Thanks for your response from 7/11. Although I’m a fan of the widescreen/roadshow era of the 50’s & 60’s, I also recognize that the drastic interior design changes needed to accomodate the new giant screens did not always work for the best.
When this first came out, it seemed to me that this was a cross between “Lethal Weapon” and “Towering Inferno” with, as Chris pointed out, the guy from a goofy TV show. Anyway, my roomates at the time dragged me out, so we went to a late show in Stanton (that’s in Orange County, CA) expecting the worst.
My goodness, what a ride! This truly delivered the goods. On account of the extreme sound level, I ended up with one of the worst headaches in my life, but it was all worth it.
Sadly, the sequels failed to match the original, and needless to say, I did not even see the last one.
In your opinion, do you think that the Todd-AO install was a “hack” job? Or perhaps, with a little more thought and effort, the conversion could have accomodated both the big screen and the integrity of the original architecture?
I agree that “The Great Escape” is 4-star all the way. But I also think that McQueen gave a more emotional performance in “Sand Pebbles”, without loosing his trademark edge. He would not hit that level of dramatic range again until “Papillon”.
There are new 70 mm prints of “Grand Prix” and “Khartoum”, two single-lens Cinerama productions that had Dome engagements in the 60’s. In addition there’s a new 70 mm/DTS “West Side Story” print. Any of those would look spectacular in that screen.
There is a brand new 70 mm print of “West Side Story”. It was screened recently at UCLA, and the Castro in San Francisco will be doing the honors in late August.
Maybe Leon is referring to the fact that the Seattle Cinerama screen is louvered (the Dome’s isn’t), when he states that it is the “only” Cinerama screen in the nation. A point that some Cinerama purists (not me however) may agree. The 3-strip shows at the Dome are terrific, and the recent 70 mm screening of “2001” there was a knockout.
In retrospect, tearing down the screen for the “2001” shows earlier this year, really did not make much sense, considering the fact that they were still running their regular fare on the flat screen. The downtime due to the labor involved (as stated in the above post by D Roben) was simply not justifiable, as opposed to the situation where a full week of Cinerama features are scheduled, and all the films would take advantage of the curvature and screen size.
I missed it the last time it played at the Dome, but wasn’t a “non-standard” (for lack of a better term) masking used for “It’s a Mad Mad… World”? Also, has anyone heard mumblings about the Dome showing a restored IAMMMMW this fall?
My introduction to the world of Jurassic Park came some time before the film was released. I read the novel shortly after its publication, and was quite taken by the concept of a thriller bounded by a scientific framework that included paleontology, genetic engineering and chaos theory. I had many discussions with colleagues at work and friends regarding its many subjects. Naturally my expectation for a film adaptation was not the same as for the book, since the movie would have to drop the more cerebral aspects of the novel and trade off for more visual action. Well as it turned out the movie had quite severe changes from the book, but really it id not matter much to me. It was a pure, fun thrill ride. A few years ago, I introduced the movie to my son, who at the time was 6. He was totally captivated by it, and since then his interest (and grades) in science has risen exponentially. We’ve even had a few “dinosaur†vacations in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, visiting places such as Dinosaur National Monument.
As far as DTS goes, my hope that it would re-energize 70 mm film has been partially materialized. No new 70 mm/DTS, but quite a few restorations have utilized the format.
Michael: My guess is “Days of Thunder†is one of them.
I was planning on going to see either Patton or Khartoum this weekend, but have some last minute family events which may get in the way. If I can break away and attend, I’ll post a report. Regardless, I’ve seen 70 mm before at this theatre, and they put on a great show. They are also well attended: last time I saw Baraka at the Aero it was a sell-out.
Saw Indy yesterday afternoon. Despite our terrible seats, we had a great time. Some image distortion, specially during the opening sequences, but the sound was terrific. I didn’t think that the ending was that bad, but I understand why some fans would hate it, and that’s ok. It could have been worse.
The trailer for Dark Knight was shown in all its glory, and that probably will fuel speculation that it will land at the Dome…
Well, I was not disappointed with “Crystal Skullâ€. For me, it was a thrill to see our old hero back in the big screen where he belongs. But even a bigger thrill was my son’s smile as we were walking out; he really enjoyed the show.
