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Goodbye, movie theaters
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114 posts in this topic

On 10/30/2020 at 8:12 AM, kimik said:

 

You forgot the top movie theatre experience:

The thrill of making out in public with your boyfriend/girlfriend in the back row while trying to be as quiet as possible. 

Ah, yes that! I had mine when I dated a girl in high school. Took her to a movie Friday the 13th part 3. She took my arm and pull together. Had good time in the back rows.

But I did miss out the drive-in theatre experience by the time I got my first car. Damn...

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On 11/4/2020 at 4:57 AM, Larryw7 said:

I love going to see big blockbuster movies on the big screen. The best theater experiences I remember (and showing my age here) were Superman, Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Superman 2. The second Superman movie in particular was an incredible event. I saw it on opening night at a Northeast Philly.theater, and to this day, I've never seen such an amazing response to a movie. It's a.wonderful memory.

Now, because of Covid, I can't go to the movies even if I wanted to, because I have a compromised immune system. But I agree with those who say it's a different experience now. People are rude. I won't go into all of the details, because they are.  But I now have an Epson Projector, an Oppo 4k player, and a 120" screen, thanks to my brother in law setting it up for me. So, at this point, I don't feel like I'm missing anything, and except for Batman and Wonder Woman, I really have no interest in going to the theater. Maybe well have a vaccine soon, and those who want to go to the movies will be able to do so.

My NE Philly theater was the Orleans.  Just a 2 block walk

 

AMC Orleans 8

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I found a site a year or so ago that showed all the closed classic designed movie theaters. I still need to go through that site.

There were a bunch of reasons I stopped going to see the majority of movies in theaters. A big one was that I hate seeing bad movies in the theater. I remember seeing Die Another Day in the theater and just being disgusted at the end. I think that was the movie that started it. The Star Wars prequels continued the disappointment. Maybe I was spoiled by amazing movies growing up. Really good ones seem to be rare these days. Add in bad behavior in theaters and the experience is just not as good.

Also, although you can't get the big screen at home. You can come close with the sound by having multiple subwoofers and good speakers. I've been in bad theaters that just had loud sound, not quality sound. Of course there are theaters with poor screens too. I read a few directors say that 3D presentation was better at home compared to the theater.

I did save a few articles and TV shows with home theaters that have that classic design. But those people have a lot of money. One home on HGTV had an actual theater in the basement. I'm talking light display with the theater name, ticket booth, etc. I think it even had a little street that you walked up to get to the theater. I'm sure people have seen those Death Star and Batcave theaters too.

Maybe it's all about community. I read that Tarantino owns a small theater and shows old movies. I would like to own a small theater like the ones I went to growing up. But then I want to own a comic shop as well.

 

On 10/30/2020 at 12:15 PM, 1950's war comics said:

totally agree

hollyweird actors and actresses when offscreen are totally turning off millions of those of us who previously loved going to the theater. i will never watch a johnny depp movie again

What's wrong with Johnny Depp? He's still one of the better actors out there these days.

 

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27 minutes ago, GeneticNinja said:

I found a site a year or so ago that showed all the closed classic designed movie theaters. I still need to go through that site.

There were a bunch of reasons I stopped going to see the majority of movies in theaters. A big one was that I hate seeing bad movies in the theater. I remember seeing Die Another Day in the theater and just being disgusted at the end. I think that was the movie that started it. The Star Wars prequels continued the disappointment. Maybe I was spoiled by amazing movies growing up. Really good ones seem to be rare these days. Add in bad behavior in theaters and the experience is just not as good.

Also, although you can't get the big screen at home. You can come close with the sound by having multiple subwoofers and good speakers. I've been in bad theaters that just had loud sound, not quality sound. Of course there are theaters with poor screens too. I read a few directors say that 3D presentation was better at home compared to the theater.

I did save a few articles and TV shows with home theaters that have that classic design. But those people have a lot of money. One home on HGTV had an actual theater in the basement. I'm talking light display with the theater name, ticket booth, etc. I think it even had a little street that you walked up to get to the theater. I'm sure people have seen those Death Star and Batcave theaters too.

Maybe it's all about community. I read that Tarantino owns a small theater and shows old movies. I would like to own a small theater like the ones I went to growing up. But then I want to own a comic shop as well.

 

What's wrong with Johnny Depp? He's still one of the better actors out there these days.

 

maybe he has a problem with wife beaters (shrug)

Edited by paperheart
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6 hours ago, GeneticNinja said:

I found a site a year or so ago that showed all the closed classic designed movie theaters. I still need to go through that site.

There were a bunch of reasons I stopped going to see the majority of movies in theaters. A big one was that I hate seeing bad movies in the theater. I remember seeing Die Another Day in the theater and just being disgusted at the end. I think that was the movie that started it. The Star Wars prequels continued the disappointment. Maybe I was spoiled by amazing movies growing up. Really good ones seem to be rare these days. Add in bad behavior in theaters and the experience is just not as good.

