Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Prints for first-run UK cinemas

This is topic Prints for first-run UK cinemas in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Thomas Pitt (Member # 4322) on 04-26-2009, 03:44 PM:

Just a quick question for UK film handlers. When a movie is released in the UK, it's usually already been on release for a few weeks/months in the US. Do UK cinemas get brand new prints straight from the labs? Or are they 'second hand' prints that have already been shown in the US for a couple of weeks?

I'm talking here about UK cinemas (mainly multiplexes) that play new movies from the initial release date; not second or third run houses.

Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 04-26-2009, 04:51 PM:

Either or, in my experience.

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 04-27-2009, 07:07 PM:

Most of the big releases will be new prints that have been struck for the UK release. For some films where that gap between the initial americn release is long, Take for example "The Uninvited" that opened back in January in the states and opened up just this last friday in the UK - we got a used print for that.

Most of the prints are new, probably because most films are opening worldwide at the same time now.

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 04-27-2009, 07:43 PM:

I've seen both new and used prints.

Posted by Matt Skilton (Member # 5288) on 06-09-2009, 04:54 PM:

Our Last House on the Left arrived today and it was a used US print. It also depends on how well the film performed state-side. It's always a bad sign when a US print turns up because 1) it means the film didn't do much and 2) I find the US prints get a bit miss treated. Last House had two lab joins still in it, some emulsion scratching and the reel front and ends were quite worn.

Posted by Neil Robinson (Member # 2459) on 06-09-2009, 05:05 PM:

Our 2 Screen cinema over the last few weeks has shown, Night At The Museum 2, Angels And Demons, Terminator Salvation, Is There Anybody There ?, all new prints except Coroline which is a USA print.

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 06-09-2009, 06:52 PM:

The print of Coraline that I built was a nightmare. They had used horrible horrible splicing tape on it that peeled off in tiny little bits and left really bad sticky residue. I rekon it took me twice as long as it normally would to put that print together. [Mad]

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 06-21-2009, 10:58 PM:

quote:
The print of Coraline that I built was a nightmare. They had used horrible horrible splicing tape on it that peeled off in tiny little bits and left really bad sticky residue. I rekon it took me twice as long as it normally would to put that print together. [Mad]

We get the same thing all the time with used prints here in Australia. The tape used isn't even splicing tape and takes ages to get off. As you said, it makes make up time much longer. [Mad]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-21-2009, 11:51 PM:

That isn't necessarily the US theaters making that tape disaster. When the prints are "conformed" at the labs/depot (and sometimes ran through a rejuvenation machine), they are instructed to cut off any ID frames present and they are given the shittiest splicing tape ever known to mankind and those godawful CIR splicers to do their job with. They have no chance to do anything but fail at the task.

Posted by Tom Inglis (Member # 5181) on 06-22-2009, 03:56 AM:

That's true. We've had some truly awful 'reconditioned' US prints that arrive in plastic wrapping, having been treated/cleaned with something that just makes the film crusty and horrible...