Firstly, the subject of Ted Costas' statement came up, and we talked about first generation o-neg prints straight from digital files and the fact that quality control would be very high on this release and all the other points in that press release from THX.

We then talked about the fact that some theatres may not necessarily be able to present the movie optimally in spite of all this due to insufficient light levels, poorly trained staff and the myriad other reasons that we talk about here on the forums day in, day out.

Theatre chain 'X' was then singled out as being one example of such a place that may not do technical justice to this movie, because of the various problems they (my friends) have experienced at their locations in the past.

'The sound sometimes drops out there, and the screens are often a bit too dark', complained one.
'Their splices are badly done, so the reel joins go through very roughly' said the other.
'And those exit signs are so distracting...but unlike the picture, at least they are in focus!'
'And they are often brighter than the picture'
'The picture shakes and judders during the credits!'
'They don't have DTS!'
'Or EX!'

...and on it went, a seemingly endless list of concerns over previous experiences at theatre 'X'.

They then agreed that they should fire off some emails to a few appropriate people so that maybe a few things could get fixed before the premiere.

I then mentioned that none of these problems exist at the theatre that John Wilson and I work at and that we will have a guaranteed perfect presentation. I mentioned that we have:

- Filmguard for perfectly clean prints ('X' doesn't)
- DTS-ES/Dolby-EX (Dolby 5.1 only at 'X')
- a steady and bright image, conforming to SMPTE standards ('X' doesn't).
- Excellent projectionists such as John Wilson (enough said)
- An 819 seat main theatre which will be packed to the rafters for plenty of atmosphere (*twice* the capacity of the largest auditorium at theatre 'X').

From having visited 'our' theatre in the past, they know how good we are, so not much explanation was required. For good measure, I did mention that I built our print of 'The Scorpion King' and that every session thus far has been filmguarded, and how reel joins go through without the slightest dirt buildup whatsoever, and super-smooth to boot.

So...I concluded that although it's a good idea to email away and get something done about theatre 'X', there no need to worry about our theatre, which will put on a perfect show.

And then it came...

'But...we're going to theatre 'X' - we've already booked tickets'.
'Why not see it at our theatre?' I asked.
'Yeah...we'll see it there the third time - maybe'.

They said that theatre 'X', despite the technical shortcomings (which they are determined to get something done about) offers more 'glamour', being the 'premiere' location to see a big movie like 'Star Wars'.

I pointed out that although we're an independent, we aren't exactly unpopular (I pointed out the seating capacity difference and the fact that we will be full) - but this they know too.

They even agreed that they are contradicting themselves by wanting a good presentation but at the same time rejecting a good presentation by attending a place that cannot assure them of it. For people who seem concerned about quality, they seem awfully unconcerned about quality.

I don't get it, but it does remind me of a story I once heard about Roger Ebert. He received a call from some readers many years ago who wanted to know what film to see that evening.
'What can you tell us about Cries and Whispers?' they asked.
'I think it's the best film of the year', said Mr. Ebert.
'Well, that doesn't sound like anything we'd like to see', said the caller, and then hung up.

All seriousness aside: if my own friends won't even choose us when they claim to understand the benefits of 'film done right' (even when they ask for it), then what chance is there that others care about it?

INVARIABLY, someone in the group would be unhappy with my selection. Reasons given were things like "It's more fun going to the mall" and "They don't have cupholders on the seats there". When I pointed out that my choice has better sound and picture quality, I would get the "What a nerd!!" look from them. Once Cinemark 17 opened here, nobody would even consider going anyplace else. Why? Mall location and stadium seating. I could not talk most members of the group into going to any other theater, and the presentation argument made no difference to them.

 

I think I've found the problem. Get new friends. Your current crop sounds like a bunch of sheep brained whingers.

I hope Regal River Oaks Cinema 8 in Decatur will be getting Star Wars. If they let the Carmike Century Cinema 8 in Decatur have that movie, it will prove that they don't care beans about quality. That old Carmike theatre in Decatur is awful (dim, dull images with cruddy sound with other frequent problems).

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Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Information Site
 

Josh

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"Film is made of silver, video is made of rust"
'nuf said