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This topic comprises 8 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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Author
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Topic: Worst 70mm Presentation EVER of IAMMMMMW
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Frank Angel
Film God
Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 12-29-2012 01:52 PM
It was at the prestigious Walter Reade Theatre at Lincoln Center. They were screening a number of 70mm titles and I went with a long-time projectionist/tech friend of mine to the 6pm screening. According to my friend, the WR has TWO Local 306 projectionists on board for all 70mm screenings.
I have been to other 70mm screening of IAMMMMW, at least three in 70mm, one in real Ultra Panavision on a deeply curved screen; I have run 35mm mag prints of it and even have seen a screening in 16mm IBT anamorphic. My friend, who is an avid fan of this title, also ran it for many weeks in its initial release and in subsequent rereleases as well, so both of us are quite familiar with the title. We both agreed after the show that if this is the best the Walter Reade can muster with 70mm, they should just pack it in and leave live ballet and symphonies to Lincoln Center and leave motion picture exhibition to venues that know what they are doing.
First off, with TWO union operators, they can't go on screen IN FRAME? With TWO operators, they leave the dowser opened for the overture music so all the white scratches and slash marks dance across the black screen? -- and there were PLENTY of them. And at this so-called "prestige" creme-de-la-creme venues, they don't have curtains, so the audiences sits looking at a naked screen and now for the overture the lights are dimmed so all the scratches and blotches show even more pronounced and when I tell you it looked like they had dragged that first 3 minutes of film overture over the projection booth floor, I am not exaggerating.
OK, that's bad enough, but now comes the opening credits and they are sharp on the corners and OUT OF FOCUS in the center of the screen. Never did either me or my friend see ANY attempt to focus the picture throughout the run.
Next we listen to terribly harsh and strident sound. It seemed unbalanced right to left, but that aside, it had no bottom end. And I KNOW this film and this mix -- it has PLENTY of bottom end; that rich music score should be FELT in your belly. How did they compensate? They turned the level up much too loud. You know how painful screechy, high frequency sound is when it's too loud? Just go to the Walter Reade and you will find out.
There are no visible surrounds; the only time I thought I heard any surround at all was briefly, and that could very well have just been that the stereo imaging from the screen speakers can sometimes give the illusion of coming from on the side or behing you -- it happens all the time with my TV. It certainly didn't sound like the surround content that I remember is in this film.
Then comes the overall look of this print. I can't tell you if it was the print or the xenon adjustment, but everything was to much too warm -- it had a dirty look to it. As my friend pointed out, there were no whites. When I tell you, if you didn't know this was a 70mm print, you would swear you were watching 35mm -- it looked that ordinary (although I could have gotten better focus even with 35mm).
The WR screen can't be more than 40ft width, so with 70mm, this image should have been RAZOR sharp, bright, practically grainless and with deep, saturated colors. This was the opposite on each count. Now yes, this could have been the print (that's what managers will always say when you complain), but how do you account for coming out of intermission out of frame? Was that the print too? -- supposedly the top projectionists at a premiere house in Manhattan and he was out of frame, not to mention at the end of the final credits he let leader crap show as well! I have NEVER seen a 70mm presentation this mediocre.
Worst thing of it all, these are probably the very last times anyone will get to see these 70mm prints and to have the experience for that audience so much less than what it should have been is shameful. Give me a spanking new 35mm print and I could have done better than they did. Shameful indeed.
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Jim Cassedy
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1661
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Dec 2006
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posted 12-29-2012 02:43 PM
First of all, I think you've added an extra "M" in the title! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Unfortunately, good 35/70 operators (union or non union)
are getting hard to find.
Several months ago, I was called in at the last minute to
'save' a big special show which had already been assigned one
(& possibly two) union operators. In all fairness, the union
guys were top experts in large screen live event digital
projection & set up, they were a bit out of their element and
'in over their heads' when it came to dealing with this booth.
Ironically, even though digital has resulted in me getting
kicked out of my long time booth,(overnight!) since now
any village idiot can run a show for minimum wage, I've
suddenly become in demand for 'saving' various film situations.
I got one call on Christmas day for which I got $100 cash
for about 15min of work. (My standard "Christmas Day Show
Saving" Fee) I've even found myself doing some carbon arc and
double-system sound jobs recently since it's getting hard to
find folks who know how to run that stuff, or who even know
what a 'double system playback' is. And I'm able to charge good
money, cuz usually by the time I get called, people are desperate.
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Tony Bandiera Jr
Film God
Posts: 3067
From: Moreland Idaho
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted 12-29-2012 04:30 PM
Sorry Frank, but this "Tango Uniform" at a world-renowned theatre here in Hollyweird has your story beat: (From a post I made in 2006):
quote:
quote: Paul Linfesty
NOTE: The Chinese Theatre handled the 70mm print of THE RIGHT STUFF by showing all but the last 2 reels on platter, then doing a changeover to second projector using a doubled-up reel.
Maybe during the first part of its run, but when I went to see it near the end of the run (dragging my sister and some friends thru the hideous LA traffic) they managed to totally screw up the presentation from beginning to end! No n/sync, threading with the penthouse hot, putting the leader on the screen, out-of-frame, soft focus, bad sound, etc.
And they took intermission at the end of the scene where the astronauts march up toward the camera! The film then tailed out to white screen!
Coming out of the intermission was even worse! Same threadup and this time, instead of the SMPTE leader, we were treated to an upside-down image of a "pagoda" style building until we got into the film, with the last few notes of the previous scene's music heard before the picture opened on the rocket Al Shepard was to ride.
Needless to say I was more than a little pissed, as was most of the 300+ in the house. My post-show tirade had the manager in fear of his life and got most all the house refunds! I also sent a scathing letter to the Ladd Company.
Several years later I met Alan Ladd, Jr. and he remembered me from that letter and asked if it was really that bad. I told him it was. He offered me a job as a secret screener for his future productions. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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Frank Angel
Film God
Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 12-29-2012 05:24 PM
Yes, it's 4ms -- got it right in the body, but must have been carried away in the header. Maybe it was an extra M left over from Dial M for Murder (sorry, bad booth humor).
Tony, I would say we are neck n neck for bad presentation (although some pagoda footage attached to the head of the reel SHOWING on the screen is pretty high up on the kill-the-projectionist scale, and I admit, I only had to brave slow-moving traffic on the Grand Central.
Actually we probably should have made more of a stink afterward. Or maybe like Jim, my friend or I could have saved the day and gone up their and just tweeked the damn focus! We both have licenses and my friend is even 306. I may write to Lincoln Center as they are going to run more 70mm prints, maybe get someone to do something for the next audiences.
As I said, in all fairness, there may be some issues with the print itself because it did have a muddy look throughout and my buddy pointed out that the opening frames of the credits which he says should be bright yellow, so much so that it lights up the whole theatre, in this print was a washed out, very light brownish color. But DIRT on the print certainly didn't come from the lab. And for a one-time showing where people come in from the tri-state area just BECAUSE it's a 70mm print....I would have been there hand-cleaning every frame of whatever gook was on that print.
I must say, it was good to hear audiences laugh at with film. That film needs an audience. It also needs a decent presentation.
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