E Street Cinema
555 11th Street NW,
Washington,
DC
20004
555 11th Street NW,
Washington,
DC
20004
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 28 comments
Please update, total seats 1003
Oh wow, Howard. Looking at my post from almost 10 years ago, one of his films must’ve played at the Landmarks here. Looking at Anderson’s bio, it had to have been The Master, which I do recall it playing 70mm and seeing it somewhere and posted it on the site commenting on its strange ending.
Perhaps closer to its Christmas release here, we’ll get maybe more than just the AFI’s 70mm print. On your recommendation, I will catch it probably at the Silver. I’m sure it will play in the historic auditorium.
I haven’t seen many movies this year post pandemic but it has more to do with working a lot rather than just going. Dune I saw on gasp hbogo on my iMac! And, yes, I was drawn into it but I know in a large film format like IMAX or AMC’s Dolby, it would’ve been quite immersive.
JodarMovieFan, I saw “Licorice Pizza” in 70mm at NYC’s Village East. I document the 70mm screenings for the 70mm newsletter, so that’s why I asked. I was not aware either Landmark showed films in 70mm. The movie is worthwhile & looked great in 70mm.
Howard, I see an advanced screening this Sat 12/11/21 at the AFI Silver at 7, but its sold out. Unless, the management is strict, I have seen people go into other auditoriums once they get into the complex. And, no, I’m not suggesting anyone do it either, but.. :)
Didn’t see anything at the local Landmarks as of this moment.
It appears they are opening small, in 70mm, and expanding.
JodarMovieFan, is “Licorice Pizza” the Paul Anderson film, to play here or Bethesda or both, in 70mm?
Please update, theatre open January 9, 2004. Grand Opening ad in photos section.
The new Paul Anderson film is supposed to play here and at Bethesda, in gasp 70mm. This should be interesting. Their screens are rather tiny.
I really try to avoid screen 5 if at all possible, screen 6 must be directly behind it.
The conversion happened – all the screens can playback in DLP digital projection via Barco projectors. Next Friday’s ‘Samsara’ will be 4K DLP [thumbs up!]
I’ll post back with some more info, since I was rudely bumped off the phone call with the manager about half an hour ago.
I love this theatre, though, I must admit, more for the films they show than the audio/visual presentations. Most of the screens are, of course, small (house number five is one strange experience!), and I have experienced scratched/dirty prints, particularly when seeing a very small movie being shipped from Landmark location to Landmark location for one-week-only runs. Nothing too bad, though. I would give the E Street Cinema a rousing 10/10 for selection and a solid 7.5/10 for projection, sound, and comfort.
My friend and I saw a free screening of a new Chris Rock movie “2 Days in New York” on film. For a new movie, I cannot believe the scratchy print that unfolded before my eyes. Not sure whom to blame, being new perhaps the people in the booth mishandled it. Being used to digital, the scratches did detract but one gets accustomed to it.
The film went on too long anyway and will not add anything to Chris Rock’s career. After seeing it, I felt like I needed to shower with all the talk of sex, pot and a French family with hygiene issues.
As previously blogged here, for those fans of movies, join Landmark’s film club and get invites to free screenings like this one. Most are pretty good.
Finally gave them another try with “The Raid: Redemption” back in March. No problems whatsoever. Really impressed with the quality of the print. Also a great movie.
The first and only movie I’ve seen here is “Get Low” on (IIRC) August 21, 2010.
Sold-out show in a medium-sized theater, good sound, good hot dog. The print was very badly scratched though; the deep green ones alternating with black hairlines. They’d appear right in the middle of a good scene. The trailers had hairlines too.
It was a real shame because this is a good movie, shot in anamorphic, and the print quality was otherwise spectacular. I don’t think they’d even had it for very long.
One of the managers talked to a group of people at the end of the show and said something like “the problem was with the projector” and that it “was going to be replaced soon”. Cover-your-ass shuck, most likely.
I guess I’ll give them another try someday.
okay, got an email from one of the festivals folk and he said in regards to ‘Cane Toads’:
“The film is not being shown in 3D because the filmmaker expressed to us that his various 3D Festival screenings have not gone well and have been plagued with technical difficulties (of course not all of them). He now prefers it be shown in 2D. This is what he told us. For the E Street screening we’re bringing in a special HDCAM SR deck and sound system to E Street to ensure that while it will not be 3D, it will be screened in true HD with great surround sound.”
I’m so peeved that Landmark’s digital conversion is moving at a snail’s pace – there are plans on converting all the screens in the DC market (Bethesda included) to playback digitally come spring time, (and I hope they retain some of the 35mm projector’s for the classic and midnight films) but ‘Cane Toads: The Conquest’ which is a 3D shot movie, is having it’s DC screening at next month’s Environmental Film Festival – and since E Street doesn’t have a 3D system – it’s not being shown as it should be …. grrrrrrr (I’m livid).
A few months ago, I attended the DC Shorts film festival at this place, auditorium #4. It sounded as if the woofers on the stage speakers were blown. As of January 2012, I have no word on whether they fixed it or not. Digital projection was so-so, but it may have been because of the source.
