Home theater "as good as" film? No way! (1 Viewer)

[HalS]

Exactly. I have never understood the need to enjoy a movie with large groups of other people.

Well, if you're really concerned about watching a film as the artist intended, by watching alone you are violating a major aspect of how the artist intended the film to be seen.
Directors of comedies often sit in the back of screenings and record the audience reaction to see how collectively the audience reacts to know what is working and what isn't. Laughter is contagious, there is no comparison to the sociological experience of hearing laughter ring through a theater and sitting at home alone. And this is not a point that is open for debate.
It's threads like this one as to why you hear so much concern among artists and lovers of the art of film about home theater.
Home theater is great as playing a secondary role to actually attending films in the theater. It is absolutely not something that should become the primary manner of viewing films.

 

[HalS]

quote: With that said, your going to be hard pressed to find "die-hard" HT fans having to many nice things to say about the commercial theaters.[/quote]
That's fine. But generally those are not people who love film. They love their home theaters. It's more about the technology than appreciating the art of film. It's the type of thing you see here frequently when everyone buys Film X, even though they admit Film X is a piece of junk, just because there a few cool explosions to show off their system with. It's also the type of thing you see when you have people complaining that some 30 year old film that was shot in mono should be re-released 5.1 because they didn't spend all that money on audio equipment to listen to mono.
Now, home theater does have tremendous benefits. For one thing, it enables people to see great films like Lawrence of Arabia that they otherwise would not be easily able to see. And see them in very high quality. But it's still not the same. I think the LOA DVD is fantastic, I truly enjoyed watching it at home but I'm also lucky enough to have seen it in recent years at a packed house at the CineramaDome in Hollywood and there's just no comparison to seeing it in that setting. The size of the screen, the collective experience, etc. That CANNOT be duplicated at home.
[Edited last by HalS on August 12, 2001 at 03:57 PM]

 

[Scooter]

Well...regards concerts and comedians...et. al. live stuff..I have to say..
Yeah...I prefer it at home. Watched the last two Woodstocks here and didn't have to wade over over the masses for food or toilets. The sound was nicely mixed...and no flying embers to scorch me at the end of the last day!
The last 2 live events I went to were wonderful to see..but a pain in the ass to deal with. Seats WAAAAY to close together...unpleasant people sitting next to me. That was Rent and Beauty And The Beast on Broadway.
Look..you wanna see stuff in a theater...God Bless. I get far less enjoyment seeing a movie in a theater than I do in The ScootPlex2000. And frankly, if a film fails to move me...draw me in..when watching it here...no audience in the world will make up for that.
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"The ScootPlex2000 is the ONLY theater I screen films for review in!"
David Manning-Critic
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/scooter3/party.html
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/scooter2/index.html

 

[HalS]

quote: Yeah...I prefer it at home. Watched the last two Woodstocks here and didn't have to wade over over the masses for food or toilets. The sound was nicely mixed...and no flying embers to scorch me at the end of the last day!
The last 2 live events I went to were wonderful to see..but a pain in the ass to deal with. Seats WAAAAY to close together...unpleasant people sitting next to me. That was Rent and Beauty And The Beast on Broadway.[/quote]
That's downright bizarre if you are implying that a rock concert or Broadway show can be fully experienced any other way than actually being there.
A perfect example...Bruce Springsteen is on record as saying that he has purposely not released a lot of concert footage for video/TV because he didn't want people thinking they were somehow getting the full experience of being there and experiencing the actual live show. Even now with the upcoming DVD, they have chosen to present something that does not emulate the concert "experience" as it occurred at Madison Square Garden.
There is no substitute for being there and experiencing it live. What you're saying is basically akin to trying to say that someone at home engaging in cyber sex is experiencing the same thing as someone who is out dating a beautiful woman and then going home with her...
[Edited last by HalS on August 12, 2001 at 04:10 PM]

 

[Walter Kittel]

That's fine. But generally those are not people who love film. They love their home theaters. It's more about the technology than appreciating the art of film.

Yes, the Carl Theodor Dryer Four Disc Boxset from Criterion is going to really work out my speakers. And the LFE, WOW!, Don't even get me started.
The point is that for many fans of older or foreign films Home Theater is the only option readily available, which was partly the basis for my earlier post. While some of the theaters in downtown Houston do a good job of keeping up with current foreign releases, for older films you are just out of luck. Being a fan of older films, the ability to select from a wide range of material when I want to view the film is a huge plus and for me is at the heart of Home Theater.
BTW, I do understand the concept of 'flow', and I make every attempt to preserve that during ( at a minimum ) the first viewing ( whether it be theatrically or at home ), but when the film is practically memorized other factors including analysis and deconstruction become ( at least ) partial substitutes for the entertainment derived from a first viewing; and is another huge plus for me in terms of HT.
- Walter.
[Edited last by Walter Kittel on August 12, 2001 at 04:21 PM]

 

[HalS]

The point is that for many fans of older or foreign films Home Theater is the only option readily available, which was partly the basis for my earlier post. While some of the theaters in downtown Houston do a good job of keeping up with current foreign releases, for older films you are just out of luck. Being a fan of older films, the ability to select from a wide range of material when I want to view the film, is a huge plus and for me is at the heart of Home Theater

Of course, you respond to something I said and neglect to point out the very next thing I wrote was:
"Now, home theater does have tremendous benefits. For one thing, it enables people to see great films like Lawrence of Arabia that they otherwise would not be easily able to see. And see them in very high quality."

