Okay, just my two cents here. I myself like the Simplex projectors for many different reasons. First, I just never seem to have to many service calls on them. They just don’t breakdown. I too like the oil bath. The best part about that is you never have to change the oil because it all leaks out anyway…lol…But seriously, I have had to repair way to many Century heads compared to Simplex heads. As far as booth responsibilities today at RCMH and other theaters are concerned, it depends on many things. As a service tech, I do all the oil changes, repairs that can’t be done by the regular operators, and general preventive maintenance. In a lot of the regular theaters, I do more than that because the operators don’t really care that much about it or they feel that they don’t need to do it because their hours are being cut. I am talking mainly about theaters outside of Manhattan.
I only do the service work there on the equipment for the Christmas show. I think CTS does the service for any other film showings. Thats just how they do it now. They consider the Christmas show separate from any of the other events, as far as the booth is concerned. As far as being one of the projectionists there for the Christmas show, there are a lot of adjustments to make with the film. Remember, the sound for all the films that we run do not come from our soundheads. The sound comes from tape run from the sound room. We are synced with them through encoder motors on the soundhead. So there is constant changing of the length of leader we use at the beginning of each film. We start the 3-D projectors about 20 seconds before the music starts. We don’t actually hit the screen for another 7-10 minutes.
Bob, the rear booth has been bricked up. There is nothing visible from the stage anymore.
Warren, my point was that any kind of film shows at RCMH are pretty much coming to an end there.
Vito, video shows are still in the first mezz. The booth is becomming a very quiet place. Projectors 1,4,and 5 were wrapped up in plastic after last years Christmas show. They werent unwrapped this year and probably will never be again. Projector 1&2 in the booth are 35MM only. It sure looks like they may be the original 2 projectors that were in the booth. The serial numbers on the heads are something like 50 and 51. Projectors 2,3, and 4 are 35/70 Simplex. 2&3 are 7000Watt bulbs. 1,4, and 5 are 4500Watt bulbs.
Yes, up until this year, all 5 projectors were used during the Christmas show. Now, only 2 will be used. That will be for the 70MM 3-D. Projectors 1 and 5 have most likely been used for the last time and will never run again. Projector 3 is the main one used for premieres with projector 4 as a back up. Projectors 2 and 3 are used for the 3-D. Pretty soon though, nothing up there will be used. What a shame.
Vito, the 3-D will still open the show and yes it is still 70MM. It has been changed a bit though. An additional 38 seconds has been added to it. A new scene with polar bears was added. It looks good except is is a bit darker this year. A lot of new scenes have been added to this years show. I have seen them and they are pretty good. Unfortunately, they cut out most of the film spots in the show. The weatherman spot, Marshmallow Moon spot and the nativity crawl is gone. I wouldnt be surprised if next year they eliminate the 70MM.
There is an old drive in located around Milton or Marlboro in New York. We pass it every year. It is overgrown but the buildings are still there. It’s been for lease for a long time.
The new sound system will be finished tomorrow night in theater #2. Also, some much needed projector repairs will start tomorrow. After that, the remaining theaters will start the sound upgrades.
Hi Ed,
There was a reason for installing the stereo sound in those 2 theaters. Both of the theaters were having issues with the Kelmar mono sound systems. They did take the RGM stereo systems from Oceanside and use them in 1 and 5. Theater 2 will have the installation of a Dolby stereo system completed in about 2 weeks. Then theater 4 is next. As far as the splitting goes, the theater was NOT gutted. Theaters 3 and 4 share the original stage. Theaters 1 and 2 share the original rear. Theater 5 was a store next to the theater. These are definite facts.
Ed,
I actually passed by there yesterday morning. The lot where the supermarket was has been cleand up. The theater itself is still standing. There was not a lot of structural damage done to the theater itself. Most of the theater damage was done when the firefighters pulled the walls down inside theater #1.
That was my whole point Howard. The majority of the single screens close because they can’t get the business to stay open. Amc lowering their presentation standards just made it worse. As an audience member, how can you possibly tell what percentage of the audience complains. Also, I have a lot of family, friends and people in my field that live and work near the Uptown. I trust what they tell me. I believe it too. The fact is, the presentation at the Uptown HAS suffered whether you want to admit it or not. If everyone wants to continue to pay the outrageous prices that they do for a subpar performance than go right ahead. Along with Jodar, I am sure there are plenty more people that feel the same way.
Almost nobody complains???? You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. I’m in theaters for 10 hours a day at least 4 days a week. Don’t tell me nobody complains. I hear about it all the time. I have also seen the majority of single screen theaters split or close unless used for other venues. Of course the screen and sound make a difference, but if you don’t have enough people coming, these theaters will not survive. That’s just a fact.
I’m not the one scaring them away. I have heard many very unhappy customers complain about the presentation there since they let the operators go. I have seen it firsthand too. Believe me, I love these big old places more than anything. They are just becoming harder to find these days.
AMC will run this theater to the ground and it will close running movies alone. They already destroyed the presentation by getting rid of the union operators.
Digital projection will not save this theater. Unfortunately, I don’t think anything will. Single screen theaters just can’t stay open by showing only movies.
Sam,
You may want to consider the Quad Cinema at 34 west 13th Street. They do these kinds deals a lot. It is a very well run theater with updated equipment. Talk to Eva the head manager there.
Okay, just my two cents here. I myself like the Simplex projectors for many different reasons. First, I just never seem to have to many service calls on them. They just don’t breakdown. I too like the oil bath. The best part about that is you never have to change the oil because it all leaks out anyway…lol…But seriously, I have had to repair way to many Century heads compared to Simplex heads. As far as booth responsibilities today at RCMH and other theaters are concerned, it depends on many things. As a service tech, I do all the oil changes, repairs that can’t be done by the regular operators, and general preventive maintenance. In a lot of the regular theaters, I do more than that because the operators don’t really care that much about it or they feel that they don’t need to do it because their hours are being cut. I am talking mainly about theaters outside of Manhattan.
