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Topic: Tarantino Gets 50 70mm Projectors For The Hateful Eight
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 08-15-2015 05:31 PM
Bah, who needs 5 screen channels when lots of these will end up in a medium auditorium with top masking that won't come down to 2.76:1 and the presentation will have small letterbox bars anyway. ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Seriously, releasing day and date with STAR WARS is about the most foolish thing that could've been done for a 70mm film revival attempt.
NOBODY will give up their large auditoriums (suitable for such a presentation) unless they are in some sort of split zone where they don't get Star Wars. The only scenario around here I can think of that fits such a scenario is LOOK vs. AMC. I'm quite sure AMC will force the studio to give them STAR WARS, and for Tarantino, that's good news as one of my personal 70mm systems is still setup on their large #1 auditorium (with the capability of a 1.25x anamorphic as well). It wouldn't take much to go in there and raise the bottom edge of the masking to create a 2.76 ratio, change out the lens and file a new plate.
But other than THAT scenario, who in their right mind is going to give up any decent sized auditorium and go through the expense and hassle to run Hateful Eight in 70mm for a petty 2 weeks when they can run STAR WARS and sell the shit out of their big auditoriums instead???
Let me clarify "expense and hassle" before someone chimes in with the notion that the studio is going to cover all of the costs involved. First most of those installs will have to have a second port window installed. Even if the studio covers the cost of that, electricians, equipment shipping, install, etc the auditorium is bound to have some downtime. That costs the theater money. Is Weinstein going to rent out these auditoriums for every day they are shut down?
Likewise the theater will have to staff the operation of that projector. In most situations it will end up being some manager that has never even touched 35mm film before running it from a crash-course training session by who-knows-what-guy that is sent around to provide such assistance.
I'm betting the installs will not be supplied with FilmGuard and a film cleaner. Sure the run is only 2 weeks and the 70mm film frame is quite large to begin with, but if Tarantino is REALLY trying to put on a bunch of perfect presentations, that is needed. Anyone who has worked with FilmGuard before knows that a presentation without it simply isn't as good as it could've been. People who argue against that statement have obviously never ran a booth with it because there is no comparison.
The prints are also bound to suffer from static being polyester base without the extra anti-static offerings of the big boy labs that don't exist anymore (or the addition of FilmGuard). Likewise even though I checked and it is possible to do one last production run of platter safety rings, that was decided not necessary, so who knows how many tail wraps and thrown prints there will end up being.
Again remember, the theaters that ran Intersteller last year all had projectionists to varying level of at least SOME experience, and supposedly most of the prints got damaged in the few weeks they were ran.
It's not Glorious Ultra Panavision 70MM if the print is scratched or has dirt specs on it! The entire moviegoing world is now accustomed to flicker-less, flawlessly clean "prints" projected digitally. Add back in the flicker and any little black specs to the image (god forbid a line) and people will walk out of there saying "good riddance film".
Tarantino likes to end his movies in a bloodbath. This one will be no different, the bloodbath will just be in the booth. What's sad is it doesn't have to end that way, but from the information I have on how this is playing out, that is precisely what will happen.
Quentin I know lots of people don't like your movies, but personally I love your movies. I really truly do. They are some of my all time favorites and I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and especially for what you are trying to do with this release, but it's just not being handled in a manner to be successful and I've only touched on a few of the points here. I'm afraid you will go down in the history books as "that guy who was responsible for hammering that last nail in film's coffin" instead of "that guy who saved film from extinction." ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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Leo Enticknap
Film God
Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 08-16-2015 01:37 AM
quote: Brad Miller
Seriously, releasing day and date with STAR WARS is about the most foolish thing that could've been done for a 70mm film revival attempt.
FWIW, I was chatting to someone earlier today who has connections to the post currently in progress for this show. Apparently things are slipping behind schedule, and a December 25 release is looking increasingly unrealistic. The pic edit is apparently not yet finished, and until it is, most of the audio post (e.g. the mixing of effects, foley, pretty much everything except dialog, plus detailed scoring and recording of the music) can't even start. The jury seems to be out as to whether whether Tarantino will admit defeat and push the release back, or go for a kamikaze "December 25 at all costs" option, cutting as many corners as necessary to meet the deadline.
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Jack Ondracek
Film God
Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 08-16-2015 10:50 AM
Not to hijack this, but...
I get that this project should have "qualified projectionists" at every venue. Clearly, that's not going to happen. I also get that 70mm is so scarce, finding enough operators that have run the stuff and are still alive might also be a problem.
The question is one of "qualifications". Every time this kind of subject comes up, it's nearly guaranteed a rant will ensue, insisting the prints are doomed unless a "real projectionist" is running things.
So... what kind of person today would have the requisite qualifications to be deemed acceptable for the task? If not already qualified, how would a person acquire such skills to be acceptable to those here? How many here consider themselves so-qualified (obvious personalities excepted).
A few weeks ago, I was asked to fill in at a local venue, as there were not enough projectionists available on that evening. This booth was a Simplex / RCA 35mm changeover setup. I hadn't run a changeover booth in 30 years. That should certainly put a layer of rust on my qualifications. However, after spending about 3 hours up there, re-acquainting with the booth setup, the machines and inspecting the print, I thought I did a pretty good job... as did the manager.
So... how does one satisfy the group here... or is this even possible?
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