Also, although you can't get the big screen at home. You can come close with the sound by having multiple subwoofers and good speakers. I've been in bad theaters that just had loud sound, not quality sound. Of course there are theaters with poor screens too. I read a few directors say that 3D presentation was better at home compared to the theater.

I did save a few articles and TV shows with home theaters that have that classic design. But those people have a lot of money. One home on HGTV had an actual theater in the basement. I'm talking light display with the theater name, ticket booth, etc. I think it even had a little street that you walked up to get to the theater. I'm sure people have seen those Death Star and Batcave theaters too.

Maybe it's all about community. I read that Tarantino owns a small theater and shows old movies. I would like to own a small theater like the ones I went to growing up. But then I want to own a comic shop as well.

I know that not everyone can afford it, but the more expensive theaters cripple behavioral antics. Places like MJR actually encourage people being obnoxious. I appreciate MJR for what they did when The Dark Knight came out, but I am so glad that Emagine blew them out of the water years ago. I can go to a theater knowing that fellow moviegoers won't/can't act like they're 5 years old.

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8 hours ago, piper said:

@F For Fake , What are you favourite Vincent Price and/or Hammer Films?

Hi @piper !

Well, as I've been revisiting them over the last couple of months, I've been giving it a lot of thought. It's hard to narrow them down to a short list, but I think this is how it shakes out -

My favorite over all Vincent Price movie is probably still The Abominable Dr. Phibes. It's fun, it's genuinely funny, great supporting cast (Joseph Cotton, Terry-Thomas), wonderful sets and colors, it's got it all.

My favorite of the Corman Poe flicks is Pit and the Pendulum. Vincent's performance runs from restrained to zany, and it still has one of the great twist endings of all time. I like all of the Corman Poe movies (well, I don't love The Raven) but I think Pit still stands above the rest.

My favorite 50's Vinnie movie is House on Haunted Hill. He gets to play it straight forward, debonair, mysterious but sinister, without going full blown camp. It's my favorite William Castle movie as well. Genuinely creepy, a couple of good gags/scares, and a really fun ride.

As for Hammer, I'm all over the place. I guess if I had to pick something to be #1, I'd say Twins of Evil. Great performance by Peter Cushing, and it manages to successfully bridge the atmosphere of the gothic horrors they made in the 60's, to the sexier films of the 70's. The Collinson Twins, man oh man. Homina homina.

Runners up would probably be Countess Dracula (love love love Ingrid Pitt), The Devil Rides Out (Christopher Lee's best hammer role), or To the Devil a Daughter (dumb climax aside, a very creepy movie.) Favorite Dracula is Taste the Blood of Dracula (the blood drinking ceremony is still so powerful) and favorite Frankenstein is Evil of Frankenstein. Favorite of the black and white films is The Quatermass Xperiment.

I could talk about this stuff all day, but I'll cut it off there! Happy to hear your picks as well!

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1 hour ago, F For Fake said:

Hi @piper !

Well, as I've been revisiting them over the last couple of months, I've been giving it a lot of thought. It's hard to narrow them down to a short list, but I think this is how it shakes out -

My favorite over all Vincent Price movie is probably still The Abominable Dr. Phibes. It's fun, it's genuinely funny, great supporting cast (Joseph Cotton, Terry-Thomas), wonderful sets and colors, it's got it all.

My favorite of the Corman Poe flicks is Pit and the Pendulum. Vincent's performance runs from restrained to zany, and it still has one of the great twist endings of all time. I like all of the Corman Poe movies (well, I don't love The Raven) but I think Pit still stands above the rest.

My favorite 50's Vinnie movie is House on Haunted Hill. He gets to play it straight forward, debonair, mysterious but sinister, without going full blown camp. It's my favorite William Castle movie as well. Genuinely creepy, a couple of good gags/scares, and a really fun ride.

As for Hammer, I'm all over the place. I guess if I had to pick something to be #1, I'd say Twins of Evil. Great performance by Peter Cushing, and it manages to successfully bridge the atmosphere of the gothic horrors they made in the 60's, to the sexier films of the 70's. The Collinson Twins, man oh man. Homina homina.

Runners up would probably be Countess Dracula (love love love Ingrid Pitt), The Devil Rides Out (Christopher Lee's best hammer role), or To the Devil a Daughter (dumb climax aside, a very creepy movie.) Favorite Dracula is Taste the Blood of Dracula (the blood drinking ceremony is still so powerful) and favorite Frankenstein is Evil of Frankenstein. Favorite of the black and white films is The Quatermass Xperiment.

I could talk about this stuff all day, but I'll cut it off there! Happy to hear your picks as well!

Some great movies there.  I would add Vampire Lovers on the Hammer side (for similar reasons that you ranked Twins of Evil so highly).

I agree wholeheartedly with your Vince Prince picks.  I also like Masque of the Red Death, House of Usher, and House of Wax.

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