Fox Theater in Atlanta to show 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm! (1 Viewer)

[Jack Briggs]

And bravo, Andrew!

How did the print look to you, btw? Notice the same things Pat did?

 

[Brook K]

I came away much less enthused about the presentation. It was great to see all the little details like flags, logos, instructions, etc, that just don't show up at home and of course it's one of my favorite films so finally seeing it in a theater is an experience I'll always remember.
BUT...the "haloing" was much worse for me than what Pat described. It was more like image flicker, not noticeable on interiors, but really bad in the opening scenes and in some of the later space scenes where planets and the Sun looked like bouncing balls. The first reel was very beat up and the last or next to last had a line running down the left side. The Fox's screen was also dirty in the middle. This didn't show much, but in the early scenes it showed against the sky and Beyond The Infinite it really showed against the white backgrounds of the rooms.
The soundtrack was the worst which I can't believe I'm the only one that heard it. There was a clicking sound throughout the film, somewhat similar to what you would hear on an old projector when the film runs through and is flapping in the reel. The only times it was drowned out was when the film got very loud.
I was also sitting a couple of seats down from some yahoo who was humming along to "Blue Danube"

 

[Patrick Sun]

Yeah, there was a ticking sound coming from the left side of the screen. I definitely heard it, but after a while, it didn't bother me as much as early on.

On the bright scenes, you could see the dingy patterns on the Fox screen. I just get use to it (long movie and all).

I wasn't all that crazy about the organist they had playing before the film. They did show a Chuck Jones short, something about "The Hypochondriac Cat" before the film.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

BUT...the "haloing" was much worse for me than what Pat described. It was more like image flicker, not noticeable on interiors, but really bad in the opening scenes and in some of the later space scenes where planets and the Sun looked like bouncing balls. The first reel was very beat up and the last or next to last had a line running down the left side.

This sounds like the shutter in the projector was mis-timed. If the shutter is out of sync, you'll get vertical streaks of light above (or below) bright objects as you two described. Don't know what might cause "ticking" with a 70mm magnetic track, though.

 

[Brook K]

Thanks Peter, I was thinking it was more likely something caused by the projector.

I wish I could have forgotten about it Patrick, but the clicking really distracted me.

That short was funny. Great to hear the audience cheer when Chuck Jones' name came up. I really haven't watched any of his stuff in a long time. Now that I know a little bit, I see how impressive the visualization and editing is (and it was still just as funny). Put me on the long list of people wanting Loony Tunes DVD's.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Were the pre-title prelude and the intermission included in this screening?

 

[Patrick Sun]

I think so, there was some music played during intermission, and for the prelude, the curtain stayed closed while music played until it was time to unveil the old MGM logo, and the rest of the film.

 

[Agee Bassett]

Heh, so was I, although the guy sitting next to me to whom every close-up of Keir Dullea somehow struck him funny was far more annoying. (Sorry I didn't see you, Brook!)
I also experienced all the sound and projection problems Brook described; particularly the haloing and clicking on the soundtrack (it sounded to me like it was emanating only from the speaker adjacent to the left side of the screen). Regardless, to me, the experience was still mostly enjoyable, and a pleasure to get that 70mm "buzz" again.
Yes, Ligeti's prelude and entr'-acte music was retained in its entirety.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Why was Keir Dullea wearing a wig for the role of Dave Bowman? You don't notice it as much in a smaller video format, but seeing it on a large screen last night, his wig was very noticeable.

 

[Agee Bassett]

"Keir Dullea, gone tomorrow." --Noel Coward.

 

[AndrewD]

Luckily, the clicking noise faded away in my head after a little while. When the movie first started, I was worried about scratces and dirt - but they also disappeared after about 15 minutes I'd guess.

Though I hate hearing cell phones ring in the theater, I did think it was funny that after all of the '2001' (and Kubrick) gags in countless Simpsons' episodes, to hear their theme song during the movie was kind of amusing.