Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Titanic: Looking Back

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Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-16-2010, 01:33 AM:

With all the recent success of James Cameron's I can't help but look back at the Titanic Phenomenon. I had not seen Titanic for over 12 years since it was released and with the recent release of Avatar I couldn't help but watch it.

Well, I have to say it really was "amazing" looking back at it now that I am a lot older and much more mature. I was a teenage working at the theatre when it opened, I can still remember summer delay (for its release), the hype, the sellout crowds...I even remember Sherway Cinemas getting a second print of Christmas day because it was so busy.

Looking back now. It really deserved all the Oscars it received, the score is simply outstanding. Kate Winslet did the Oscar for best female. Special effects, acting, direction, sound, score were simply incredible.

Before it was released, who would of thought that James Cameron would so skillfully blend the real story of Titanic with the fictional stories of Jack and Rose

I still just remember the overall "Awe" of the movie that no movie has yet duplicated...

Simply amazing

*****

What do others think of Titanic looking back?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-16-2010, 02:50 AM:

I remember that summer of 1997 with that big "Titanic" standee in cinema lobbies.

My first impression was "Oh great, another remake of the 1951 version (not thinking of "A Night to Remember" of 1958) and this boat will sink again."

That late fall, I then begin to help construct and open a 21 plex in our area and that is what we opened up with is James Cameron's "Titanic" and was totally shocked on how good this film was with the 197 minutes disappearing so quickly.

In the Oscars that following spring, it was kinda neat that it tied "Ben-Hur" for the quantity of awards won.

Attendance at our plex was a continual stream of people and sold out performances.

Never have I've seen so many people arrive to see a movie.

That was totally fun to witness.

-Monte

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 01-16-2010, 10:40 AM:

Some of greatest memories as a projectionist!
I worked at an 8 plex with state of the art everything at the time and before the run ended it played on every screen many times.
We only ever had 1 print.

I was in awe of the film,i also ran it at 2 other decent plexs.I think it's far better than detracters give it credit for including the dialogue.
Brilliant for it's ability to connect with so many people around the world!

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-16-2010, 11:12 AM:

I have a huge Titanic banner rolled up in one of my bedroom closets. It's one with the "Summer 1997" date on it, obviously printed before the movie's release date was pushed back to December.

It was pretty amazing to see the number of viewers Titanic pulled. The movie generated a lot of repeat business. Our local Carmike theater was selling out shows on a steady basis from December to April of 1998.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 01-16-2010, 12:45 PM:

I love TITANIC And saw it many times on home video but only once at the Waikiki #3 with DTS sound. Although the theatre was set up for 70mm, it only played the movie in 35mm. I would have loved to have seen the movie in 70mm in a theatre if I had the opportunity. TITANIC is one of those films I had bought many times when it came out in video. The first time was the full screen edition in VHS because I was interested to see how James Cameron would structure the original Super 35mm film elments and create a pleasing looking FS version. I must admit, it was not bad. The 2nd version I bought was the laserdisc in scope. Not too long after that, I bought the movie again on laserdisc but this time, it was the full bit rate DTS version. When it was released on DVD, I bought both the bare bone and the four disc special edition with both Dolby 5.1 and DTS 6.1 sound. I also have a DTS demo DVD with the movie trailer in full bit rate and it sounds great.

-Claude

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-16-2010, 01:25 PM:

...and soon you will purchase the Blu-Ray version, then after that the X-treme blu-ray version (which will be the same as the blu-ray version but will fix some transfer issue from the first release), then after that the 10 disc collector's edition blu-ray version, then will come the 3D version, etc. It will go on and on.

That is how the studios make so much money.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 01-16-2010, 04:04 PM:

No, Brad

I probably buy the Blu-ray when it is released but I doubt I will purchase any future updated video versions of TITANIC in another video format like 3-D Blu Ray. I am getting too old to play the game anymore. I have alway been an early adapter and was one of the first in Hawaii to buy prerecorded video tapes, laserdiscs, CDs and DVDS but is has been over three years before I bought a HDTV and only bought a Blu-Ray player last February. At first I was not planning to go with Blu-Ray because I was happy with DVD and still is but exclusive special features only on Blu-Ray had lured me into buying a BD harware and softwares.

