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  1. #26
    Forum Regular Woochifer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by topspeed
    This would actually be kind of cool topic for a thread: Best Movie Theaters
    You're right! Great idea because we can trade ideas for theaters to visit whenever any of us are on the road. I'll post the thread later on.

    Quote Originally Posted by topspeed
    If you ever get over to the Central Coast, check out the Fremont in San Luis Obispo. This homage to Art Deco has a great sound system, 70mm screen, and the ceiling is detailed with black lit indirect lighting in a paisley pattern. It's very cool. The wine festival is May 21st if you and the missus need a reason to get away for the weekend (and like to drink great wine).
    I've seen that theater many times. Looks great from the outside and if I'm down there again on business and have to stay overnight, that sounds like a good plan.

    Geez, yet another event on May 21st! This is like the fourth item that's been passed onto me for that Saturday! Wine Festivals are always agreeable with my wife (she's got the thing for the vino!), and if it's an annual event, then that might be something to circle on the calendar for next year. Thanx for the heads up. As of now, we're penned in for a club gig with Royal Crown Revue that evening (the bar that they're playing is managed by Mr. Vise Grip, who's best known as the former vocalist for the New Morty Show, another one of the neoswing heavyweights from back in the day). They always put on a great show, and don't come up to the Bay Area as often as they used to.

  2. #27
    Forum Regular anamorphic96's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Woochifer
    My impression of the Coronet was that the volume was sometimes cranked too high for the system to handle. The harshness I noticed, but I also heard occasional distortion, especially in the bass. Despite that, I still liked that theater because seeing a movie there felt like an event.

    It seems that I've encountered sound issues with most of the big single screen theaters in S.F. The Alhambra, the Regency, the North Point, and the Castro are/were all grand movie palaces. Beautiful auditoriums, but with bad acoustics and/or inadequate sound systems that made the dialog very difficult to follow. IMO, the Castro is the grandest remaining movie theater in S.F. Nothing like getting a concert on the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ before the show. Too bad the only movies I can follow there are subtitled foreign films! (Behind the screen, there's a huge amount of space, which creates all kinds of reverb)

    And that's the biggest difference with the big single screen theaters in L.A. Most of them have treated the acoustics and minimized the reverb from the screen speakers. The Village, Bruin, Crest, and National theaters in Westwood, and the Grauman's Chinese, El Capitan, Egyptian, and Cinerama Dome in Hollywood are wonderful single screen theaters with a grand feel. But, they also have modern sound and projection systems that are better than what you typically find at even the newest theaters.



    Wow, that's great info. I might have to give that theater another try. It's been a few years since I've visited that theater, and if I recall it was refurbished not too long ago. Since that pie shop on Union Street closed, I haven't been as inclined to drop into that neighborhood to watch a movie!
    I agree, most of theatres have issues. The Metro is good to my ears but could still use some work at tightneing up the bass. The biggest problem is the companies dont want to pay the money for the upgrades. Down in LA its a different story since the studios are there and DEMAND perfection for screenings and premieres. These houses are under CONSTANT care by the union or an in house technician. Which outside of LA and NY is practically non existent.

    As far as the best sounding system in the city. Public - This honor goes to the Metreon's big house. I think its house 13. This house when properly set is awesome. The only things I can attribute this to is proper set up (most important) and the new 3 way EV speakers they installed. This house is also using about twice as many amps as the typical theatre. But the kicker is the picture quality has slipped and they cant seem to focus the lamp or image to save there lives. On top of that half the time the picture is scratched. GRRRR such a shame.
    Now for private theatres. This goes to the Dolby screening room. But thats to be expected.

    A few other things to note. The Castro did get the Regency's sound system when it closed but they screwed up the install. JBL all around.

    The AMC 1000 Van Ness seems to have the most consistent presentation quality along with repectable sound.

    The Galaxy theatre despite its terrible seats, no cup holders, and no legroom has two great sounding big houses. But they dont get the movies like they used to.

    If you ever have any random questions about the theatres here in the city let me know. I can tell you just about anything you might want to know as far as whats behind the screens and being used in the booth.

  3. #28
    Forum Regular anamorphic96's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible
    Wooch, if you get a chance check out a action movie in the dome. I saw T2 there when it reopened after the remodel. They had some issues with the sound system being so powerful that if was fluttering the screen during bass heavy scenes. My impressions of this system is that it sounded like a huge high end speaker system. Exceptionally clean even when at overbearing levels. If Star wars plays their, that's where I am going to see it.
    Are you referring to Arclight. If so that was one MASSIVE undertaking at 60 million dollars.

