October 19, 2013 - 20:04
OK I thought, I've sat in front of my 55'' LCD long enough, listening to 120 w/ch through 5 speakers (don't need a sub with my IMFs). I thought it time I went to the pictures to see what I'd been missing.
I paid a hefty £9.80 having been assured that the cinema showing this well reviewed film (Captain Phillips) had the finest projector, the biggest 'Impact' screen, the best sound system, the comfiest seats with the greatest space around them. I sat at the center where the room diagonals cross.
All of the above were true. As i entered the cinema i walked directly alongside the huge 10 meter wide screen and I noticed the multiple perforations and dulled metallic grey surface. My heart sank but I was prepared to give it a go.
After 2½ hours I was refunded my money. Want to know why?
Well, everything they told me was true - but they forgot to mention that the high-gain screen gave a picture that was at least 3 stops brighter in the middle than the edges. Here was a screen designed for feeble projectors - or to put it another way - a screen too big for the installed projector.
It led to some ludicrous situations where the moon and its reflection in the sea were much darker than the centre of the screen - that had no apparent moon lighting the water as far as I could see,
I assured the manager that he had been missold; the screen was simply unfit for purpose. We toured the other screens in the complex and sure enough, their matt white surfaces gave beautifully even exposures. As an aside I was interested to see that two of the 18 films were 35mm prints, but that's getting off the subject.
He was technically knowledgeable and agreed with me that Greengrass and his DOP would have been horrified to see the vignetting introduced into their film - especially when they'd gone to such lengths to light to perfection and to use stopped-down expensive lenses. Telling me that no-one else had ever mentioned this cut no ice with me; such a blatantly glaring fault would ensure that I avoided that cinema in future, along with who knows how many others who simply grinned and bore it.
tom.
October 21, 2013 - 22:41
#1
Re: Captain Phillips on the big screen
The last time I went was to watch Hot Fuzz to kill an evening while working away.
Here's my list of cinema annoyances:
(1) Price
(2) Poor service
(3) Poor seating
(4) Other people - the noisy variety
(5) Other people - smelly ones
(6) Other people - in general really
(7) Poor audio - pick any audio issue - loud, quiet, bad, hiss, hum, sync....
(8) Picture - not seen your issue but never really thought wow that's good
(9) Rip off sundries
(10) Can't pause it for a wee/brew break
AND for those reasons I bought a very reasonably priced projector (only 720P) and some equally reasonable speakers.
I don't mind waiting for films to come out on disc or stream from iTunes (paid for with Tesco points).
The only negative is that our local corner shop has recently closed due to retirement so we can no longer send the kids out for 50p mixes!
<RANT MODE OFF>
October 22, 2013 - 07:19
#2
Re: Captain Phillips on the big screen
. . . I'm with Gavin :)
October 22, 2013 - 07:51
#3
Re: Captain Phillips on the big screen
Rarely go to the pics but we were at our daughters recently after returning from Paris & it was decided to go to the pics in Portsmouth to a "Kids" performance! Cost was a whopping £1.75
Huge screen, plenty of legroom, very impressive. Only thing spoiling it was a very young child being frightened by the noise of the cartoon. Now I fully accept that it was a "Kids Performance" that`s why the cost is so low but all the rest of the kids watching were really annoyed by this mother`s attitude in bringing in such a small child who was really to young to be there. The mother called the child "Jayden" I think it says it all, Chavy or what, probably using her benefits to pay for it!
Huge screen, plenty of legroom, very impressive. Only thing spoiling it was a very young child being frightened by the noise of the cartoon. Now I fully accept that it was a "Kids Performance" that`s why the cost is so low but all the rest of the kids watching were really annoyed by this mother`s attitude in bringing in such a small child who was really to young to be there. The mother called the child "Jayden" I think it says it all, Chavy or what, probably using her benefits to pay for it!