This is topic When did XXX theaters stop using film? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 04-07-2001, 09:38 PM:
 
No doubt some of you will think I'm nuts for asking this, but a couple years ago a friend and I went to check out the last remaining porno theater in the Sacramento area, the Regency- formerly a Pussycat Theatre and was a 'normal' theater before that. The front 2 rows of seats had a roped-off area where a large video projector was placed aimed at the screen running videotape- not sure if it was VHS or some pro format. The picture quality was pretty sad, about what you'd expect from any large-screen video projection setup. The projection booth windows were totally dark, I wish I could have seen if any equipment was still up there. There were only a few people in the large auditorium (no, nothing lewd was going on!) and I wondered what the point was of going to a theater to watch video, lesser quality that my home setup at that.
When exactly did the changeover (pun intended) to video take place- I know it was over 15 years ago. Does anyone know what the VERY last porno movie to be printed on 35mm was? Can anyone who worked at these places say whether there were any customer complaints about the sudden drop in presentation quality? I'd like to think at least a few people would be mad if any of the multiplexes started showing regular video instead of film all of a sudden.
 
Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 04-07-2001, 10:02 PM:
 
In New York the Video theatres started coming in about 1981. They started to appear in a strip along Eigth Avenue and was only in this area for several years. They were dingy and seedy and you never felt clean walking through them. A street over, on Broadway in Times Square Porno ran rapid in 35mm film. Porno had really run its course by the late 80's as you could buy video tapes and show them in your living room. Some of the Porno theatres in NY posted fantastic grosses as this was really a way to launder the money from the sale of drugs.
There were really no people in the theatres.

I for one, was glad to see them disappear and with a little bit of luck, we will never see them again.


 

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-07-2001, 10:04 PM:
 
When I ran as a relief union projectionist at the Pussycat in Oakland many years ago, the manager instructed me to just keep it on the screen, no matter how bad it looked, or what it took. They did not care about focus, framing, or anything like that.

Nobody in the auditorium watched the movie, anyway. They were all too busy doing other things.

Thank God, the porno houses started to die in the '80's.



 

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-07-2001, 10:19 PM:
 
Before I even clicked on this thread, I KNEW that Bob Maar and Paul G Thompson would both have replies in here! And answers!


 

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 04-07-2001, 10:33 PM:
 
The last first-run porno films I have projected were in 1988, so they were using film to distribute as late as then. I would figure early 90's was when the big video phase-out began.

The 'Regency' Pussycat had a Cinemecanicca tower or Eprad Sword or Wall-MUT, as you used to be able to see several very large reels leaning against the walls as you drove by the place. Never had the opportunity to actually enter the place... Naturally I would have gone directly to the booth

Aaron


 

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-07-2001, 10:39 PM:
 
Joe, I had to laugh my butt off when I saw your reply.

Are you implying Bob and I are "Dirty Old Men?"
 

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-08-2001, 02:23 AM:
 
I'm not sure, Paul. But you both seem like guys I have met who have worked in places like that at one time or another.

I don't understand why XXX houses don't have:

No wonder XXX theaters got left behind!


 

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 04-08-2001, 08:09 AM:
 
Just curious -- I'm under the impression that most of the porn houses ran 16mm. Is this true? If so, what type of equipment did they use? Was it just Bell & Howell classroom projectors, or did any of them have fancy Eastman 25s or Filmo-Arcs or other xenon or arc systems? Did any of them use automated changeover or large reels?
 
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-08-2001, 11:10 AM:
 
Up here are porn theatres were 35mm until the early to mid 90's
Some also had either a Hortson or a Zies Prevost16B for 16mm
 
Posted by Frank Rapisardi (Member # 435) on 04-08-2001, 12:36 PM:
 
Anyone remember when projectionists and managers were arrested in some of these porn houses?

------------------

 

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 04-08-2001, 01:48 PM:
 
>>I'm under the impression that most of the porn houses ran 16mm. Is this true?<<

Most of the ones I remember ran 35. I wouldn't be surprised if the 35 titles were also printed on 16 (since the vast majority of them were shot on 16mm film or video).

