Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Movie presentation is awful in and around Denver, CO

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Topic: Movie presentation is awful in and around Denver, CO

Mitchell Dvoskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1869
From: West Milford, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 07-26-2009 02:49 PM

The Jerry Lewis Theaters were set up to run 16mm

No. At least here in northern NJ, all the Jerry Lewis Cinemas were set up for 35mm, some with 6000' reels and automated changeovers, others with EPRAD SABRE systems. Somewhere or other I have some Jerry Lewis operation and projection manuals, which contain no reference to 16mm.

The Jerry Lewis Cinemas were designed to run with very little staff, automated projectors and combined concession and ticketing.

There are two separate threads here at Film-Tech dedicated to the Jerry Lewis Cinemas. For those who are interested, use the search feature.

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 07-26-2009 02:56 PM

Honolulu had one or two Jerry Lewis Cinemas but they were not in business too long in my area. I recall going to the one in Kailua on the windward side of Oahu once and as far as I remember the film presentation was not great but decent and I believe they had first run showings.

-Claude

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Kenneth Wuepper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1026
From: Saginaw, MI, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 07-26-2009 06:14 PM

I believe that the theatres that used 16mm were Trans-Lux In-flight. We had one of those here in Saginaw. They had a Norelco Projector. It was moved from the booth to the stage when the theatre became an improv comedy club.

That property is now closed and listed for sale.

KEN

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Bill Enos
Film God

Posts: 2081
From: Richmond, Virginia, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 07-26-2009 06:49 PM

There was a J.L. Cinema here, it ran 16mm. I never saw it but some people I know lived only a couple blocks from it said the place was a dump as was the presentation. It was open for about two months in a storefront in an older strip mall.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 07-26-2009 08:30 PM

quote: Brad Miller
As such your statements that a completely automated booth monitored remotely is or will be a disaster, well you are flat out wrong.

Pretty hard to predict that "will be" part though.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 07-27-2009 01:41 AM

I don't give a shit about Jerry Lewis. What has he ever done for Denver? Nothing (yes, I can hear you all out there searching Google for something positive that JL has done for Denver so you can post a link here to prove me wrong. Forget it. Nobody cares). But I bet his theaters had a better presentation and far more professionalism than many theaters in Denver do.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 07-27-2009 01:43 AM

Mike, I took that as anyone who would try to do it would be a disaster. Obviously only Joe has the ability to predict the future, but with these DLP projectors if something breaks on them that costs shows, it is pretty much a tech call anyway since it isn't going to be a mechanical failure that many gearheads in the building could diagnose and repair.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 07-27-2009 12:01 PM

Only issues I have had on our one Christie unit is a blower fan in the back go out but we were able to keep the show going by tying down the paddle to allow the bulb to strike. The exhaust is strong enough on this one to pull the heat out. New fan came in the next day and I installed it and everything was fine.

The Doremi had an issue with one of it's power stick fans that was causing the picture to stutter on the screen. Solution was to unplug the faulty power stick and run off the other one. (there are two power sticks) Replaced the faulty power stick when it arrived. Pretty simple repairs for me.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 07-28-2009 03:21 AM

quote: Darryl Spicer
Pretty simple repairs for me

You're lucky so far .. pretty simple mechanical repairs - like changing a spark plug with a cracked porcelain tower - still can work broke, but needs to be fixed.

Wait until the light engine and/or mo-board starts to have hiccups. Then, we'll have to call up the "Geek Squad" to help us out (maybe we can look over their shoulders and learn what they do..like we used to do when RCA techs would come around on their quarterly visits to tune/balance an old exciter setup and change out exciter bulbs...), - learn from them so we can be smart as them an fix our own problems and leave them 'white shirts' at home.

-Monte

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Michael McGovern
Film Handler

Posts: 57
From: New Britain, CT, USA
Registered: May 2008

posted 07-28-2009 11:51 AM

Have you ever been around when they need to call Sony or Christie techs to come repair digital projectors? Those guys are so secretive they don't even want people in the same room with them while they're doing repairs, let alone looking over their shoulder.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 07-28-2009 12:19 PM

That's probably because

A. they don't want people watching and then "thinking" they know how to service the machines, thus causing more service work for them.

B. it is annoying to have people standing over you while you are trying to concentrate on your work.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 07-28-2009 12:41 PM

can I add "C." ? Simply called "job security" - you know something that someone don't.

Someone learning their trade so they'll begin to lose customers..and eventually their job.

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Brian Guckian
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 594
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Apr 2003

posted 08-03-2009 11:31 AM

Job security even for these guys? Don't count on it!

quote: Bobby Henderson
It's very sad and has been very self destructive for the commercial movie theater business to eliminate full time projectionist positions.

quote:
I wonder how theaters made any kind of profit when they actually had, y'know, employees? Did no theater ever make money up until now? No matter what kind of profit anyone makes, it is never, ever enough. More more MOAR!

Having almost eliminated labour, the next cost item is going to be energy consumption, as oil supplies start to dwindle and costs start to climb. Hard to see how to overcome that one, so waves of theatre closures could occur in the future simply because the buildings become much too expensive to run.

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-03-2009 12:04 PM

quote:
Did no theater ever make money up until now? No matter what kind of profit anyone makes, it is never, ever enough. More more MOAR!

At least a good part of it is the difference between a privately held company and a public corporation. When you are answering to investors who are always willing to move their money somewhere it is going to make .05% more return, you always have to be growing--until you collapse. Look at all the behemoth chains that have disappeared or gone into bankruptcy protection since the mid-80's.

Back in the vertical integration days, profits were fungible within the company. Single screen cinemas in regional chains were able to compete without a winner take all mentality. Now, with megaplexes, everything in your path must be crushed in order for you to survive.

It's kinda fun to watch, as long as you can stay out of the way;>

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 08-03-2009 12:52 PM

quote: Brian Guckian
Having almost eliminated labour, the next cost item is going to be energy consumption, as oil supplies start to dwindle and costs start to climb. Hard to see how to overcome that one, so waves of theatre closures could occur in the future simply because the buildings become much too expensive to run.

That is precisely why our automations have energy-management built right into them. [Cool]

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