FEATURE FILMS SEEN IN 70MM (1 Viewer)

[OliverK]

What issues?

Only seeing this now. Regarding the digital projectors there are lots of issues I have seen but my favorite was a Sony 4k projector with a 4k DCP that looked soft as hell. The reason was that nobody bothered to put the proper 4k 2D lens on, they chose to show the 4k DCP with the attachment for 3D! This was after i called asking if they were showing the 4k DCP with the projector - nobody had bothered to tell me that they would show the movie with less than half of its resolution.

Also focussing for digital projectors often is only so-so and even the framing can be significantly off even though the projectors now have zoom lenses.

The color temperature now has to be read off the screen and the projector adjusted accordingly in order to arrive at the proper values, the same goes for shading - this is very often skipped entirely for the color temperature and I will not even go into the need for some projector types to be readjusted with rather high frequency.

I could go on but these are some highlights.

I will not even mention that the average ON/OFF contrast of digital projectors in commercial cinemas is less than 2000:1 - it is horrible but it is also a design flaw and not a setup flaw.

 

[Bob Cashill]

I would say home video revenues have added considerably to THE WALL's boxoffice total over the years, and a Blu-ray would add a bit to those. There's disappointment, and there's box-office disappointment, and I'd say the movie escaped the latter. It may very well be that personal dissatisfaction with the film among the creative team is what's holding back a Blu-ray. That said next year marks its 35th anniversary, a marketing opportunity.

 

[Tino]

We'll have to agree to disagree Bob regarding box office disappointment as imo it was.

But we CAN agree on the film. I love it. Also PF is my favorite band. We need a blu Ray or better yet 4K right now.

 

[B-ROLL]

Perhaps not an immediate flop but it certainly wasn't "very successful at the box office at that time".


From IMDB

The film was viewed as a disappointment in general by the band and the film's key crew members. Writer and composer Roger Waters feels that the film is too depressing, and does not let the audience sympathize with Pink. Director Alan Parker felt that the result was amateurish, calling it "the most expensive student film ever made." Various conflicts occurred between Parker and Waters during filming of the film, only adding to their distaste of the final product. Designer Gerald Scarfe claimed on the DVD commentary that he doesn't understand why people like the film. Pink Floyd's guitarist David Gilmour has stated that the film was the "least successful" version of The Wall's concept. It seems that the only people who really liked it are the fans.

The creators viewing it as a creative failure is a bit different from saying it was a Box-Office failure ...
Budget $12 million[2]
Box office $22.2 million[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd_–_The_Wall
The DVD was released by Columbia and the VHS by MGM ... a bluray by Twilight Time with a commentary feature Nick Redman ...

 

[Tino]

Of course I'm well aware of that. As I said it was not successful at the time. At best it broke even. And with those numbers it's close to a failure.

Whatever. We can go back and forth. I was just disputing the "it was very successful at the box office at the time" comment.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Of course I'm well aware of that. As I said it was not successful at the time. At best it broke even. And with those numbers it's close to a failure.

Whatever. We can go back and forth. I was just disputing the "it was very successful at the box office at the time" comment.

Not meant as an attack, but the poster who made the original comment about the film being very successful has a habit of posting his personal experience of seeing the film in his local market (Australia) and assuming or extrapolating that it must have done identical business around the world. I've seen this on many threads here. While I appreciate recollections of what it was like to see a certain film in a certain time and place, those specific recollections of how a movie played in one theater or one city or even one country cannot take the place of actual worldwide box office numbers for a movie's release.

 

[OliverK]

We'll have to agree to disagree Bob regarding box office disappointment as imo it was.

But we CAN agree on the film. I love it. Also PF is my favorite band. We need a blu Ray or better yet 4K right now.

From what I could see in 70mm this would be a title with so litte potential for making a difference in 4k that a Blu-ray will be enough.
With that being said I think that there definitely is a market for a Blu-ray version and if The Texas Chainsee Massacre was released in 4k why not this one?

 

[SixOfTheRichest]

I saw PINK FLOYD THE WALL in 70mm originally. I am surprised that a 70mm print still exists. It was very successful at the box office at the time.