>>Did any of them use automated changeover or large reels?<<

Assuming we are still talking about 16mm, most porn films were 3-4 reels (35mm-wise) and ran about an hour, If they had to run them in 16mm i'm sure they could have put the whole thing(after cutting some of the 'non-XXX filler material')onto a 16mm 2000' reel and been done with it.

Aaron

 

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-08-2001, 03:24 PM:
 
The Pussycat I ran as relief was equipped with Simplex E-7's and SH-1000 sound heads, Peerless magnarc lenses. The other (Esquire) in Oakland, Ca. had Brenkert BX-100's, but I don't recall what the soundheads or lamphouses were. They had a 16mm POS up there, too. I think it was a B&H Filmosound (model unknown). It was never used.

I have also serviced the equipment in some of the Seattle houses, they were either Brenkerts or Centurys, depending what rat hole it was.


 

Posted by Rick Green (Member # 313) on 04-08-2001, 04:00 PM:
 
The Regency /Pussycat did indeed have a Cinemecanica V18 with 13,000 foot reels. Before that it was a changeover house with Wenzel projectors. (kind of a Super Simplex knock-off)I worked down the street for the old Art Theater Guild at the Towne International Theater from `76 until `86 when it was closed and sold to a sailboat retailer. At the Towne we ran X-rated features primarily in 35mm with a sprinkling of 16mm.

The booth had E-7's with Peerless Magnarcs, (later converted to xenon) and SH-1000 soundheads. We ran 6000' reels with a simple home-made automated changeover box. 16mm chores were handled by an RCA 400 with an LP Associates 1600 watt exnon lamp. (same mfr. as our Magnarc conversions- great lamp!)

But the best part of the job was running the Midnite Movies on Friday & Saturday nites. This was before all the big chains got into it and killed the market. (in my opinion) We used to run cartoons, Rock & Roll films, 3 Stooges and lots more. I had some great times in that place. (met my wife there, too, she was a cashier)


 

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-08-2001, 06:40 PM:
 
I hear there were actually 3-D porno movies made. Does anyone know how many were made and what 3-D process they were?
 
Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 04-08-2001, 06:49 PM:
 
New a guy who was the projectionist at the downtown theater here. Back in the 80's it was a repratory theater and next door was the X-Rated theater. The projectionist ran both theaters. THe X-Rated theater was automated and ran continuous shows.

He once told me how this detective came in and watched a few scenes of the movie. He said that the detective came storming out and told the management that he was going to get a warrent to confiscate the film based on a scene, I am not going to describe here, that was illegal to show.

Well, the detective returned later that day with a represenative of the dist. attourneys office. They went into theater and he told him to watch for said scene. But to the surprise of the detective. The said scene was totaly missing. The projectionist had edited it out. So they were saved from an arrest. Detective should have kept his mouth shut.

One day there was an add in the newspaper where the X-rated theater advertised that read.

theater temporarily closed while we install our new seats.
 

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-08-2001, 07:13 PM:
 
John Holmes starred in several anaglyphic 3d porn flicks
 
Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 04-08-2001, 07:19 PM:
 
The only 3D porno I ever saw was in the seats in the auditorium itself.

At the State theatre Boston was located in what was known as the "Combat Zone". All film had to be screened in the 1960's for the City Censor. He was a real what I call a "Pip" Brad Major's from the Rocky Horror Picture Show has his nickname (We all know what that is)I don't know of any actual 3D Porno but will check with my "Sleezy" friends.

PS Joe lend me your F-T Hat, so I can slip in "Incognito".

Paul, I'm glad to be in your company.
 

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 04-08-2001, 07:26 PM:
 
I just saw Frank's post on this thread. I was arrested in the early seventies and charged with inter-state transportation of obscene material. I was arrested in Washington DC at 7:30 while waving down a cab to fly back to NY. The charges were moved off of me personally and put on the corporation. I had asked the manager in a Baltimore theatre we owned to ship a print to an theatre in DC that we owned. The trial took place in the Souther District Court in Memphis. We were found Not Guilty. 18 months later.
 
