TCL Chinese Theatre

I think this is one of those projects where we really have to wait and see how it turns out. It could be great or it could be a disaster (Egyptian theater). I just hope that when I walk into this new Grauman’s it won’t be like they forcefully jammed an IMAX theater inside.

Alright, went to the LAHTF tour of the Chinese this morning and got some info that may or may not be of comfort to people. I got a moment to talk to one the main presenters (not a tour guide, but one of the guys who seemed to be working with the new managers on the retrofit) and asked him a few questions. Now, again, these answers don’t come from the source, but they come from a source WORKING with the source.

First, I asked about the curtain and he seemed to think (as did a few people there) that they would be replicating the Chinese’s curtain, only longer to cover the full IMAX height (as can be seen in the Curbed LA link Chris posted above). I asked if they would also be including top and bottom masking so that they could bring the screen ratio back to a normal scope ratio when not showing IMAX (or when simply showing 2.40:1 in the IMAX frame, ala Trek ‘08). He was less sure about that, but still seemed more positive than not.

With regard to the bookings… IMAX will be booking this theater directly. Basically… if it opens in IMAX, it opens at the Chinese. It certainly appears that the Chinese is going to co-book with Arclight for most movies (and maybe the El Capitan). I look at this as potentially great news because it’s going to force the Arclight to stop all the 3D in the Dome non-sense. I can’t imagine most people willing to sit through mediocre 3D in the Dome when far superior 3D on a bigger screen is going to be just a few minutes down the street. If given the choice between 3D IMAX or 2D Dome, I’ll take 2D Dome. I hope this forces that option.

As for the renovation, I’m kind of OK with it for a few reasons. A) The Chinese has always been a theater to keep up with film as it evolved. In 1958 they destroyed the proscenium and widened the screen to 92' for Windjammer and that’s about the width we’ve been accustomed to with modern widescreen movies (actually 35mm and 70mm was usually closer to 75/85'‘ wide if the numbers I found are correct). This is no different except they’re going 'down’ instead of ‘across’ this time. B) They’re not going to be disturbing any of the walls/ceiling/ornamentation (quite the opposite… they’re actually fixing things that have been neglected for years) and C) the slope of the auditorium is not going to be nearly as drastic (and “stadium-y” as I once believed it would. Basically they are going to go down about 10/12' into the basement and bring the back of the auditorium back up to the lobby level. It’s going to be much more gradual than a traditional IMAX theater. It seems like the screen is actually going to have a ratio of approximately 2:1. Not the super tall 1.4:1 that Universal and The Rave have. I could be wrong about that, but with a screen 95' wide and only going down another 10/12', it’s going to make the screen height about 45/50'. And while they’re taking out all of the old seats (which need it) they’re even exploring finding high back chairs that look the same.

Overall, would I rather have the Chinese of my youth when it was THE most happening theater in world and could consistently draw the big crowds with the latest and greatest blockbusters? Sure, but just as television put the hurt on them and forced them to adapt to widescreen to survive and thrive… so it seems that the multiplex has nearly choked the life out of it again and without the IMAX conversion, the Chinese would be in danger of becoming the world’s most famous looking office building. The good news is that the surgery to save her this time is minor and mostly plastic.

I took a bunch of pics throughout the tour, if you’d like to see what she still looks like for another 10 days, be my guest: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4726283275338.1073741825.1242342310&type=1&l=a1d0847221

I know it’s blasphemous, but I’m not HATIN' it so far.

Good news folks! You can see Tyler Perry movies in Imax for a nominal fee of 30 bucks.

I think the booking rules are going to be to one of the biggest questions that needs to be answered. Don’t forget… even with the IMAX overhaul, the Chinese still has the same problem that got them into a competitive disadvantage. Outside of the main screen, they just don’t have the seat count to compete with Arclight. Arclight can open a summer tentpole in the Dome (and 3 other screens) and then move that Dome show out the next week to replace it with something else. It’s like a funnel over there and there are 15 screens that make up that funnel. By the time ‘42’ leaves there in about 4 weeks it’ll have probably seen 5 different sized theaters from about 1000 seats total first week to about 70/80 in week 4. The Chinese doesn’t have that funnel. They still won’t have the move-over screens to ensure they get every big movie.