 

[LARUE]

You'd never sit in your house alone and watch a comedian and think you got the same thing out of it that you would have had you been in a packed club that was filled with raucous laughter.

I actually saw The Score in a theater a few days ago. I was totally taken aback when De Niro turned to face us head-on and said "Hey! Is this an audience or an oil painting! I know you're out there I can hear you breathing!" He's a funny, funny man.
LARUE
Thank you! Thank you! I'm here all week! Be kind to your waitress! Drive safe! GOODNIGHT!

 

[DarrenA]

But what I saw today (and several times recently, since I've been fortunate enough to be invited to studio screening rooms) was film done RIGHT (SO right that I've decided never again to bother with a run of the mill multiplex), and doing so makes it EASY to see how much better film is than ANY video representation.

Again, this thread's original post (or intention) was to apparently demonstrate the visual quality difference between a reference film presentation versus a reference video presentation. I'm not sure why this has escalated to the discussion of Broadway shows, live concerts versus the Home Theater experience?
I'll be the first to admit (as a film fan) that if I had access to the quality of theaters that RobertR attends, I would be going to a commercial theater a lot more. With that said, the quality of the visual and audio experience that surround me in my area are completely lackluster and detract from the "film" experience. Therefore, I find a much more satisfying visual and audio experience in my own HT.
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DarrenA
The Academy Home Theater

 

[HalS]

Again, this thread's original post (or intention) was to apparently demonstrate the visual quality difference between a reference film presentation versus a reference video presentation. I'm not sure why this has escalated to the discussion of Broadway shows, live concerts versus the Home Theater experience?

Because it all fits together. The visual quality of film vs. reference video is one aspect of why going to a theater is better, but it is not the only one.
And one of the concerns among artists and film lovers is that we all know that very near in the future there's going to be widespread digital video that likely does pretty much emulate a film-like quality and at that point, even if video exhibition one day in the home can equal theater presentation, that artistically it's just not the same experience and artists want to make sure the collective experience is preserved. There has been a lot of discussion about this.

 

[Sean Oneil]

quote:
During the, uh, romantic interlude between Hawke and Thurman, one of the charming children in the audience shrieked - rather loudly - "Lookit dat momma! He be f****** dat skank bitch in de a**!!!"
[/quote]
I wish I could have been there,
Hearing an infant-child screaming that to 'momma' in a theater full of people would have been worth the price of admission for me
I would have been laughing my ass off.

 

[BarryR]

I can agree that seeing a film with an audience can immeasureably enhance the experience--IF it's a GOOD audience, and those are rare enough these days. The two summer films I've seen this year--idiosyncratic stuff like MOULIN ROUGE and A.I. had blessedly well behaved audiences (though three adults harumphed and exited during the Dr. Know sequence in A.I. ); the next best thing is to go to a specialized cinema where you know serious film lovers congregate. More times than not, unless I'm really impatient to see a certain movie, I much prefer now the home theatre immersion!
[Edited last by BarryR on August 12, 2001 at 05:38 PM]

 

[Derek Duncan]

I don't see why people wan't to fight about things like this. If someone has a different opinion, then they are wrong. It shouldn't be that way, no one is wrong. We should still go to the theater, although I prefer my home theater. The theaters we have here inn S.C. are very nice theaters, but the sound(DD and DTS) can't compare to my own setup, and it isn't all that great. Threaters are wonderful for seeing a film for the first time, but unlike some of you, I feel the crowd takes you away from the film, I think there is an personal connection you get with a film if you are in a small crowd, and as far as concerts go, the last time I went to a concert was to see Kiss, and the whole time I was there, I just wanted all the people to shut up so I could see and hear the band, this guy next to me kept spilling beer on me, and to people got into a fist fight in the isle next to me. I hated it, and you can't call me an old timer, because i'm only 19. I'll take home theater any day. Give me my Star Wars Episode 1. The pristine transfer and DD sound will beat the hell out of that blury, faded color, of center, line going throught the middle of most of the reels, theatrical presentation. I can enjoy the movie for once. There is a need for both theater, and hometheater, but I have never enjoyed a film in the theater as much as at home. As for size, bigger may be better, but all I see is a blury image with no detail when I go to the theater, I know the resolution is high, it has to be to be shown on those big screens, but it isn't as clear as home, and if the film is good, than that should'nt matter. In fact I had a big screen tv for a long time, and replaced it with a 40" Sony trinitron tv, that blows the blury image of the big svreen away, and have never been happier, can't wait for a high defintion tv.That's my opinion.
Derek
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[Craig Crane]

There was a comment earlier on saying....
"That's fine. But generally those are not people who love film. They love their home theaters. It's more about the technology than appreciating the art of film."
Not true. My home theater was built to compliment my love of film.
I can see this thread turning into a real bitter for/against thread in the same way that the DD vs DTS battle often rages on the HTF.
I agree with the original post, it does look better, but average multiplexs are inferior to most HT rooms. Their high speed dupe prints on inferior stock just dont cut the mustard compared to my HT.
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Link Removed

 

[Scooter]

There is no substitute for being there and experiencing it live. What you're saying is basically akin to trying to say that someone at home engaging in cyber sex is experiencing the same thing as someone who is out dating a beautiful woman and then going home with her...