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 04-09-2001, 09:31 PM:
 
There were a number of polarized 3-D porno movies in the 70's and 80's, I have a videotape using the LCD shutter system called "Sexcalibur", made in 1982. 3-D effects are pretty good but the overall production is cheap, though it did have an original theme song recorded for it.
There were a few porno movies in Dolby Stereo, including "Stiff Competition" (1984) which has above-average production values though the music is recycled library stuff.
So does anyone have an idea of what the very LAST porno movie to have 35mm prints made was?
 
Posted by Tom Sauter (Member # 616) on 04-10-2001, 12:46 PM:
 
As college projectionists once a year we were hired to run the University of Rochester's annual porn nite, where 35mm porn was screened for sold out houses of over 1000. I recall many interesting evenings of 3D porn, protests, bomb threats, and riot police. It was more of a free speech thing.

AFAIK, the last time I *ahem* attended was 1997 and it still occurs every spring. Also in Rochester the Monroe Show World is still in operation and the Lyell was operating just a few years ago. Never went so I have no idea about format. Was always curious, though.
 

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-10-2001, 01:19 PM:
 
Tom:

Recall that the Monroe and its sister theatre the Riviera were the premier theatres in Rochester during the 60's, where all the big 70mm roadshows played. Both fell on hard times in the early 70's, and began their fall to disgrace just to pay the bills. The same projectors that showed 70mm prints of "Ben Hur" and "The Sound of Music" now were used for the 35mm XXX stuff like "Debbie Does Dallas" and "Deep Throat".

The city was finally able to shut down the Riviera for back taxes, and the theatre was torn down to build a CVS drug store. Lynn Smeal managed the Riviera from its glory days to it's ignominious closing. He was a true SHOWMAN, saddened by the closing of his grand theatre. I met him to arrange Kodak's purchase of the two Norelco 35/70mm projectors, which now safely reside in our 2000-seat Kodak Theater on the Ridge. Lynn died shortly after, IMHO, of a broken heart.

I'm saddened to think of all the similar situations throughout the country, of grand theatres being left behind in the name of "progress".

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion


 

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 04-10-2001, 03:25 PM:
 
The x house here ceased film around '84. Didn't have any of the film goodies listed above, but it did have paper towel dispensers on the walls of the auditorium, they went thru quite a few every day. The theatre closed 4 years ago and was renovated by the university to become the theatre for the dance dept.
 
Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 04-10-2001, 04:45 PM:
 
3D? You knew I was going to chime in eventually. I've still got correspondence from Mike Findlay, who was shooting 3D in the mid 1970s. He had a 35mm over/under 2.35/1 X rated production with a work title of "Unnatural Acts" using 32mm, 22mm and fisheye lenses. His comment was that Orson Wells was right, the 2.35/1 format was great... for snakes and parades. Another gay porno production was being shot at the time using Alvin Mark's Depix system, which used polarizing filters at the camera end, with a resultant problems of 3 stop light loss, and glare in a single eye from the crossed polarizing filters. The lens for the Marx system was 50mm. Marks also advocated "Time-Delay 3-D" where selected ajacent frames were used for left and right eye image pairs. The effect must have been extremely difficult on the eyes. A simulated 3-D called "Cinetron" was given a patent # 2,952,182, and another related patent was 3,006,241.

At the time, the Japanese had a regular (not porno) 3D film "Kikaida" which showed in Honolulu, and the Russians had a 70mm side-by-side system. One of the features for that system was "The Mysterious Monk."

I have a sample clip from Findlay's film, the 3D looks similar to the Spacevision system.

One ad in a 1974 trade journal was for "Love in 3D" with Ingrid Steeger, "filmed in 3 dimensional 70mm/technicolor"

Other Stereovision released 3D (soft X) porno films were "3D Prison Girls", "Best Little House on Capitol Hill", and "The Starlets." Hardcore titles weren't advertised in the trade journals I got, however an information sheet shows films in 3D production June 1983
"Emanuelle-4", "99 Women", "The Legend of Venus", as well as in-the-can films "Tickled Pink"(What the butler saw), "North and South Chivalry, and other non-porno 3-D.


 

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-10-2001, 08:48 PM:
 
Brad,
The Stewadesses was the first 3D that I remember. There were also others that ran for years in some locations.
Also, if this thread runs very long you may have to run an age disclaimer to be able to get in here........there are some youngin's lurking about out there.

