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Author Topic: Marcus Theatres Elgin UltraScreen John Scott Master Film Handler Posts: 252 From: Oakdale, MN, USA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-14-2004 02:25 PM                     According to the Marcus Theatres Website , their newest UltraScreen theatre is opening in Elgin IL 2/25/04. The following statement follows the announcement: Experience the new standard in digital sound! The Marcus Elgin Fox Theatre UltraScreen is the first and only screen in North America to combine new state-of-the-art Digital B-Chain™ cinema audio and the Academy Award® winning ScreenArray® Cinema System for unsurpassed cinema sound! Sound so dynamic, brilliant, and crystal clear you will have to hear it for yourself to believe it. Can anyone explain a bit what this is?  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-14-2004 03:24 PM                    I'll have to go check it out. Mark G. & I did the original installation back when this theatre was an independent (pre stadium seating). As built screen #1 was THX®, CP200 (with screen channel reversal!) and equipped with a Century JJ that I sold them. They never publically ran 70mm AFAIK. The rest of the screens had Christie projectors. All Kneisley consoles & Potts platters. JBL / Crown Digital B Chain  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 02-17-2004 10:09 AM                        The thing is, though, the audio wasn't what gave Marcus problems with their UltraScreen in Waukesha, WI. It was the picture that was the bigger problem. A short throw distance mated to the 75' wide screen gave them quite a few problems maintaining focus. While they did OK after about a year and a half, their release weekend shows of ROTK were plagued with jump and weave. I'd be more impressed with their announcement if they talked about that part of the installation... On Mark's recommendation many years ago, I did a road trip to the Elgin Fox. I don't remember what we saw, but the presentation was good. I remember he was quite proud of that installation.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-17-2004 12:12 PM                        quote: Experience the new standard in digital sound! The Marcus Elgin Fox Theatre UltraScreen is the first and only screen in North America to combine new state-of-the-art Digital B-Chain™ cinema audio and the Academy Award® winning ScreenArray® Cinema System for unsurpassed cinema sound! Sound so dynamic, brilliant, and crystal clear you will have to hear it for yourself to believe it. Can anyone explain a bit what this is? Let me try....it's called MARKETING BS; hype to sell tickets. Heck, I hate it, and yet even I am guilty of it. Read our copy....whenever we say anything about our sound system, you never see just the word "sound," it's always breathtakingly realistic, Six Channel Total Surround MegaSound! we use "breathtaking" so often you would think our patrons should be given oxygen tanks as they walk into the theatre. We don't just have a screen, we have a 40ft-by-nearly-2-stories high true CinemaScope Screen!. By god, yes we do! I am not even sure myself what that means anymore. I guess originally it was that we got the full aspect scope ratio rather than cropping any of the sides; get it? not just CinemaScope....true CinemaScope! And, oh yah, I don't know where we would be without the "!"  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-17-2004 11:51 PM                     Its clear that Marcus still has a bunch of dorks at the helm of their engineering department! They are truely good at inventing engineering hype though. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 02-18-2004 08:45 AM                     I believe Marcus operates an Ultrascreen in Oakdale, here in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro, but it's hardly ever driven people from other parts of the metro to see a print on it.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-18-2004 09:18 AM                    There is nothing wrong with hype as long as one is not dishonest or misleading. It's a traditional part of showmanship in this business.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-18-2004 07:59 PM                     "Digital B Chain"..... now thats hype thats so stupid it might actually be catchy. Lots of theatres have Cp500's, CP650's amnd other all digital processors in the B chains, so yes its sort of misleading..... its really nothing special at all. Then again I'd bet that some of those Marcus guys probably drink Pabst Blue Ribbon too Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged John Scott Master Film Handler Posts: 252 From: Oakdale, MN, USA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-19-2004 03:41 PM                     Steve -- Marcus currently does not have an Ultrascreen at Oakdale.  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 02-20-2004 08:33 AM                     My bad, they advertise as the only THX auditoriums in the North metro  |  IP: Logged John Scott Master Film Handler Posts: 252 From: Oakdale, MN, USA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-20-2004 09:28 AM                     Not anymore. We stopped paying for THX certification last spring.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 06-20-2004 08:49 PM                     |  IP: Logged Scott Madsen Film Handler Posts: 58 Registered: Oct 1999 posted 04-25-2005 10:33 PM                     I have heard Marcus will be finished with the Ultrascreen addition to Oakdale here in a few weeks. I assume it will be ready for Episode 3.  |  IP: Logged Paul Vollmers Expert Film Handler Posts: 161 From: Sister Lakes, MI, USA Registered: Jul 2001 posted 04-25-2005 10:44 PM                     Hey, How about some inside screen photos....... I remember as a kid in Chicago, when I saw Ben Hur on a Micheal Todd screen in 70mm, and the curtain seemed to just keep opening and opening and opening........roadshow that was a picture sound experiance.  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 04-26-2005 07:02 AM                     I can't speak for the other theatres, but the Ultrascreen installed in Columbus is pretty good. They moved out the Imax booth equipment, screen and speakers. The mounting hardware for the back left/right speakers are still there. A new screen and sound system were installed. The pit that housed the bottom of the Imax screen was filled. A new screen was installed, masked with curtain material from above. They use side masking. Sound quality is very good, and the picture is clear and bright. They claim a 75' screen, but they project a 68' image in scope. The last time I was there there was no music playing, making it eerily quiet. As from the opening of the theatre, this room is TOO DARK, making for lots of banged knees on entrance. I've stopped complaining to Marcus about this, as they seem to like it the way it is. I've seen 3 pictures in this room, and 2 had problems. First, NATIONAL TREASURE had a bad reel (new one had not arrived) and SIN CITY had no right channel, due, according to management, to a loose wire on the amplifier. I think converting from Imax to Ultrascreen was a smart idea. The Imax was rarely busy, especially later in the runs. More than once, there were 10 or fewer people in the theatre with me. With the Ultra Screen, they can change the pictures frequently. Lately, they have been changing pictures weekly.  |  IP: Logged

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