Ask questions to The Digital Bits team (Bill Hunt, Jeff Kleist et.al.)

[Jeff Kleist]

Yeah, I remember. Theaters didn't want to run the intermissions.

The only modern film I've seen with an intermission at a non-arthouse was Gods and Generals

[Xorp]

http://www.amazon.com/Gangs-York-24b...dp/B002XUBDVK/

"Rmst" in title = remastered?

[Jeff Kleist]

Normally yes. In this case no. Disney has double checked for me

This is simply part of their Oscar promotion with a golden slipcover

[Vincent Pereira]

Originally Posted by benes

I saw FotR:EE and TTT:EE during their brief theatrical run in Dec. 2003 and there was no intermission at all.

When I saw 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY during its 70mm re-release run at the (sadly now gone) Loews Astor Plaza in New York City in late 2001, it didn't have an intermission, either...

But in no way, shape, or form does that mean that it wasn't supposed to have one. In this case, the projectionist and/or theater manager simply (and stupidly) decided to remove it from the print. I remember being mighty pissed off, because having seen the film before I knew where the intermission fell, and had to use the 'facilities' so I was waiting for it, and then...

There was a little "pop" on the soundtrack and the film just went on...

Really pissed me off that I had to leave the theater and miss a couple minutes of that otherwise superb 70mm presentation!

Vincent

[Jeff Kleist]

Hey Vincent, check your PMs

You know, I wonder if with modern audiences on a major film an intermission would confuse people. The concerts I put on see a lot of walkouts after the band goes off stage the first time. Frankly I think the whole encore thing is silly. You play your set and get out,and everyone who has a few shows under their belts knows you're coming back after that first one, but whatever

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Hey Vincent, check your PMs

You know, I wonder if with modern audiences on a major film an intermission would confuse people. The concerts I put on see a lot of walkouts after the band goes off stage the first time. Frankly I think the whole encore thing is silly. You play your set and get out,and everyone who has a few shows under their belts knows you're coming back after that first one, but whatever

That's why the Intermission for LoTR and Deathly Hallows and Twilight is actually one "movie" ending and the next one beginning. Americans have the attention span of a chow, they can't hold onto thoughts for longer than a few seconds without losing the train.

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by Wolverine1980

That's why the Intermission for LoTR and Deathly Hallows and Twilight is actually one "movie" ending and the next one beginning. Americans have the attention span of a chow, they can't hold onto thoughts for longer than a few seconds without losing the train.

And the French will tell you that Americans can't keep their damn hands off the wine (translation: are incapable of aging their wine), but I have some 30 year old white Burgundy (Mersault-Charmes) in the cellar anyway.

[Kris Deering]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Yeah, I remember. Theaters didn't want to run the intermissions.

The only modern film I've seen with an intermission at a non-arthouse was Gods and Generals

The only one I remember seeing was Malcolm X. But for some reason I keep thinking I saw one during Schindler's List as well, but I may be wrong. It is all fuzzy.........

[Jeff Kleist]

I didn't see either of those theatrically. Mom didn't want to see Malcom and I was a young looking 15, and I forget why I didn't see Schindler

[jaaguir]

Jeff, in his review of the new Harry Potter UE-s Bill didn't delve too much on whether any image quality improvements has been achieved. I guess they look too close to the previous editions to notice any difference? and is the added footage the same as the deleted scenes that are also included in the standard-def disc? Others reviews I've read don't seem to address the issue.

Thanks,

[Jeff Kleist]

I'll ask him to post something about that.

[SpaceDog]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Hey Vincent, check your PMs

You know, I wonder if with modern audiences on a major film an intermission would confuse people. The concerts I put on see a lot of walkouts after the band goes off stage the first time. Frankly I think the whole encore thing is silly. You play your set and get out,and everyone who has a few shows under their belts knows you're coming back after that first one, but whatever

Yes, concert encores are staged and silly. Unfortunately though, if you don't do a planned encore most audiences feel cheated. I tend to like it better when artists at least have a fluid encore for the crowd in question - either taking requests, or playing something out of the ordinary.

I think the last time I saw intermissions at the movie theater were when I traveled to Montana in 1991. Terminator 2 had one. I thought it was specific to that movie... but then there was one of City Slickers. Clearly just a concession grab.

[SquidPuppet]

Hi Jeff,

Regarding the news on the front page about TV shows on Blu struggling with sales.

Mad Men (13 episodes, 616 minutes) can often be had for mid $20.00s. (MSRP $50)
Damages (13 episodes,581 minutes) can rarely be found for under $48.00. (MSRP $80)

Both are 3 BD50 sets.

Considering that both shows appeal to a similar demographic, it seems obvious to me why Mad Men sells like hotcakes and Damages didnt sell well. I know I had a very hard time justifying my Damages purchase, but I did.

