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Author Topic: FilmFest in Seattle, incl. new 70mm of 2001 Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 04-16-2012 11:22 AM                        http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2017958325_cinerama15.html?cmpid=2628 Cinerama launches science-fiction film festival first annual sci-fi festival in Seattle. By Moira Macdonald Science-fiction fans, take note: Cinerama has a festival just for you. Starting Thursday, Cinerama's first annual Science Fiction Festival will feature two weeks of special programming, kicking off with three screenings of the 1927 silent classic "Metropolis" with live accompaniment by the Alloy Orchestra. Though "Metropolis" will screen in a newly restored digital format, the festival's other 24 features will all screen on film — with several in 70mm. Greg Wood, operator of Cinerama, said that he's been dreaming of this festival since Paul Allen (whose company, Vulcan, owns the theater) hired him in 2010. "We're trying to branch out into different things and establish some festivals," he said. "Science fiction is something close to Paul's heart, so it's very obvious for us to do." The festival will be an annual April event, he said, joining Cinerama's classic-film festival in the fall and fitting with the cinema's evolving mixture of blockbusters ("The Avengers" will open immediately after the festival), art-house fare ("Pina") and special events. Another highlight of the festival, along with "Metropolis," is a new 70mm print of Stanley Kubrick's 1968 "2001: A Space Odyssey." It's a rare opportunity to see this classic in its original wide, detailed format — and it's made possible by Allen himself. "The current prints of '2001' are pretty beat up," said Wood. "We decided that we'll make a brand-new one. The people coming to see '2001' will be seeing a print that's being run for the first time." Though the new print is owned by the studio because of rights issues, Cinerama will have it "on permanent loan" said Wood, who's excited at the possibility of getting a new print back into distribution. "2001" won't be the only 70mm film in the festival: "Ghostbusters," "Star Trek 2," "Terminator 2" and "Tron" will also show in that format. "They haven't been run that much, and it's very special to be able to do it," Wood said of the prints, noting that it's difficult to get 70mm films as many of them are in private collections. He's hoping to find more of them to run next year and is particularly eyeing the possibility of a 70mm print of "Alien." Among the festival's many 35mm offerings, one rarity is "The War of the Worlds" — not the recent Steven Spielberg/Tom Cruise version but the original 1953 film of the H.G. Wells story, produced by George Pal. It's another gift from Allen: The two existing Paramount prints of the film were in bad shape, so Cinerama's having a new one made. "The elements to that are kind of old, so it won't look pristine, but it'll be really nice to run it," said Wood. The festival's other 35mm films include "Barbarella," "Brazil," "A Clockwork Orange," "Flash Gordon," "Forbidden Planet," "Omega Man," "Soylent Green," "THX 1138" and more. Audiences will also notice a special new lobby display — introduced earlier this month, in time for the festival — of memorabilia from Allen's legendary collection, including a monster head from "Aliens" and costumes from "Barbarella," "Ghostbusters" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." For those disappointed that a favorite film isn't on the schedule, Wood notes that many titles that they'd hoped to book simply weren't available. "Blade Runner," for example, is on moratorium by its studio (nobody's allowed to book it); likewise the "Star Wars" movies were off-limits. "Alien," Wood said, was "pulled away at the last minute" by its studio — because of the new Ridley Scott film, "Prometheus," coming out in the early summer (and an "Alien" prequel of sorts). "Logan's Run" was considered, but it needed a new print and "the elements were not all in good shape, so we weren't allowed to do it." Wood hopes that some of these titles might be available for future festivals and is pleased that the cinema's establishing two annual widescreen tentpoles: classic films in the fall, science fiction in the spring. And he promises that future festivals will be even more jampacked. "When we do something for the first time, we're very careful," he said. "For the next year, we'll really be able to go big with it."  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Goeldner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1360 From: Washington, District of Columbia Registered: Jun 2008 posted 04-16-2012 12:29 PM                     I would hope the 70mm of 'Ghostbusters' look infinately (sp) better than the hideous looking bluray edition.  |  IP: Logged Victor Liorentas Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: london ontario canada Registered: May 2009 posted 04-16-2012 12:41 PM                     Ghostbusters was one of the ugliest 70mm blow-ups.Except for certain scenes it's a very grainy film in general. I love that Paul Allen cares enough to do these festivals and actually have new prints struck!  |  IP: Logged Aaron Garman Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: Toledo, OH USA Registered: Mar 2003 posted 04-16-2012 01:54 PM                     Damn I wish I was closer. Seeing T2 would be AWESOME! AJG  |  IP: Logged Paul Gordon Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 580 From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Registered: Aug 2005 posted 04-16-2012 01:56 PM                        So are there two new 2001 70mm prints now? TIFF in Toronto paid to get one made last year with DTS.  |  IP: Logged Brian Guckian Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 594 From: Dublin, Ireland Registered: Apr 2003 posted 04-16-2012 04:06 PM                     T2 in 70mm is truly awesome. The mix will blow you out of your seat in a properly lined up theatre! (Why is Blade Runner not available? )  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 04-16-2012 04:46 PM                        I did the set up for many of those films in first run 70mm houses. I may even still have the 70mm loops. Louis  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-16-2012 05:10 PM                        quote: Brian Guckian (Why is Blade Runner not available? My understanding is there is a big rights fight going on.  |  IP: Logged Victor Liorentas Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: london ontario canada Registered: May 2009 posted 04-16-2012 05:21 PM                     I heard Blade Runner prequels are in the works...  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 04-16-2012 08:42 PM                     Victor is dead on. Ghostbusters looks AWFUL, even in 70mm. It is absolutely the worst 70mm blowup I've ever seen. Alien and Star Trek II will both be red.  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-16-2012 09:59 PM                     5/70 is not large format as defined for the forum. Moving to Yak.  |  IP: Logged Daniel Schulz Master Film Handler Posts: 387 From: Los Angeles, CA USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 04-17-2012 03:54 PM                        There are indeed now 2 5/70 Datasat prints; the one struck last year for TIFF, and this new one. The Seattle Cinerama theater has 5 channels behind the screen, so this one will be presented properly with 5 screen channels + surrounds (there is also a 5.1 remix available for theaters that don't have 5 screen channels).  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 04-17-2012 04:27 PM                     quote: T2 in 70mm is truly awesome. The mix will blow you out of your seat in a properly lined up theatre! Hopefully it's not the 70MM print that has the ticking surround channel.  |  IP: Logged Lincoln Spector Film Handler Posts: 46 From: Albany, CA, USA Registered: Mar 2012 posted 04-17-2012 09:22 PM                        A few comments: 1) The Alloy Orchestra's score for Metropolis is fantastic! 2) I'm surprised--ecstatically surprised--that Warner ran a new 70mm print of 2001. I thought they had stopped making new prints of classics. 3) Does anyone know if they'll be using the Cinerama screen for 2001? Last I heard, they have two screens, a moderately-curved one for regular use, and a deeply-curved Cinerama one for special events. The Cinerama screen takes about a day to set up. Lincoln  |  IP: Logged Victor Liorentas Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: london ontario canada Registered: May 2009 posted 04-17-2012 10:05 PM                     Warner will make print's when someone pays for them.This is the second time it's been paid for outside of Warner in 2 years for 2001. I don't think it will happen too often in the future.  |  IP: Logged

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