Joe,
Most Porno houses did not have to rely on SRD, Stadium Seating, or other magical things. All of these places had other types of aids to help make the movie more realistic......
Mark


 

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-10-2001, 09:22 PM:
 
Mark, yah! Like the movie shown in "Feel-Around" as depicted in The Kentucky Fried Movie?


 

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-11-2001, 01:28 AM:
 
Kentucky Fried Movie kicks ass.
 
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-11-2001, 01:44 AM:
 
Mark, so long as noone decides to post a picture from one of these flicks, I don't see a problem with the kiddies reading about 3D porno films. Besides, if the kiddies want to see some porno, there's probably 20 million web sites out there for their viewing pleasure.

I remember hearing when DVDs first came out that the adult industry was going to start shooting their "films" from multiple angles so people with DVDs could select the camera they wanted to view the "action" from. Anyone know if they actually did this? The only DVD I know of that has taken advantage of the multiple angle feature is Detroit Rock City.


 

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-11-2001, 02:41 AM:
 
Personally, I think porn films are totally disgusting. If you seen one, you have seen them all.

Some of those booths are equally disgusting. I serviced the equipment in some of those places in Seattle a long time ago, and when I left the booth, I had to go home and de-louse myself. Some of those booths were absolutely filthy. The only thing I didn't see in some of those booths was a trash can (if one even existed) full of maggots.


 

Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 04-11-2001, 08:45 AM:
 
Paul, you're more right than you know about seeing one, seeing them all.

I worked a season at a porno drive-in. It was actually a clean, family operated place (father and daughter), and there was always a local cop on duty and no nonsense. I've worked in lots worse places.

Anyway, the owner used to place ads for used X rated 35mm films in Boxoffice and other magazines. He collected a houseful, and since many of the companies were in business about as long as a fruit fly lives, he could show many of these without paying any film rental. During slow weeks, he'd rent a new headline film, double feature it with one of his own, and get the regular customers. On the major weekends, when the drive-in would be packed anyway, he refused to rent films at all, but ran his own and took home the entire gate. _That_ was a man who understood the industry and new how to work a niche market.

A lot of the films had the same actors, and many didn't bother with plot lines, and audiences didn't much care about anything but the action anyway. Scenes from one film could be seen showing up in other films, title bands often had multiple titles, and it was an odd mix of footage that got shown on the screen, along with an occasional new feature.

I didn't see porno as disgusting as much as I saw it as boring (no pun intended). Having to watch for changeover cues, I soon came to the conclusion that these films had about as much plot value as watching an animated cutaway of an internal combustion engine for an hour and ten minutes.

Everyone else who worked in the place had a similar attitude and we spent more time chatting in the snack bar than worrying about what was on-screen.
 

Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 06-02-2001, 02:32 PM:
 
There are two color anaglyph 35mm 3-D features that were in release recently. These are retitled prints of two 1970's features. The Disco Dolls in "Hot Skin" was retitled Blonde Emanuelle in 1984. The Lollipop Girls in "Hard Candy" was retitled Scoring! in 1984 and M 3-D! in 1988.

R. M. Hayes 3-D Movies : a history and filmography of stereoscopic cinema (1989) lists release dates for Blonde Emanuelle and Scoring! as February 1984. Hayes lists The Disco Dolls in "Hot Skin" as 1978 and The Lollipop Girls in "Hard Candy" as November 1976. Both were filmed in Deep Vision (single strip polybiochromatic anaglyphic), and released by Debonair, later by Jaguar-Beehive, and later still by Tara Releasing.

The filmmakers name, Norm De Plume, is a pseudonym for Stephen Gibson. Gibson's other Deep Vision films are The Playmates (1973), Black Lolita (1975), Wildcat Women (1976), and It Came from Inner Space (1985).

The April 2000 issue of Penthouse had an article on John Holmes, "Born to Be Wadd" by Legs McNeil. In the article Bill Margold states, "There is an orgy scene in Disco Dolls where I'm being blown by Leslie Bovee and John's being worked on by four people next to me--and all of a sudden his dick popped out over my head, and I looked up at it and it was like the opening shot of Star Wars.

