Improving The Theater Experience (1 Viewer)

[Tim Glover]

All this talk of image/sound issues got me doing some internet searches for some truly breathtaking experiences I have had in the Cinema.

Below is about the Legendary Northpark Theater in Dallas. Longtime Dallas area HTF members have probably been there.

from the Cinema Treasures Book:

The Northpark was THE theater to go to in the Dallas Metroplex from 1965 until 1998. It was one of the first three theaters in the nation to be equipted with Lucasfilm Ltd's THX and was personally done so by Tom Holmin, who was head of that division at the beginning. The Northpark never had a presentation flaw in its 33 year run. Even Lab Spiced reels were rejected by the projection team.

The studios, having their Dallas offices not far away, had many of their screenings at the Northpark and you never knew what famous person might run into you. Harrison Ford sat in the back rows during "Blade Runner". Carol Channing made her way down the aisles, passing out tissues during scenes in "E.T". Benji pressed his paws in cement in the forecourt.

It was said that George Lucas once said that it was his favorite place to show his films. It was one of only 20 theaters in the nation to run "Star Wars" on its opening weekend in May of 1977. It was also only one of a handful of theaters in the nation to show James Cameron's "Titanic" in 70 mm.

Not only did the Northpark do an out standing job as a first run theater, it also had classics shown, titles ranging from "The Blues Brothers" to "The Sound of Music" graced the screen every summer during their annual Summer Movie nights. And by far the Northpark was considered the best sound system in the nation.

Sadly, General Cinema closed it in 1998 and the building was torn down in 2001.



:frowning:

 

[Colton]

Free movie posters of the movie you purchased your ticket to see. Limit one per customer.

Lotto "WIN" tickets (number on each ticket) that wins prizes like:

Movie Soundtrack
Promotional Movie T-Shirt/Jacket/Hoodie
Free concession stand combo meal deal (drinks/popcorn/hotdog/etc)
Free tickets to a movie of your choice

- Colton

 

[Matt Man]

I think they should do like sky box seating. So you get the theater experience but without all the other people ruining it

 

[Dome Vongvises]

I like it there. Nice theater. But honestly, I only know a bad theater when I feel it. Can't say I've been in the best of the best though.

 

[Jose Martinez]

This is what all theater owners should be doing!

 [url=http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-buzz/movie-theatre-fires-back-irate-customer-kicking-her-184123438.html]http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-buzz/movie-theatre-fires-back-irate-customer-kicking-her-184123438.html[/url]

 

[Josh Steinberg]

That's brilliant, I love that!


I love that the article quoted mentioned not only that the patron had used the cell phone, but also that she was late. That's something I'm getting real sick of at the movies - getting there early to get the seat I want, and then having someone try to climb over me (or worse, asking if I can move down a seat) five minutes after the movie has started. If you're late, you lose the right to pick your favorite seat. I don't see what's so difficult to understand about that.


Last night I saw the new X-Men, got there early, got my perfect seat... and five minutes before showtime (and it was an evening showing, not a matinee) a young couple with a baby in a baby stroller walks in. That's gotta be strike one against the theater to begin with, because they shouldn't be so money hungry as to let someone in like that who inevitably is going to cause a distraction. Of course, they sat in the seats right in front of me. I figured I had a couple options - I could get up and start complaining to the management, which I'm sure would have accomplished nothing, or I could pick a different seat. Fortunately, my new seat ended up actually being better than my original one, and for perhaps the first time in human history, I saw a movie with a baby present where that baby didn't cry or make a noise. But still, it should be common sense not to do something like that. I hope if/when I'm a parent, that I know better - yes, it's nice to be able to go and do whatever you want when you want, but part of being a parent means that you can't act as if you're a single teenager anymore. I daresay, and I don't mean any offense in saying this, but if you can't understand why bringing a baby to a 10pm movie isn't a good idea (either because it's not the best environment for a small child or because it's not fair to everyone else there), you're probably not ready to be a parent. I really don't get it. It's this sort of "overwhelming sense of entitlement" where no one things beyond themselves, and feels that their desire to do something at any given moment, whether it's to show up at a movie late, bring a baby in, talk on a cell phone, is an inalienable right, and that their impulse to do that is more important than anyone else around them - as well as a lack of awareness to the impact of their own behavior. Just once, I'd love to be on line buying a ticket, see that couple with the baby in line in front of me, and hear the box office clerk say, "I'm sorry but we're not allowed to let you bring a baby into a PG-13 movie at 10pm".