My Return to Commercial Cinema
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
by John Sciacca
For a variety of reasons, I haven’t seen a film in a commercial movie theater since The Dark Knight. Don’t get me wrong; I love movies. In fact, my wife and I probably watch three movies a week. It is the commercial theater experience that I’m not so in love with.
It seemed that whenever I went to the theater, there was something to gripe about. Ticket prices, food costs, volume level too low, discourteous patrons, etc. Then, after we had our daughter three years ago, a night out only became more difficult. So, I did what any theater-hating/movie-loving person would do; I built my own home theater. I think the result is pretty kick-ass and it never fails to impress me when we fire it up. (You can read about my install here: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/features/3094/my-diy-home-theater-makeover.html)
But, despite what you might have heard, my heart isn’t entirely cast from stone, and I realize that the theatrical experience can exceed the one had at home. Between the giant screen and the shared communal experience, when done right it can be magical. (I’ll briefly share two experiences of mine. A midnight crowd in Berkeley, California getting up and dancing to Stop Making Sense. And an opening night crowd breaking into 16 years worth of heartfelt cheers and applause as the main titles rolled for Star Wars: Episode I.)
Lately I’d been reading the hype about a certain film. Not only reading it, but voluntarily getting swept up in it. Would it be a colossal success or an epic fail? A film by a director whom I really respect. A film that cost a speculated half-billion dollars. A film that was supposed to put 3-D on the map and get people to come back to the theaters again. A film called Avatar.
So, I put an end to my nearly 18 month hiatus and headed back to the cinema to see Avatar opening weekend, and this was my experience….
Prior to even stepping foot in the theater I used a little technology for a bit of research. Not on the movie itself, but when to run to the bathroom if need be. With trailers, this movie clocks in at nearly 3 hours and if the urge to go came, I wanted to know when to make my break. I used a Website called runpee.com. This tells you the best time to go in order to miss the least “good parts,” as well as a synopsis of what happens while you’re gone. (For the record, I made it the whole movie. My wife took one runpee suggested break.)
Second, I was hit by the ticket price. $10.50. Times two. I guess it is a small price to pay for doing my share to fund Cameron’s opus, but it equates to an entire month’s worth of Netflix. Luckily we ate before the film so I was spared the concession stand.
Our Imax neglects to show any current films, so we went to the newest theater in town. This meant that everything was in great shape. Nice faux-leather chairs that had a bit of rocking action with cup holder arm rests arranged in stadium seating so every seat had an good view of the screen. Speaking of the screen, I was totally disappointed to see that it was in Academy Flat (1.85:1) aspect instead of Scope (2.35:1). This meant that when they ran the masking to show the film, the screen would get smaller. Sad face….
As the movie started, I immediately heard a crackling sound from one of the front channels. Blown speaker? Bad amp? Loose wire? Who knows. But once heard, I couldn’t un-hear it and it worked on me like Chinese water torture for those three hours. I envied those around me who seemed oblivious to it. At least they played the movie near reference volume, which helped drown out the crackle during the battle scenes.
Then I noticed that they had left the light on in the projection booth. Whenever the screen went dark, a nice shadow of the projector showed up on the screen.
As far as the film goes, I was totally impressed. The visuals are spectacular. Cameron expertly used the groundbreaking technology and 3-D as tools to tell a better story instead of beating you over the head with them Lucas-style. I never felt the 3-D was a gimmick, but used to provide a more immersive experience offering a sense of depth that further drew you into the experience. I can’t wait to see it again…on Blu-ray.
All in all the experience told me two things. I love movies. But I love them even more at home.
Share This Post!
Posted in Blogging, Projection Screens, Projectors, Speakers, Surround Sound | 2 Comments »