    A few details -

    The screen is 86 feet wide by 32 feet tall. With a 126 degree curve.

    Speakers are all JBL. Amps are all QSC. There are five stage speakers with 3400 watts going to each channel. The surround chains use 11 amps with 2400 watts going to each chain. If im not mistaken there are 12 subs but not sure on the power though.

    Pretty impressive if you ask me.

  4. #29
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    Talking

    sorry to bring this thread back on topic, but.......

    To Topspeed and anyone else with younger children:

    Here's a link I found with a full spoilered description of the things that might disturb a child so you can decide whether or not to take the kiddos:

    http://www.theforce.net/topstory/sto...Sith_92098.asp

    spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler...and....spoiler.

  5. #30
    Forum Regular Woochifer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible
    Wooch, if you get a chance check out a action movie in the dome. I saw T2 there when it reopened after the remodel. They had some issues with the sound system being so powerful that if was fluttering the screen during bass heavy scenes. My impressions of this system is that it sounded like a huge high end speaker system. Exceptionally clean even when at overbearing levels. If Star wars plays their, that's where I am going to see it.
    I've been to the Cinerama Dome a couple of times since they refurbished it (both times they showed the three-projector Cinerama trailer for This Is Cinerama -- WOW!). The first time I saw Minority Report, and thought that the sound was harsh and grating. More recently, I saw Kill Bill at the Dome, and thought the sound was more like how you describe it. It's an expensive ticket ($14 on weekend evenings), but the service at that theater is outstanding and there is something very civilized about reserved seating. Plus, when the tickets are that expensive, you don't get as many loudmouthed teenagers there.

    Episode III is opening there for sure (the lineup party is still at the Chinese, even though that theater has yet to book the movie), so looks like you'd better fire up that hybrid for a roadie!

  6. #31
    Forum Regular Woochifer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by anamorphic96
    Are you referring to Arclight. If so that was one MASSIVE undertaking at 60 million dollars.

    A few details -

    The screen is 86 feet wide by 32 feet tall. With a 126 degree curve.

    Speakers are all JBL. Amps are all QSC. There are five stage speakers with 3400 watts going to each channel. The surround chains use 11 amps with 2400 watts going to each chain. If im not mistaken there are 12 subs but not sure on the power though.

    Pretty impressive if you ask me.
    Thanx for the details, again great info. That sounds like even more power going to the speaker system than the Village in Westwood uses. Aside from the improvements to the system itself, the tricky acoustics at the Dome have been tweaked very well.

    I believe that the budget you mention includes both the renovation of the Cinerama Dome and the add-on of the 12-screen Arclight multiplex next door. Still a very high budget for a movie theater project. I've read that the Arclight's smaller theaters have become favorites among people working in the industry because of the reserved seating and the high quality presentation (less acoustical issues than the Dome).

    Ironically, with all of the attention to detail with the service and the presentation at the Arclight, The Grove megaplex (built by the same theater chain that owns the Arclight around the same time) a few miles away at Farmer's Market is now the highest grossing theater in the country. That theater has a more flashy design, and is more like a normal megaplex.

    Hard to believe that the original plan for that project was to chop off part of the Cinerama Dome and reduce the interior size by replacing the curved Cinerama screen with a flat screen. The multiplex would be adjoined to the dome directly behind the screen. Fortunately, the plans were revised to preserve the Dome and build the multiplex as a separate building. Some preservationists are still miffed that the renovation installed a one-piece Cinerama screen, rather than one built out of multiple strips like the original Cinerama roadshow screens (the designer said that a multi-strip screen would not work because the more powerful subwoofers they included would make the screen vibrate). But, at least the integrity of the Dome design is intact.

  7. #32
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    Unfortunately, the best option I have available to me (due to money and time) is driving 20 miles to the "Ultra-Screen" in Appleton WI. What I wouldn't give to be able to see this movie on this Dome you're talking about. At the risk of sounding more like a redneck, I'm almost salivating. Although that might be partially due to the trailers make it look like this might be the first "new" Star Wars Lucas has gotten right in a while now. Not that I didn't like the first two, just that Jar Jar really tainted the first one for me. And while the second wasn't bad at all I just didn't get that epic feeling. Just the trailer for III gives me as much of it as II did anyways!

  8. #33
    Feel the Tempo eisforelectronic's Avatar
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    My peeps and I have officially started the line for Ep III here in Hawaii! And there's already a family camped out behind us. Let the madness begin!

    My friend that went to the Convention in Indy also went to the benefit premiere in LA and seemed quite impressed with the movie.
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