Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Digital Theaters to get "Special Cut" of Revenge of the Sith

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Digital Cinema Forum » Digital Theaters to get "Special Cut" of Revenge of the Sith (Page 2)

This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3

Author

Topic: Digital Theaters to get "Special Cut" of Revenge of the Sith

Brad Allen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 688
From: Evansville, IN, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 01-16-2005 09:31 PM

I agree, Mark. Lucas lost it a long time ago.

And I don't care if I play the next installment at my theatre, the way FOX raped us all with the last two.

Heck they are only good for a week's play anyway.

| IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

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

posted 01-16-2005 10:35 PM

quote: Scott Norwood
For me, the original, 35mm or 70mm theatrical release of any given film, as seen by the majority of viewers, will always be the "one, true version" of any given film, and anything else is, at best, a curiousity.

So regarding Apocolypse Now...which is your real true version then...the 70mm or the 35mm? They were NOT the same. The same can be said of Oklahoma! and Around the World in 80 Days and I'm sure others.

Steve

[ 01-17-2005, 09:28 AM: Message edited by: Steve Guttag ]

| IP: Logged

Mark J. Marshall
Film God

Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 01-16-2005 11:27 PM

Regardless of whether you like them or not, Star Wars and George Lucas have been major forces that have always been able to move this entire industry in a direction it didn't want to go. This is another example of that.

What's amazing to me is that there are some folks here who can't see past their own personal feelings about the "Star Wars" story or story telling to comment on the issue at hand in any Star Wars related thread.

It's really funny to watch. Every thread basically starts out as "this is how George Lucas/Star Wars is changing the way we do business today." And then it eventually turns into "The last two sucked and the next one will too so who cares anyway?"

We get it, guys. Some of you don't like Star Wars. Some of you like the old ones and not the new ones. Some of you hate Jar Jar. Some of you hate Ewoks. Some of you hate George Lucas. Really, we get it. Now would you please give it a break?

Thanks.

Back to the topic...

How early does a movie have to be locked down for IMAX DMR process? Or is that process pretty well ironed out so that it can happen pretty quickly once the 35mm is locked down?

I'm assuming that it will be released in IMAX.

| IP: Logged

Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-17-2005 10:54 AM

Maybe some people are inferring that the original three Stars Warses were indeed "groundbreaking" and changed the industry in a GOOD way (influence with Dolby Stereo rollout, THX, influx of 70mm blowups...) whereas the recent three do not. And it DOES have a lot to do with the content of the films themselves. If the film showcases some groundbreaking, industry-changing technology but nobody goes to see it, then what good is it?

In regards to people "not caring" if they play the third one "because the last two sucked" doesn't necessarily refer to the story of the films. They sucked in booking terms, they sucked in attendance after the first 3 weeks, many have said they sucked in the visual department too, with live-action being much softer than the CGI backgrounds... a lot of things.

Story and Story Telling are the essential parts, if not the backbone of a film entirely. Usually if the movie sucks, it's because the story sucks. It can have the biggest budget, the largest cast, and the most arrogant director, but if there's no story or the telling of it is bad... then you've got Heaven's Gate.

Back on Topic: Someone should ask Lucas in an interview how come the Imax FILM version is so much better than the DLP [evil]

=TMP=

| IP: Logged

Bruce Hansen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 847
From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-17-2005 11:57 AM

Does anyone know how many screens in the US (or the world) have DLP projectors installed. I'm talking about the "theater" DLPs not the "small" projectors used for pre-show stuff. The last number I heard was 30 DLPs in the US. My understanding is that no theater has bought a DLP, they are all demo sites, and I can't see the companies trying to sell DLPs putting in more and more demo sites, if there is no money coming in from the ones in place.

As far as lead time, don't forget that a "pile" of DVD-ROMs must be produced and sent to each theater for DLP.

| IP: Logged

Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 01-17-2005 12:11 PM

quote: Mark J. Marshall
Regardless of whether you like them or not, Star Wars and George Lucas have been major forces that have always been able to move this entire industry in a direction it didn't want to go.

