Older Movies/Theaters Today?

[Galileo7]

2001, Jaws, Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Agree. Excellent choices. I only saw TMP, as a boy, in a theater on Friday December 7 1979 and would love to see it again in a theater.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

About 20 years ago at a theater about 50 miles away from me they showed a double feature of Star Trek 2 and Star Trek 6. It was great, especially since I had never gotten a chance to see Wrath of Khan on the big screen. They were even giving away free Trek books afterward.

 

[Tim Walker]

These days I reserve going to the theatre largely for films with visual spectacle. That means science ficture, superheroes and some others. Anything else I can usually wait for video that can be watched on a 55in. Television.

Story is still uppermost, but (if possible) a visual spectacle should be seen initially as it was intended.

Two forthcoming films interest me: The Martian and Bridge Of Spies. The first I'll want to see on the big screen while the latter can probably wait for video.

Occasionally you get a mainstream film with beautiful photography. Examples that come to mind....Out of Africa....Dances With Wolves....

Actually, that is a very infrequent event. I will go maybe 2-3 times a year to see a science fiction movie.

 

[Warped9]

Back in 1979 I saw TMP three times. The first was opening weekend on the big screen. I saw it a second time on another bog screen some weeks later. And then about a year or so later I saw it on an IMax screen at Ontario Place.

Man, seeing the attacking Klingon battle cruisers and the refit Enterprise on an IMax screen is quite something. Wow!!!

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

While I was too young to see Ghostbusters when it first came out, I have seen it in the theater at revival screenings in more recent years. However, I haven't seen Ghostbusters 2 on the big screen since it first came out in 1989. The 2 films are short enough that I'd think some theater could do them as a double-feature.

Due to some weird scheduling on my part back in the day, I never saw Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) on the big screen. (My mother saw it, then forbade me from seeing it because of all of the swearing.) To this day, it's the only Turtles movie that I haven't seen in the theater. (Meanwhile, TMNT (2007) probably holds the record for the movie I've seen most often in the theater.)

I didn't see any of the Back to the Future movies when they first came out. Since then, I saw Part I when AMC had a 25th anniversary showing in 2010 and the Tempe Cinemas had a showing of Part II back in July. But I still haven't seen Part III on the big screen. I hope to fix this when they have the big trilogy screening on Wednesday, October 25, 2015! (I've been waiting 25 years for that date! )

I'd like for some theater to show Casablanca sometime. Seems like it would be a great date movie. ("Who are you really and what were you before? What did you do and what did you think?")

A couple other favorites that I've seen on the big screen but would like to see again: Rushmore & V for Vendetta.

The Little Mermaid
Beauty And The Beast
Aladdin

So jealous of anyone who got to see these on the big screen.

I saw all 3 of these in the theater when they first came out. Granted, I was a kid back then and probably couldn't genuinely appreciate the experience. I was much more caught up in the story than the images. (And in Ariel jump-starting puberty for me 7 years early.)

The Star Wars OT and Star Trek II: The Wraith of Kahn, awesome movies that came out years before I was born.

I saw Star Wars: A New Hope on the big screen during the 1997 Special Edition re-release. I saw it again some time around 2003 or 2004 as a special event when Harkins opened the new Scottsdale Cine Capri. (Unfortunately, the 2003 screening was with a 1997 film print that seemed to have been kept in very poor repair in the intervening 6 years.)

About a decade ago, the Harkins Valley Art Theater showed Star Trek II, Star Trek III, Star Trek IV, & Star Trek: First Contact on successive weekends. Man, was that a sight to behold! Somehow, the special effects are more convincing on a larger screen. And while they seemed to be old prints, they were kept in very good condition.

The story my parent told me is that half the theater got up and left when the face hugger jumped out at Kane followed by the other half when the alien came out of his chest.

I wouldn't say half the theatre (at the showing I went to) got up and left, but a handful did.

The film made superb use of suspense.

A friend of mine had to be half carried out of the theater after seeing the film. She was a sensitive soul.

I've heard a lot of stories like this about movies in the 1970s, it seems. I've heard all these stories about people puking in the aisles during Jaws. And my aunt's friend had a miscarriage while seeing The Exorcist.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

^ I've heard stories about people throwing up, becoming hysterical, or fainting during The Exorcist. Luckily I have never seen it and don't plan to ever!

 

[Greg Cox]

The story my parent told me is that half the theater got up and left when the face hugger jumped out at Kane followed by the other half when the alien came out of his chest.

I wouldn't say half the theatre (at the showing I went to) got up and left, but a handful did.

The film made superb use of suspense.

Alas, a friend had spoiled me on the chest-burster sequence so I knew it was coming. I've always regretted that. I would have preferred to have been caught completely off-guard.

Similarly, I would've loved to have been in a theater in 1925 when Lon Chaney's "Phantom of the Opera" was unmasked for the first time. Nowadays it's hard to imagine that anyone doesn't know what Chaney's makeup looks like before they see the movie.

And, yeah, I can't imagine watching 2001 or Lawrence of Arabia on a small screen or, worse yet, a tablet or phone. I saw the former during its original run in Cinerama and I caught a revival of the latter at the Ziegfeld in NYC many years ago. It was an amazing experience.