I only do the service work there on the equipment for the Christmas show. I think CTS does the service for any other film showings. Thats just how they do it now. They consider the Christmas show separate from any of the other events, as far as the booth is concerned. As far as being one of the projectionists there for the Christmas show, there are a lot of adjustments to make with the film. Remember, the sound for all the films that we run do not come from our soundheads. The sound comes from tape run from the sound room. We are synced with them through encoder motors on the soundhead. So there is constant changing of the length of leader we use at the beginning of each film. We start the 3-D projectors about 20 seconds before the music starts. We don’t actually hit the screen for another 7-10 minutes.
Bob, the rear booth has been bricked up. There is nothing visible from the stage anymore.
Warren, my point was that any kind of film shows at RCMH are pretty much coming to an end there.
Vito, video shows are still in the first mezz. The booth is becomming a very quiet place. Projectors 1,4,and 5 were wrapped up in plastic after last years Christmas show. They werent unwrapped this year and probably will never be again. Projector 1&2 in the booth are 35MM only. It sure looks like they may be the original 2 projectors that were in the booth. The serial numbers on the heads are something like 50 and 51. Projectors 2,3, and 4 are 35/70 Simplex. 2&3 are 7000Watt bulbs. 1,4, and 5 are 4500Watt bulbs.
Yes, up until this year, all 5 projectors were used during the Christmas show. Now, only 2 will be used. That will be for the 70MM 3-D. Projectors 1 and 5 have most likely been used for the last time and will never run again. Projector 3 is the main one used for premieres with projector 4 as a back up. Projectors 2 and 3 are used for the 3-D. Pretty soon though, nothing up there will be used. What a shame.
Exactly. Radio City rarely runs film ANYMORE. Very soon you will not see it at all there.
Unless the movies premiere on video, you’re lucky if one film a year runs here.
Vito, the 3-D will still open the show and yes it is still 70MM. It has been changed a bit though. An additional 38 seconds has been added to it. A new scene with polar bears was added. It looks good except is is a bit darker this year. A lot of new scenes have been added to this years show. I have seen them and they are pretty good. Unfortunately, they cut out most of the film spots in the show. The weatherman spot, Marshmallow Moon spot and the nativity crawl is gone. I wouldnt be surprised if next year they eliminate the 70MM.
There is an old drive in located around Milton or Marlboro in New York. We pass it every year. It is overgrown but the buildings are still there. It’s been for lease for a long time.
The new sound system will be finished tomorrow night in theater #2. Also, some much needed projector repairs will start tomorrow. After that, the remaining theaters will start the sound upgrades.
Hi Ed,
There was a reason for installing the stereo sound in those 2 theaters. Both of the theaters were having issues with the Kelmar mono sound systems. They did take the RGM stereo systems from Oceanside and use them in 1 and 5. Theater 2 will have the installation of a Dolby stereo system completed in about 2 weeks. Then theater 4 is next. As far as the splitting goes, the theater was NOT gutted. Theaters 3 and 4 share the original stage. Theaters 1 and 2 share the original rear. Theater 5 was a store next to the theater. These are definite facts.
Ed,
I actually passed by there yesterday morning. The lot where the supermarket was has been cleand up. The theater itself is still standing. There was not a lot of structural damage done to the theater itself. Most of the theater damage was done when the firefighters pulled the walls down inside theater #1.
Piddy,
The projectionists at the Uptown are NOT union operators. I know this for a fact.
I am not the one chasing people away. They will see for themselves. It’s a shame too. This was such a great theater.
That was my whole point Howard. The majority of the single screens close because they can’t get the business to stay open. Amc lowering their presentation standards just made it worse. As an audience member, how can you possibly tell what percentage of the audience complains. Also, I have a lot of family, friends and people in my field that live and work near the Uptown. I trust what they tell me. I believe it too. The fact is, the presentation at the Uptown HAS suffered whether you want to admit it or not. If everyone wants to continue to pay the outrageous prices that they do for a subpar performance than go right ahead. Along with Jodar, I am sure there are plenty more people that feel the same way.
Almost nobody complains???? You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. I’m in theaters for 10 hours a day at least 4 days a week. Don’t tell me nobody complains. I hear about it all the time. I have also seen the majority of single screen theaters split or close unless used for other venues. Of course the screen and sound make a difference, but if you don’t have enough people coming, these theaters will not survive. That’s just a fact.
I’m not the one scaring them away. I have heard many very unhappy customers complain about the presentation there since they let the operators go. I have seen it firsthand too. Believe me, I love these big old places more than anything. They are just becoming harder to find these days.
The only Lafayette theater I found on here with a single screen also runs other events during the year. That’s the only way it can stay around.
AMC will run this theater to the ground and it will close running movies alone. They already destroyed the presentation by getting rid of the union operators.
Digital projection will not save this theater. Unfortunately, I don’t think anything will. Single screen theaters just can’t stay open by showing only movies.
Yes
Look at the entries for the Greenport theater. It talks about exactly that.
The tie between Islip and Sayville was severed long ago.
It’s empty because the landlord wants a ridiculuos amount of money for rent.
Sam,
You may want to consider the Quad Cinema at 34 west 13th Street. They do these kinds deals a lot. It is a very well run theater with updated equipment. Talk to Eva the head manager there.
I dont think it would have mattered. With xenon bulbs, platters, automations, etc…, I think they would have gotten rid of them anyway.