I was very disappointed that a 70mm edition wasn't included in the NZ release and had to deal with 35mm. I saw it at Cinerama Auckland and that was the perfect place to see it in 70, even if a blow up. The sound track would have sounded terrific. They gave Sgt. Peppers a 70mm release there in 79', they could have done the same for Pink Floyd The Wall.

 

[SixOfTheRichest]

True 70mm:

Ryan's Daughter - re-release
2001 - re-release
The Sound Of Music - re-release
Tron
Lawrence Of Arabia - restored (projected onto a 35mm cinemascope screen)
Spartacus - restored (projected onto a 35mm cinemascope screen)
Kiwi Magic

Blow Ups:

Earthquake
The Hindenburg
Doctor Zhivago
Star Wars
Deliverance - (projected onto a 35mm cinemascope screen)
2010
Cocoon
Aliens
The Untouchables
The Wiz - re-release
Batman
Howard's End (projected onto a 35mm cinemascope screen)

 

[cinemiracle]

I was very disappointed that a 70mm edition wasn't included in the NZ release and had to deal with 35mm. I saw it at Cinerama Auckland and that was the perfect place to see it in 70, even if a blow up. The sound track would have sounded terrific. They gave Sgt. Peppers a 70mm release there in 79', they could have done the same for Pink Floyd The Wall.

If you want to see THE WALL in 70mm when pop over to Melbourne from Auckland -It's only a couple of hours by plane approx and New Zealanders can visit Australia without spending any time in quarantine . Check the Melbourne Astor cinema on-line where they have their programme which can be printed ( usually a 2-3 month programme).They have regular screenings of old 70mm films (usually for one night only).I understand that they have about 20 or more 70mm films in their library which includes PINK FLOYD THE WALL and which does on occasions, get a screening. The Astor has a huge 62ft wide screen. The biggest screen for showing 70mm films anywhere in Australasia. Just be aware that it gets very hot in Australia in summer ( a couple of days in Sydney recently when temperatures were over 42 degrees celsius (108 degrees fahrenheit.)

 

[SixOfTheRichest]

If you want to see THE WALL in 70mm when pop over to Melbourne from Auckland -It's only a couple of hours by plane approx and New Zealanders can visit Australia without spending any time in quarantine . Check the Melbourne Astor cinema on-line where they have their programme which can be printed ( usually a 2-3 month programme).They have regular screenings of old 70mm films (usually for one night only).I understand that they have about 20 or more 70mm films in their library which includes PINK FLOYD THE WALL and which does on occasions, get a screening. The Astor has a huge 62ft wide screen. The biggest screen for showing 70mm films anywhere in Australasia. Just be aware that it gets very hot in Australia in summer ( a couple of days in Sydney recently when temperatures were over 42 degrees celsius (108 degrees fahrenheit.)

Thank you.

I haven't seen a film at the Astor in Melbourne, but when I was there 5yrs ago I went to look at the cinema. It was closed at the time and there was nothing on that really appealed to me, except Ken Russell's The Boy Friend one evening, but since I had already seen the uncut version on vhs taken from a laser disc, I wasn't uber keen. It wasn't 70mm either, which might have prompted me. I have seen Pink Floyd The Wall many times and own on dvd. Does the Astor in Melbourne have the top masking open for correct 70mm ratio?

I have made a couple of posts on this Can Can thread that you have commented on. Here is the link..... Auckland Cinema Discussion... you may be interested in reading. It was nice to read your reminisces of old NZ cinemas.

 

[cinemiracle]

Thank you.

I haven't seen a film at the Astor in Melbourne, but when I was there 5yrs ago I went to look at the cinema. It was closed at the time and there was nothing on that really appealed to me, except Ken Russell's The Boy Friend one evening, but since I had already seen the uncut version on vhs taken from a laser disc, I wasn't uber keen. It wasn't 70mm either, which might have prompted me. I have seen Pink Floyd The Wall many times and own on dvd. Does the Astor in Melbourne have the top masking open for correct 70mm ratio?

I have made a couple of posts on this Can Can thread that you have commented on. Here is the link..... Auckland Cinema Discussion... you may be interested in reading. It was nice to read your reminisces of old NZ cinemas.

