Best THX moments in the cinema

[anamorphic96]

I will have to give these theaters a second chance I guess. I do like the nostalgia factor of going to single screens so I will probably try some of these theaters again.

The funny thing about going to the Arclight for me is I dont get the multiplex feel when I go. People are polite and have only heard one cell phone go off. I get so absorbed in the movie because there no issues or distractions like I get everywhere else. The only real issue I have is the concession lines move painfully slow.

I will post some pics after my tour of Arclight. I'm also in Arizona right now doing an install for Harkins who actually builds nice theaters with sound systems done right. I will post some pics as I take them.

[Woochifer]

I will have to give these theaters a second chance I guess. I do like the nostalgia factor of going to single screens so I will probably try some of these theaters again.

The funny thing about going to the Arclight for me is I dont get the multiplex feel when I go. People are polite and have only heard one cell phone go off. I get so absorbed in the movie because there no issues or distractions like I get everywhere else. The only real issue I have is the concession lines move painfully slow.

I will post some pics after my tour of Arclight. I'm also in Arizona right now doing an install for Harkins who actually builds nice theaters with sound systems done right. I will post some pics as I take them.

A couple of other single-screen theaters that you should try out are the Crest Theater on Westwood Blvd. and the Vista Theater in Los Feliz Village. These are both single-screen theaters that operate as independent businesses (VERY rare in this day and age).

The Crest was extensively refurbished in the late-80s when Disney footed the bill to restore both the Crest and the El Capitan (in Hollywood, another very nice theater) so that both theaters could serve as showcases for Disney's releases. The El Capitan restoration was more extensive and celebrated, but the Crest Theater is a very nice theater in its own right. The refurb of the Crest included a THX installation, as well as some nostalgic murals (that glow in the dark), a fiber optic starscape in the ceiling, and an elaborate curtain that rises dramatically to "That's Entertainment." I saw several Disney features at the Crest, and it's a wonderful gem of a theater. It's smaller than the other THX auditoriums in Westwood, but the presentation quality was always up to par.

A few years ago, Pacific Theaters decided to sell the theater and it might have gotten torn down like the UA multiplex that formerly shared the same block (currently a drug store). But, an individual owner who made some money operating a film industry website decided to buy the theater and operate it himself. Since then, the Crest has had its share of ups and downs, but it's still there and currently showing The Last King of Scotland. I haven't been there since the ownership change, so I don't know if the same attention to detail is still there. But, from what I understand, the owner is there most of the time and often doubles as the ticket taker at the door.

The Vista is a beautifully preserved neighborhood theater that still shows first-run movies. It's been ages since I've been there, but from what I understand the owner has upgraded the sound system, so it now meets more modern standards. I'm not sure though if they've upgraded the acoustics (which is usually an issue with these older single-screen theaters).




As far as the Arclight goes, I think a big reason why the theater does not attract rude audiences is simple -- higher ticket prices, and reserved seating. When people pay more, they expect more. It also bumps up the average age of the audience. The reserved seating I think also keeps groups of chatty teens from congregating together. Plus, it helps that the ushers are very proactive about maintaining order. And the concessions don't need to go any further than the Hebrew National hot dogs and the kettlecorn!

Another theater well worth checking out (and this is way off the THX beaten path!) is the Silent Movie Theatre right around Melrose and Fairfax. As the name implies, it's a theater that shows mostly silent movies (schedule looks like they do screenings every Thursday night). It's got quite a history, including a former owner who was murdered in the upstairs office. But, as with the Crest, an independent proprietor saved the building from getting converted into a Persian rug gallery, and invested beaucoup bucks into fixing up the place. The theater itself is small, but very comfortable and noticeably different from other movie theaters. First off, the screen is in the old Academy aspect ratio and it's not acoustically transparent for screen speakers (for talkies, the speakers are off to the side). And there's no acoustical treatment anywhere with hard wood everywhere. Plus, there's the organ up front. All in all, a very different moviegoing experience, and a welcome break to occasionally jetison the mega-amped surround sound in favor of live accompaniment.

