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Justin Simpson

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Who feels that our society has completely accepted watching films at home, on their televisions, as normal? I've fallen into this, and I'm kind of upset because there is so much magic when seeing a film in the theater. Especially for the first time. I understand that with blu-ray and a nice home theater system it can be emulated in a way, but I don't feel completely convinced. Maybe I haven't seen a good enough home theater set-up that really makes me feel the way I do at the cinema.

 

These aren't my own words but from an interview I recently heard; it's sad when these kids watch movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Citizen Kane on tv's for the first time and never watch them on the big screen. I'm one of them! :( I hope someone understands what I'm trying to say. Maybe the older members will, but I'm definitely not old enough to truly understand.

 

I hope this hasn't been a post in the past. :unsure:

 

-Justin

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Who feels that our society has completely accepted watching films at home, on their televisions, as normal? I've fallen into this, and I'm kind of upset because there is so much magic when seeing a film in the theater. Especially for the first time. I understand that with blu-ray and a nice home theater system it can be emulated in a way, but I don't feel completely convinced. Maybe I haven't seen a good enough home theater set-up that really makes me feel the way I do at the cinema.

 

These aren't my own words but from an interview I recently heard; it's sad when these kids watch movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Citizen Kane on tv's for the first time and never watch them on the big screen. I'm one of them! :( I hope someone understands what I'm trying to say. Maybe the older members will, but I'm definitely not old enough to truly understand.

 

I hope this hasn't been a post in the past. :unsure:

 

-Justin

 

I get what you're saying. I've seen a lot of my favorites on the big screen and it really is like a different movie. Unfortunately, television forced a price hike in movie tickets. It used to be that ticket prices were low enough to see every movie that came out and go every week, multiple times even. I know I can't pay to see every movie that comes out. Ticket prices are too high. I'm lucky to have a girlfriend who is a projectionist so I can see a lot of things for free. ;)

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Yeah, I payed $13 the other day to see a movie that wasn't even that good! Well, I guess I need to start hanging around theaters a little more and getting to know the staff. :rolleyes: Does anybody know a good theater in NYC that plays classics from time to time?

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Who feels that our society has completely accepted watching films at home, on their televisions, as normal?

I feel ya Justin, but to be honest I rarely go to the theater because film projection is done so poorly these days. It's almost always out of focus, the lamp is not bright enough, there's too much ambient spill from the various signage, etc. It drives me nuts.

 

To be fair, this is not the fault of the celluloid - it's the fault of the theater and the projectionist. If you can see a pristine print in a properly maintained theater, then projected film is still great. But otherwise, I'd much rather watch a film at home on Blu-Ray on my calibrated 1080P plasma screen with the ambient light just how I like it. Or watch 16mm projected on my home screen, in focus...

 

BTW Chris, is it weird to have a girlfriend who touches more 35mm film than you do on a daily basis? :P

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Who feels that our society has completely accepted watching films at home, on their televisions, as normal? I've fallen into this, and I'm kind of upset because there is so much magic when seeing a film in the theater. Especially for the first time. I understand that with blu-ray and a nice home theater system it can be emulated in a way, but I don't feel completely convinced. Maybe I haven't seen a good enough home theater set-up that really makes me feel the way I do at the cinema.

 

These aren't my own words but from an interview I recently heard; it's sad when these kids watch movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Citizen Kane on tv's for the first time and never watch them on the big screen. I'm one of them! :( I hope someone understands what I'm trying to say. Maybe the older members will, but I'm definitely not old enough to truly understand.

 

I hope this hasn't been a post in the past. :unsure:

 

-Justin

I quit going to the movies for a while because of people talking in the theatre. It still happens on occasion, but movie going is a slightly better experience than the 90's. I used to look forward to going to the theatre, but both films and audience seemed to get progressively worse.

 

I finally gave up, but went back on occasion. Films are a little better now, and film depending, audiences seem to be adult again.

 

Now, on the other hand, there's nothing like watching a good film on TV, either with family, friends, or occasionally alone. A good movie is a good movie, and I'll go see it wherever if it's good enough.

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A few years ago I used to go to the movies weekly, which is extremely unusual here. I stopped for several reasons:

 

- The physical condition of the local Odeon was appalling. I'm not sure the place was ever cleaned - well, OK, I'm being facaetious, but I hated being ankle-deep in popcorn. Screens should be cleaned between showings if that is necessary (and it was).

- I became aware of the standard of projection at the Arclight on Sunset in LA, and the Imax screen at Universal. I don't think the local multiplex was ever going to be able to match that, in fact I'm not sure if there's anywhere in the UK or even Europe that could match that, although must admit I now haven't been for so long that I haven't seen their digital installation in use.

- There were never any staff in the screens. I do mind people talking, I mind a lot, but what I mind even more is the venue not really appearing to give a poop.

- We got past "talking", all the way through "cellphone ringing" and up to "cellphone ringing and being answered, and the person having a long, animated conversation with her boyfriend Darryl". This was more than I could stand.

- And through all this, the Odeon became slowly more and more and more expensive. Now of course with every third film being badly converted into head-aching 3D, it's even more expensive, and they've found a way to make the experience actually and literally hurt.

 

So no. I don't go to the movies very much.

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Does anybody know a good theater in NYC that plays classics from time to time?

 

Film Forum - As a matter of fact, if you want a real classic go NOW, or at least this weekend, and watch the 50th anniversary restoration of Godard's "Breathless." It's run ends on the 13th. Go. The restoration friggin gorgeous.

 

Anthology Film Archives - plays all kinds of stuff, from Avant Garde, barely known films to true classics. I saw Renoir's "Rules of the Game" there recently, and Haneke's "The Piano Teacher"

 

IFC just played "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" this weekend.

 

There's also MOMA, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, The Landmark Sunshine does semi-classics as midnight movies, There's another theater over by Lincoln center that does first runs but was playing Felini's "8 1/2" a while back. I've lived in the city for 5 months and found these places and I'm sure there're plenty more. NYC is a treasure trove of good cinema.

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