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LAWRENCE OF ARABIA at NYC's Ziegfeld Theater in September! (1 Viewer)

Damin J Toell

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Damin J. Toell
Any NYC-area HTFers interested in a little gathering to see LOA at the Ziegfeld? Neither my girlfriend nor my roommate are willing to accompany me, and I'd hate to be "alone" in a theatre for 3.5 hours.
DJ
 

Woo Jae

Screenwriter
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Dec 13, 2000
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When are you going? Maybe I can get tickets to match the time you go? I am sorta in the same boat as you, since no one I know is remotely interested in going.
 

Jason_Els

Screenwriter
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Feb 22, 2001
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WHERE is the Ziegfeld web site? [parts deleted]
... Finally found it at the logically-named, Link Removed
 

Jason_Els

Screenwriter
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Feb 22, 2001
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:angry: :angry: :angry: Thank you Ziegfeld! NOT!!
Tried the online payment system 3x and all three times it told me it could not process my request. Tried to call Moviephone to buy tickets; after saying it was in the process of confirming my purchase it dumped me to the main menu. I then called the box office but got no answer. I called Clearview Cinemas main number in New Jersey and got no answer.
Lovely way to run a movie theater. I don't give a s--t how grand a palace it is, if they can't deliver on a simple ticket transaction what does that say about the rest of the organization?
Oh and of course this all happened AFTER I invited someone to go with me.
Being treated like a POS is a great way to keep customers.
 

Damin J Toell

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Woo:
Being treated like a POS is a great way to keep customers.
I've got no personal stake in defending the Ziegfeld, but don't think you're being just a little harsh? Perhaps they were simply having problems with their ticketing system. It doesn't sound like they did anything to you to treat you like a "POS." I don't blame you for being upset, but....

DJ
 

Jack Walsh

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May 27, 2001
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I missed this in the theater the last time it came around in 1989. Does anyone by any chance know if this will be playing in the Washington, DC area? I saw 2001 in 70MM at the Uptown and was simply amazed.
 

Woo Jae

Screenwriter
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Woah! Lots of responses here. Friday Evening or Saturday morning. Leaning toward Friday, and will decide what day tomorrow.

What often irks me about the online purchase or moviefone is the impersonal ubiquitous nature of the transaction. I don't mind ordering online or over the phone, but I have NO ONE to complain to except to some voice recording recorded eons ago. THAT's annoying! I mean if I could rant and rave and get to the bottom of the situation it wouldn't be so bad.
 

Rob Tomlin

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Well, I'm off to the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood to see my beloved Lawrence in 70mm!
I can't believe the time is finally here! :)
 

Jason_Els

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OK, I'll admit to Damien I was a bit harsh. It just aggrevates me no end that here I've invited someone to a lovely lunch at Aquavit and her favorite of all-time movie just to discover I can't get tickets in any of the ways I'm told I can. I could have been left flopping in the breeze if you know what I mean :)
Instead I wrote the Ziegfeld a note last night after 10pm EDT and miracle of miracles received a reply that night at 11:08pm (it's true the city never sleeps):
Mr. Ashley:
Sorry for the inconvenience to you this evening. I have visited the website and verified the problem with not being able to purchase tickets on-line. I will contact MovieFone about the issue.
The Ziegfeld is closed this evening to prepare for the opening tomorrow, that is why you were not able to reach anyone. There is currently good seats available for all showings, please try to purchase on-line again in the morning.
Please accept my apologies for the problems you experienced this evening.
Regards;
Doug Oines
Vice President - Operations
I am delighted that Clearview replied so rapidly and with such concern. Clearly I was jumping the gun and have sent a letter of thanks to Mr. Oines. I have also ordered tickets for the Saturday 3:15 showing. Anyone else coming at that time?
 

Andrew_Sch

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Dec 30, 2001
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Rob, don't tell me this is the first time you've seen LOA in 70MM. If I saw LOA in 70MM before Rob Tomlin did, the world would implode.
 

Rob Tomlin

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Glorious. Fantastic. Spectacular.
All these words are too small to describe the experience of seeing Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm! Wow!
I saw numerous details that I have never noticed on the DVD. Can the DVD transfer be improved? Certainly! But, to really do this film justice, we need High Definition DVD!!!
I had mixed feelings about the curved screen. It was great for much of the movie, as you felt more "surrounded" and immersed into the movie. However, as Mr. Harris pointed out, scenes with horizontal lines (such as long shots of the horizon) emphasized the distortion at the edges. However, sharpness was excellent from side to side!
Unfortunately, there is one complaint. There was a problem with the sound. There was a constant low humming noise. At first, I thought it was the air conditioner. But a Theater like the Cinerama Dome is not going to have a loud air conditioner! It didn't interfere with my ability to hear all of the dialog etc, and couldn't be heard in the louder scenes, but its presence during the quieter scenes was distracting. Others were talking about this during the intermission as well. The actual fidelity of the sound was very good!
If a 40 year old movie can look this good in 70mm, what would a new 70mm movie look like!? :eek:
Overall a fabulous, almost religious experience! Seeing this (yes, for the first time Andrew!) in 70mm has only served to increase my love/infatuation for this great film!
At the risk of sounding over melodramatic, when I watched the famous scene of Lawrence blowing out the match then cutting to the incredible sunrise on the desert, I suddenly felt something running down the right side of my cheek! What's that? Yep, sure enough, a tear!
The Theater was about 60% full for a 3:30 p.m. showing. Not bad for a Wednesday afternoon! However, when my wife and I exited, the line forming for the 8:00 p.m. showing wound all the way around the building! Very cool!
Have I ever mentioned how much I love this movie?
I have now seen Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm. All is right with the world!
 

teapot2001

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Thi
I'm glad I changed my tickets from the 11:00am showing yesterday to one next week. This will be my second time at the Cinerama Dome, and I hope they fix that humming sound so that I don't have another dissatisfactory experience: a few months ago I saw Amadeus there, and there was a projection problem that caused the picture to be out of focus.