-Claude

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-16-2010, 04:30 PM:

I really liked the movie and it drew amazing crowds for us too. I have not seen it since we played it in April of '98. Like Bobby, I have a couple of promo items that say "Summer 1997" o them -- a teaser onesheet and a banner, I think.

I've been tempted to buy the video but I just know there's NO WAY it's going to look as good or as awesome at home as it did on the theatre screen.

The sound was great too. I still remember the sound at the moment when the ship split in half and sank...it was incredible. It was deafening, but we got absolutely zero complaints about the volume, even though a good share of the crowd was people who had never experience digital theatre sound before. They were too amazed to gripe.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-16-2010, 04:53 PM:

I have two versions of Titanic on DVD (the original single disc version with non-anamorphic video and the 3-disc set with 16X9 anamorphic enhanced video, DTS/DD).

I liked Titanic well enough that I have no problem buying it again once it is released on Blu-ray, but I'll only do so if Paramount does a good job with the video transfer. I really liked Gladiator, but I refuse to buy that movie on Blu-ray until the current, botched version is replaced with a new version sporting a brand new video transfer. Until then I'll stick with the old DVD.

It's simply not enough for a movie studio to dust off a 10 year old HD telecine transfer and use it as a source for Blu-ray. Lots of people are turned off to the idea of buying a movie they already own on DVD. So if the studio expects to get a lot of owners to upgrade a movie from DVD to BD the deal has to be worth it. The disc needs very good or excellent video quality and the studio probably has to sweeten the deal with $10 coupons and such that have been offered on BDs of Braveheart, Forrest Gump and others.

BTW, while having Titanic on Blu-ray will be nice (especially when watching it on a big HDTV screen) nothing can match the experience of having seen it in 70mm DTS at the big General Cinemas Northpark #1 theater in Dallas. That was pretty bad-ass.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 01-16-2010, 05:37 PM:

I've got this on letterboxed VHS. Thats enough for me.

I much prefer the 1958 version, then the 1951 film.

I didnt get to see it first run, obviously.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 01-16-2010, 05:58 PM:

We watched TITANIC on the wall last night. I have had the letterboxed VHS since it came out but to this date have still never been able to bring myself to watch it. This movie just needs a big screen, so when I saw it the 2 disc 16x9 version the other day at the store fo $12 I bought it.

This is simply an amazing movie. So many people will tell you now they hated it and it's a pile of junk. If you've never seen it then simply do not believe these people. It's one of the best times I've ever had at the movies...in summer of '98 and now summer of 2010.

I too remember the crowds for this film when we first opened it in December of '97...it played at that same theatre in 35mm through June '98 when it switched to the 70mm version until it played out in July. We were still filling (750 seat auditorium) in April!

A worthy winner of all its oscars...how rarely does THAT happen?

[thumbsup]

all the way.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-16-2010, 11:27 PM:

quote: John Wilson
This is simply an amazing movie. So many people will tell you now they hated it and it's a pile of junk. If you've never seen it then simply do not believe these people. It's one of the best times I've ever had at the movies...in summer of '98 and now summer of 2010.

I too remember the crowds for this film when we first opened it in December of '97...it played at that same theatre in 35mm through June '98 when it switched to the 70mm version until it played out in July. We were still filling (750 seat auditorium) in April!

A worthy winner of all its oscars...how rarely does THAT happen?

Well said. That is why I started this thread. Titanic was simply a spectacle that didn't change the movie industry but simply stamped itself as such a massive event that touched so many people...even those who don't ordinarily watch films. Plus it really was out nowhere...nobody in their right mind could of predicted the success Titanic had the night before it opened...

And I brought it up because Avatar is having a similar appeal...not the same, but similar.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-16-2010, 11:43 PM:

While Titanic can be classified as Hollywood spectacle, it's still a significantly better movie than Avatar.

Let's also remember a LOT of people in the mainstream media and rivals in the movie industry were rooting for Titanic to fail. The movie had crossed uncharted boundaries of budgetary excess. There were stories of scene re-shoots. James Cameron was making effects people redo expensive shots to get frost coming out of actors mouths just right. The roughly six month delay gave the media even more time to talk about what a gigantic flop Titanic could turn out to be and that the massive failure would finally pave the way for independent film to take over Hollywood.

