Posted by Curtin/Dobbs on 10/24/05 16:52

"John Harkness" <jharkness@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:d03ql1ts00kck1kon3u7t0qofup2mp49km@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:26:03 -0700, "Curtin/Dobbs"
> <curtin-dobbs@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>>
>>"John Harkness" <jharkness@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
>>news:c8tol19uji5lou4kfiosh5h7eh8e65d41t@4ax.com...
>>> On 23 Oct 2005 22:22:18 -0700, "Jordan" <lundj@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I sat down this week-end and watched Batman Begins and was struck,
>>>>immediately, at how much clearer it looks on DVD at home than it did in
>>>>the theater. I don't have a AAA home theater set-up, but I have a nice
>>>>51" rear projection 16:9 set and Dolby Digital/DTS 6.1 surround.
>>>>
>>>>I remember thinking when I saw it in the theater that it was a little
>>>>blurry, a little grainy, kind of hard to follow the action. I said to
>>>>myself back then "I wonder what it's going to look like on DVD?"
>>>>
>>>>Turns out it kicks ass on DVD. Has anyone else had this experence? I
>>>>first noticed it back when the Brendan Frasier version of the Mummy
>>>>came out. I used to blame it on the projectionist (or lack of a trained
>>>>one), but now I'm not so sure.
>>>>
>>>>- Jordan
>>>
>>>
>>> Just out of curiosity, wen did you see it in its run -- film prints
>>> don't have that opening weekend clarity for very long, and as theatres
>>> don't have actual projectionists any more to maintain equipment and
>>> prints, what you likely saw was a badly projected print.
>>
>>On many occasions I've gone to see a movie on opening day and I've
>>encountered scratchy, worn prints. It's like my theatre was sent a
>>"screener." I'd say go ahead and complain, even though it might seem
>>fruitless as all the other theatre patrons are enjoying the film as they
>>eat
>>popcorn from a trough and drink a bucket of soda. Who knows, you might be
>>the 100th monkey. My other word of advice would be to choose theatres that
>>consistently have good presentations; though, that might not be possible
>>if
>>you live in Podunkville. I've heard that if you happen to live in the L.A.
>>area and go to the high-end theatres, you almost always have a good show
>>because that's where the industry types see'em (when they go to a regular
>>theatre). Does anyone know if that's true? Of course, all these things are
>>moot to me, as I've got small kids and Netflix is my theatre. :-)
>>
>>...Curtin/Dobbs
>>
>
> If you have a scratchy print on opening weekend, what you probably
> have is badly maintained projectors that scratch the prints up as they
> play them.

That's a possibility. Though I still maintain based on my experience as a
life long moviegoer and having projected films (16mm) and inspected them,
that the wear and damage I sometimes see on the first showing on opening day
is not being caused by the projector the film is going through.

If they use a print to screen for critics in Boston or NY,
> they're not going to box it up and ship it to Peoria to open it.

Why not? It's just lying around. Why waste it? Those hayseeds in Peoria
won't complain.

>
> It's not that you're more likely to get better prints in L.A. or NY --

I can't vouch for NYC, but I would bet that Grauman's Chinese, The Egyptian,
El Capitan, etc. are never sent bad prints.

> it's that you're more likely to have a theatre that's properly run --
> that has audiences which bitch about out of focus shows and non-synch
> sound.

Agreed.

....Curtin/Dobbs

>
> John Harkness

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