly 900 times. Of all the screens we peeked at when our show was over, our movie looked the worst, but ALL prints were scratched (mainly on the sides, of course) including Interstellar (which was running with analog sound and a buzzing ground loop in the audio - ugggg!) This photo that I took at "Penguins" says it all, although darker scenes masked the wear nicely: Really a nice place and great comfy seats: They seem to be aware they're the last screens in LA running film, well aware they can't get prints, and the word is that Cinemark will "upgrade" them to digital in the future. Had a great time with the daughter at least, and the show was cute.  |  IP: Logged Jesse Skeen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1517 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Aug 2000 posted 06-01-2015 09:14 PM                     What a shame- I'd do a better job for free- it should be considered an honor to run the last 35mm prints.  |  IP: Logged Jack Theakston Master Film Handler Posts: 411 From: New York, USA Registered: Sep 2007 posted 06-02-2015 10:47 AM                     Some FilmGuard would have helped.  |  IP: Logged Bill Brandenstein Master Film Handler Posts: 413 From: Santa Clarita, CA Registered: Jul 2013 posted 06-03-2015 03:51 PM                     My thought exactly. 1,000 runs on a properly-maintained system and lubed with FilmGuard should look like new. There was no manager there that night and my request to see the booth was declined. Looked like all the employees at that hour were teenagers, save the security guard.  |  IP: Logged Peter Howard Film Handler Posts: 44 From: Forster, NSW, Australia Registered: Dec 2005 posted 06-03-2015 10:28 PM                        How many people in the theatre with you Bill?  |  IP: Logged Bill Brandenstein Master Film Handler Posts: 413 From: Santa Clarita, CA Registered: Jul 2013 posted 06-09-2015 03:48 PM                     A couple of dozen. None of the screens I peeked in on were full, but there were several dozens of people at Interstellar, and Unfriended (in digital projection) was half full in a larger room. So not amazing business, but not shabby either considering the length of the runs.  |  IP: Logged Andrew Armstrong Film Handler Posts: 3 From: Galveston, Texas USA Registered: Sep 2014 posted 06-10-2015 12:24 AM                     I came across this thread while searching for 16MM stuff. I was a projectionist from 1987 to 2001. I have to say, i have not paid any attention to films on the exhibition side since they showed me a DCP, until i read a article about interstellar being released on 35 and 70 IMAX. I am shocked that any movie house in the USA still uses film at all. Actually i would be nervous paying to see a film movie, unless it was being done with a staff that understands film, it's handling and showing. I have lost count of the number of times i had to go tell the manager or person running the cash register to go and use the correct flat or scope for the movie being shown or to remove the polarizer for a 2D movie. So i can see them severely messing film up and further killing it off. Another thing i discovered today was a lot of Christie film projectors selling for dirt cheap on Ebay.  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 06-22-2015 02:56 PM                        Back in May, I reported this: "The 5-screen Cinemart in Forest Hills, NY (on Metropolitan Avenue) is still all 35mm." They've gone digital. I'm actually surprised. They had held out so long, I thought they would close rather than go digital (not because they were so into film, but because they couldn't afford the transition). I saw "Love & Mercy" there in digital and I have to admit that the presentation was pretty good. The last 35mm film I saw there was "Her". That presentation, frankly, was not so good - projection was dim and print was dirty and scratched.  |  IP: Logged

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