Titanic turned out to be a great movie that broke box office records, turned a profit and hauled in a bunch of Oscars. The media was proved wrong. The vultures pretty much scattered once Titanic bulldozed through December of 1997.

Avatar didn't have to deal with any of the gloom and doom watch even though it cost even more money to make and market than Titanic.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-17-2010, 01:28 AM:

I really liked Titanic. A lot of people love to bag on it for whatever reason. Although we were equipped for 70mm in 3 of our 12 auditoriums, we only ever got a 35mm print of it. Come to think of it, I don't even remember getting more than one print. We played it in SDDS which is a digital format which nobody has any animosity towards. I like the movie so much during the prescreening that I decided that the movie had to be played at the level I watched it at. That meant turning the SDDS unit down to -5.0 or something like that during the trailers and then turning it up to 0.0 for the movie. Those numbers could be off since it has been so long, but I do remember we usually played the SDDS at -3.0.

It was at this time that United Artists Theaters was starting to turn to dog shit. I had been promised a raise and could not get one (I made less than $8). The manager of the theater got tired of me complaining about it and said something to the effect of the constant nagging making her not want to give me a raise (I do not remember exact words). We both got frustrated with the conversation and I told the manager that I needed to go start Titanic, which I did. I waited until the trailers were over, increased the volume, clocked out and left for good. Even though I was angry with the company, I still wanted to make sure the customers got a good show as I left.

So I went over to Mann Theaters and we were building a really nice 16-plex for a while and finally opened in late January. We got two used prints of Titanic. I think we even had to replace one of them. But we did crazy business for a very long time. It was also the first time I had ever seen a Dolby Digital unit track a ZERO before. I have that print hitting zero somewhere on Hi8 video tape. What is even more amazing is that this was on a Christie basement reader. Too bad the other units didn't work this well.

I saw it once in 70mm and it looked OK, nothing special. Perhaps a bit dim. It was at the UA Colorado Center. I think Bevan ran the show, I don't know. But what I did notice about the 70mm print was that it was the ONLY time the super ugly color shift didn't happen on a reel change (forget which reels, maybe 3 to 4... it happens when the guy asks the captain to increase the speed, Cap is hesitant but compliant, and the reel change hits right before the guy says "Good man." or some such) outside of home video. Every 35mm print I've ever seen without exception of Titanic becomes green at that reel change which is in the middle of a scene. That reel change should have been done a few seconds later where any color shift would have not been as noticeable.

I have only ever owned Titanic as a DTS LaserDisc and the anamorphic DVD. I still have both. I will get a Blu-ray one when it comes out alongside Avatar (probably).

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 01-17-2010, 06:00 AM:

I saw lots of flaws in TITANIC, but even piling them all up together, they couldn't bring me to not love it. Sure it's got a lot of sentimentality, sure dialogue is forced in some places and stilted in others, but in the end, if a story like this doesn't pull at your heart, you need to check your pulse and figure out if you are still alive.

As I said, I have some reservations about a few aspects, mostly in dialogue but in the end, I just look at my library and realize the proof is in the pudding, and the pudding is the fact that I've got it right there under T and on two shelves in the film storage room. A nice chunk of $$$ on this title has already flown out of my wallet and I am sure I will open it again for the BluRay.

And you know what? I won't apologize for liking what the hoity-toity film critics panned. And at the last fade-out, I didn't apologize for the lump in my throat and the wet salty lines showing on my face. Yah, it's a tear-jerker, but not in a bad way. The emotions it evokes are not done with cheap tricks or false notes. In the end, what makes it so universal is that it is able to genuinely connect to the basic human emotions in us all.

AVATAR on the other hand, for all its technical advances and very impressive spectacle, didn't connect with me on that raw level; so of the two, I think TITANIC is the more powerful work.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 01-17-2010, 09:10 AM:

I remember all the negative publicity the movie was getting before its release...the huge budgets, supposed problems...that thing was supposed to be a disaster unto itself.

Movie going for me was pretty depressing at the time. The Des Moines market was a simply godawful, unacceptable situation...especially for somebody who had regular access to Act III plexes a few years previous. In Portland, I went to 1-2 movies a week. In Des Moines, I went to fewer than a half dozen movies a year at indoor houses, otherwise whatever might spark my interest had to be playing at a decent drive-in or I wouldn't see it.

