Loew's Jersey Theatre
54 Journal Square,
Jersey City,
NJ
07306
54 Journal Square,
Jersey City,
NJ
07306
98 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 1,509 comments
Yes Mark, I agree that most prints can be made to look decent provided that the projectionist is given access to the print sufficiently in advance to go through it.
For example, I was told that last weekends print of Ocean’s 11 arrived at the theatre just in time for the show. They barely had time to make sure all the reels were heads out.
On the other hand, if the print is faded, scratched, or has splices with enough footage missing that the audience will notice it, there is nothing the projectionist can do.
Again, I am not saying that there no incompetent projectionist, but I am saying that there can be other reasons for a poor presentation.
And here I sit with almost 40 years expierience as a projectionist, and I can tell you that no matter what condition the print is in, it can be made to look decent. In my early days working in dollar houses with double features, you always got lousey beat up prints, but I still put on the best I could. Im not being critical, Im just saying, that it hurts how my talents are wasting away while all I get is to run a digital projector, which requires no talent at all. Depressing
mdvoskin, thanks for the explanation. The past couple of 35mm screenings that I have been to have all had pretty good prints, so I have been fortunate in that regard. I also seem to remember earlier this past year when I saw Cat On A Hot Tin Roof at the Jersey, that print was leaving the theatre before the entire audience had entirely left the building.
Since I am no longer a projectionist at the Loews Jersey and I was not there this weekend, I cannot comment on why changeovers were missed. I can say that there are a lot of projectionist, young and old, who can do a proper changeover. It’s not that hard, you just have to pay attention.
An issue that probably nobody who has not run 35mm film, reel to reel, is aware of is that the repertory prints now in circulation are rather hit and miss in regard to damage, especially at the end of reels where the changeover cue marks are located. For every mint restoration print available, there are probably a dozen trashed prints in circulation. Back in the day, prints were sent to theatres well in advance, and the projectionist would hand crank through every reel, repairing bad splices and noting any bad/missing cue marks. That is no longer an option in many cases where the print arrives the at the last minute.
I’m not saying that there are no incompetent projectionist, but I am saying that there could be other reasons for a less than stellar presentation.
Are there even any old time projectionists left who know how to do a proper changeover? Repertory films are usually not allowed to be run on a platter. Guess they better get the DCP version nowadays that’s all they know.
Gasp…! Not the piss elegant BAM…! Get me the smelling salts…
Although I couldn’t make it this weekend, I did get to see Where Eagles Dare at BAM on Thursday and they also messed up the changeover as well and they charge 14 dollars not 8 like the Jersey. I am glad to hear that Navarone was at least shown in Dolby Stereo.
AFAIK , the Loews does not have magnetic playback capability. They do have Dolby Stereo and Sony does have Dolby Stereo prints of Guns, so that’s likely what they showed if it was stereo. As far as the poor changeovers go, that’s strictly amateur hour and they should be embarrassed charging admission for it.
Yes it was and I thought it would be in mono. I was astonished the film was in stereo, I had no idea until I started listening. It seemed to become more pronounced as the film went on and became very impressive. Now if they could get some 70MM 6 track analogue prints that would be movie heaven. Would like to request though that reel changes be somewhat smoother. Often when you see one coming up your not quite sure what is going to happen. Will the screen go blank? Will they leave out a reel? Will you find yourself 10 minutes into the next reel or will the picture appear with no sound. All this happened last night. Except for the missing reel. That was WSS. Where they left out Officer Krupke. However they did play it after the film as an extra.
If anyone attended the Navarone screening last night, was it actually in magnetic stereo sound? Thanks.
Will “Guns of Navarone” be presented in Stereo sound? The Loew’s State in St. Louis presented it in magnetic stereo sound, was fantastic.
Movies this coming weekend:
Friday 9/18/2015
Guns Of Navarone at 8pm
Saturday 9/19/2015
Ocean’s 11 (1960 Version) at 6pm
Touch Of Evil at 8:40pm
All presented films in 35mm
When did they leave 1540 Broadway to move to 400 Plaza Drive in Secaucus N.J. was it around 87/88? I know the headquarters were moved back to Manhattan by then owner Sony Corp in 1993.
The booking office for Loew’s was 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.
Thanks mdvoskin, Your right the UA State in the immediate area tended to play similar types of films. The one thing also to keep in mind is that these films tended to sometimes attract a rough and rowdy crowd, so I wonder if vandalism was an issue during the waning days of the Loew’s Jersey as well?
All Loews Theatres, as with most other large circuits, were booked by the headquarters booking office. A theatre manager could make suggestions, but that is about it for local involvement. I believe, but not sure, that the booking office was located in Manhattan at the time.
I doubt that they were trying to drive the place into the ground. More likely, exploitation films are the ones that were the most profitable for that location at the time. The same forces that drove the 42nd street NYC theatres from being the showplace of the nation to the sleaze center of the nation was at work in all the major cities. These theatres could only draw customers from the immediate area, and there were a lot of screens in Jersey City for the given population.
I was looking at the movies that played here as a Loews house in it’s final years of operation from about 82-86 and the endless parade of B-movie Blood, Gore, Slasher, Exploitation, Kung Fu films never seemed to end. I think every movie that such secondary studios like New World Pictures put out played here. Was film booking for this theatre handled centrally at the Loews Headquarters in Secaucus NJ or locally? If so were they intentionally trying to drive this place into the ground or was it just Hollywood’s release pattern that existed at the time?
Here’s a link to FOL’s public statement on the court ruling. They apparently agree that bringing a concert promoter in would be a good thing and also mention a little more than $2.5 million that is available for repairs and upgrades, a little more than $500k is grant money FOL won for fire safety and other code upgrades, and the city received another $2 million from an area developer to make repairs on the theatre.
Let’s hope we start seeing this money spent now that the court case is over.
I think LuisV has a great idea. Now if only the right people would see it.
Seems to me the best of both worlds would be to bring in AEG to work WITH Friends of Loews to finish the restoration of the grand theater along with installing AC and hopefully restoring the Blade while REQUIRING that showing films always be a part of the programming at the Loews Jersey! They have the desperately needed money. Why is that a problem??
Congratulations to the FOL.
Great news indeed.
Friends Of The Loews won today’s round in their court case with the city. Their lease is valid, the city can’t throw them out and lease the theatre to someone else.
Click Here For News Story
Congratulations…
This is just speculation on my part, but the last time I visited the Loews there was some discussion of a “Sci-Fi Weekend” for the end of this month. Any word on this yet?
I was in this beautiful movie palace last fall and when the organ appeared before the film it was magic! When he played the huanted song that was in the film on the pipes as the crowds were leaving was something you do not get these days. You cannot imagine unless you were there. The organ souded in prime form. I live in the mid-west and can’t wait to get back. A 70mm film ! Wow. Only LA has showings regularly in that format. Think I’ll join “Friends of the Loew’s”. Imagine seeing “Ben-Hur” at the Jersey?? at
Already autotuned. Thanks.