"I had the feeling that if I got hit in the head by that thing, I'd get a concussion. So my dick, which was happily ensconced in Leslie's mouth, was no longer interested in working. And she laughed, and he laughed, and I had to laugh at myself."
 

Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 06-02-2001, 11:25 PM:
 
R. M. Hayes 3-D Movies : a history and filmography of stereoscopic cinema (1989) lists the following "adult movies":
Adam and Six Eves (1962) Natural Vision 3-Dimension and Widescreen (cropped 1.85:1)
Beauty Girls for Love (1983) ArriVision (single strip over-and-under 2.35:1)

Bellboy and the Playgirls (1962) sequences filmed in Optovision (dual 16mm printed 35mm single strip side-by-side 1.66:1)

Blond Emanuelle (1984) Deep Vision (single strip polybiochromatic anaglyphic) and Widescreen (cropped 1.85:1)
The Capitol Hill Girls (1977) Polarized LazerVision (StereoVision 35mm side-by-side anamorphic 1.33:1)

The Chamber Maids (1972) single strip side-by-side anamorphic 1.33:1

The Disco Dolls in Hot Skin (1978) Deep Vision (single strip polybiochromatic anaglyphic) and Widescreen (cropped 1.85:1)

Ecstasy '72 (1971) Optovision (dual 16mm printed 35mm single strip side-by-side 1.66:1)

Experiments in Love (1976) QuadraVision 4-D (StereoVision side-by-side anamorphic 1.33:1)

Flesh for Frankenstein (1974) Spacevision (single strip over-and-under 2.35:1)

Foxy Boxing (1983) polybiochromatic anaglyphic

Foxy Ladies
Funk in 3-D (1976) Super Touch 3-D (single strip over-and-under 2.35:1)

Heavy Equipment (1977) 3-Dimensions (single strip anaglyphic)
The Hostess (1980)

International Stewardesses (1974) StereoVision (single strip side-by-side .67:1 and optically converted to over-and-under 1.75:1)

The Lollipop Girls in Hard Candy (1976) Deep Vision (single strip polybiochromatic anaglyphic) and Widescreen (cropped 1.85:1)

Love in 3-D (1974) 70mm Triarama (single strip anamorphic side-by-side 2.20:1 and optically converted to over-and-under 35mm 2:1)

Manhole (1977) 3-Depix (single strip over-and-under 2:1)
Ménage à Trois (1982) StereoVision (single strip over-and-under 2.35:1)

Mud Madness (1983) polybiochromatic anaglyphic

Nude 66

Paradisio (1962) Tri-Optique (dual 35mm printed single strip anaglyphic) and Widescreen (cropped 1.66:1)
The Playmates (1973) Deep Vision (single strip polybiochromatic anaglyphic) and Widescreen (cropped 1.85:1)
Prison Girls (1972) Optovision (dual 16mm printed 35mm single strip over-and-under 1.75:1)
Ram Rod (1973) single strip side-by-side anamorphic 1.33:1
Scoring! (1984) Deep Vision (single strip polybiochromatic anaglyphic) and Widescreen (cropped 1.85:1)

Sexcalibur (1983) unknown if really 3-D
The Starlets (1976) QuadraVision 4-D (StereoVision side-by-side anamorphic 1.33:1)
The Stewardesses (1970) StereoVision (single strip side-by-side anamorphic 1.33:1)

Swingtail (1969) Cosmovision (single strip polybiochromatic anaglyphic) and Widescreen (cropped 1.85:1)
Wildcat Women (1976) Deep Vision (single strip polybiochromatic anaglyphic) and Widescreen (cropped 1.85:1)


A caveat about the above list. R. M. Hayes is the same "Doktor Haze" of Widescreen Movies : A History and Filmography of Wide Gauge Filmmaking fame who shouts far and wide that the 70mm aspect ratio is 2.05:1 because that's what he measured with a ruler.


 

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-03-2001, 12:05 AM:
 
The movie "Fight Club" has a scene where Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) splices a film frame showing, in his words, "a nice big cock." Hehe. Amazingly, on one of the commentary tracks (I think it was David Fincher's), they claim that film frame came from a Russian made porn film --and that is was on a 70mm print no less!

