P3D 3-D Theatrical Presentations

[Greg Kintz <gkintz@xxxxxxxx>]

Phil Gray wrote:

> I think the major problem is both lack of knowledge or interest
> in presenting a 3-D film correctly, and the attachments needed to
> present the film.  At the showing of "Jaws 3-D" in San Francisco's
> Empire Theater the film lost synch which resulted in a reverse 3-D
> image on screen. The only way to see the movie correctly was to take
> off the 3-D glasses and hold them reversed in front of my eyes.

This happened to me when "Parasite" originally ran at a local theater.
After numerous complaints about having to wear my 3D glasses reversed,
the screen image disappeared then returned in correct stereo 3-D. My
friend and I seemed to be the only ones in the theater who had noticed.
(Or the other patrons might have just chalked it up as "yet another
crappy 3-D film".)

> As long as theaters are being run with no thought to presentation
> (which seems to be the rule at multiplexes) 3-D movies will never
> have a chance until there is a way to put the film on a platter, turn
> off the house lites and press the start button.  Maybe that's why 3-D
> seems to survive only at amusement parks and IMAX.

A quality 3-D film with a good plot is my 1st requirement, but you
bring up a very valid point. A lot of current theater chains often
have sloppy focusing, have ditched their 70mm projectors, and still
can't run the digital sound formats consistantly correct. But they
figure as long as nobody complains... A few years back I was given a
tour of a local projection booth and was shown the Dolby Stereo(phonic)
sound processor. It was set on a mono setting, but the film was a Dolby
Stereo print! I notified the projectionist, and he said he would flip
the switch for the next showing. He said if he flipped the switch right
then, people might know "something wasn't right". It seems multiplex
theaters (most, but not all) simply want "plug-n-play" films.
 ...So sad,

    -Greg-


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