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This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4
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Topic: Chinese 16 Theater in Aurora, Co...Information wanted
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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today
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Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99
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posted 04-21-2009 12:25 AM
The Mann Chinese 16 at Arapahoe Crossings opened in January of 1998 if memory serves. It cost about $17 million in 1997/98 dollars.
The booth started out as absolute crap mainly because of the other projectionists as well as the Christie equipment (including CA-21 automations which did not recognize the failsafes). Over time, the bad projectionists were weeded out, we were finally allowed to pre-screen moves before the public saw them (thanks to a nice misprint on reel 1 of Saving Private Ryan) and we gained fantastic support from the equipment manufacturers (Christie and Pennywise) and nearly all technical issues were ironed out and improved dramatically (especially the CA-21 automation). For a while, the Chinese 16 could not be beat in presentation. We were far and above the best in the state, if not several surrounding states. I feel that no theater in Colorado today comes close to matching now what we had going then, especially when it was Myself, Brad, Dwayne (who posts maybe once a decade here) and Erika (who hasn't posted in forever) in charge of the booth. The sound in all auditoriums was awesome. Erika and I worked there until August of 2000 and Brad and Dwayne left a month or two later.
Mann sold the Colorado theaters to Colorado Cinemas Limited Liability Corporation which is a bit better name than "General Cinemas" I guess, but equally as non-creative. They got rid of THX and did a lot of cost-cutting things. It was rumored that Mann figured Colorado Cinemas would fail and they could buy their theaters back from them on the cheap, but that never happened. From what I heard one of the projectionists that was there after Brad and I left cranked the subwoofers way high because he wanted the auditoriums to sound like his car. When I saw the Austin Powers movie with Robert Henderson this was clearly evident as there was waaay too much low end and it sounded really, really bad. A couple of years ago (or so) Colorado Cinemas Limited Liability Corporation sold the theater to Kerasotes. I have heard that everything has taken a huge nose dive since. They have a "projection trainer" who must be obeyed and everything must be done his way (such as threading base side on every roller) and other idiotic things. I haven't been to the Chinese since this took place, but I have heard from many people who have been there that their films are often scratched, they are very dirty and they have some sound issues (involving what I do not know). It is also a manager run booth now. Pity.
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Monte L Fullmer
Film God
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Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 04-21-2009 02:37 AM
quote: Joe Redifer "projection trainer" who must be obeyed and everything must be done his way (such as threading base side on every roller) and other idiotic things.
Thus a big question: where do these guys come from anywhos-which planet, country, prison, ghetto, et.al. - then one has to shudder on where and whom DID they get their training FROM.....
Be funny if Mark G. did go over there and do digital conversions, then that so-called "projection trainer" would come with more goofy ideas on how to do presentations.
Sounds like that company is not to company to work for if quality is that low.
quote: Joe Redifer Erika and I worked there until August of 2000 and Brad and Dwayne left a month or two later.
That's right, that is a Christie booth. Now, you're doing a STRONG booth. Which place are you working at now? For some reason or another, I thought you were still at this 16plex..
-Monte
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Tony Bandiera Jr
Film God
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Posts: 3067
From: Moreland Idaho
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted 04-21-2009 03:01 PM
quote: Grand Poo-Bah Are you sure you aren't confusing this with the Mann's Chinese theater in Los Angeles??? That would qualify as a historic theater, not the one in Colorado. The Colorado theater is just a regular multiplex (although done nicer than most) with the front/lobby theme of the real Chinese in Los Angeles.
I'm not sure the quality of the Chinese in Hollywood is any good any more...my last visit there (admittedly many years ago) was a disaster...if I may quote from another thread:
quote: ME My last experience at the Chinese was way back in the 80's during the 70mm run of "The Right Stuff", and it was a nightmare experience. To start off, the boob in the booth (hereafter known as BITB) was threading the machine with the mag hot and no non-sync. So we got to hear the track from whatever scrap film was being used as the leader. I'm already starting to fume and my sister and best friend are waiting for me to explode.
Showtime comes and goes, the film starts almost ten minutes late. We are greeted with the SMPTE leader and track on the closed drape, which opened barely in time for the start of the show. The focus was soft (corrected after ten minutes) and the sound was missing the left channel (throughout).
Now most theatres I'd been to ran the intermission at the end of reel six, where Deke Slayton dives into the mermaid bar's tank and swims with the girls. Great spot to take the break as there is some nice "deedle-deedle" lounge music, and the next reel opens with reporters climbing a fence to get to the astronaut's wives. Well, at the Chinese some jackass decided to simply cut the film when the platter was full, because the break at the Chinese came at the end of the scene where the astronauts, in full suits, walk up a corridor to the camera (right before Shepard's flight.) This not only destroyed the dramatic impact of that transition, but we were now greeted with the abrupt cutoff of the music, the tail of the reel running out, complete with tones and "Right Stuff, reel Eight AB, Print #... " from the sound system, then white screen.
Now I'm royally pissed as is most of the 300 plus audience. I announced in a loud voice that just one more fuck-up and I'm getting my money back. That was met with a lot of agreement by the rest of the suffering audience.
Well, they didn't let us down. First we AGAIN got to hear the leader being dragged thru the mag, and run up and stopped. The lights dim the picture comes on.. and it an UPSIDE-DOWN image of a trucking shot of some house or pagoda-looking building!! We then hear the last few notes of the music from the preceding scene before we now get the correct image.
As the credit roll started I stormed into the lobby, tailed by about 50 other people, which soon grew to over 200. I read that manager the riot act, and got refunds for the ENTIRE group!!
What a total cock-up. I swore to never go to that over-hyped dump again. And based on Don's post as quoted above, looks like nothing's changed.
If one of the most renowned theatres IN THE WORLD can't do a show right, it's no wonder this industry is so fucked.
I fully blame management for tolerating a BITB, and not doing anything about it. I blame the projection union local for allowing incompetents to remain on the job in such a high-profile location (and I'm NOT anti-union). I just call 'em as I see 'em.
(That was from the "Lost That Moviegoing Mojo" thread.)
Don't know if things are any better there, but I don't want to waste my time and money to find out.
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