So one day I happen upon Act III's website, and discover they've built an 18-screen all-digital, all-THX "stadium riser" multiplex in Kansas City at Station Casino. I barely slept that night. I was there the next morning, completely geeking out.

I had NO idea what to see...the thought to pick a movie never even crossed my mind...so I saw the then newly released "Titanic" in Auditorium 6. I subsequently saw Titanic six times in that auditorium over the next couple of months, and four more times elsewhere.

None of the home video versions have been able to reproduce the chills I get seeing Titanic on a well-run big screen. I validated that a few years ago when the Titanic Pilfered Artifact exhibit toured Salt Lake City, and Megaplex 17 got a print and ran a few showings on the (then) Cricket Super Screen.

The chills were back.

I hope that changes with the Blu-ray release. Whenever that happens, it should be a treat as it will have been a few years since I've sat down to watch it.

A funny side effect I'm conscious of...TNT-HD shows Titanic once in awhile. But when I run into it while channel-flipping, some reflex makes me immediately flip away from it. I can't watch it on broadcast television. I have no idea why.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-17-2010, 09:44 AM:

The idea of watching Titanic on TNT-HD with frequent 5 minute long commercial breaks and animated TV program ads super imposed over the bottom third of the picture during the movie made me throw up in the back of my mouth a little. Kind of a, um, "vurp." Not quite vomit. Not quite a burp either. Ugh.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 01-17-2010, 12:20 PM:

Would you believe I've only seen it in a theater one time? But that one time was memorable - 70mm at the Mann Village in Westwood, CA on opening day. Being a lifelong fan of the lore of Titanic, it was absolutely thrilling to see her under way. Those pristine moving high resolution color images on that giant screen are something I will never forget. It was a dream come true to see her portrayed like that, like a Ken Marschall painting come to life.

I've never owned any video versions of Titanic, nor do I have any strong desires to do so. Nothing in a home video format could possibly match the impact of what I saw that day in Westwood.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-17-2010, 12:47 PM:

I drove 200 miles to Dallas see the 70mm DTS show of Titanic in the big 1000+ seat THX house at the Northpark 1-2 theater. That's the sort of movie where a really large auditorium equipped with a well maintained sound and projection setup pays off big.

I also watched Titanic here in Lawton at least 3 times in the THX houses in our Carmike theater. The presentation quality was really good, but not in the same class as the Northpark theater.

The funny thing is the day I saw Titanic at the Northpark theater my former girlfriend and I went to Grapevine Mills to do some shopping and then see Amistad at the newly built AMC Odyssey 30 within the Mills super mall. The auditorium was TINY. It didn't seem like there was any more than perhaps 50 seats in that room. Hell, Brad Miller's screening room may actually be larger! Perhaps the room seemed really tiny after watching a different, better movie in a far bigger auditorium.

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 01-17-2010, 02:12 PM:

quote: Paul Mayer
Would you believe I've only seen it in a theater one time? But that one time was memorable

I've also only seen it once theatrically (and never on TV/video). I saw it opening night at Woodfield 1&2 (Schaumburg, IL) in auditorium #1, which was always my favorite auditorium (it closed in 1999, though).

quote: John Wilson
I have had the letterboxed VHS since it came out but to this date have still never been able to bring myself to watch it.

Likewise ... mine's still in the wrapper. I haven't bought any other format.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-17-2010, 02:26 PM:

I wonder where the Titanic video sits in the sales ranks? There are probably lots of people who just don't think it would be the same on a TV set, no matter the size, so for that reason they haven't bought the video.

If I ever do buy one, it'll be for the "making-of" features and such...I don't think I'll probably ever watch the movie on TV unless my wife wants to.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-17-2010, 03:46 PM:

Hopefully the executives at Paramount Home Video realize the proverbial bar has been raised quite a bit higher on what is expected out of a properly executed Blu-ray special edition release. Some bare bones single disc issue with an old HD-telecine video transfer is simply just not going to be acceptable.

I expect a Blu-ray version of Titanic will probably be a special "Sapphire Edition" release at the bare minimum and more likely a more deluxe "Commemorative Edition" box set like what they're planning with The African Queen.

Considering the 12 year age of Titanic, it's likely most of the extra materials will be SD-quality video. I don't expect more than the movie and its trailers to be in high definition.