Have not been to Melbourne in more than 12 years .The Astor has the entire screen open when screening 70mm films. Not seen any 35 mm films or digital there s i don't know how they have their masking. I saw THE BOY FRIEND in 70mm in Sydney in 1971 but it was the shorter version. It was many years later , shown in 35mm as the full uncut version which is the version that I have on dvd. The film was never shown in the USA in 70mm.

 

[SixOfTheRichest]

Have not been to Melbourne in more than 12 years .The Astor has the entire screen open when screening 70mm films. Not seen any 35 mm films or digital there s i don't know how they have their masking. I saw THE BOY FRIEND in 70mm in Sydney in 1971 but it was the shorter version. It was many years later , shown in 35mm as the full uncut version which is the version that I have on dvd. The film was never shown in the USA in 70mm.

I don't think I like the uncut version as much of The Boy Friend. I like the stagey setting and when they go into that mythological dance in the woods in the uncut version, it takes something away from the more deliberately confined atmosphere of the theatre. It seems out of place and I can understand why it was cut out in the first place. Apparently there are a couple more musical numbers in the uncut version too.

I guess I should have made the effort to go, 35mm or not, to still experience it. It is a real charmer and Russell's nicest film. Nice that you still got to see in 70mm. Do you recall what Sydney cinema it was where you went?

 

[cinemiracle]

I don't think I like the uncut version as much of The Boy Friend. I like the stagey setting and when they go into that mythological dance in the woods in the uncut version, it takes something away from the more deliberately confined atmosphere of the theatre. It seems out of place and I can understand why it was cut out in the first place. Apparently there are a couple more musical numbers in the uncut version too.

I guess I should have made the effort to go, 35mm or not, to still experience it. It is a real charmer and Russell's nicest film. Nice that you still got to see in 70mm. Do you recall what Sydney cinema it was where you went?

The Barclay. Almost every Sydney city cinema had 70mm projection in those good old days. Not unusual to see half a dozen or more films showing in 70mm during the Christmas holidays. The original sixties film of CASINO ROYALE was only shown in Australia in 70mm.

 

[SixOfTheRichest]

The Barclay. Almost every Sydney city cinema had 70mm projection in those good old days. Not unusual to see half a dozen or more films showing in 70mm during the Christmas holidays. The original sixties film of CASINO ROYALE was only shown in Australia in 70mm.

Auckland was big on 70mm until the early 80's when the Embassy, Plaza and Cinerama closed down. Mid City 4 cinema complex opened in 84 on the Cinerama site and they screened several there in Cinema 1. They didn't use the Westend which could run 70. I only ever saw one there and the New Regent was converted until 1989 for Batman.

 

[haineshisway]

Not counting blow-ups, which are, after all, merely blow-ups, these are the films I saw first run in 70mm or Super Technirama 70 and the LA theaters where I saw them:

Ben-Hur (my first 70mm experience) Egyptian
Scent of Mystery Ritz Theater
Exodus Wilshire Theater
Solomon and Sheba Wilshire Theater
Spartacus Pantages
West Side Story Chinese
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World The Dome
King of Kings Egyptian
Lawrence of Arabia Stanley Warner Beverly Hills
El Cid Carthay Circle
Mutiny on the Bounty Egyptian
The Bible (saw this one in Cleveland in a big theater on Euclid)
My Fair Lady Egyptian
The Sound of Music Wilshire Theater
The Hallelujah Trail Warner Cinerama Hollywood
Grand Prix The Dome
Doctor Dolittle Paramount Theater (now the El Capitan)
2001: A Space Odyssey Warner Cinerama Hollywood
Star Wilshire Theater

 

[john a hunter]

Do I see NO 2001 Bruce?

 

[john a hunter]

Just saw it-was hiding!!!

 

[Paul Rossen]

I too had Ben-Hur as my first 70 mm experience. At the New York Loews State. What a presentation!

To the films listed by Haineshisway add the following 70 mm films I saw during their Roadshow runs

Fall of the Roman Empire.. DeMille Theater
Circus World... Loews Capitol/ Cinerama
Patton.. Criterion Theater
Those Magnificent Men... DeMille
War and Peace,,, DeMille
Barabbas...DeMille
Cheyenne Autumn...Capitol

Khartoum... Warner
Cleopatra.. Rivoli
Lord Jim.. Loews State