I do not imply that this thread should be used exclusively for historical purpose. I value your contributions and comments, and always look forward to know what’s going on with the theatre. My point is that I would not like to see this thread turn into like some of the others in this site, where they have become a depository of high school reunion messages and other topics that have nothing to do with the theater itself. If any offense was taken by you or any of the other contributors to this thread, I sincerely apologize.
Well, I agree 50-50. On one hand, I don’t particularly care if “Iron Man” or whatever will play at the Avco or the Village. That topic belongs elsewhere. But on the other hand, digital projection, regardless of how we feel on the issue, has been part of the Dome’s history for some time now, and will play an even bigger part in its future. So I feel any discussion pertaining to digital projection as related to the Dome is appropriate.
Well, I did some snooping in “fromscripttodvd.com” and could not find that double bill listed as a 70 MM presentation. But the very next year both films were shown together, and in 70 MM, at the Fox Wilshire in Beverly Hills. I also wondered how many reissued 70 MM prints of “Around the World” came from the 30 fps version. The Egyptian screened one of them couple of years ago, from the 1968 re-issue.
Bill: I don’t think that there was any argument at all between Lucas and Spielberg relative to film vs. digital, at least concerning Indy 4. Spielberg chose film for creative reasons, to evoke the same look and feel as the previous pictures. And in addition to film, “traditional†(i.e. non-CGI) special effects and stunts were used as much as possible. It seems to me that Lucas would embrace that approach as well, regardless of his interest in digital formats.
The decision to go with film for Indy 4 may also be due to the desire of both Spielberg and Kaminski to emulate Douglas Slocombe’s cinematography from the previous pictures.
Warren,
Thanks for your response from 7/11. Although I’m a fan of the widescreen/roadshow era of the 50’s & 60’s, I also recognize that the drastic interior design changes needed to accomodate the new giant screens did not always work for the best.
JSA
When this first came out, it seemed to me that this was a cross between “Lethal Weapon” and “Towering Inferno” with, as Chris pointed out, the guy from a goofy TV show. Anyway, my roomates at the time dragged me out, so we went to a late show in Stanton (that’s in Orange County, CA) expecting the worst.
My goodness, what a ride! This truly delivered the goods. On account of the extreme sound level, I ended up with one of the worst headaches in my life, but it was all worth it.
Sadly, the sequels failed to match the original, and needless to say, I did not even see the last one.
Warren,
In your opinion, do you think that the Todd-AO install was a “hack” job? Or perhaps, with a little more thought and effort, the conversion could have accomodated both the big screen and the integrity of the original architecture?
JSA
I agree that “The Great Escape” is 4-star all the way. But I also think that McQueen gave a more emotional performance in “Sand Pebbles”, without loosing his trademark edge. He would not hit that level of dramatic range again until “Papillon”.
JSA
I’ve heard that it’s either going to be “How the West Was Won” or “It’s a Mad,… World”. Check towards the bottom of this link:
View link
There are new 70 mm prints of “Grand Prix” and “Khartoum”, two single-lens Cinerama productions that had Dome engagements in the 60’s. In addition there’s a new 70 mm/DTS “West Side Story” print. Any of those would look spectacular in that screen.
JSA
There is a brand new 70 mm print of “West Side Story”. It was screened recently at UCLA, and the Castro in San Francisco will be doing the honors in late August.
JSA
Rory,
While many consider “Bullitt†the quintessential Steve McQueen movie, I believe that he gave his best performance in “Sand Pebblesâ€.
JSA
Maybe Leon is referring to the fact that the Seattle Cinerama screen is louvered (the Dome’s isn’t), when he states that it is the “only” Cinerama screen in the nation. A point that some Cinerama purists (not me however) may agree. The 3-strip shows at the Dome are terrific, and the recent 70 mm screening of “2001” there was a knockout.
In retrospect, tearing down the screen for the “2001” shows earlier this year, really did not make much sense, considering the fact that they were still running their regular fare on the flat screen. The downtime due to the labor involved (as stated in the above post by D Roben) was simply not justifiable, as opposed to the situation where a full week of Cinerama features are scheduled, and all the films would take advantage of the curvature and screen size.
JSA
I missed it the last time it played at the Dome, but wasn’t a “non-standard” (for lack of a better term) masking used for “It’s a Mad Mad… World”? Also, has anyone heard mumblings about the Dome showing a restored IAMMMMW this fall?