I don't expect Titanic to arrive on Blu-ray for perhaps another year or two. I guess it all depends. It seems pretty certain at least one or more older James Cameron movies will be upgraded to Blu-ray in time for the release of Avatar. The Abyss and True Lies both never received proper treatment on the DVD format in Region 1. So they're obviously the most neglected films out of the James Cameron filmography.

Posted by Geoff Jones (Member # 3668) on 01-17-2010, 04:01 PM:

Bobby, you got me beat. I only drove 80 miles to see it in 70MM at the Century 21 Dome in San Jose (Now "Winchester 21"). IIRC, there were only 16 70MM prints of Titanic. I remember the image being very bright, steady, and clean.

2012 is the 100th anniversary of the sinking. I wonder if there will be a re-issue or BluRay tie-in.

It's probably my 2nd least favorite JC film, after Avatar (and not counting Piranha 2), but I like it enough that I would pay to see it on the big screen again.

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 01-17-2010, 04:48 PM:

quote: Geoff Jones
not counting Piranha 2

Why not?

Posted by Geoff Jones (Member # 3668) on 01-17-2010, 07:12 PM:

Well, he was an FX guy who only took over after the director quit... and then he was pretty much fired before the film was edited. It doesn't really seem like a full-on "James Cameron Film."

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 01-19-2010, 12:48 PM:

Nod, fair enough. I never had trouble accepting it as a Cameron movie, I suppose in part because of the controversy in production/post production. The thought of him breaking into the editing room to "fix" the editing always intrigued me - it sort of epitomizes the type of individual that he is ... definitely the type of director that needs control.

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 01-20-2010, 06:15 PM:

Before all the preteen and teen girls creating backlash among many, Titanic was something of an underdog(i know , weird, considering it did get a lot of publicity). I thought the first half could have been better, but the second half delivered. The atmosphere when the passengers hang on to the railings from the unsunken side and the chef and WInslet exchanging a quick glance, it was pretty damn good. Cameron is one of the very few who could have pulled off such a movie on a grand scale. Imagine if Nancy Meyers or Nora Ephron directed that. Ugghhhh. Cameron showed that he could make a better "chick" flick better than the chick flick directors.

I know we like to bag on the score and the celine dion song. But that helped the movie immensely in terms of setting the mood, especially overseas.

But I remember having to avoid family gatherings or any friends parties where there were young girls hogging the living room with some VHS viewing party of Titanic.

Posted by Joe Tommassello (Member # 4632) on 01-22-2010, 09:35 AM:

OMG!!!! We ALL agree on something??? Maybe we should get a room!

I also love this film in spite of it's flaws (Cameron's lapses into terribly dialog, that whiney song, etc.) and like Bobby I am looking forward to the blu-ray version but only after it's out and the quality of the audio and video has been confirmed.

Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 01-30-2011, 08:45 AM:

It has been 372 days since the last post.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-30-2011, 08:45 AM:

I really hope that TIFF will play this film.

Perhaps even the 70mm blow up print.

Posted by Hillary Charles (Member # 769) on 01-30-2011, 10:06 AM:

Yes, I have to admit, as much as prefer the historical accuracy of A Night To Remember, the Cameron movie really sucked me in. Saw it twice in the cinema; the first time, shortly after the iceberg scene and the ship was taking on water, a pipe broke in the theater, sprinkling on the middle part of the audience. Talk about immersive! [Razz]

quote: Bobby Henderson
While Titanic can be classified as Hollywood spectacle, it's still a significantly better movie than Avatar.

This is something film critic "Harry S. Plinkett" makes very clear through some hilarious observations in his brilliant AVATAR review. It's made me appreciate his earlier movie even more, although I think I've watched his review more than both movies put together! [Big Grin]

Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 01-30-2011, 10:11 AM:

There is a 70mm DTS print in the T.O warehouse, in fact Paramount has a large number of 70mm blowup's, we may play it at our next 70mm fest up in Ottawa/Gatineau area.

quote: Tom Petrov
I really hope that TIFF will play this film.

Perhaps even the 70mm blow up print.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 01-30-2011, 01:58 PM:

TITANIC is scheduled to be rereleased to theatres next year but this time in 3-D. I am not too fond of movies that were shot in 2-D and converted to 3-D but with James Cameron involved in the conversion process, I definitely will go and see it. It is almost certain a Blu-Ray will be released both in 3-D and 2-D after the theatrical run and I will buy it. Because of the theatrical reissue in 3-D, I am pretty sure the BD will be replecated from a restored element in both 2-D and 3-D.

