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Topic: BLADE RUNNER 2049 70MM?

Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 09-22-2017 01:02 AM

I think Tarantino/Weinstein did a great job promoting the 70mm angle for H8. They gave the 70mm houses an exclusive for a number of days, and Tarantino made it widely known that the DCP would be a different cut of the film.

Nolan has also "branded" himself to be synonymous with 70mm and IMAX. And IIRC venues showing "Interstellar" on film also got a head start.

So, marketing does seem to matter. The above examples also "stack the deck" in favor of film by giving film a head start.

I'm wondering if the miscellaneous "filler" releases do as well without the huge "see it on film" marketing push, and the exclusive head start.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-22-2017 11:53 AM

Well maybe that theater has a very knowledgeable clientele, or the ticket sellers were pushing the 70mm. That said, I agree that word of mouth can be a very powerful thing, especially in the age of social media.

However I still think most people here would agree that the general public doesn't know or care how their picture gets to the screen. We have plenty of people here who still don't know we switched to digital. I gave a talk to a local civic group a few months ago, and took along a DCP hard drive to pass around...they were all astonished that we weren't showing "film" any more.

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Jim Cassedy
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1661
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Dec 2006

posted 09-22-2017 01:46 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
I still think most people here would agree that the general
public doesn't know or care how their picture gets to the screen

I would extend that statement to include many film-makers too.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

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

posted 09-22-2017 02:38 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
However I still think most people here would agree that the general public doesn't know or care how their picture gets to the screen.

And that's a BAD thing for theaters. The same members of the public who don't know or don't care how the movie is getting on the screen probably don't care if they see the movie in the theater at all. It may make no difference to them if they see it at home on the living room TV set in HD or "4K" for far less money. It may make no difference to them if they watch the movie on an iPad® or iPhone®.

Title exclusivity via the theatrical release window is the only common advantage commercial movie theaters have over the home. It's something everyone understands. But it's an advantage that is now greatly diminished via 2-3 month windows that are very easy to wait out. And then there's all the people who don't need to wait to watch at home, thanks to modded Fire Sticks and other easy to use methods of piracy.

Most people don't know the technical details about the content movie theaters show. Then there are people like me who know the technical differences between what the commercial movie theater is showing and what can be had on a retail Blu-ray disc or Netflix stream. Even I feel very indifferent about seeing most movies in a theater. The quality difference from a theater's digital presentation and the one I'm seeing in the home is a very narrow difference. I'd go to theaters far less if I didn't have a girlfriend, and we go to the show maybe once a month if even that.

Commercial movie theaters are trying various things to attract more customers, but they're still at the mercy of movie studios and the technical quality of the product being delivered. A commercial movie theater can't do anything to improve the visual quality of a TV-resolution DCP. The theater could have a top of the line sound system installed, but if the studio does a half-assed job on the sound mix the Dolby Atmos logo won't mean squat. 70mm can make a difference on some of these issues, at least for high end movie theaters lucky enough to get 70mm film prints.

quote: Manny Knowles
I think Tarantino/Weinstein did a great job promoting the 70mm angle for H8. They gave the 70mm houses an exclusive for a number of days, and Tarantino made it widely known that the DCP would be a different cut of the film.

I really liked the roadshow booklet they gave to customers. It's just too bad the 70mm shows couldn't get booked onto bigger, better screens. In Oklahoma City the movie played, seriously letter-boxed, on a modest-size AMC multiplex common width screen. That was despite the fact there were larger, common height screens in that area more fitting for an Ultra Panavision 70 image.

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Daniel Schulz
Master Film Handler

Posts: 387
From: Los Angeles, CA USA
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 09-23-2017 01:24 AM

quote: Manny Knowles
Does anyone know if...
...the 70mm screens are outperforming the digital counterparts?
...the studios are making a profit off the 70mm locations?

I have it on very good authority that the distributors have been pleasantly surprised by how much 70mm screens overperform, to such a degree that studios that have not gone down this road are now considering it, and there is some discussion about how to keep this ball rolling. I am permitting myself some cautious optimism for the future of 70mm exhibition.

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Tyler Purcell
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 180
From: Van Nuys, CA
Registered: Dec 2015

posted 09-23-2017 03:52 AM

I had a talk with Christopher Nolan about this very subject tonight and he was on the same page I am... which is that we've gotta make more 70mm releases to keep the equipment and workflow alive and well. We know there are two more 70mm releases this year no matter what... PT's new movie and Murder on the Orient, but both will be playing in limited release in NYC and LA only evidently. Our theaters always run 70... so the focus should be on the smaller one's, the theaters that don't always run it, giving them a chance TO run it and keep current. I hope Murder does well on 70 for it's limited run because that will be that studio's first release on 70 in decades.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

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

posted 09-23-2017 03:30 PM

I saw the latest trailer for Murder on the Orient Express. It announced "exclusive" 70mm engagements for NY and LA. While that news may be nice for movie-goers in the NY and LA markets, it's really going to suck for everyone else if all the other large markets in the US are excluded from showing 70mm prints. Why bother filming a movie in 65mm format if only a couple theaters could show it that way?

Murder on the Orient Express is another movie I was hoping would be shown in 70mm at LOOK Cinemas in Dallas, where screen #1 can show both 70mm and Dolby Atmos (but unfortunately not both at the same time).

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Daniel Schulz
Master Film Handler

Posts: 387
From: Los Angeles, CA USA
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 09-24-2017 12:31 AM

quote: Bobby Henderson
Why bother filming a movie in 65mm format if only a couple theaters could show it that way?

Although I 100% agree with you that it'd be a shame for only NYC and LA to see 70mm prints, shooting on 65mm provides benefits for the DCP as well. The higher quality source image really does make a difference in the final product, from the DCP down to the Blu Ray / UHD Blu Ray release.

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Aron Toplitsky
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 113
From: Gardena, CA, USA
Registered: May 2012

posted 10-06-2017 08:42 PM

Bobby,

I will be in the Dallas area with my girlfriend in about a month. Do you recommend visiting Look Cinemas, Alamo Draft House or both?

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