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This topic comprises 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
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Author
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Topic: Lost that moviegoing mojo
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Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 01-01-2009 07:33 PM
quote: Steve Guttag
Stadiums should be much closer to "center-loader as possible.
I've noticed that in new stadium designs around here that have been built - the house almost split in half with a large walkway inbetween the conventional sloped floor and the stadium part with the ADA seating along the back part of the walkway. Plus a walkway down the middle, or off-center of the sloped (good ol' "shotgun style" seating), with the option for the handicapped people to be down in the conventional part of the auditorium.
Having this seating concept of a split house also lowers the ceiling down quite a bit, thus saving on sq footage for construction costs.
In some large venues that have full stadium houses, for ADA seating was the placement of a large carpeted landing in back of the house behind the last row of seats for the handicapped, that ran the full width of the house. Also, the complex would have elevator service for the handicapped patrons to access to get to the back of these houses in which there was a complete second floor to the complex - which includes access to the multiple booths that were installed.
EDIT:
quote: Steve Guttag
...that EVERY theatre is an ambassador to the industry...a failure at any theatre, even if it isn't in your chain, sends a negative impression about the entire industry...not just about that one bad theatre.
..and it's just too bad how some of the cinema businesses have forgotten this one small trait - by not following this, it's putting a smear on their 'resume' to the public.
-Monte
[ 01-01-2009, 08:48 PM: Message edited by: Monte L Fullmer ]
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Pravin Ratnam
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 844
From: Atlanta, GA,USA
Registered: Sep 2002
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posted 01-02-2009 02:18 PM
Chad, you are right that for me it is more of the movie jadedness than the theater jadedness. But then again, I was able to appreciate this summer's slate of movies (Ironman, TDK) compared to the last few summers. So I do think quality has gone down in general in recent years. So if we get more summers like this year's, I probably would regain a part of that mojo though like you said, age will have its own effect in not being as excited about some regular fun movies as you did as a kid. I can live with that.
Still I was excited to stand in line for the IMAX presentation of TDK with the same excitement I had for Lethal Weapon/Die Hard back in my teen years. Also I knew that if I waited for homevideo to watch TDK, the IMAX scenes would look less than imposing with the aspect ratio not playing as majestic on your 16x9 tv. Kill Bill was pretty much a ripoff of many older movies, yet I couldn't wait to watch that movie as soon as it came out because it was made well. And that came out during the period my jadedness set in.
But one important factor for me is the lack of differentiation in quality between Pay Cable entertainment(cable series, direct to video sleepers, shortened video release windows) and movie theater releases. Add that to the home theater quality I have touched upon, there is nothing special anymore to go to a routine release in a movie theater.It may not be a big deal for the studio as they have their hands in the competing revenue too. But for someone nostalgic about moviegoing in the theater experience, it is kind of a letdown.
It is not enough for a multiplex to be just average. You could get away with that in the 80s when competing forms of entertainment were less, VHS was lame, video windows were long.
So the multiplexes should have continued the progress multiplexes showed in the 90s with digital sound becoming common and stadium seating drawing in people. It is not enough to be just the same anymore especially. If Nolan is thinking of filming even more stuff in IMAX, would it have been tough to push regular 70MM which is cheaper and easier to make and exhibit than IMAX? And if that wasnt enough, I think audiences really liked it when they would go to a main auditorium in a megaplex and the screen widened for a 2.35:1 movie and this was for a 35MM production. TDK has proven that people will respond to big format done right.
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Edwin Schwing
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 116
From: Las Vegas NV
Registered: May 2002
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posted 01-10-2009 12:57 AM
I do not often agree with Jesse, but here is a quote from him that I agree with whole heartedly!
"An ideal theater is one that people will want to go to REGARDLESS of what movie is playing there- even if there's nothing but crap out, at least they'll know it's being presented the best it can be, and the theater itself should be reason enough to go out. At the end of the movie, customers should be thinking "I can't WAIT to see another movie here!" instead of the usual "let's get the hell out". I don't know what it will take for the powers that be to realize this. They seem to think they're doing everything right as long as not too many people complain about anything, and whenever shows play to an audience of zero they blame it on the movie- it couldn't possibly be that their screens are too small, prices too high or their general presentation is sub-par."
