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Topic: Sound Of Music in 70mm Format???

Joseph Pandolfi
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 213
From: Milford, CT.
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-22-2000 10:14 PM

Last Monday I visited the Zigfield Theatre in New York City for the 35th. anniversary showing of the "Sing-A-Long" Sound Of Music.

My question is if anyone here has any connections to the theatre, if the show was presented in 70mm format. I noticed that the picture was not a very clear one (our course it is 35 years old) I was hoping it would be cleaned up. Also the sound quality was over balanced on the treble side. My wife had to hold her hands over her ears when Cpt. Von Trapp blew his whistle. Also there was a hiss as if it came from magentic tape on the quiet parts.
THANKS.

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Martin Frandsen
Master Film Handler

Posts: 270
From: Denmark, Europe
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-23-2000 01:25 AM

Maybe it was a 35mm magnetic print they showed? That will explain the hiss on the quiet parts. Had the colors any fadeing?

I saw a report from the event on CNN, great to see the young people love the songs.

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Nicholas McRobert
Film Handler

Posts: 38
From: Belfast, N. Ireland
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-23-2000 06:35 AM

The "Sing-A-Long" version of A Sound of Music has been in circulation here for a while now. One of the big Cinemas in London (the Prince Charles, I think) plays it nearly once every week. The film went "on tour" recently, and one of the Theatres here in Belfast played it a few months ago for two or three days. They haven't played films in that theatre in over two decades, so I'm assuming that the promotors supplied their own equipment. I seriously doubt it was 70mm, though. I'm almost certain that the Prince Charles theatre only has 35mm facilities too.

Nicholas

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Joseph Pandolfi
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 213
From: Milford, CT.
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-23-2000 10:22 AM

They did mentioned before the show started, that it toured Europe for over a year.

The colors were not faded, Marty.

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 09-23-2000 11:14 AM

The Ziegfeld has 70mm equipment, and a three-projector booth. At least they did in '92, when a friend of mine worked there.

------------------
Better Projection Pays!

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 09-23-2000 12:09 PM

Not anymore. The Zig now has two JJ's and a platter. The Zeiss-IKON projectors were removed several years ago, before the "Vertigo" re-release. Last I saw, they were sitting in the back booth hallway. Probably gone now.

Actually, I'm sorry to say, the last time I was there, the booth was sort of a mess. I mean, the sound and picture are first-rate of course, but it looks like so many things have been worked on, changed out, etc, that the walls are all gouged up, scratches in the floor. Posters stuck all over the walls (a practice I personally dislike)- you could still see a little blacking from the small fire they had there (a dimmer caught fire.)

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Ben Wales
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Southampton. England
Registered: Jul 99

posted 09-23-2000 04:56 PM

The Sing-along-Sound of Music print played at the Prince Charles Cinema in London is a 35mm copy only, it was never released in 70mm for this Sing-along version.

This version of the film only contains the music numbers and not the full film, I belive it has done quite well and may be touring cinema's in the UK sometime in future

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-24-2000 02:10 PM

Those dam fools at Fox........Sappy as the story may be that was one of the best photographed Todd-AO films ever done, as well as the sound track. We ran it in a faded 35mm print on New Years at the Egyptian theater in Boise to standing room only and had to run it again the next morning for another 400 people that couldn't be let in the night before. The 35mm print, although old and faded, was sharp as a tack. Fox is still sitting on a gold mine with this film and they don't even know it. Unfortunately many generations have gone by since it was made that only get to see it on the crappy laser disk. Only a few can remember what it was really like in 70mm. It ran here in SLC at the Villa Theater for over two years non-stop!
Mark

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Ben Wales
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Southampton. England
Registered: Jul 99

posted 09-24-2000 03:58 PM

I seriously doubt it was 70mm, though. I'm almost certain that the Prince
Charles theatre only has 35mm facilities too.

The Prince Charles in London West End can show 70mm, but not recently I belive, it was equiped with two Philips DP75 and a Philips Platter and a Dolby CP200.

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Per Hauberg
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 883
From: Malling, Denmark
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 09-25-2000 03:55 PM

Sing along SOM in London was 35.
The Odeon Leicester Square 70mm print of "Platoon" was moved before my very eyes to The Prince Charles, when i was visiting the Odeon booth during vinter 1986/87. -Didn't visit the Prince C, though - and therefore don't know projector brand, but 70mm, yup !

SOM in 70mm - was truly great - even little old ladies noticed the three nuns singing from seperate speakers. Well, look for it only in books - it's a civilisation - gone with the wind (and someone's budget...)

Per

EURO ? - no, thank You !

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John Gordon
Film Handler

Posts: 62
From: Earth
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 09-25-2000 05:59 PM

Mark G,
Not all is lost. The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood ran a 70mm film fest last November and the Sound Of Music looked good--it was not a sing-a-long--and sounded good too. I only made it to four of the 70mm screenings.
The El Capitan, also in Hollywood, just recently ran a sing-a-long for Mary Poppins'. I did not make it to any of the screenings.
It looks like reviving older movies is on the up swing. Word is out that Warner will be re-releasing Superman in a longer version, prior to the DVD box set issue next year, late this year. And word has it Universal will be re-releasing E.T. early next year. But as for seeing these in 70mm, not likely. Though I'm sure they will be released in digital sound.

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Ari Nordström
Master Film Handler

Posts: 283
From: Göteborg, Sweden
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-25-2000 06:54 PM

I saw a badly faded reel of Sound of Music in 70mm in June. The image was as sharp as ever, but the lack of colour (well, to be honest there was some red in it) was devastating.

The sound? We played it through a mixer and fed the output to a 2-channel system, so I really can't say. The nuns still sang from separate speakers, though.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-26-2000 01:15 PM

Prints made on Kodak print film since about 1982 should show minimal fading if processed and stored properly (i.e., cool, dry and vented or with Molecular Sieves).

SOM ranks among the best films in fully utilizing the 70 mm format, including the full use of all five speakers behind the screen. The 70 mm prints were stunning on a big screen.

I agree that a limited 70 mm re-release "done right", could be a "goldmine". Judging from the DVD, the negative is still in pretty good shape.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-26-2000 05:57 PM

My one complaint with SOM was the ending with the Von Trapp family crossing the mountain and just about getting blown away by the camera helicopter. That IMHO was a big boo boo and should have been reshot.

Unfortunately the Egyptian is a bit too far away for most(actually almost all) to have the chance to see it plus they have nothing planned at all in the future. I'd like to see a steady string of films play there in 70mm, not just one 70mm festival per year. Planning one festival is a stupid way to run a theater. They should spread them out through a years time and allow each film more screenings so that all interested parties can have a chance to see them. The Europeans and Scandanivans seem to be the only ones that know how to program these films. Perhaps all of us 70mm fans should all move to Denmark or Norway.
I think in general SOM would be the ultimate 70mm film for Fox to re-release. It would expose several generations of people that have never been able to see any 70mm plus it can show just how good a film can look and sound. Sure it's sappy, but thats half the fun of it.
Mark

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Thomas Hauerslev
Master Film Handler

Posts: 451
From: Copenhagen, Denmark
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 09-27-2000 01:07 AM

Goodmorning,

Speaking of 70mm screenings in Scandinavia. Everyone should get to Malmø on Sunday for the Todd-AO presentation of "Cleopatra".

Also as usual: http://hjem.get2net.dk/in70mm/magazine/screenings.htm

"Baraka" is also expected to run return in Todd-AO 70mm in the swim pool (mentioned earlier in this forum) early in 2001.

All the best, Thomas

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