SEX!!!!

How did sex come into this!!!!
My feeling I can enjoy a live music event better at home than with throngs of smelly, drug hazed campers equates to cyber sex???? Hmmm....
See you all later....
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"The ScootPlex2000 is the ONLY theater I screen films for review in!"
David Manning-Critic
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/scooter3/party.html
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/scooter2/index.html

 

[Garry I]

When i saw Planet Of The Apes recently, i noticed a lot of flickering especially during the outdoor scenes. I would'nt get this with my 100Hz tv. The image at the cinema looked a little soft and at times was blurry. A HT with the right equipment can look better than film.

 

[HalS]

quote: My feeling I can enjoy a live music event better at home than with throngs of smelly, drug hazed campers equates to cyber sex???? Hmmm....[/quote]
Absolutely. Because if you asked Bruce or other artists, they would tell you that you are not enjoying a LIVE music event at home...you're not there live. You are substituting a recreation at home instead of the real thing, which sounds a lot to me like someone sitting at home and engaging in any other sort of false recreation of an event that is otherwise better live.
[Edited last by HalS on August 12, 2001 at 06:43 PM]

 

[HalS]

the last time I went to a concert was to see Kiss, and the whole time I was there, I just wanted all the people to shut up so I could see and hear the band, this guy next to me kept spilling beer on me, and to people got into a fist fight in the isle next to me.

No doubt, people are assholes. I see it all the time. On this past Springsteen tour, I saw tons of shows and we always sit close to stage. Every night, Bruce's people go up to the far reaches of the arena and upgrade people down to the first row. It's really interesting to see how people behave in that circumstance. There were a couple of nights (one in Oakland and one in Hartford) where I was sitting in the second or third row and a person upgraded to the front row was acting totally out of line (due to being drunk). Me, I'm thinking that if the band is nice enough to upgrade me to the front, I'm going to show my gratitude by watching the show and not acting like an ass but apparently that is not the case for some people. And there's the mass migration to the beer stands during slow songs, which even the band has remarked to people at being annoyed at.
That said, it doesn't stop me from wanting to be there. There is nothing on this planet that allows you to experience a Bruce Springsteen concert other than being right there with him performing live and in front of you. He has said so, as a veteran of over 100 shows, it is something that I can guarantee is the truth.
To allow a bunch of assholes to deter you from living life, is basically a form of hiding and letting them win. I often shut people up at the movies or at a concert if they are disturbing me. If necessary, I've even been known to have people removed. Better that the idea that spreads is common courtesy. If that spreads enough, then the assholes will have to stay home when they realize their behavior won't be tolerated.

 

[cafink]

Absolutely. Because if you asked Bruce or other artists, they would tell you that you are not enjoying a LIVE music event at home...you're not there live. You are substituting a recreation at home instead of the real thing, which sounds a lot to me like someone sitting at home and engaging in any other sort of false recreation of an event that is otherwise better live.

True as that may be, a movie is not a live event. It's a pre-recorded thing, and when displayed on the best of home theaters, generally offers a superior experience to your average movie house.
We spend so much money making our home theaters the best that they can be because it's the only way way can ensure that a movie gets the proper presentation it deserves. In the vast majority of cases, we simply cannot experience a movie in a theater the way Robert was lucky enough to.

 

[Duane Robinson]

Yeah, but if the live version is so repulsive because of poor conditions and annyoing people then the false recreation just might be better. At least to me it is. I'll take a quality false recreation over a crappy version of the real thing anyday.
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"I'd rather have 2 girls at 21 than 1 girl at 42." - W.C. Fields
"One man's simple is another man's huh." - David Stone

 

[JerryLA]

Let me preface this by stating I live in a small town where the local theater was recently sold and converted to a church which is what gave me a good excuse to put in my HT. I do not own the "top of the line" equipment but my wife and I are blown away by our mid line equipment and are constantly impressed by the sound and picture quality.
Living in Dallas, and San Francisco prior to moving to our little mountain town I regularly was disappointed by the Cineplex experience. Don't get me wrong, I love movies and on occasion would venture out to the local Cineplex, some of them being very good quality, but was usually disappointed by the experience. The distractions by other patrons, the overpriced snack bar options, the standing in line to find only the first 4 rows of seats were available, just ruined the experience for me. Before HT my wife and I visited the theater on rare occasions, only if the movie demanded it by the massive screen size.
As far as I'm concerned the only thing missing in my HT is the sticky stuff on the floor, and if I really tried I can re-create that.
Jerry
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