Not anymore. Mostly because his product isn't so good anymore, and because all his announcements are hollow phrases he doesn't follow through anyway. Apart from the fact that ROTS is going to suck and not do all that much great business, it will do some, and we as an exhibitor which has the most digital projectors in Southern California wouldn't mind getting the film exclusively. But there isn't much behind what Lucas says these days, so it's just a waste of time listening to him.

quote: Tim Reed
Me, too, Scott. "Director's cut" editions always irk me. I figure, the first-release cut IS the director's cut. Whose else would it be, the gaffer's?

No, Tim. But there are many examples of films for which the directors had a broader vision but were convinced or forced by the studio to trim it down to a more marketable length, or what the studio perceive as marketable length. In those cases where the movie turned out to be a success and then a "classic", the director often had a chance of going back and putting the material in, so that we could finally see the actual "director's cut". These days, when they often release those extended DVD version, the whole term has just become another hollow marketing thing.

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 01-17-2005 12:20 PM

If Lucas is really never satisfied with his "product" and wants to keep tweaking it until the last possible second, then he should just NEVER release it, just keep tweaking it until he dies. THAT would be the ultimate director's cut. Meantime, we'd be spared all the stupid hype (until he gets terminally ill, at least.)

| IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

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

posted 01-17-2005 12:26 PM

The www.dcinematoday.com is a good site to keep up with DCinema. You do have to register to get beyond the home page though.

The AFI/Silver owns their projectors but they are a non-profit so not really the same as one that has to pay for their equipment from popcorn sales. There are many more than 30 installations though. There are more than 100, last I heard.

Steve

| IP: Logged

John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 01-17-2005 01:16 PM

Bill Mead (formerly of Dolby and Sony) is the webmaster/publisher of DCinema Today.

| IP: Logged

Mattias Ohlson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 180
From: Falun, Sweden
Registered: Mar 2003

posted 01-17-2005 02:59 PM

To really make something groundbreaking it should have been filmed at 48fps and displayed at 48fps only in digital and left film showing 24fps. Then we would have something real to talk about.

| IP: Logged

William Valdes
Film Handler

Posts: 37
From: San Diego, CA
Registered: Sep 2004

posted 01-17-2005 03:42 PM

Film has always been a good reliable medium with its faults and all. It always seems like everyone here has negative feelings towards DLP and shun the idea that "DLP will make film obsolete." I believe that there will always be a need for film but DLP has vast potential to improve and even surpass film in presentation quality and as this happens I'm sure more and more markets will utilize this technology.

| IP: Logged

Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-17-2005 04:38 PM

Bruce, the media for DLP comes on a HD and transferred to the server via a FIREWIRE connection. My server is an EVS Solo. There are also GDC and AVICA with products actively serving Digital Cinema. Dobly has a server that was announced at ShoEast but I don't know if they have any sites. DVD's are not used anymore unless they have an urgent change to make. DVD's were used about 5 years ago to load the QuBit servers.

| IP: Logged

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-17-2005 06:53 PM

quote: Mark J. Marshall
Regardless of whether you like them or not, Star Wars and George Lucas have been major forces that have always been able to move this entire industry in a direction it didn't want to go. This is another example of that.

Yea the FIRST THREE were ground breakers and Uncle George did alot for the film industry but he has since gone off his rocker as others in the past have. With the exception of the work done by Skywalker Sound the quality of todays Lucasfilm product is dismal at best.....

Mark

| IP: Logged

Mark J. Marshall
Film God

Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 01-17-2005 11:58 PM

I think George would have made a much bigger impact had he left the two versions the same and released the digital version three weeks earlier.

Then he could have said, "See how slow it is using film?"

| IP: Logged

Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

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

posted 01-18-2005 12:58 AM

quote: Mark J. Marshall
I think George would have made a much bigger impact had he left the two versions the same and released the digital version three weeks earlier.

And they should do just that with Episode III if they really want to push D-Cinema. All they have to do is use Empire's distribution as their model: released first in select markets as a 70mm exclusive; the nationwide 35mm version came a month later.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.