Jesse, I work at a small chain that at least "tries" to do these things for our customers. I will bring this up at our meeting this coming week, in fact I will print what you wrote out for them! I will hand it to them personally! We do not have small screens nor do we charge the high prices (we are a whole 25 cents less than them!) ha ha
BUT, the new theatre has taken away our "percentage" of gross, and that is what the "powers that be" are looking at. While we still maintain the highest percap in the company!
Great Points Jesse! Thanks for that, I couldn't have said it better myself!
Edwin
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Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 01-10-2009 04:33 AM
quote: Jesse Skeen
If I may be so bold, I think small auditoriums (with under 200 seats) simply should not be included in new complexes either. The effect of many of these is like being shoved into a broom closet, and it says that you're a loser for choosing the movie playing there- the people seeing the "cool" movie got the bigger auditorium, but at least you got to pay the same price they did. If there isn't enough business to warrant playing it with a larger seating capacity, don't bother playing it at all- I'll just wait til I can watch it at home
Course, you know why megaplexes do this is to balance out the multiscreen releases of one print - big house, medium house, and small house.
If one movie was played in all three big houses, that spells disaster to keep the movie there longer and turns zero profit for the cinema since most of the weekend grosses went to the studios.
Also, sometimes, if the movie has been previewed by the bookers and give it a thumbs down, they'll book it anywhos, but in a small house, just to keep the studios happy to have the cinema show to the studios that this complex will play anything that is thrown at them .. and secure the major releases down the road.
Studios may call the first shot and have the control, but it's up to the cinemas to play ball and join them if they want to keep the business.
That is a good statement by Jesse - I fully agree with it as well.
-Monte
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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God
Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 01-10-2009 12:42 PM
There was a time when Honolulu had some elegant theatres but they are all gone now. One of them was the old Waikiki later to become Waikiki #3 after Pacific Theatres opened the just as elegant Waikiki #1 and #2. The original Waikiki was a huge house with a seating capacity of a thousand. Boxoffice magazine had a two page article about this theatre when it was refurbished with with 70mm and a awesome new sound system as well as new wall drapes and new seats. It was a pity to lose the wonderful rainbow arch over the screen as well as the artificial tropical plant and trees on both sides of the auditorium. During the thirties and up to the fifties, the Waikiki had a ceiling that had thousands of little lights that looked like stars. Watching a movie in that house was like being outside enjoying the latest films from Hollywood during a starlit evening in a tropical environment. All of the theatre ushers wore white satin top and bottoms with a blue sash and looked very classy. This was actually the dress uniform at all of the locally owned Consolidated Amusement company theatres before it was taken over by Los Angeles based Pacific Theatres. Beside the original Waikiki and it's twin the #1 & the #2, there was the Kuhio, Hawaii, Cinerama, Princess, Royal and my beloved Waipahu that had made going to movies very exciting and something to look forward to. Nobody talked during a show and concession food was very affordable. Today, a soda is over $3.00 and popcorn is about $5.50 not to mention hot dogs that sell for about $3.00 or more. Instead of exciting 70mm in large beautiful houses, we get digital projection and 3-D in multiplexes that does not excite me too much. Blabbermouths, crying babies, idiots using or playing with their cel phones have also made me change my movie going habit to waiting a very short period of time and watch the same movie at home. The only thing things that make me see a film in theatres now is when I get a free movie ticket from a DVD promotion or cannot wait until the film is released on DVD because of an anxiety to see it now.
-Claude
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Tony Bandiera Jr
Film God
Posts: 3067
From: Moreland Idaho
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted 01-10-2009 04:51 PM
quote: Don Furr
The last theatre I attended was the Mann's Chinese out in Hollywood....Nov.1 of last year. But that's only because I always go to the Chinese when I'm in the LA area. It use to be a great experience (a year ago it was Digital) but this time it was 35mm and the print was scratched on the 2 showing and the film was jumping in the gate for the first 15 minutes.
My last experience at the Chinese was way back in the 80's during the 70mm run of "the Right Stuff", and it was a nightmare experience. To start off, the boob in the booth (hereafter known as BITB) was threading the machine with the mag hot and no non-sync. So we got to hear the track from whatever scrap film was being used as the leader. I'm already starting to fume and my sister and best friend are waiting for me to explode.