Wouldn't it be great for the next Jenna Jameson film to be shot in IMAX-3D and feature a 10.2 channel 20-bit LPCM surround audio track? Oh well, since most of them are produced on shoestring budgets, shot with little more than consumer camcorders, image and sound quality would be a little beside the point. It might be something of a miracle of sorts that porn ever used film at all (I think they only used it at a time when that was their only choice).
 

Posted by Matt Elzie (Member # 877) on 06-03-2001, 06:41 AM:
 
Interestingly enough, one of the theaters here in Santa Cruz (the Rio) just ran a 3D porno as a midnite movie. I didn't see it, and I can't remember what it was called, but from what I heard, it did some solid business.
Also...
There is a lense being currently manufactured for the Canon XL-1 mini-dv camera that enables the user to shoot 3D digital video with just the single lense (?). Perhaps there will be a resurgence of 3D porn in the near future....
 
Posted by Joe Schmidt (Member # 822) on 06-06-2001, 01:59 AM:
 
Fight Club, wasn't that the scene where the Pitt character is working as a projectionist, and enjoys splicing single porn frames into disney movies?

I have this movie in 2.35:1 in the library and have had to run off 6 or 7 copies to fill requests. What it is people see in this movie I simply cannot understand... I must be totally out of touch with the world.

 

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-06-2001, 02:49 AM:
 
I am amazed at the vast amount of porn knowledge that some Film-Techer's have.


 

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 06-06-2001, 06:51 AM:
 
I would like to place the names of the following three people. The winner will become the "New Porno King."

Please cast your vote below by filling in the circle:

O

O

O

Excuse me but I have to go and have a


 

Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 06-06-2001, 10:51 AM:
 
Me? I haven't even contributed a single posting to this thread. I probably have less porn knowledge than anyone else who posts here. I'm surprised I'm even in the running on this strange little ballot.

If I win, I guess I'll have to research all the old porn theatres in my area to include in the "Historical Information" of my theatre information WWW site.

------------------
Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Info Site


 

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 06-11-2001, 01:35 AM:
 
I found out about 6 months ago that Mobile, Alabama's XXX "Midtown Cinema" had closed.

It was located on Dauphin Street, & a few years ago when the Dauphin Street properties got hot again, moved to the back of the building & the main portion of the building was renovated as a dance club.

Before it was the Midtown, it was called the Century, & before that it was the Crown (built in about 1924). So while the Midtown was showing dirty movies, it was the oldest continually-operating movie theater in Mobile, & the oldest I could think of in a large area. It made me happy to think of it that way.

Now, the oldest continually operating movie theater in Mobile is like many cities, a ten-year old multiplex.


 

Posted by Geoffrey Weiss (Member # 882) on 06-11-2001, 02:49 PM:
 
I probably shouldn't admit, but, being a bit of a punster, I'm addicted to porn titles like: "Yank My Doodle, It's a Dandy," "L. A. Raw," and my favorite, "Analmentary, My Dear Watson."

So I was checking out titles in the "adult" room of the local video store the other day, Brad, and found a DVD that did have multiple angles--master show (so to speak), and various close-ups.

On the subject of police and 3-D movies, unrelated on this thread until now, a local rep. house showed a 3-D copy of "Disco Dolls in: Hot Skin!" last year. Apparently it was making the rounds of college-type theatres. Our local councilman decided to make a name for himself by slapping an injunction on the theatre, which he did. It was promptly declared unconstitutional and the show went on: to packed houses both Friday and Saturday midnight as well as an added show on Sunday (Porn!?! On Sunday?!?) I saw it. 800 screaming college kids. It was a hoot!
 

Posted by Geoffrey Weiss (Member # 882) on 06-11-2001, 02:51 PM:
 
Obviously I meant "master shot." Puns always work better when you spell them correctly.
 
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 12-28-2002, 11:11 PM:
 
I have just been informed that the Fox Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, is still showing adult films on 35mm.