 

[One Lucky Red Shirt]

sadly im no longer living in Virginia. but before i moved 5 years ago the county had restored a old 1940s movie theater. they did showings of superman the movie and a few of the old connery james bonds. im still kicking myself for missing those!! another one across town played the shining. now that was fun mid night showing.

would be fun to see the alien flicks on the big screen, 2001, the old star wars, TWOK. maybe one day..

 

[Greg Cox]

Several years ago, the Film Forum in NYC did a William Castle film festival, showing his movies on the big screen, complete with the original gimmicks: "Emergo," "Percepto," "Illusion-O," etc. I caught practically all of them.

Funny story: For "The Tingler," I showed up early to make sure I got one of the rigged seats. This proved awkward when a nice young couple asked me to move down one seat so they could sit together.

"Um, sorry, no."

I felt bad about it, but I wanted the full "Tingler" experience, complete with the "shocker" hidden under the seat, and when was I going to get another chance?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ I've heard stories about people throwing up, becoming hysterical, or fainting during The Exorcist. Luckily I have never seen it and don't plan to ever!

Don't go to any movie directed by Takashi Miike either.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I don't know who that is so I think I'm safe.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I still remember going to see Star Wars at the local drive in sitting in the back of the pickup truck facing the screen. Sadly that's an experience you can't really duplicate today.

 

[J.T.B.]

And, yeah, I can't imagine watching 2001 or Lawrence of Arabia on a small screen or, worse yet, a tablet or phone. I saw the former during its original run in Cinerama and I caught a revival of the latter at the Ziegfeld in NYC many years ago. It was an amazing experience.

I drove an hour to see the 1989 "Lawrence" re-release in 70mm, and then did it again a couple of nights later. One of the top movie experiences of my life.

For the OP question, the top of my list would probably be Star Wars, the un-fucked-with 1977 version, which I haven't seen in a theater in going on 30 years.

 

[Redfern]

In 1975, a year before the Dino De Laurentiis version was released, the original 1933 "King Kong" had a limited theater engagement. I was lucky enough to see it at the "Alabama" theatre in Birmingham, well, Alabama. What was so special about the "Alabama"? This Wiki' article and the the official site may give you an idea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Theatre

http://alabamatheatre.com/

Yup, it was like stepping back in time to 1933, marbled floors, crystal chandeliers, red velvet curtains and ropes, along with balcony and box seating.

I'm pleased to know the theatre is still in operation, restored to its original splendor.

Ooh... I just realized something. Almost as much time has passed since I experienced that special showing, now 40 years, as the length of time between the premiere and that special presentation, 42 years! D*mn, that makes me feel old!

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Greg Cox]

I still remember going to see Star Wars at the local drive in sitting in the back of the pickup truck facing the screen. Sadly that's an experience you can't really duplicate today.

Last I heard, there were only about 340 drive-in theaters left in the country--and the switch to digital projectors is probably going to drive the final nail in their coffin. Most of them are barely getting by and can't invest a lot of money in expensive new upgrades.

A shame. I have lots of fond drive-in movie memories.

And, no, I don't mean those kind of memories. Get your mind out of the gutter.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Yeah the last drive in theater in Western Washington, the Auburn 6, closed in 2012 after the owner died. Developers leveled it and turned it into a mixed use development.

 

[Push The Button]

Jaws
2001
Forbidden Planet
War of the Worlds (1953)

 

[Greg Cox]

Yeah the last drive in theater in Western Washington, the Auburn 6, closed in 2012 after the owner died. Developers leveled it and turned it into a mixed use development.

Sad to hear. There used to be tons of drive-ins back in those parts when I was growing up: The Midway Drive-In down by Sea-Tac, the Duwamish Drive-In, the Fife Drive-In, and, of course, the Valley Drive-In, which, at its height, had six screens. There was one up in Bellingham, too, although I never hit that one.

It's a shame, but, to be honest, I think the last time I went to a drive-in was to see the trailer for "Return of the Jedi" back around 1983 or so . . ..

 

[DarrenTR1970]

@ Greg
The last movie we saw as a family at a drive in was 'Conan the Destroyer' in Factoria in 1984. They tore that down after that season and built a regular multi-plex.
However, I'm not sure if you're aware of this but Paul Allen bought the Cinerama in Seattle about 10-15 years ago and restored it to back to all its 70mm glory and every year he holds a 70mm film festival. So if you're ever planning to come to Seattle you might want to plan your trip around that.

 

[Greg Cox]

@ Greg
The last movie we saw as a family at a drive in was 'Conan the Destroyer' in Factoria in 1984. They tore that down after that season and built a regular multi-plex.
However, I'm not sure if you're aware of this but Paul Allen bought the Cinerama in Seattle about 10-15 years ago and restored it to back to all its 70mm glory and every year he holds a 70mm film festival. So if you're ever planning to come to Seattle you might want to plan your trip around that.

I was in Seattle a few weeks ago, for a family wedding, but didn't have time to catch a movie. I saw that the Cinerama was still up and running.

I still remember seeing "2001" there back in 1968 or so, although I confess the ending flew over my nine-year-old head!