Showtime comes and goes, the film starts almost ten minutes late. We are greeted with the SMPTE leader and track on the closed drape, which opened barely in time for the start of the show. The focus was soft (corrected after ten minutes) and the sound was missing the left channel (throughout).
Now most theatres I'd been to ran the intermission at the end of reel six, where Deke Slayton dives into the mermaid bar's tank and swims with the girls. Great spot to take the break as there is some nice "deedle-deedle" lounge music , and the next reel opens with reporters climbing a fence to get to the astronaut's wives. Well, at the Chinese some jackass decided to simply cut the film when the platter was full, because the break at the Chinese came at the end of the scene where the astronauts, in full suits, walk up a corridor to the camera (right before Shepard's flight.) This not only destroyed the dramatic impact of that transition, but we were now greeted with the abrupt cutoff of the music, the tail of the reel running out, complete with tones and "Right Stuff, reel Eight AB, Print #... " from the sound system, then white screen.
Now I'm royally pissed as is most of the 300 plus audience. I announced in a loud voice that just one more fuck-up and I'm getting my money back. That was met with a lot of agreement by the rest of the suffering audience. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Well, they didn't let us down. First we AGAIN got to hear the leader being dragged thru the mag, and run up and stopped. The lights dim the picture comes on.. and it an UPSIDE-DOWN image of a trucking shot of some house or pagoda-looking building!! We then hear the last few notes of the music from the preceding scene before we now get the correct image.
As the credit roll started I stormed into the lobby, tailed by about 50 other people, which soon grew to over 200. I read that manager the riot act, and got refunds for the ENTIRE group!!
What a total cock-up. I swore to never go to that over-hyped dump again. And based on Don's post as quoted above, looks like nothing's changed.
If one of the most renowned theatres IN THE WORLD can't do a show right, it's no wonder this industry is so fucked.
I fully blame management for tolerating a BITB, and not doing anything about it. I blame the projection union local for allowing incompetents to remain on the job in such a high-profile location (and I'm NOT anti-union). I just call 'em as I see 'em.
Now, anyone remember SRO? They had a wonderful 5-plex in La Mirada, Calif. (Gateway 5) When SRO had it, talk about film done right!!! Sharp, bright, nicely-sized images, sloped floors, great sound (Dolby SR and DTS) and..hold on to your units.. WATERFALL DRAPES!! IN EVERY HOUSE!! All five auditoria were average sized, about 200-250 seats. (Sorry Jesse, this location disproved your 200 rule) IIRC all five were 70mm capable. Screen floodlights, used tastefully. The Drape was raised and lowered between trailers and feature, and timed perfectly. The only negative I could say about it was the projection port was one of those single-pane, big swing-open windows, so you could hear the projectors.
Front of house, an actual doorman in tux and tie, (elderly gent) with white gloves. Greeted each guest or group as they entered. Whole staff in nice uniforms, despite being teens they were ALL very polite and smiled. Manager was virtually ALWAYS in the lobby, not hiding in his office and he also greeted patrons.
Saw "Amadeus" there in 70mm. Beautiful presentation first time around. Second time (about mid-run) had one minor glitch. a splice at the worst possible moment which drew unintentional laughs. (As Salieri is waxing poetic about hearing Mozart's first piece, there was a drop in sound right after the line "...a single note, hanging there unwavering... ") I let the manager know and was told by my friend that the NEXT DAY the reel had been replaced.
Fast forward, some years later. SRO goes under, Pacific takes over.. went to see "Twister" (OK, shitty movie, but.. ) Great staff all gone, uniforms the hideous Pacific robots, attitudes suck, into auditorium for show, no screen lights, drape is up, show starts late, out of frame and out of focus, sound was absolute SHIT in both DTS and SR, worse in SR..and we knew this because it kept reverting rapidly the whole show. Absolute second-worst presentation I'd been to.
After show, fifteen minutes to get to talk to manager, asked about why drapes not in use.. "because kids kept grabbing and riding them up.." ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif) told him about shit sound, said tech was just there "last week", etc. After a lot of arguing I did get a refund.
And people wonder why the last film I went to see in the theater was "Star Wars Ep. 1, Phantom Mess"..
Like a lot of folks, I just wait for the video and enjoy a clean presentation on my HD TV and Blu-Ray.
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