Seattle = WideScreen City. What about your city? (1 Viewer)

[Jared_B]

I've noticed a good supply of WS in the area as well. Borders in Redmond Town Center put their price stickers right over the "Wide..." or the "Full..." so you couldn't tell what you were buying. You have to remove the sticker to see, or check the print on the back. I spend about 3 minutes triple checking it to make sure I didn't walk out with a FS copy.

At least they had about 50:50 ratio, WS to FS (and the WS were not hidden at the bottom, either).

 

[Phong]

I come out of lurking to post this picture that I took several months ago showing that Seattle itself is definately a wide(screen) city..

phong

 

[Jim Robbins]

You guys in Seattle even have a Cinerama so you must be a widescreen city.

 

[Eric C D]

[double post]

 

[Eric C D]

Phong,

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha..snork..hahahahahahahah a!

Eric
(it was too good for a simple rotflmao)

 

[JamieD]

Well, here in St. John's (barely a city), depends on the store.

I was about to buy LOTR, but Zellers only had it in Fullscreen. Wal-Mart tends to go 75% Full, Future Shop closer to 50-50.

 

[PatrickM]

In Vancouver if you go to Futureshop they usually have Widescreen prominantly displayed. You go to Wal-Mart or Zellers and they don't even have Widescreen at the launch but do end up getting small amounts later on. This was the case with Harry Potter and I suspect with LOTR.

Patrick

 

[Nathan V]

Wow, I thought I was the only HTF guy in Seattle!
I usually frequent the Northgate Best Buy [I never order online; I prefer the sheer thrill of driving/busing someplace just to actually hold (and buy) the disc].

Jared- I live in Redmond as well, and I avoid that Border's like poison- the prices are ludicrous. Try the Fred Meyer on 148th in Overlake; they're also building another Fred Meyer in Bear Creek.

Phong- hahahaha!

Jim- yeah, the cinerama is incredible. By far the nest theatre I've ever been in. The people there are obsessed with OAR, framing, etc. They also recently got a digital projector.

Nathan

 

[Steve Phillips]

I know people in rural Iowa who insist on widescreen. You shouldn't assume because people live in a rural area that means they must be uneducated or stupid.
I've seen lots of stupid and uneducated people all over the country!

 

[Jordan_E]

Freddy's has been my store to load up on DVDs recently, as they're always having the so-called "unadvertised" sale on tons of DVDs, a ploy simply to move out old stock, me thinks, but I can pick up a few decent titles with each trip.
Tomoko, when were at the Supermall last? God, so many shops have closed up that it isn't even funny walking along and seeing empty slots every other space! God, I wish Incredible Universe had made it to the DVD era because that place was a HT fanatics wet dream!

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Maybe it's because we have the most educated city in the world (I read somewhere between 50-70 percent of Seattle's citizens hold at least 4-year college degrees).

Seattle has the highest per-capita consumption in the US of both BOOKS and COFFEE.
We also have the largest film festival in the western hemisphere. (in terms of duration: 300+ films over ~30 days; although Toronto shows 350+ films in just over a week )
This festival gives us lots of great world premieres such as the restored prints of NIGHTS OF CABIRIA and THE THIRD MAN (yes I know they're not widescreen, just an indicator of good taste.)
The country has about a dozen or so small independent theaters that constantly show 'repertory' programming; indie & foreign & classic films. FOUR are located in Seattle (The Grand Illusion, The Little Theater, The Varsity, well The Egyptian doesn't count anymore so I suppose there are only THREE here now.)
The CINERAMA has already been mentioned. Out of over 170 Cineramas built, Seattle has one of only three or four remaining. And ours is the only SUPER CINERAMA still standing (i.e. built from the ground up to show 3-strip rather than converted from an existing theater).
When the Star Wars pictures were re-released in 97, the Cinerama was the highest-grossing theater in the northwest.
In the last few years the following 70MM prints have played in Seattle:
BLADE RUNNER (rare workprint)
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
PORGY AND BESS (fantastically rare, hasn't been shown in ANY form in 40+ years)
ALIEN
T2
INDIANA JONES trilogy
plus THIS IS CINERAMA and HOW THE WEST WAS WON in 3-strip
(I know I'm forgetting a bunch)
I live close to downtown so I have a hard time getting out to Best Buy. I bought LOTR at Fred Meyer where they carry both formats. I asked the gentleman behind the counter and he says WS is outselling FS by a huge margin. Folks are returning their FS copies in anger.
Hi Steve, is this the first time we've posted in the same thread?

 

[Jared_B]

I live in Redmond as well, and I avoid that Border's like poison- the prices are ludicrous.

Trust me, I know! I try to avoid them, but they had it on sale, and it came with a free gift card. I also work right across the street, so I probably don't avoid them as much as I should!

 

[Tomoko Noguchi]

Jordan,

I go to Seattle once a year. Last year, I went with students on their homestay. I was their coordinator from Japan. So last year was the last time I walked the Supermall. And you are right. The stores have changed quite a bit.

 

[Peter D]

God, I wish Incredible Universe had made it to the DVD era because that place was a HT fanatics wet dream!

Oh wow, I had forgotten about them. I remember a four-hour 50% off all software sale they had - pure insanity.

 

[Jordan_E]

Tomoko, I enjoy having the Supermall about 3 miles from where I live, but it's gone south so fast from those exciting first months. I believe only 2 stores carry DVDs now. But I can still get a mean iced Americano outside the Nordstrom Rack.

Peter, I remember all those LDs available at Incredible Universe and wish I had picked up a lot more now! That place was the first store where I watched/heard a THX home theater setup and haven't been the same since!

 

[Steve Enemark]

Hi Rob! Excellent post, but you gotta work on that signature.