8mm Forum: Empire Cinema - Leicester Sq. Format?

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Topic: Empire Cinema - Leicester Sq. Format?

Steven Sigel
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 701
From: Massachusetts
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 20, 2009 04:24 PM

Does anyone know what format they run at the Empire Cinema in Leicester Sq? (35mm? 70mm? Digital) -- specifically interested in what they're running "Star Trek" in ....

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Hugh McCullough
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 156
From: Old Coulsdon. Surrey. UK
Registered: Oct 2006

posted May 20, 2009 04:33 PM

I am showing Star Trek in Digital, So I imagine that the Empire is also using digi.
I was told, but do not know if this is correct, that there are no copies of this film in 35mm.

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EIKI Ex 6100 xenon machine.

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Steven Sigel
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 701
From: Massachusetts
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 20, 2009 04:36 PM

I find it hard to believe that there are no film copies -- there are still an awful lot of theaters here in the US that aren't equipped to run digital... But I guess anything is possible...

I saw it at the Empire last Sunday and was suspicious that it was digital from the look of it, and from the conspicuous absence of any cue marks.

Would that have been 2K or 4K?

---- Edit ----
I just checked IMDB and here's what they say for formats:

Printed film format
35 mm (Kodak)
70 mm (horizontal) (IMAX DMR blow-up) (Kodak)
D-Cinema

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Bill Brandenstein
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1632
From: California
Registered: Aug 2007

posted May 20, 2009 05:54 PM

Our local cinema has no digital projection and is running Star Trek.

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James N. Savage 3
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003

posted May 20, 2009 06:25 PM

Star Trek is now playing at the historic BENGIE'S DRIVE IN, which is only equiped for 35mm prints, so its definately on film too.

I think that only the very small independent films would be exclusively released on digital, and that would just be to save $$. But all major releases will be on film.

James.

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David Kilderry
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 963
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Feb 2006

posted May 20, 2009 10:35 PM

Everything that gets a wide release is still in 35mm too. In fact there are stil way more 35mm copies than 2k or 4k. I have a 35mm print at the drive-in.

AMC and Regal have both just signed deals for Sony 4k roll-outs across their massive US circuits. This is a major boost to Sony and the 4k format. It will be sending shivers through the Texas Instruments 2k users like Christie, NEC and Barco.

David

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John Clancy
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1954
From: Cornwall
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 21, 2009 04:12 AM

The Empire is running a hard disc copy through a video projector. The image quality is extremely disappointing but I would imagine 35mm prints would be fairly naff compared to what we enjoyed years ago because the whole film has an unrealistic look to it.

Still enjoyed it though, partially owing to the Empire having one of the best sound systems in the world. They now have their THX certification back.

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British Film Collectors Convention home page www.bfcc.biz. The site is for the whole of the film collecting hobby and not just the BFCC.

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Mark Norton
Master Film Handler

Posts: 330
From: Hampton Hill, Middlesex, U.K.
Registered: Feb 2004

posted May 22, 2009 09:42 AM

It's showing at the London BFI IMAX in DDR format. What's disappointing is they only list screenings until the end of July and any decent seat has long since gone, so you can't book if you wanted to. Think i'll wait for the Blu Ray Disc.

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Kevin Faulkner
Film God

Posts: 4071
From: Essex UK
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 22, 2009 04:46 PM

I was under the impression that no more 70mm prints were being released for the cinema circuits as the cost was far too high and the newer film emulsions now give a very high quality image on 35mm so the extra cost wasn't justified.

Cant remember where I read this but I know it was a while back now.

Kev.

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GS1200 Xenon with Elmo 1.0...great combo along with a 16-CL Xenon for that super bright white light.

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David Kilderry
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 963
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Feb 2006

posted May 23, 2009 12:28 PM

Kevin, what you say about 70mm is correct......for 70mm vertical. IMAX uses 70mm Horizontal, the frame is 15 perforations wide as opposed to 5 perforations high for regular 70mm. IMAX is know as 15/70.

Just to confuse things more, IWERKS is 70mm film too, but the frame is 8 perforations high, known as 8/70.

David

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007

posted June 02, 2009 04:27 AM

This was on film at my local Odeon.

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Lars Pettersson
Master Film Handler

Posts: 282
From: Stockholm, Sweden
Registered: Jan 2007

posted June 09, 2009 03:28 PM

Kevin, you´re absolutely right about distribution in vertical 5-perf 70mm, it´s disappeared almost completely. Ron Howard´s Far And Away and Branagh´s Hamlet were the last to be shot in 65mm for 70mm release, and I think Titanic was the last shot in 35mm to have 70mm prints struck (someone correct me if I´m wrong). Among the reasons for 70mm prints dying out were; expensive prints, 6-channel sound can be had with 35mm prints & digital tracks, surveys were made at the time of release of films like Far And Away indicating audiences didn´t notice much difference from 35mm [Roll Eyes]

in part because projection lenses were old, portglasses dirty, screen size identical as before, etc.
IMHO 70mm should be shown on extra large screens, and 35mm shouldn´t be projected too large. Over here 35mm cinemascope is often shown on screens previously used for 70mm prints -the magnification is just too much and you´re not showing the film medium at it´s best [Confused]

Cheers
Lars

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Ricky Daniels
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 587
From: London & Kent UK
Registered: Jul 2003

posted June 14, 2009 05:30 AM

Hugh... It's definitely on 35mm too [Smile]

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