Dusting off "Lawrence of Arabia" (1 Viewer)

[Rob Tomlin]

Paula-
Good news for you! According to Mr. Harris, Lawrence of Arabia will, indeed, be playing in Atlanta. In 70mm no less!
Try this thread.
Enjoy!

 

[Rob Tomlin]

Oh, and thanks for the link to the great article!

 

[Jeff Kleist]

7 days and counting

 

[Patrick McCart]

I'm going to try everything in my power to see LoA in Atlanta.

I'll die happy being one who got to see Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm.

 

[PaulaJ]

Rob, thank you thank you thank you for posting that link.
I am so thrilled it's coming to Atlanta. I can't wait to see it again in the theater. Wonder when it's getting here... maybe next weekend?
I first saw LOA on, well, a pan and scan VHS tape. Didn't make much of an impression. (Hmm, wonder why.) ;-)
Then came the restoration, and I saw it three times in the theater, including two nights in a row at the 5000 seat Fox Theatre (a glorious old movie palace used only for movies in the summer now)
Then came the Criterion LD on my 27 inch TV. Not the same thing as the Fox but a lot better than the VHS tape!
And now it's the DVD on my 58 inch Pioneer Elite. Much better t han the 27 inch TV, but still... not the theatrical experience (leaving aside the deficiencies Mr. Harris has noted with the DVD....)
Anyway, LOA is one of my all-time favorite movies and to think it's coming to my town, and in 70mm no less..
Life *is* good.
Now, if only the restored Metropolis would show up. So far that's also missing in action here.
To Patrick McCart: I've really enjoyed your posts and if you want someone to go to see LOA with you in Atlanta, I'm available. ;-) I'm a big silent film fan, too.

 

[Agee Bassett]

If it is going to be shown this year, it apparently will not be at the Fox Theatre. I emailed them earlier today after I read RAH's news, and they say that it is not scheduled to be shown there anytime in the foreseeable future. I was advised to instead check the High Museum of Art or Georgia State University (also a no-go since their theater is closed for remodling). Anyone know if the HMoA has 70mm-screening capabilities?
If anyone has further info, please share it here. I'm sure there are several Atlantans besides myself who would be most grateful.

 

[Patrick McCart]

I first saw LOA on, well, a pan and scan VHS tape. Didn't make much of an impression. (Hmm, wonder why.) ;-)

I pity you!

I got to see LoA first by the first edition of the restored version on VHS. I borrowed it from my high school's library and watched it. I thought it was OK...but it didn't make an impact. Low-res VHS doesn't do it...despite the tape being letterboxed.

Then, I purchased the DVD and it immediately became one of my favorite movies.

 

[Jim Peavy]

Here, here!
Saw the '88 ('89?) reissue/restoration at the Phipps Plaza theatre, back when they had two BIG theatres downstairs, and the Phipps Penthouse upstairs. It was glorious. THE biggest, most epic film I've ever seen! I haven't even bothered with the DVD; I want to preserve that memory.
By all means, where & when is this coming to Atlanta?

 

[Tim RH]

I got to see LoA first by the first edition of the restored version on VHS. I borrowed it from my high school's library and watched it. I thought it was OK...but it didn't make an impact. Low-res VHS doesn't do it...despite the tape being letterboxed.
Then, I purchased the DVD and it immediately became one of my favorite movies.

Actually, I had much the same experience. I thought it wasn't all that great on first view (on widescreen VHS), but then I bought the DVD anyway, and it became my favorite film on second viewing!

 

[PaulaJ]

Re Atlanta:
I first saw it at Phipps Plaza, too.
Then the Fox Theatre brought it in for their summer film series, and ran it two nights (something almost unheard of). I went both nights and the theater was packed both times.
I'm not surprised it's not going to be at the Fox. From what I've read, sounds like this is not just a one-time screening, but bookings lasting two weeks or thereabouts. I don't recall the Fox showing a movie for that length of time.
I don't think it will be at the High, not if it's a two-week engagement. Or should I say, I sure hope it's not at the High. I loathe that theater and refuse to go there. Which means I miss a lot of good movies. :frowning:
I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up back at Phipps, since that's the one AMC theater that runs art films and re-releases (sometimes AMC Mansell Crossing does too).
Or maybe Regal will get it for their stadium seating theaters.