A more elaborate DVD box set of TITANIC was released in Europe and elsewhere with a extra disc and I had a opportunity to buy it when I was in London two years ago but I passed on it because I did not have a region free player and was not going to get one to only play that disc set.

-Claude

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-30-2011, 02:02 PM:

Paul- I am considering coming up to Ottawa this fall for the 70mm festival. If I pre-book the tickets package, is there a way I can guaratee I get a seat in there...is the festival usually jammed packed sold-out?

quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
TITANIC is scheduled to be rereleased to theatres next year but this time in 3-D.

I heard about this. What a way to ruin your film

quote:
There is a 70mm DTS print in the T.O warehouse,

For the record, I don't think this ever played in 70mm in the gTA

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-30-2011, 02:18 PM:

quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
TITANIC is scheduled to be rereleased to theatres next year but this time in 3-D.

Ugh!

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-30-2011, 02:21 PM:

Brad-Are you against a rerelease in 2D?

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 01-30-2011, 03:39 PM:

After seeing the re-release of the first two Toy Story movies in 3-D, I don't think I could stomach Titanic in 3-D.

I'd go back for 2-D though.

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 01-30-2011, 04:10 PM:

Anyone know if the DTS LaserDisc is worth it over its AC3 counterpart? I've got the film on the 16x9 DVD, and the sound, while good, lacks the punch I remember hearing in the cinema.

I'd kill to see this in a proper cinema again, in 2D only.

AJG

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-30-2011, 04:13 PM:

No Tom, I would LOVE to see a re-release of Titanic in 2D. Preferably with new 70mm prints struck as well.

Sadly my absolutely flawless 5-70mm print from GCC Northpark has been mistreated by idiots who have no right to be handling 70mm. That was the best condition print on this continent 6 months into the run per John Pytlak (Kodak), so barring a possible mint condition print elsewhere on the planet such as the UK, any showings of Titanic in 70mm will have print wear.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-30-2011, 04:24 PM:

Did you loan it out and it came back with missing frames at each reel change, scratches, etc? Or did they simply let it slide off of the platter? Does nobody think to use Safety Rings with 70mm?

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-30-2011, 04:28 PM:

quote: Aaron Garman
Anyone know if the DTS LaserDisc is worth it over its AC3 counterpart?

I have the laserdisc of Titanic. The sound is much better than the dvd. It is the DD ld.

As for the DTS ld, it is $124 on ebay right now. Thats a little too steep.

Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 01-30-2011, 04:38 PM:

I remember well showing "Titanic" while working at the Harbour Lights Cinema in Southampton, the opening of this film had quite a media interest as Millvina Dean (Last Titanic survivor) attended for Q&A with a local Titanic Historian before our local Premire screening.

Sadly, we never got the chance to screen it in 70mm as there was only one 70mm print in the UK at the time and the Cinema never upgraded to 70mm DTS [Frown]

.

It was was strange to see this film with the scenes of the departure from Southampton Docks and we were only a few 100 yards from the actual Dock and the White Star Line Offices.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-30-2011, 04:50 PM:

quote: Ben Wales
one 70mm print in the UK at the time

Rumour has it that the 70mm prints were paid for by James Cameron. Any truth to this?

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 01-30-2011, 04:55 PM:

Brad, I hope forum rules does not prohibit silent auctions. If it does not, I have a DTS laserdisc of TITANIC in MINT CONDITION I would like to sell to the person who offers the most for it.

-Claude

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-30-2011, 04:58 PM:

Claude-

Are you interested in trading? I have over 800+ laserdiscs

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-30-2011, 05:13 PM:

I have the DTS LaserDisc as well. I don't recall how good or not it sounds.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-30-2011, 05:15 PM:

If someone is willing to trade. I am up for it.

I have connections to shipping so it won't cost more than $10 to ship it next day delivery.

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 01-30-2011, 05:35 PM:

Claude I just sent you a private message.

AJG

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 01-30-2011, 07:07 PM:

Titanic was wonderfull. Avatar was your typical 3D thing. Just a bunch of goofy 3D effects strung together, with a VERY thin story line, that was dowright stupid in places.