I think this place tries too hard to be like its younger brother, the Bethesda Row Cinema. Same basement approach, same style, but I dislike the layout of the auditoriums. Maybe I should see a legitimate film at this place instead of some cheap specialty engagements. Though it would be nice if Landmark could bring E Street’s extended repertoire to Bethesda Row. But then again, “Tinker, Tailor…” is playing on three screens there, but does it hurt to expand Landmark’s Capital Classics and Midnight Madness series to Bethesda?
Sorry for my arrogance. Anyways, read my username.
As a member of their film club, I received an invite for two, to a free screening of ‘Mother’ a Korean film import this past Monday 3/1/10. Due to the fact they sent out more invites than seats, I didn’t get in. The fact is my friend, who works nearby was to get in line early and get the ‘red tickets’ to allow us in. There was this Asian lady, who presumably is a Landmark employee, when I wanted to meet my friend, at the head of the line, bluntly said “its not my problem” and walked off. How rude. She wouldn’t even listen to my story, much less allow me to jump the line.
Since my friend and I did not get into the screening, we paid to see the five short films nominated for Oscar. They were shown in DP in #3, which I believe is my first time in that auditorium, which supposedly has the Sony 4K system. To my eyes, I did not notice any difference with 2K, unless they were shown side by side. Each was shown flat and the DP was sharp and clear, but the transfer of the first Indian film short yielded, maybe intentionally, diagonal lines like an interference line you’d see on your home tv due to an electronic disturbance.
Of the five films, I think Kavi, the Indian film should take Oscar given its world wide subject of slavery, which is a commendable theme. You want to know what happens next to this charming kid, who dreams of becoming a cricket player and going to school, while working with his enslaved parents on a brick farm.
Oops. #4 was where we were. The line to get in started at the top of the stairs, which I thought was too many. Fortunately, we all got in and there were about three rows in the front that were unoccupied. The print, itself, had scratches and projected slightly off center to the left. Where I sat and after the first ten minutes, you forgot about the imperfections in the projection.
I had the privilege to see a free screening of “Terribly Happy” a Danish film import that has received much international critical claim. Its plays like an R-rated, extended Twilight Zone or Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode on the large screen. A recently transferred cop to a small town encounters residents who are more than they appear to be… There are some interesting twists and turns and some decent acting all around. If you happen to see it playing at a theater near you, which I doubt will have a wide release, go see it.
In regard to Giles comment above, Landmark’s web page for this cinema states (as I included in the Intro):
Eight auditoriums, seven of which feature stadium seating and wall-to-wall screens
I forgot to mention the auditorium we saw it in was #6, which seems like one of the smallest of the auditoriums but with still fairly large screen. I’m guessing at least 30ft.
My friend and I caught a midnight screening of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. As it turned out, the movie shown was actually an extended edition print where a similar version aired on the ABC network way back in 1981. This print was not bad for its age, which I’m presuming dates back to 1981 given when the extended cut was actually made. The only difference is that an alternate take of McCoy counselling Kirk about his fitness at command and Kirk being fitted with a EV suit were NOT in this presentation.
The film sound levels could have been increased a great deal to compensate for some of the surround drop outs. The extended version, with its ‘new’ cuts were noticeably lacking in at least the original cuts surrounds and ambient sounds, which made the sound flat.
It was interesting to note the audience attendance as that I thought there would be more ‘mature’ or seasoned viewers in attendance. It looked more like a geekdom private showing with the prevalence of the 25, or so in the audience, twentysomethings. And they were quite well behaved in that there were no snickers or cat calls during some scenes that I’ve noticed in past viewings. I’d also say there were a few viewers who were seeing this movie for the first time given their reaction to some of the scenes.
Overall, the experience was quite good given the age of this movie, almost 30 years, and the fact that the last time I’ve seen it in the DC area was way back in 1991. I hope Paramount strikes a new print of this movie, if not the Director’s Edition.
and for the record the stadium seating auditoriums are not 7 and 8, but 1 and 4
For this year’s Oscar Nominated (Live Action/Animation) Showcase, they moved it from auditorium #1 to #3. For once it’s properly framed, since the DP system was off to the side and created a slight off centre image on auditorium #1 (oddly this wasn’t a problem when they presented ‘Bubble’). While the screen is not as large as #1, the image is still great. I know that movies tend to rotate alot from screen to screen at E Street, but it would be great to see an actual full length movie in digital projection (for awhile E. Street was getting some pretty shoddy looking 35mm prints. ‘There Will Be Blood’ was a disaster, in that one of the reel changes was flipped upside down AND going backwards) ‘Che’ would have been ideal to see since it was actually shot with 4K cameras.
I think it is, I’ve never asked, but I assume it is, since Landmark and Sony did work out a deal to install Sony 4K systems to select Landmark theatres. ‘Bubble’ looked great in DP when it played awhile back. I don’t know if you know this, but one Sony 4K system is at the National Geographic auditorium – I’ve seen film there but not a DP feature – I missed it, but I assume Sony/Columbia might have given the Geo a harddisc drive of ‘Night at the Museum’ for the DC sneak peak.
Giles, do you know if their DP system in 1 is the often rumored Sony 4K system? Judging by your comments, I imagine so.