 

[Scott David]

Re Atlanta:

I predict it will either be shown at the Tara or at Garden Hills. The Tara has a pretty good recent history of showing re-releases, such as "Apocalypse Now Redux" and "Amadeus: The Director's Cut", and I think their largest auditorium has 70mm capabilities. Not sure if Garden Hills does, but its screen size is decent.

 

[Rob Tomlin]

I thought it wasn't all that great on first view (on widescreen VHS), but then I bought the DVD anyway, and it became my favorite film on second viewing!

I had a similar experience.
I "liked" Lawrence of Arabia the first time I saw it. But, I certainly didn't think of it as either being one of the greatest movies ever made, or my favorite. Then, on a second viewing (laserdisc), I really started to appreciate this movie! I thought to myself, there really is a ton of great stuff going on in this movie, with many layers to it. I wanted to see it again!
By my third viewing, I realized that I had completely fallen in love with this film. It was great in every way. Screenplay. Acting. Cinematography. Score. Editing. All perfect. And let's not forget one of the main stars of the movie, the camels!
The amazing thing is that after seeing this movie many times, it just keeps getting better and better. I will go out on a limb here and say that seeing it in 70mm will only add to my infatuation with this great movie!

 

[Brook K]

Tara showed Lawrence in 70mm in '99 as part of the Columbia 75th Anniversary film festival (along with Taxi Driver, On The Waterfront, It Happened One Night, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Dr. Strangelove, Bridge On The River Kwai, From Here To Eternity, Tootsie, and Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. I saw all but the last two)

Neither the High or Lefont theaters have large enough screens for 70mm presentations.

I was very underwhelmed by the Fox Theater's 70mm presentation of 2001, so I'm glad Lawrence won't be showing there.

Paula, the High is no great shakes as a theater, the screen isn't very big and the sound isn't great, but by refusing to go there, you're missing out on MANY films you can't see anywhere else in Atlanta. I only wish I had more time to attend the screenings. Also, it's only $5-6 so it's cheaper than a night at a multiplex.

 

[PaulaJ]

Well, Brook, I am *certainly* aware of all the films t he High shows. But that theater was not built for showing films and it's useless for me.

I'm short (5'2") and it is impossible for me to have an unimpeded view of the screen. The bottom third is always blocked by the heads of people in the rows in front of me. I so wanted to go to the Sophia Loren-Marcello Mastroianni festival they had several years back, but walked out of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow because I literally couldn't read the subtitles, thanks to the everyone's head in the way. I tried again because my 5'10" husband likes the Spanish and Latin American films so I went with him, but it was the same situation -- couldn't see the bottom third of the screen, couldn't see the subtitles.

There's just no way I'm ever going back to the High. I can feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about how much I hate that theater and how frustrating it is that also it's the one repertory house remaining in this city.

-- Paula

 

[Jim Peavy]

Yeah, me too. Looked like that print had really made the rounds. A couple weeks before when I saw Lord of the Rings there however, it was fabulous (though I got there late and my seats weren't the greatest).
I hope Lawrence doesn't come to the Tara. I saw the anime' Metropolis there recently and it was bloody unwatchable. Half the screen was out of focus. Should have walked but was there with friends.
I hope it comes to Phipps. Decent multiplex with BIG screens.

 

[Agee Bassett]

It won't be at the Tara either.

 

[Scott David]

It won't be at the Tara either.

Really? How do you know, and do you know yet where it will play? Sounds that would pretty much leave Phipps Plaza, since the Lefont theatres apparently aren't 70mm-friendly...

 

[PaulaJ]

I was at the Tara this weekend and there was no poster or trailer for LOA, so I'm guessing Phipps, too, for LOA (also my preference because of the big curved screens). Projection has gotten AWFUL at the Tara, and I've given up complaining about it. They just keep telling me how old their equipment is and "that's why we can't do anything about it."

-- Paula

 

[DeeF]

Embarrassing as this is to state, I really don't care for the Ziegfield (in New York). The architecture is 70s tacky, the seats are uncomfortable, and the acoustics of the room make the sound too wet, so that the dialogue is often unintelligible. I think there are superior large screens in town (the Sony Lincoln Square, for instance) and I wish that special events like Lawrence of Arabia wouldn't always go to the Ziegfield.

 

[Agee Bassett]

I may have been hasty about the Tara (at the very least, it does not show up on their bookings at the present time), but Phipps no longer has 70mm screening capabilities. Instead of all this speculation, I think we will just have to wait and see.