I hope they don't screw up Titanic by trying to turn it into 3D. By 2012 3D will be dead, anyway. Have you seen the latest TV trailers? They will not even "say" 3D in the voice over. It is only written in the closing title card. If you want to see a good movie, you stay away from 3D.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 01-31-2011, 04:00 PM:

AAron Garman bought my TITANIC DTS laserdisc and it is no longer available. I have many others and if you are interested, send me a email and I will tell you what I have. I have almost fifty titles.

-Claude

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-01-2011, 12:15 AM:

quote: Bruce Hansen
Have you seen the latest TV trailers? They will not even "say" 3D in the voice over.

Why should they have to "say" it? People are used to the fact that animated movies are now almost always available in 3-D, so it's not necessary to emphasize like it used to be. They don't "say" that the movie is in color or that it has stereo surround sound either.

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 02-01-2011, 12:32 PM:

quote: Tom Petrov
For the record, I don't think [Titanic] ever played in 70mm in the GTA

Titanic did not play a 70mm engagement in the Greater Toronto Area upon initial release. However, it did play a second-run, several-months-long 70mm engagement at Cinesphere.

Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 02-02-2011, 06:09 AM:

You will be able to buy tickets and a festival pass months in advance...but the festival is far off right now, we should have a schedule by late June up though. I will ask Paramount to send up the print so we can inspect it before hand. The warehouse in T.O. no longer has any way to inspect 70mm... you think they would buy a couple hand rewinds!

quote: Tom Petrov
Paul- I am considering coming up to Ottawa this fall for the 70mm festival. If I pre-book the tickets package, is there a way I can guaratee I get a seat in there...is the festival usually jammed packed sold-out?

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 02-05-2011, 01:15 AM:

Paul. So that means you are going to play Titanic in 70mm? I'll be there if you do.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 02-20-2011, 05:25 PM:

quote: Hillary Charles
Yes, I have to admit, as much as prefer the historical accuracy of A Night To Remember, the Cameron movie really sucked me in.

If you want a giggle, the Nazis made a propaganda spectacle, also called Titanic, some of the process shots from which were reused in ANTR. Subtle it ain't. The Jewish ethnicity of the Astors and the Ismays is emphasised in virtually every scene, and Lightoller's character is replaced by a very serious and deadpan German who tries valiantly to dissuade the rolling-around-drunk Captain Smith from going full steam ahead into the iceberg. And just in case you snoozed through the whole pic and only woke up for the final scene, an intertitle right at the end reminds the viewer that 'The fiendish British-Jewish conspiracy sent hundreds of innocent people to their watery graves ... a testament to avarice and greed!'

Ironically, Goebbels was forced to ban the film and write it off after test screenings in the autumn of 1943 revealed that audiences were reading the Titanic going down as a metaphor for the way Germany was going in the war. It's now available on DVD from Kino.

Posted by Hillary Charles (Member # 769) on 02-20-2011, 05:39 PM:

Thank you Leo for the info! I had heard a little about the Nazi-produced film, and that some effects shots were used in ANTR, but not much else (least of all, that it is now available on DVD). IIRC. a digest version was available for the home market.

I'm surprised they didn't include the iceBERG as part of the British-Jewish conspiracy!

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 02-20-2011, 10:27 PM:

Turner Movie Classic featured the German TItanic film a couple of months ago and I only watched about an hour of it and turned it off because I found it boring.

Good to hear from you again, Leo. [Smile]

I think the last time I recall reading your posts here was shortly after my trip to London in early 2008.

-Claude

Posted by Dan Biegner (Member # 6026) on 02-21-2011, 03:23 PM:

I never really understood the hype, to be honest. Not saying it's bad (although I was disappointed with the acting. It really felt like Cameron was holding both Winslett and DiCaprio back. I'm sure part of that feeling is knowing what great actors they had become, but I feel like I had seen both of them be better in things around that time and earlier. Billy Zane is the man, though!)

I personally don't like it. It's so long and a little too cheesy for my taste. I get why people do like it. I just don't know that I really understand why it got and continues to get as much hype as it does.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 02-21-2011, 03:35 PM:

Hey Dan. I though Winslet was amazing. Oscar deserving more than Helen Hunt that year. She was just something else!