Is Sony just not being realistic with their pricing, or is Lionsgate nearly taking a loss? Or, are the production costs really that much different?

[Batman1980]

We're discussing which year in film was better, 2008 or 2009? What do you think, Jeff? I say 2009 but most seem to disagree.

[Jeff Kleist]

Mad Men has a much stronger Blu demo than Damages, pretty much period. It may seem on the surface that they're similar, but they're not

There may be different talent royalty deals in place as well. Damages may be owned more by the production company than the studio, there could be kickbacks to the network,there's a hundred different reasons it could be. LG also, from what I can see, operates more on a high volume structure, while the other studios don't.

But one can look back at the X-Files sets and how they stayed $150 SRP for a very very long time, even when other sets like Buffy hit at 60. I know there were a bunch of deals in place there that kept it up.(and which allowed it to be released in the first place)

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Mad Men has a much stronger Blu demo than Damages, pretty much period. It may seem on the surface that they're similar, but they're not

There may be different talent royalty deals in place as well. Damages may be owned more by the production company than the studio, there could be kickbacks to the network,there's a hundred different reasons it could be. LG also, from what I can see, operates more on a high volume structure, while the other studios don't.
But one can look back at the X-Files sets and how they stayed $150 SRP for a very very long time, even when other sets like Buffy hit at 60. I know there were a bunch of deals in place there that kept it up.(and which allowed it to be released in the first place)

A lot of behind the scenes stuff that I had no idea about. Thanks for the answer.

[garyrc]

Originally Posted by Vincent Pereira

When I saw 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY during its 70mm re-release run at the (sadly now gone) Loews Astor Plaza in New York City in late 2001, it didn't have an intermission, either...

But in no way, shape, or form does that mean that it wasn't supposed to have one. In this case, the projectionist and/or theater manager simply (and stupidly) decided to remove it from the print. I remember being mighty pissed off, because having seen the film before I knew where the intermission fell, and had to use the 'facilities' so I was waiting for it, and then ... There was a little "pop" on the soundtrack and the film just went on...

Really pissed me off that I had to leave the theater and miss a couple minutes of that otherwise superb 70mm presentation!

Vincent

Shame on whoever made that decision. Did you complain? Hope so .....

All prints of 2001 I saw had the intermission in the standard place. (San Francisco 70mm, San Jose 70mm, San Francisco re-release 70mm, Exploratorium for Arthur Clarke's appearance -- unfortunately 35mm, but not as bad as I'd feared -- they moved in some better speakers for the event).

Speaking of INTERMISSIONS, I hate it when -- on disk -- they cut away from the original image (often with the word "intermission" superimposed), and insert some horrible garish card with said word on it.

At a festival of experimental / underground films, including some that were fairly explicit sexually (but not porn), when it came time for the break, the word on the screen, in elegant, dignified font, was "Intromission."

[Jeff Kleist]

Those who asked about original V on Blu-ray, this is right from Kenneth Johnson:

...I have had lengthy discussions with WBHV which -- hopefully -- will not fall on deaf ears. If they go forward I hope to be closely involved.

That's not an "it's coming". Just to be clear.

[garyrc]

[QUOTE=Jeff Kleist;2616020]

You know, I wonder if with modern audiences on a major film an intermission would confuse people.QUOTE]

People can still learn unless pollution, cell phone/WiFi waves the like have caused significant retardation. Up until the age of 14 (and I had seen a zillion movies) I never experienced an intermission in the middle of a film, then I saw Oklahoma! (1955) in 70mm Todd-AO, with its intermission in a perfect place, improving the film dramatically, and allowing for the impressive entr'acte music. When I went to my second 70mm movie (Around the World in 80 Days -1956), I hoped there would be an intermission, and there was, with several great shots building up to it, crowned by a climactic and humorous piece of music, dynamically pumping the 114 piece orchestra gloriously through the multichannel stereo system, at incredibly high and thrilling volume. I became an "intermission fan," looking for them in all longer films, and in almost all 70mm except Disney's Sleeping Beauty, which was too short for an intermission. I don't remember an intermission that was not intelligently placed, and did not contribute to the dramatic impact of the film.

Thousands of stoned young people returned for the second half of 2001: A Space Odyssey -- by that time they had been conditioned to expect an intermission in a road show film. If the existence of a well marked intermission confuses people, we may be in deep, deep trouble.

[Jeff Kleist]

Thousands of stoned young people returned for the second half of 2001: A Space Odyssey -- by that time they had been conditioned to expect an intermission in a road show film. If the existence of a well marked intermission confuses people, we may be in deep, deep trouble.

Thank you for confirming the real reason why everyone loved it