Edward Norton Says Spielberg Is Wrong: Netflix Isn’t Destroying Movies, Theaters Are

[FragnitoM]

This is what I wish Spielberg/Scorsese would complain about instead of marvel movies and streaming... almost every time I go to a movie it’s something... and managers are just like yuh ok thanks for letting us know...

AMC especially have the screens so dark—they must be just trying to prolong the lamps?

I went to a 4DX movie at regal and the seats weren’t moving I had to leave the film to say something.

50% of every movie I go to I have to run out and tell someone the lights are still on...

many screens have rips/tears that go unfixed

Speakers that are distorted/blown out/turned up way too loud

Black bars on top and bottom for widescreen films—even imax instead of adjusting the screen to fit the correct aspect ratio

One theater had a purplish tint on half the screen and the manager was like hmm I see what you mean but you can still watch the movie or get a refund if you want...

Not even mentioning how inconsiderate people are whispering/talking/checking smart watches and phones

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

When the people complaining stop complaining, that kinda lets then off the hook.

I've gotten to that age when I just thinking complaining and specifically me, that praises and brought up flaws to varying area theater managers in the past years, I'm done, let other complain. I did this today at my neighborhood AMC - I had three other patrons complain that they didn't switch over to the 3D setting on the projector for 'Addams Family'. My only beef with AMC is corporate's decision to waste my time with 25 to 30 minutes of trailers before a movie. AMC Tyson's cant seem to fix their IMAX screen, the stair/wall lighting bounces up to the screen; the fixed the Dolby Cinema screen with this same flaw to an extent, but my constant b!tching about the IMAX screen falls on deaf ears.

[Arawn]

When the credits started rolling for Days of Future Past they immediately turned the lights on. Many in the audience may have known an after-credit scene was coming, so eventually there was a bit of an uproar. So they turned the lights off. Then I called them dumb mother****ers so they turned them on again. But then they turned them off again.

[Tristen]

Ever since AMC theaters did this bullshit seat reservations,
I just quit going. I know theaters makes most of their money
from food and drinks, but still it’s too high. It might b years from
now, but eventually theaters will just b a memory. With more
streaming services coming around, I can enjoy it in my own home,
instead of paying a high ticket price.

[Arawn]

I have mixed feelings about reserved seating. One thing I love about it is that it's eliminated the whole thing where people would come in and pressure you to move over to some other seat. Now you can say, "Sorry, can't do that, that's someone else's seat."

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

I've gotten to that age when I just thinking complaining and specifically me, that praises and brought up flaws to varying area theater managers in the past years, I'm done, let other complain. I did this today at my neighborhood AMC - I had three other patrons complain that they didn't switch over to the 3D setting on the projector for 'Addams Family'. My only beef with AMC is corporate's decision to waste my time with 25 to 30 minutes of trailers before a movie. AMC Tyson's cant seem to fix their IMAX screen, the stair/wall lighting bounces up to the screen; the fixed the Dolby Cinema screen with this same flaw to an extent, but my constant b!tching about the IMAX screen falls on deaf ears.

AMC tysons is actually one of the better better run AMC’s in NoVa. I think their seating is probably due for an upgrade though. They are usually pretty good about not having many tech problems at least

[Ulisez]

Thank you!

I have a Edwards (Regal) within a walking distance. They recently refurbished the theater with plush luxury seats, sound, projection, and screens. Though, for the life of me, the sound was horribly low. I went and asked why was the sound so low, they told me, they intentionally kept it low for their elderly guests. I was like are you F#$%^# kidding me. Ever since, I've avoided that theater like a plague, and go to the other Edwards/Regal and or AMCs which is ten to 20 miles away, and are ok at least.

However, I've built my small home theater which sadly is better than the crappy theaters I've been recently. So, I would lay the blame on the theaters for skimping on picture and sound. The great thing, we're able to have close to the theater experience at home with large TVs, Surround sound, or the high-end soundbars that are helping drag the ticket numbers in the Cinemas. I never saw Netflix as a problem like some have.

[DandyDancing]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

AMC tysons is actually one of the better better run AMC’s in NoVa. I think their seating is probably due for an upgrade though. They are usually pretty good about not having many tech problems at least

I usually go to the E street cinema in DC. It’s personally worth the drive because they’re the only theater carrying foreign and Netflix films.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Arawn

I have mixed feelings about reserved seating. One thing I love about it is that it's eliminated the whole thing where people would come in and pressure you to move over to some other seat. Now you can say, "Sorry, can't do that, that's someone else's seat."

I had this problem last Saturday with 'Pain and Glory' - somehow a couple had bought tix that day for a screening for the night before (Friday) how AMC did that or maybe he was lying, they got moved to two rows closer to the screen. I let the manager deal with - I said very little to the couple directly ("not my problem")

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by DandyDancing

I usually go to the E street cinema in DC. It’s personally worth the drive because they’re the only theater carrying foreign and Netflix films.