[PeruvianSkies]

Imagine if they still made movies in Cinerama!!! Oh wait, they couldn't because the editing in movies today is so fast and blurry that people would have seizures trying to watch all that craziness across three screens.

[westcott]

The best THX cinema experience was when I walked out of King Kong and a movie theater for the last time. It was such a terrible experience that I will never go back in a theater again!


Even in a major city like Houston, there are no good theaters. They have long gone the way of the dodo. And so will the rest of them if they do not change their approach. Worn out film, bad audio or removing the low frequencies, high prices, lack of enough technicians, etc.

[ironbird]

Aloha

Wow what a great post! Thanks for both the writeup & GREAT pics. Unbelievable. All we have here are the multiplex shoeboxes with the bass turned too loud. The best place here is Dole Cannery Theater with digital projectors.Thanks again

Chris

[Woochifer]

Aloha

Wow what a great post! Thanks for both the writeup & GREAT pics. Unbelievable. All we have here are the multiplex shoeboxes with the bass turned too loud. The best place here is Dole Cannery Theater with digital projectors.Thanks again

Chris

Actually, if you're in Hawaii, you got several of the HPS-4000 systems over there. I have no idea if the Waikiki Twin is still there, but that theater used to get praise from others on this board indicating that HPS-4000 setup delivered the best surround imaging they ever heard in a theater. Some other HPS-4000 locations from John Allen's website are listed below.

http://www.hps4000.com/pages/theatres_.html

Kahala (auditorium #1 is setup for 70mm)
Ward 16 (all 16 auditoriums are setup with HPS-4000 systems, and auditoriums #7-#10 are setup for 8-channel SDDS-8)

[yelhsa]

Even in a major city like Houston, there are no good theaters. They have long gone the way of the dodo. And so will the rest of them if they do not change their approach. Worn out film, bad audio or removing the low frequencies, high prices, lack of enough technicians, etc.

PM Ashley (aka Brainstorm) about a job opportunity there. What have you got to loose? Maybe that’ll get him a green card and opportunity to dive into the culture he adores so much.

[Brainstorm]

At the Empire Leicester square in 70mm

Seeing Star Trek II the Wrath of Khan at London’s Empire Leicester square cinema screen # 1 back on warm Sunday October 8th 1989 which was part of an all day Star Trek event which started at 11am in the morning with a packed out Empire was totally out of this world for sound presentation via the Dolby stereo six-track and the Lucasfilm THX crossover system which was accompanied by a huge JBL loudspeaker array delivering up close to 16KW of brut sound power of high fidelity had to be heard!

The first show stared off with 35mm Dolby stereo optical print of Star Trek the Motion Picture which for an optical track sounded great all the richness of the soundtracks sound elements where faithful reproduced without colourization of the sound it fitted the screen size perfectly.

The 70mm six-track Dolby stereo experience!

Star Trek II presented in 70mm went just that bit further in terms of sound the opening titles was deep from the moment the James Horner score started over a Paramount Pictures logo, it gradually builds up in layers where its presence started to vibrate the chair with certain parts of frequency range pressing on me!

One moment in the film that I thought was quite impressive was when Khan, lifted Pavel Chekov off the floor whoa, this was a quite ambient scene and where all that low came from I still haven’t the first clue thou I’m sure most of it is in the centre channel mix after playing the same scene on region 2 DVD. Now I have seen this many times projected in the cinema via several 35mm optical Dolby prints but never like this, yes this is how it should sound and feel with lots of drama that makes the audience gasp!



Its not easy to play a scene like this and then later where the U.S.S. Enterprise is being attacked by a vengefully disgruntled Khan why who could blame him, suddenly you reach for the volume as it seems too bright sounding in the high frequencies as the phasers fire from the fronts then pan to surrounds within milliseconds its all too much for the home.

Getting all to sound right in the home varies from home to home the type of loudspeakers amplifiers equalizers room acoustics how one might customized the sound system to have a unique difference over most its about how far one is willing to take it and make its conviction sound good without muddying up the sound.