Atlantis: Why I Hate Movie Theaters (1 Viewer)

[Scooter]

Kevin: In a perfect world...film should blow the 400Q away! However...when compared to a scratchy, discolored print..dirty screen...out of focus projection..the 400Q wins hands down. What is funny is that while watching Black Hawk Down I found myself noting the picture sometimes looked as sharp as my 400Q!!!!!

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I have to agree about how great the ScootPlex 2000 is.

I'm only 16 and I can appreciate film and the experience you can get from it (mainly from influences around me), but everyone else I know doesn't.

Actually, one of the film studies teachers at my school (who also teaches a TV Production class) asked me if I knew of any Pan and Scan DVD players that will ONLY play P&S. Why? Because she thought her students would like the movies they watch better in P&S as opposed to widescreen. When I took the class last year (different teacher) we go into a debate about whether P&S was better than widescreen or not, and only my teacher, a few students, and I were supporting widescreen while everyone else said P&S.

 

[Michael Caicedo]

Aha !! I actually got to watch this movie in one of the finest theaters I have ever sat in. It was a great presentation as far as both video and audio experience. Nevermind the theater was in the middle of the Caribbean sea at the time. Yup, I saw it on the Disney Magic.

 

[Shad R]

The closest GOOD theater is in Loveland, CO. I live in Greeley, and the theaters here are horrid. So I ask one of the lady's (apparently a "projectionist") at the Loveland Cinemark if they have digital surround sound(I know they have DD EX in the main theaters, DD in the rest, and I was just curious if their projectionists would have the understanding I do) and she says "some movies come on CD's, others are just on the film's soundtrack, and not digital" WHAT???!!! For a projectionist there, she sure didn't know what she was talking about. The only format I know of that uses DVD-Roms(not CD's) is DTS, and they aren't even equiped with DTS! They show the train Dolby Digital promo, at the begining of most movies there, though...you'd think there'd be some sort of standard for hiring projectionists...guess not...Good presentations at the theater, though

 

[John Geelan]

How about this experience!!
Last week I went to the first showing of Black Hawk Down at a large theater in Levittown NY.
The movie had just come out and there were about 10 guys in the audience all behaving just fine.
Well after about an hour into the film, all of a sudden the lights begin to come on and 2 old ladies (1 in a wheelchair) are brought into the rear of the theater.
Now for about 5 minutes we can hardly see the screen cause the lights are on full blast.
Then the lights go off.
10 minutes later the lights go back on and the 2 old ladies are escorted by an usher out of the theater.
Wacky! I have never seen this happen in all my years.
Really ruined my experience with the movie.
And made me appreciate my HT.
JohnG

 

[Mike H]

Why I hate movie theaters:

Ever since the guy in front of me in line was yelled and cursed at by the Manager, I haven't gone back to the local theaters. This was a Regal Cinemas theater. It wasn't so much the cursing as it was the fact that the manager lost his cool with a customer. I can understand if a 16 year old kid loses it, but not a 40 year old manager. This guy wasn't that far out of line to deserve the treatment he reiceved. I have had other rude encounters with staff at other theaters as well.

I don't care if 35mm/70mm looks so much better, I can buy my dvds in peace, and don't have to worry about lines, sticky floors, or rude managers. If I want to mingle with other people, I'll invite them over, or I'll go to a club or something.

Mike

 

[RAF]

Quote:

Scooter,
I already did. It's "The Never-Ending Story!"

Take care.

 

[NathanP]

You know, when I complain to a movie theater worker, this is what usuall happens.. Remember I'm 16 and 5 ft 6..

1.

"Hey dude, flip on the surround sound, All we're getting is monopohinc sound"

"Shutup kid!"

2.

"Hey dude, flip on the surround sound, All we're getting is monopohinc sound"

The 18 year old "manager" Mister Pimples- "This movie is in digital, not in mono"

See?

What next?

Digital-Analog?

Nathan

 

[Scooter]

R.A.F. said:

so if size matters, we're there!

Umm....."size" has NEVER been a problem!!!!!!!

 

[bill lopez]

We here on the forum hope that your joy in watching this Disney movie at home over theater was not in Pan & Scan mode.

 

[Edwin-S]

The audience also doesn't appreciate what you can do with a few slight modifications to the sound and picture, so if its imperfect they won't care and won't try to have it fixed.

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I have to agree with this comment. I went to "ALI" with a friend. The audience was minimal. The movie starts and I can see a black border on the right side of the screen about a foot wide. On the left side you could see this annoying flickering, which was probably the soundtrack printing. The entire picture was not centred on the screen. I waited a while to see if anyone would get up and complain but everyone seemed to be quite happy watching a poorly centred picture. I finally got fed up and went out and told one of the employees to get the picture fixed because it was irritating to watch a movie with a huge black border on the right side. A few minutes later the picture was corrected. It is amazing how a little thing like that improves the movie.

 

[Thomas D]

I very rarely go to see films when they are at the theater. The last few times I've gone, the movies that I wanted to see were in the tiny auditorium 16 all the way by the exits. All of the popular (read: those with big advertising pushes) movies were playing on the big screens. Moulin Rouge, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Fantasia 2000? All showing in a theater that the Scootplex puts to shame.

The two times I remember seeing movies in the big screen auditoriums, they both had sound problems. Star Wars Episode 1 had a blown subwoofer which was wonderrificly annoying during the pod race scene. Road to El Dorado's surrounds went out a third of the way through the movie. (And (Legend of) Drunken Master (2) had some a-holes shining laser pointers at the screen.)

Movie theaters, BAH.

 

[John DeLuca]

Scooter, the way the weather's been lately, you could have one of your great movie-viewing parties I'm definitely looking forward to this summer when you start having them.

 

[Scooter]

Thom: Thanks for the compliment.

John: I ALMOST fired up the Sabrett wagon it was SOOO nice this week!!! Can't wait till this summer. Ron and I are already discussing this coming summer's get togethers.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I must be the only person who didn't like the hot dogs from the cart...

I wonder...what movie could we possibly want to pop in the backyard this summer...

Actually, what is the official name of the backyard theater?

 

[Terrell]

I feel sorry for you guys. The Regal Cinema I attend has state of the art Dolby Digital and DTS in all of it's 18 theaters, and professionally calibrated. The sound in this theater will absolutely smoke any home theater I've ever heard, hands down. And that includes the $100,000 plus home theaters I've heard. They're no match. I used to think that theaters were no match for home theater in the picture and sound department, just like many of you do. Believe me, that's a fallacy, especially when you go to a state of the art theater. I hope you all that haven't been to one get to attend a screening in one. The experience is like no other when watching a film.

 

[John Knowles]

I contiunue to go to films in the theater, but am far more selective about what I see in a chain-first-run theater as it seems totally hit and miss around here. I saw LOTR several times and got these results:

1) Decent picture, but one of the surround speakers near me was totally blown and buzzed nastily when andy significant signal went through them

2) Decent picture AND sound; plus the audience was well-behaved. Sometimes it's worth it.

3) Soft picture and OK sound, but the picture wasn't framed correctly and was overmatted on the sides.

The art/revival houses around here do a far better job of presentation and are the places that remind me how good film can look.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

When I go to the theaters, its mainly as a social event with friends (I'm only 16) or its because I HAVE to see a movie (like LotR). Other than that, I say "wait for the DVD."

Actually, I picked that habit up from pops.