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Author Topic: 70mm Refuses To Go Away Michael Coate Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1904 From: Los Angeles, California Registered: Feb 2001 posted 06-02-2006 12:09 AM                     As Randy Newman once sang: "I love L.A.!" Last week I attended a private screening of a new print of "Grand Prix." In the next few days, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is showing "Lawrence Of Arabia" and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is screening "Tron." And it doesn't end there. The American Cinematheque has recently announced their second 70mm festival for this year. This time it is being held at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. On tap is the new print of "Cleopatra," a couple of large-format classics, and a few popular blow-ups. 6/17: Geronimo: An American Legend 6/23: The Road Warrior 6/24: Cleopatra 6/25: The Sound Of Music 6/29: Vertigo 6/30: Ghost Busters 7/01: Total Recall 7/02: Terminator 2: Judgment Day And, of course, a couple of weeks ago, the Cinematheque ran a new print of "South Pacific" (plus a vintage print) as well as "Around The World In Eighty Days," "Patton," and "Brainstorm." The rumor mill indicates that Fox is now restoring "Can-Can," so a new print of that should be along soon. If only other regions of the world were as lucky.  |  IP: Logged Andrew McCrea Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 645 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Registered: Nov 2000 posted 06-02-2006 12:31 AM                        I'd love to experience 70mm sometime. Why don't chains send lists into the studios stating which locations have 70mm, which auditoriums, screen size and seat count... Wouldn't that help with a rebirth?  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 06-02-2006 12:46 AM                        I doubt the distributors would trust any chain with a rare 70mm print these days. These prints get dinged up badly enough as it is. I wonder how many 70mm prints of T2 are available. I caught the 2001 American Cinematheque screening of it at the Egyptian and a rather large chunk of the chase down the drainage canal was cut from that print. Dammit! Won't be able to make it down for these screenings as I will be in training for a new part-time job through the 29th. Damn I miss living in LA!  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 06-02-2006 02:57 AM                     ..plus, wonder on Touchstone's 70mm blowup of the 1990 release "Arachniphobia" - if there is any prints of that available ... along with a 70mm blowup of "E.T." - released in 1982. ..  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 06-02-2006 04:33 AM                     There were 6 prints of T2 saved, one of which was a CDS in pristine condition, except for the fact that it looked like a cell chopper attacked it. Of the other 5, none were in very good condition in my opinion, as I inspected them all when we played it years ago at GCC Northpark. I'm sure they have only gotten worse as they have been in storage and through various playdates. Most reels were a mix and match between different prints too, of which affected the mag tracks. Universal junked all of their 70mm prints to my understanding. That would include ET and other movies such as Far and Away.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Hauerslev Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Copenhagen, Denmark Registered: Aug 2000 posted 06-02-2006 04:39 AM                        Mike wrote: "If only other regions of the world were as lucky." We, from the other regions are OK thank you, in fact we did start to show 70mm revivals in an organized manner LONG before anyone in LA did anything In Bradford, the past 10-12 years, we have shown most of the new 70mm prints available and we have shown 3-strip Cinerama every month since 1993. Oslo has also done very well and the Schauburg in Karlsruhe (that´s in Germany) is probably the only cinema in the world - with 70mm nearly every week. Also, check out the 65/70mm Workgroup and contact Ramon Lamarca Marques and Brian Guckian if you want to help re-launching 70mm Mike you are right, 70mm is not dead, it just smells funny. And I truly believe that FSTD and in70mm.com does make a difference preserving 70mm (- at least the memory of it).  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 06-02-2006 09:19 AM                     Well during the early to mid 70's two theatres in Beverly Hills refused to let 70MM go away long before every one else. Fox Wilshire Theatre and the Warner Beverly Hills Theatre. Up until it closed the Fox Wilshire played the most 70MM engagements in Los Angeles. Today those DP70's at located at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro.  |  IP: Logged Ben Wales Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Southampton. England Registered: Jul 99 posted 06-02-2006 04:16 PM                     I have been wondering over the past few months about the idea of some kind of Body/Organization that could over see with Technical & Marketing issues with 70mm screenings in partnership with the Studios and Exhibutors.  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 06-02-2006 06:04 PM                     Andrew, if you've got time to plan a road trip, the Heights here in Minneapolis may be running a 70mm print of Sound of Music by the year's end. Keep an eye on their website, as they're probably your closest chance, unless there's something I don't know about in the fine city of Winnipeg... www.heightstheater.com  |  IP: Logged Ian Woloschin Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Worcester, MA, USA Registered: Mar 2006 posted 06-02-2006 06:32 PM                        I wouldn't mind showing some 70mm film, except that my 70mm reels are only twenty minutes long...that's a lot of changovers. It's kind of a shame, I've got two DP70s, but the only time they run 70mm is when I doing the 70mm training, maybe once or twice a year, for new members, and the only 70mm film I have is an old trailer...Batman, I think.  |  IP: Logged Brian Guckian Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 594 From: Dublin, Ireland Registered: Apr 2003 posted 06-02-2006 07:04 PM                     Do you have the authority to book prints Ian? Don't get left out, especially as you have the facilities. quote: Paul Mayer I doubt the distributors would trust any chain with a rare 70mm print these days. These prints get dinged up badly enough as it is. Paul, right now, if you or anyone else has innovative ideas on tackling this topic, we'd be only too happy to post them up on the Workshop page... quote: Ben Wales I have been wondering over the past few months about the idea of some kind of Body/Organization that could over see with Technical & Marketing issues with 70mm screenings in partnership with the Studios and Exhibutors. Terrific idea Ben; likewise if you want to do a note on that it can be put up on the page. There are great opportunities here, and we're the ones who have to help make things happen A good idea is to take the attitude of "This has to be done, how do I do it". I.e. if you were asked to ensure technical quality of 70mm film handling and projection, how would you do that? How would you go about it? Who would you talk to? And so on. Likewise on the marketing side. See what comes up - it can be surprising what ideas come to light once you start really getting into it.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-02-2006 07:20 PM                     Ian said "that is a lot of changeovers" welcome to being a reel projectionist now over to mr changeover steve  |  IP: Logged Andrew McCrea Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 645 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Registered: Nov 2000 posted 06-02-2006 07:21 PM                        As far as I know, only one facility in Winnipeg still has 70mm capability in one house, and when it did show 70mm, apparently it was quite an impressive presentation. This theatre is now an arthouse, and I don't think we'll get to see 70mm there. On the other hand, maybe I could e-mail Landmark Cinemas and get them to give it a try!  |  IP: Logged Chris Unwin Film Handler Posts: 20 From: Langley B.C. Canada (Vancouver) Registered: May 2006 posted 06-03-2006 03:54 AM                     The First Projector I ever worked with was a cinemeccanica Victoria 10. Of couse being a 70/35 machine I had the oppertunity to run a 70mm print once or twice. I think the last one was "Lawrence Of Arabia". It was loads of fun. We did it with 2000ft reels with manual changeovers. This was when I was an apprentice so I worked with the Chief Projectionist. The quality blew me away & to this day I cannot understand why we didn't start showing way more 70mm prints industry wide!! 70mm is what the studios all should have moved toward for the bigger pictures. It sure beats the pants off of any DLP presentation I've seen!!.................Sorry digital P.S.- Ian, 2000ft changeovers were no big deal at all. Infact, we still do them at one of the theatres where I am a projectionist. They are one of the best parts of the job in my opinion. Makes me feel like a reel Projectionist instead of one of these "booth operators"  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-03-2006 06:13 AM                        Except that most 70mm reels usually only run for about 15 minutes (due to the added thickness of the mag striped film). That, combined with triple-checking everything, doesn't leave much time to actually watch the film. It's still lots of fun, though, and I'd kill to get the chance to run "Lawrence" in 70mm someday.  |  IP: Logged

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