On my next trip to Seattle, that'll make an interesting conversation driving through customs ... "Why are you entering the country?" "Porn." [Smile]
 
Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 12-29-2002, 01:36 AM:
 
I probably shouldn't admit, but, being a bit of a punster, I'm addicted to porn titles like: "Yank My Doodle, It's a Dandy," "L. A. Raw," and my favorite, "Analmentary, My Dear Watson."
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought "Shaving Ryan's Privates" took the 1st prize
 
Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 12-29-2002, 03:00 AM:
 
I worked two porno houses as a relief union operator in Seattle in the 60s. One was called The Wintergarden and was a regular 35mm setup. I forget the name of the other. It was in the downtown area and ran two 16mm B&H machines from the closed balcony. It was split screen. One side was women, the other men. No sound except non-sync.
 
Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 12-29-2002, 05:05 AM:
 
Adam said: " I have just been informed that the Fox Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, is still showing adult films on 35mm. "

I can verify that, I drove past it last night. They have included in their sign on the outside of the theater " Adult Films In 35mm "
 
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 12-29-2002, 09:36 AM:
 
In around 1981, the local obscenity laws were changed, and the one local porn theatre, 'The Fine Arts,' closed. The city snatched it up for taxes, and it sat there empty for 6 years. In 1987, I was hired by the new owner of the building to assess the inventory and see what might be salvagable.

We opened the doors and were greeted by a dank musty smell. (Not what you think.) there was some major water damage. There was lots of old equipment laying everywhere. The consession stand still had popcorn in the popper! We won't even discuss the restrooms.

As for the booth, the 2 Century CC projectors were complete, but both had fogged lenses, and burn-holes in their shutters. Believe it or not, the ORC xenon lamphouses worked somewhat. The sound system was DOA. They had a wild system for hooking all the PA equipment through this amplifier. You'd have to have seen it. There were 10-3-reel cans of film sitting on the shelf in this booth. No VS. I guess the coolness of the booth for 6 years 'preserved' them. (These cans, and the system amplifier wound up in my posession... Nothing good to report... soft-core junk...) There was also alot of Eiki parts, lenses, etc, but no projector. The inventory sheet that the city provided listed an Eiki "professional" projector, but we never found it.

I had the 2 projectors running in about 2 days. Fine machines.

The Fine Arts Theatre opened in 1947, playing alot of Allied Artists, RKO, etc. titles. They had decent crowds thru most of the 1950's. In 1962, they began running "Art" films. Tiny ads in the newspaper were the norm. They continued this practice until they closed. I remember seeing the film, "I Am Curious (Yellow)" there in 1970 (?) While looking through all the boxes of paper items, I came across a meticulously kept journal of all of the 16mm, and 35mm titles that came through the doors. The new owner of the theatre has this book on display in his new lobby. Many prints run there were brand new. None that I got were.

There was some nice old equipment under the balcony. A Century E-7, and several Motiograph machines. I dont know what happened to any of this stuff. The only things that I know of that were kept were Century parts for the CC's.

In the early 90's, the Fine Arts reopened. It plays alot of off the wall titles now. The old CC projectors are installed with platters. One downstairs in the main auditorium, and one upstairs in what used to be the balcony. Decent on-screen images in both venues.

People in this town still avoid the place. It will never live down its history, I am afraid.

It really does look nice now.
 
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-29-2002, 09:37 AM:
 
Where are they getting the 35mm adult films? Are they showing older titles, or are current films being produced in the format? I thought that most adult films were now being shot either on 16mm or video and never had composite release prints made.

Is there really any money left in the theatrical end of this business? I know one theatre owner who recently got out of it (he ran 35mm until 1987 and video since then) due to declining demand resulting from cable TV and videotape and also due to the damage which his patrons tended to cause to his theatre. He is doing art films (no, not that kind of "art film") and special events now with varying degrees of success.
 
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 12-29-2002, 09:58 AM:
 
Hi Scott. The Fine Arts is showing more mainstream films these days. In 1999, they were the only theatre that played"Gone With The Wind" in this whole city. Many of the films now running there are foreign films. I can't recall hearing of any complaints there, even when they ran John Waters "Pink Flamingos" for a solid week in 35. Many of the older residents still consider the place to be a skid-row business. The street it is on is now very "trendy" (expensive) The tourists love the place.
 
Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 12-29-2002, 04:29 PM:
 
In the early 70's I worked the Victory Theatre, NYC 42nd Street, built as a stage theater 100 years ago. I started in 1970 running 35mm mystery and horror shows on three Simplex X-L's with Peerless lamphouses. That changed to soft porn, then to hard core as the street went downhill.

The greatest hit was the antics of the house cat, a large white pet kept as a mouser. One double feature bill ended with a scene in which
the hero punishes a man who violated his girl by tying the rapist to the grill of a large truck, then tying one end of a rope to the offender's member. The other end he tied to the trailer hitch of his pickup. As he accellerated, and the rope rapidly uncoiled, the house cat sprang into action, leaping from under the balcony across the tops of the seat-backs onto the stage, where he would leap above the masking, clawing at the image of the dancing rope, until the victim's screams coincided with the brief flight of his member at the end of the rope. The few dazed patrons roared. But the kicker was that the cat did this at the close of the last show every night that feature played!

The Victory finally closed, its facade was restored to its original beauty, and reopened as the New Victory Theater, presenting live theatrical, ballet and musical events with rehearsal rooms to spare,
in the late 1990's.
 
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-29-2002, 04:45 PM:
 
To answer a question Brad posted a while back, yes some porno DVDs do use the multiple angle feature. But more often than not, the "feature" is just baloney. Either the alternate angle will just be flipped horizontally, or you will see the "cable friendly" version of the shot (no explicit shots of penetration, etc.).
 
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-29-2002, 04:46 PM:
 
Seems to me that in the Midwest area, Myself and Steve Kraus bought up all the X rated theatres projection equipment....Really [Eek!] !
That was back in the early 90's and alot of the equipment had been idle for some time already.
Alot of that equipment is now being used(probably to show family films)in Wisconsin and other Midwestern area theatres [Smile] .
Mark
 
Posted by Jean-Michel Grin (Member # 1360) on 12-29-2002, 05:32 PM:
 
You know, in Geneva from long time, hardcore porn cinema theater are definitly svitched to DVD...
But pay attention where you sit [Big Grin]
The floor couly be dirty and slippy ! [puke]
 
Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 12-30-2002, 01:13 AM:
 
Wierd I should see Paul's response in earlier posts.

The Seattle local made a tour of local porn houses part of my "training" back in the mid-'70s... lucky me!

The "Midtown Theatre" was probably one of the "classiest" operations back then. It was a relatively recent (and therefore, relatively clean) remodel with vending machines in the lobby (including popcorn). 2 people ran the place... a manager/bouncer/concession worker, and a projectionist... amazingly enough... a union operator. We had a pair of Century machines with Kneisly-converted Enarc lamps & some sound system I don't remember... a wall-mounted RCA, Kintek, Kelmar... whatever. We also had a Hortzon 16mm machine... reverse-side threading & also xenon. All machines had bulbs that were a real study in how many hours you could really get out of a xenon, envelope color notwithstanding!

On a full show we ran a 16mm feature on the Hortzon, then a feature on the 35mm machines, one 6,000 reel each. Each machine got run one reel per "presentation".

On the other end of the "class" scale was an old single-screen "palace" that was operated by the local porn king. It had Simplex machines, Magnarcs and NO house lights ever! The machines sat on a concrete riser, and the ports were just about up against the auditorium ceiling. Thankfully, that place is long gone... razed in favor of an office building or condos or the like.

Paul will appreciate this. There was a dive called the "Champ Arcade", which actually used union operators. They had a room full of view boxes, each of which had a 16mm projector, running an endless loop reel, projecting on a reverse screen. The "customer" plugged quarters into the box, ratcheting some kind of impulse-activated timer... each quarter running the machine for a minute or so. The mechanics of the whole operation were pretty amazing, but wow... did that place smell bad! [Eek!]

Because of the endless loops and the fact that the films stayed with the property, they operated their own cleaning system downstairs... some contraption with a huge vent hood that ran the film through a solution of triclorethane. I saw some pretty stoned guys come up from that room... I guess because of the cleaning solvent. [Confused] [Roll Eyes]

After a mercifully short stint there, the union took pity on me & gave me SRO's flagship for a couple of weeks. Guess that somehow made it all worth it... [beer]
 




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