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Author Topic: Clearview Cinemas Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 07-30-2006 03:30 PM                     I should know better, being that I have NEVER has a good viewing experience seeing a movie at ANY Clearview Cinema, a NY/NJ chain owned by Cablevision. Friday night I had the misfortune to attend, as a paying customer, The Clearview Kinnelon 12plex. This is actually 2 theatres in adjacent strip malls, one a 9plex, and the other a 3 plex. The 3plex I attended was a former Jerry Lewis Cinema, originally around 350 seats that Clearview cut up into 3 micro sized theatres. Fortunately, the film we went to see, Devil Wears Prada, was in the biggest theatre which now holds about 100. The other 2 theatres are so small that I would rather stay home and watch TV than see a movie there. As micro theatres go, this one was not all that bad. The screen was right for the room and the seats comfortable. We arrived on Friday night at 9pm for the 9:15 show. There was a line of people outside waiting to buy tickets, unfortunately they were not selling tickets at the boxoffice, and did not have any kind of sign indicating that we needed to go in, wait on the candy line until the one person who was working got to you. Then came showtime, the lenses were no good. Everything was foggy, for lack of a better description. While there were surround speakers on the wall, the film was being run in MONO. At the end of the show, the film ran out, but nobody shut the projector down. It was running with no film, just hot xenon light 10 mintues later when we left. On the way out, there was a different kid behind the candy stand talking to some girls. I mentioned to him that it was not good for the lens to leave the projector running with no film, and was told that he is not allowed to touch the projectors. Oh well, $18.50 wasted. I suppose every theatre has a bad night every now and again, but Clearview sucks every night at every one of their theatres, or at least the ones I have attended. I would rather never see another movie again than go back to a Clearview Cinema. And industry leaders wonder why people don't go out to the movies.  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 07-30-2006 04:18 PM                     I've encountered the foggy lense syndrome...this usually means they have to be replaced. Is it possible they got foggy because of the constant running of xenon light without film? The Jerry Lewis remnant theatre I worked at here in Lubbock had those old french lenses sold by Xetron in 72. Maybe these are the same brand & vintage lenses at Clearview. I'm surprised it's still in operation.  |  IP: Logged John Alan Petrey Film Handler Posts: 15 From: tampa, fl / United States Registered: Jul 2006 posted 07-30-2006 06:01 PM                     Our scope lens became foggy one night after employees screened AEON FLUX. Seems a bad relay prevented the projector (vic 5) from shutting down which resulted in the motor and xenon staying powered for hours after the film ran out. Nice, huh?  |  IP: Logged Mark Ogden Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 943 From: Little Falls, N.J. Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-30-2006 07:00 PM                     Mitch, if you want to see some REALLY sloppy work by Clearview, see a ‘scope flick at the Washington Township screen #3. Very possibly the single worst attempt to project a motion picture I have ever seen, ever, and this was just last month. Horribly off-axis and keystoned, filthy aperture plate, and lamp alignment so off that the image had a serious vignette problem at the left top corner, with the screen illumination at least 25% darker on the left third than right. Appalling. Clearview, unfortunately, runs the only art house convenient to my place, the old Clairedge in Montclair. Same issues! They chopped up the old house so badly that 3 of the 6 screens are off axis to the extent that the screen images are trapezoidal in shape, with little to no attempt at masking. Add the scratchy mono sound and foggy lenses and it’s truly a painful night out. Amazing to think these guys run the Ziegfeld now.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 07-31-2006 10:20 AM                     Washington Township (Bergen County) was a really nice theatre as a single. Haven't been back since it was triplexed years ago. The Clairidge in Montclair was always a favorite as a single. Up until it was multiplexed, it still had it's Cinerama curved screen. That was one of the most awfull multiplexing I had ever seen, but to be fair, it was done before Clearview aquired the theatre. On a prior visit to the Clearview Kinnelon Cinemas, they were running a scope film on a 1.85 screen, using cardboard taped to the projection room window to block the left & right side of the picture so it would not spill on to the walls. Talk about film done wrong...  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-31-2006 10:51 AM                        Excessive lens flare can be due to a variety of causes, ranging from a simple thing like dirt or fingerprints on an outside element, to scratches from improper cleaning technique, to internal moisture or oil haze, to permanent heat damage. Sounds like heat damage could have occurred due to this theatre's poor operational procedures. Modern lenses have greatly improved contrast over what was available during the 1970's and 1980's. Really old lenses make good paperweights.  |  IP: Logged John Joseph Fink Film Handler Posts: 60 From: West Hartford, CT Registered: Feb 2006 posted 07-31-2006 06:51 PM                        Clearview is awful and most locations are run by teens who don't care. I'd often complain about framing or focus issues at the Kinnelon 3-11 up the hill - its no better. They fixed Cinema 12 up finally but never corrected the problem of the sound bleeding from theater to theater and the imperfect masking. In NJ the best multiplex, projection wise I think is the Edgewater Multiplex. I have been hoping for years so other chain would come in and build a theater in Riverdale which would lead to the downfall of Kinnelon, but it has yet to happen. Clearview is the worst and I agree 100% about The Clairidge in Montclair. I see movies there because the only other alternative is driving to Manhatten to see them and thats costly and time consuming.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-31-2006 07:04 PM                     The french Berthot lens also had an issue with a mold growth on the coatings distroying the focus giving a hazy image  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 07-31-2006 07:12 PM                     Compared to a Sankor, the French lens always was a distance second when new  |  IP: Logged Steve Vega Film Handler Posts: 2 From: Garfield, New Jersey Registered: Jul 2006 posted 08-01-2006 10:30 AM                     I work for them, if you want to see a movie I recommend coming to the Warner Quad in Ridgewood. One of the big problems is that they tend to buy older theaters that had been independently run then plexed decades ago (like the Claridge, Tenafly, Washington etc) that have older equipment. They only recently started buying/building new theaters and projection equipment (Washington has brand new Digital Strong platters that really help with the presentation there) The company is starting to work on fixing things in the circuit by buying new equipment and hiring new managers that actually care about their customers.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 08-01-2006 03:54 PM                     I work for them, if you want to see a movie I recommend coming to the Warner Quad in Ridgewood. One of the nicest theatres in Bergen County when it was a single years ago. The same architect as Radio City. Terrible multi-plexing by RKO-Stanley Warner when they owned it. Haven't been there in years, so I can't comment on current presentation. One of the big problems is that they tend to buy older theaters that had been independently run then plexed decades ago That is because of incompetent upper management. Most their theatres were in poor shape to start width, many barely profitable. These theatres should never have been bought, and most should have been closed. The company is starting to work on fixing things in the circuit by buying new equipment and hiring new managers that actually care about their customers. Over the years Clearview has had good managers. I remember a few years ago going to see Gods & Monsters in Clearview West Milford. After the show, I complained to the manager about running flat trailers in scope and the horrible keystoning. Much to my surprise, the manager was a nice and knowledgeable guy who knew what he was doing was film done wrong, but he was ordered by his district manager to run the flat trailer in scope, and who was unable to get a tech to come out and look at the lens/projector alignment. Quality starts at the top. The West Milford theatre is now owned by Galaxy Theatres, and their presentation is now very good. In NJ the best multiplex, projection wise I think is the Edgewater Multiplex. I've yet to see a film there. I tried to see Star Wars Ep 2, but they could not get the digital projector to work that afternoon. I kind of like AMC Clifton Commons, as multi-plexes go. I have been hoping for years so other chain would come in and build a theater in Riverdale which would lead to the downfall of Kinnelon You and me both...  |  IP: Logged

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