Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Sweet Home Alabama

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Topic: Sweet Home Alabama

David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 10-05-2002 08:52 PM

10/05/2002, 5:10PM, Regal Cinema World 8, Eugene OR, #3. Digital sound. Attendance about 75. Evidently there has been some kind of mishap with this print, because the first couple of minutes of reel 1 were damaged: Scratches, and at least a half-dozen splices along with missing frames and digital sound dropouts. Aside from that, the print was very grainy, and even though the focus was right on (based on the sharp grain), the image seemed soft and lacking in detail (and this is only a 30-foot screen). Overall it looked kind of crappy to me.

I walked out after about the first 50 mins. or so. I hated what I did see of this movie. It's full of stereotypical big-city and small-hick-town characters, and cliche-ridden. I didn't laugh even one time. Neither did anyone else in the theater. Reese Witherspoon's character was completely unsympathetic, annoying, and mean. I suppose she probably has some kind of change of heart later in the story and makes nice. I love Reese Witherspoon, but this film is a piece of creatively, and technically it looks substandard on the screen too.

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Mitchell Cope
Master Film Handler

Posts: 256
From: Overland Park, KS, United States
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-05-2002 10:13 PM

I haven't seen the film, but my wife quoted one reviewer who said it made "Smokey And The Bandit" look like "To Kill A Mockingbird".

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 10-05-2002 10:32 PM

Too bad, because I really like Reese Witherspoon, too. I even enjoyed LEGALLY BLONDE. But it looks like I'll stay away from this one. Oh well, it means more money saved this week

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Ray Brown
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 111
From: Dayton, WA, USA
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 10-06-2002 12:35 AM

David Stambaugh wrote: "Evidently there has been some kind of mishap with this print, because the first couple of minutes of reel 1 were damaged: Scratches, and at least a half-dozen splices along with missing frames"

We have Sweet Home Alabama scheduled for October 18-22. Hopefully we won't get that same print.--Ray

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Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 10-14-2002 09:49 AM

Attendance: 2002/10/11 19:30, Regal Hollywood 18, Huntsville, AL, Auditorium 14, Digital sound, Scope at 1.85:1

I went to see this movie with two friends and we all found this movie very enjoyable. The auditorium was packed (close to selling out) and the audience seemed to enjoy the movie (lots of laughter).

Of course, we're from Alabama.

One line I would have changed in the movie was "look what I found walking down I-58". There is no I-58 in Alabama and everyone here knows that. I can't remember the names of the towns involved in the movie, but it would be interesting to see if they're real.

This was a scope movie shown at 1.85:1 with the sides chopped off, which was very obvious in some scenes of the movie, the trailers, and in the opening credits.

------------------
Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Information Site

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Ray Brown
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 111
From: Dayton, WA, USA
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 10-21-2002 08:33 PM

"The auditorium was packed (close to selling out) and the audience seemed to enjoy the movie (lots of laughter)."

We are having the same results here in our little small town theater. Lots of laughter and it's not attracting just one particular age group.

Print Quality was excellant.

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Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 790
From: Grand Island , NE USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 10-21-2002 08:37 PM

I read this and thought I'd share:

here

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 10-31-2002 04:55 PM

Destinta Theatres, New Windsor NY, 10/27, 3 PM show. Hall #1, attendance approx. 15.

Reese Witherspoon is box office gold: Put her in a starring role and people come out to see her. She was great in Election but got robbed of an Oscar nomination (thanks, Miramax). She was great in Legally Blonde but again got robbed of an Oscar nomination (thanks, Miramax). She is great in this movie, too.

If Miss Witherspoon gets robbed of another Oscar nomination people ought to say "WHAT?" the way Melanie Carmichael would say it. I'm glad to see Disney is pitching Sweet Home Alabama to the Oscar voters.

OTOH this stadium theater never seems to have good presentation. Picture was racked off-center from beginning to end. (I could see a wee bit of the bottom of the frame at the top of the screen.) There was a barely audible hum in the right front speaker. Policy trailer ran before the attached trailer, not before the feature. Sound appeared to be harsh; it apparently was Dolby Digital but the sign outside the hall read "Stereo Surround Sound".

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