~T
 

Micah Cohen

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Saw the late show at The Senator Theater last night. It's a theater that was built for LAWRENCE! A tremendous, moving, beautiful experience.

"With Lawrence mercy is a passion; with me it is just good manners. You may judge which is the more reliable."

Everytime I see it, it gets more nuanced and interesting. And seeing it at The Senator... It's worth a trip.

Now, if I could only kill those people behind me; you know them: "What a pretty sunrise." "That's Jose Ferrer." "Where are they supposed to be now?" Please die.

Thanks Mr. Harris!

Micah
 

PaulaJ

Supporting Actor
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Oct 9, 2000
Messages
695
Lawrence of Arabia in Atlanta:
I just spoke with the manager at the Tara Theatre, and he doesn't know anything about LOA showing there. He's got the schedule through December and LOA is not on it. ;( I begged him to please discuss LOA with the theater's film booker, and he promised to do so.
Meanwhile My Big Fat Greek Wedding is playing there for week 6,892.
There is one advantage to watching LOA over and over on DVD. ;) and that is how one can really begin to absorb the movie's structure and its meaning through repeated viewings.
The first few times I saw LOA (mostly in the theater, during the first re-release in the late 80s) I too felt the second half somewhat anti-climatic. But the more I've watched this movie, the more I see how the second half is a stunning reversal of the first half, with so many lines of dialogue from the first half being twisted around on Lawrence in the second half, and so much of the second half foreshadowed in the first. Watching the second half is now a painful experience, not because it's anti-climatic (it's NOT), but because it's so difficult watching Lawrence's tragic fall.
I find it very interesting that in the second half, Lawrence has taken to wearing boots with his Arab dress, whereas he wears sandals in the first half. This of course leads us that ominous shot of Lawrence's boot-clad legs striding along the top of the railroad car. Yes, indeed, the Arabs are going to have their freedom and HE is going to give it to them.
The real Lawrence knew that the English and French intended to divide up the Middle East between them after the war -- he makes that clear in The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. He felt a lot of guilt and heartache during his time with the Arab tribes knowing what the English and French governments were up to, but he rationalized his silence by determining that he would help the Arab Revolt become so strong that in the end the Arabs would be able to forestall a European takeover. Of course, we know how that didn't happen.
It seems to me that Claude Rains' character, Dryden (he gives me the chills!) has it right when he says that Lawrence (the movie Lawrence) has told the Arabs half-lies. Dryden and Allenby are dissembling when Lawrence questions them about England's interest in Arabia, and he can see it in their eyes and posture and manner, and hear it in Allenby's meaningless assurances, but because he doesn't want to believe it, he decides to ignore what he knows to be true.
 

Evan Case

Screenwriter
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Jan 22, 2000
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Round trip bus ticket from Pittsburgh to Allentown: $75
One tank of gas: $20
New York City parking and tunnel fares: $35
One bowl of New England clam chowder, one bowl of turkey chili, one Stewart's Root Beer, and one Rasberry Snapple: $15.95
Two tickets to the Ziegfeld: $20
Concessions: $0 (smuggled in a box of Dots :))
Total time spent waiting at bus stations, on buses, and in cars: 15 hours, one way.
Seeing one of the greatest films of all-time in one of the greatest formats of all-time at one of the greatest theaters of all-time: Priceless
My thanks to The Ziegfeld for showing it (flawlessly, I might add), the late Sir David Lean for making it, and Robert A. Harris for making sure that it wouldn't be lost forever. :emoji_thumbsup:
This is what being a film lover is all about. :)
And as for 70mm: :eek: I'd heard for years how stunning it was but had never seen it with my own eyes. The quality was truly mind-boggling. It'll be tough going back to the the DVD after this (hell, even 35mm won't cast the same spell anymore).
This now joins the premiere of Star Wars: The Special Edition and seeing The General with live organ accompaniment as my greatest ever theatrical experiences.
Evan
 

PaulaJ

Supporting Actor
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Oct 9, 2000
Messages
695
OK, I am *that* close to getting on a plane to NYC. (I have relatives there, so I can justify this somewhat.) :)
How long is LOA scheduled to play at the Ziegfeld?
 

Woo Jae

Screenwriter
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Dec 13, 2000
Messages
1,143
Well, seeing it Sunday at 10:15 with all of my family (four). Who has seen it there and where is the best seating in the theatre? (middle, back rows, etc. etc....)

I think it runs up to October 3. Thursday, if I am not mistaken.
 

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