JSA
I don’t think that Mr. Chu has experienced either “Baraka” or “Lawrence of Arabia” in 70 mm.
Cinemark: I have not seen a digital presentation that stands up to any 70 mm format. Not even close.
JSA
My introduction to the world of Jurassic Park came some time before the film was released. I read the novel shortly after its publication, and was quite taken by the concept of a thriller bounded by a scientific framework that included paleontology, genetic engineering and chaos theory. I had many discussions with colleagues at work and friends regarding its many subjects. Naturally my expectation for a film adaptation was not the same as for the book, since the movie would have to drop the more cerebral aspects of the novel and trade off for more visual action. Well as it turned out the movie had quite severe changes from the book, but really it id not matter much to me. It was a pure, fun thrill ride. A few years ago, I introduced the movie to my son, who at the time was 6. He was totally captivated by it, and since then his interest (and grades) in science has risen exponentially. We’ve even had a few “dinosaur†vacations in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, visiting places such as Dinosaur National Monument.
As far as DTS goes, my hope that it would re-energize 70 mm film has been partially materialized. No new 70 mm/DTS, but quite a few restorations have utilized the format.
Michael: My guess is “Days of Thunder†is one of them.
JSA
Bill, don’t forget “The Fugitive”!
JSA
I was planning on going to see either Patton or Khartoum this weekend, but have some last minute family events which may get in the way. If I can break away and attend, I’ll post a report. Regardless, I’ve seen 70 mm before at this theatre, and they put on a great show. They are also well attended: last time I saw Baraka at the Aero it was a sell-out.
JSA
Saw Indy yesterday afternoon. Despite our terrible seats, we had a great time. Some image distortion, specially during the opening sequences, but the sound was terrific. I didn’t think that the ending was that bad, but I understand why some fans would hate it, and that’s ok. It could have been worse.
The trailer for Dark Knight was shown in all its glory, and that probably will fuel speculation that it will land at the Dome…
JSA
Well, I was not disappointed with “Crystal Skullâ€. For me, it was a thrill to see our old hero back in the big screen where he belongs. But even a bigger thrill was my son’s smile as we were walking out; he really enjoyed the show.
JSA
How’s Indy doing at the Dome? I’ll be there with the kids Sunday!
JSA
Rizzo,
I do not imply that this thread should be used exclusively for historical purpose. I value your contributions and comments, and always look forward to know what’s going on with the theatre. My point is that I would not like to see this thread turn into like some of the others in this site, where they have become a depository of high school reunion messages and other topics that have nothing to do with the theater itself. If any offense was taken by you or any of the other contributors to this thread, I sincerely apologize.
JSA
Well, I agree 50-50. On one hand, I don’t particularly care if “Iron Man” or whatever will play at the Avco or the Village. That topic belongs elsewhere. But on the other hand, digital projection, regardless of how we feel on the issue, has been part of the Dome’s history for some time now, and will play an even bigger part in its future. So I feel any discussion pertaining to digital projection as related to the Dome is appropriate.
JSA
I saw “Da Vinci Code” at the Dome, and remember the presentation being advertised as 2K & Dolby Digital.
JSA
Well, I did some snooping in “fromscripttodvd.com” and could not find that double bill listed as a 70 MM presentation. But the very next year both films were shown together, and in 70 MM, at the Fox Wilshire in Beverly Hills. I also wondered how many reissued 70 MM prints of “Around the World” came from the 30 fps version. The Egyptian screened one of them couple of years ago, from the 1968 re-issue.
“Superman” will be playing for a week. I’m curious as to the condition of the print.
Who could resist “Can’t Stop the Music” in 70 MM?!
I wonder if “Around the World in 80 Days” and “West Side Story” were screened in 70 MM during that double bill in 1970…
Bill: I don’t think that there was any argument at all between Lucas and Spielberg relative to film vs. digital, at least concerning Indy 4. Spielberg chose film for creative reasons, to evoke the same look and feel as the previous pictures. And in addition to film, “traditional†(i.e. non-CGI) special effects and stunts were used as much as possible. It seems to me that Lucas would embrace that approach as well, regardless of his interest in digital formats.
JSA
News!? What news?
The decision to go with film for Indy 4 may also be due to the desire of both Spielberg and Kaminski to emulate Douglas Slocombe’s cinematography from the previous pictures.
JSA