I think the only way this works (and in an ideal world, this is the way to do it) is the Chinese is able to book “IMAX Experience” films independent of the Arclight and El Capitan. I made the point last week that I think there’s a strong case to be made that the “IMAX Experience” versions are like totally different films because they aren’t something that Arclight or El Capitan can show. They’re always listed differently on Fandango, Movie Tickets.com, and are listed separately with AMC and Regal Theaters. Arclight and El Capitan can still book the standard versions and the Chinese 6 would compete for those films as well. But most IMAX runs are only for a week or two anyway and it isn’t like the IMAX version gets ‘moved-over’ to a smaller theater or nearby IMAX when a new IMAX Experience opens. They all show Jurassic for 2 weeks, then get rid of it for Oblivion (which will play for 2 weeks) until Iron Man 3 on May 3rd plays for 2 weeks before Star Trek moves in where it’ll only get a week before Fast and Furious 6 on May 24th. This is pretty standard across all multiplex IMAX.

IF Arclight and the Chinese are allowed to co-book IMAX versus standard, this could have a really great side effect (if Arclight is smart). I’m someone who is pretty averse to 3D. I think it’s a FAR bigger distraction than it is an immersion. The thing that REALLY irritates me with 3D is the way the chains have been using their biggest and best theaters to pimp 3D at the exclusion of those who don’t want or can’t enjoy 3D. Want to see Star Trek in the Dome… better like 3D. Add to that that the Dome 3D is probably the worst in the country and it becomes infuriating that one of my favorite theaters is totally off limits unless I want to A) put up with 3D and B) put up with AWFUL 3D. BUT… If the Chinese is getting Amazing Spider-Man 2 in IMAX 3D and Arclight is getting it in standard, Arclight would be IDIOTS to try and pit the Dome 3D against IMAX 3D just a few blocks away. It may actually force them to try and regain a bit of their dignity and position themselves as the “best place to see these blockbusters in 2D,” which is something people have been complaining and begging for, only to have Arclight turn a deaf ear. In short… it may force Arclight to actually have to try and care again.

Dolby atmos is irrelevant in the issue of picture release and theatres when it comes to clearance . IMAX theatres will get pics filmed for IMAX over all competition .

Roger ,can’t agree with you —Filmmakers have almost no control were there pictures play . A picture in an IMAX release will go to the Chinese first … Period .. They will move it over to the 6 and open a new IMAX film … This is a brilliant move ..

Yes I know about zones and how movies are booked into the theaters. I also know that certain studios and certain filmmakers favor certain theaters. Many of the people here seem to think IMAX will make the Chinese profitable again. We will see.

RogerA – the idea of clearance is if more than one first run cinema in an area (normally 1-2 miles) exists, they will compete for films. Sometimes this zone is broken by the studio (in the case of the two megaplexes in Ontario, CA) – in other areas like NYC (obviously zones are smaller than 2 miles) certain theaters will divide bookings amongst themselves. The most obvious examples being Times Square (the Empire 25 is showing different films than EWalk across the street) and Union Square – with Cinema Village, Quad Cinema, Regal Union Square, AMC Village 7 and City Cinemas Village East 7 – all sharing, none playing the same film.

IMAX which doesn’t guarantee a movie will be a huge success, but its a competitive advantage for sure (like anything in the movie industry its based on what product is available in the market place). An IMAX screen means you’ll get that title as well as the option to show it at the other theatre (the Chinese 6) – perhaps in a variety of formats (2D, 3D, HFR 3D, etc). I believe this and Arc Light have to compete for bookings – and from my last look the Chinese was showing Tyler Perry’s latest film – a hot flick maybe for the first week but probably not packin' them in three weeks out.

well the El Cap and Dolby Theater have the upper hand in that they are both Dolby Atmos equipped, and in my opinion, sound better than standard IMAX 5.0 sound.

The LA Times article said the now standard dual Christie digital IMAX projector would be installed when it re-opens, then the theater would be the first to get laser next year.

I wonder: When a Disney title is offered in IMAX, will it play both the El Cap and the Chinese now, or just one or the other?

There clearance issues will be over …. Smart move ..