I’ll go to mosaic a lot for foreign/arthouse stuff but E street is nice

[DandyDancing]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

I’ll go to mosaic a lot for foreign/arthouse stuff but E street is nice

Yeah, just saw pain and glory there this weekend but they sure do have a lot of ads before the movie.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

AMC tysons is actually one of the better better run AMC’s in NoVa. I think their seating is probably due for an upgrade though. They are usually pretty good about not having many tech problems at least

they could upgrade to the new seats like at Rio, but not those stupid recliners at Shirlington and Courthouse.

Tyson's prior ETX screen had problems galore, but the Dolby Atmos sound was top notch, when it got upgraded as a Dolby Cinema auditorium, the sound went south and is continually a crap shoot on if you'll get a good or decent sound experience. Arclight Bethesda's 'widescreen' screen is the best acoustically calibrated Dolby Atmos system in the entire DMV area. It wasn't Atmos, but the pre-release preview screening of 'Rocketman' earlier this year, was by far the worst I've heard a move at Tyson's - the surrounds went to the back and not to the walls (and this is a 5.1 auditorium) so no this wasn't a 7.1 presentation.

Mazza's seats are in dire need of an upgrade - I swear I won't wear shorts when seeing a movie in auditorium #2 - I feel like no-see-um bugs are biting my legs.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by DandyDancing

Yeah, just saw pain and glory there this weekend but they sure do have a lot of ads before the movie.

you mean before the posted start time, that I don't care, when you have twenty minutes of trailers AND ads before a movie, you're gonna make me mad. ... and don't get me started on the volume setting for the trailers some theaters amp them up so loud, it's not a pleasant experience or compels me to watch them, I'll just look at my phone and delete my emails instead.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

I’ll go to mosaic a lot for foreign/arthouse stuff but E street is nice

it will be interesting on how distributors will book at the Mosaic, Tysons and the soon to be opened Showplace ICON theater - there's even plans to have IPic theaters be at Tyson's II mall - good lord, how many theater complex/screens can there BE in a three mile radius ?!

[Monterey Jack]

Saw Abominable a few weeks back, whole damn thing was out of focus. They can rip up the seats to include cushy recliners in each theater, but can't keep the damn picture in focus?!

[Cremildo]

If my memory serves me right, I watched two films entirely out of focus: Tomb Raider and No Country for Old Men. The times when just half the image was out of focus (how does that happen?) were too many to count.

There were dozens of instances in which the "masks" slipped during the screening, resulting in bizarrely positioned black bars and non-existent aspect ratios.

When I watched Godzilla back in 1998, the image was so dark as to border on unwatchable (but I was just 11 back then so I assumed the film was like that, silly me).

Nothing pisses me off than low audio, though. I think it's utterly irrational, and ruins the viewing experience perhaps even more than shitty projection. I think over half the times I went to the theater in my town the audio was low. No impact, no enveloping sonic field. What's the point of going to a movie theater to watch a movie like that?

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

If my memory serves me right, I watched two films entirely out of focus: Tomb Raider and No Country for Old Men. The times when just half the image was out of focus (how does that happen?) were too many to count.

There were dozens of instances in which the "masks" slipped during the screening, resulting in bizarrely positioned black bars and non-existent aspect ratios.

When I watched Godzilla back in 1998, the image was so dark as to border on unwatchable (but I was just 11 back then so I assumed the film was like that, silly me).

Nothing pisses me off than low audio, though. I think it's utterly irrational, and ruins the viewing experience perhaps even more than shitty projection. I think over half the times I went to the theater in my town the audio was low. No impact, no enveloping sonic field. What's the point of going to a movie theater to watch a movie like that?

in this day and age, cinema architecture and positing of the image onto the screen has been the installing of set 1.85 screens where a scope film will be essentially letterboxed with black borders above and below the image - the implementation of 2.39 screens with side masking has essentially been eliminated. Oddly the Dolby Cinema screen at AMC Georgetown is a set 2.39 so 'flat' 1.85 movies have side black borders, this is also done as such at Reston's Bow Tie Cinema's premier BTX screen.

small 'side' quip/comment: DC's independent movie theater, the Avalon has a Christie projector that is upgradeable to 4K, have they ever done this with the numerous renovation / theater upgrades? um, nope ...

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

in this day and age, cinema architecture and positing of the image onto the screen has been the installing of set 1.85 screens where a scope film will be essentially letterboxed with black borders above and below the image - the implementation of side masking has essentially been eliminated. Oddly the Dolby Cinema screen at AMC Georgetown is a set 2.39 so 'flat' 1.85 movies have side black borders, this is also done as such at Reston's Bow Tie Cinema's premier BTX screen.

Yes, I've noticed that. The other day I went to see Ad Astra. The theater had a 1.85:1 screen; the film, of course, was scope. It was like watching a letterboxed movie on TV at home. Not really a fan, to be honest. It's kinda underwhelming.

But in my town, the theater had a 2.35 screen, so the 1.85:1 films were projected with black bars on the sides. That's what I grew up with and became used to. And oh boy, how often would the projectionist (who was the same man who worked on the counter selling candies and refreshments) screw up!

(the first time I saw a scope film projected on a 1.85 screen was Prometheus, back in 2012.)

[Member-320773]

Isn‘t that what THX was once about?

[Steedeel]

You tell them Ed. Love the guy!