Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan in 70mm

[Epsilon-9]

Did the picture look as blue as the BluRay quality did?

Well the framing is bit on the piss for this on DVD/Bluray I mean can't they get that spot on! I'd sooner they just frame the image as it is on the film print.

Cropping off the top or sides or bottom gives bluray a bad name as a so called cinema perfect format.

 

[Captain Rob]

Epsilon -9: I bet your hands weren't black from the platter. Titanic was the first major release that the prints were done using polyester. The prints shed like crazy. There were problems widely reported all over the US and Canada. We had to do our weekly cleaning on the projectors after every show, it was so bad. We ran one of our prints for five months and I was surprised that there was anything left of it. When we got our 70 mm print of Titanic, everyone just looked at it because no one knew how to thread 70 but me. (lacing-up?) So I had to teach everyone.
I started with UA in 1983 and went to General Cinema in 1987. And left when they started to collapse in 1992. When I was with GCC I had a log running argument with our City Manager (Assistant DM), who was also the GM of the GCC Northpark I and II in Dallas. She was always claiming that her theatre had the first commercial THX Sound installation. I asked her when it was installed and she said May of 1983. My theatre was done by Lucasfilm in March of 1983. The GCC Northpark was their premier location in Texas. Their small auditorium was 750 seats and their large auditorium was over 1250. She said that they could never get an exact seat count. The large auditorium was like a drive-in with a roof. The floorplan was square so if you sat on one side, the other side's surround speakers were so far away you'd hear an echo.
I hated Cinemeccanica projectors. General Cinema used them for their newer locations built in the 80's. When I left in 92' I went to work for a dollar cinema company that bought GCC's new 8-screen in Ft. Worth, about 40 miles from Dallas. I managed that location for about a year and 6 of the 8 Cinemeccanica Projectors had their plastic gear assemlies blow up. The dollar cinema people didn't know how to work on them. I didn't either so I called in the service company that GCC used. They had actually done the full booth installation there in 88'. I later worked again for UA from 94' to 2006 after the merger with Regal. They shut my location down even though it was profitable. I'm out of the industry now.
As for ST IV. I got to see it early when a working print came to town for the local Paramount office, which UA did screenings for. It was complete except for the effects. I got to see the Bird of Prey fly around the sun without the floaty heads. You could still see the stand under the model and some of the effects guys were standing in the background waving.

 

[Epsilon-9]

captain rob

No it was the, palter our hands where on the edge of the cake platter. I would remember because my arms were aching afterwards as well as my hands 3 hours. LOL

Makes you wonder what happens in booth these days to project a film.

Interesting about the film print shedding, bit kinder like my skin condition. LOL

I think I’ve heard of someone mentioning dollar cinema that is where you pay $1.dollar. Why that’s like 50pence over here. LOL Wow that’s cheaper than child price back around 1974 which was 79pence.

Matinee Saturday films at different cinema over at Boscombe was 15pence? For that you get Godzilla!

I’d need training on 70mm because it’s a bit tricky I imagine and delicate.

I’ve seen it in the booth running though a Phillps DP70 Star Trek VI when I was invited in the booth on Friday, Febuary14th 1992, bummer, Walentines Day LOL

The chief showed me nice 35mm Dolby SR print of Star Trek VI that was used for back-up in case the 70mm got damaged. The print was covered up with bed sheet which was normal for most UCI and other cinemas to keep the prints clean.

Saw Star Trek VI three times in THX wow! It was the last 70mm Dolby THX presentation I saw at the Empire, from that day on, most where 35mm Dolby SR or SR-D or dts. Today it’s Dolby Cinema Digital, which looks and sounds great.

Echo is the worst that can happen it degrades dialogue from the first sound of voice, or spoken word. The decay time needs to be fast to prevent it from arriving milliseconds after its left the speaker! Otherwise its an overlapping of unintelligible voices.

Empire has a bit of echo its not as bad in the middle. At the front its like pinging off the walls and returning and a film like Transformers with a words coming at a pace of 100 per 20 seconds makes you say WTF! Sound effects and music is not as noticeable.

I prefer a cinema that has fast decay time, then again I’ve got so accustomed to it over the years, it doesn’t bother, me that much.

How many surrounds where in the cinema at the time, can you remember?

Was there any wall treatment?

Wow a work print to see that its coming along. That must be strange seeing the folks at, ILM, waving at the camera. LOL

Well does it matter. Maybe she meant that contract was signed, months before the install?

I think though Homan’s research and trail and error in getting it to perform is great improvement.

Its no secret about the THX baffle wall, I guess if a cinema wants to build one they don’t need to go to THX can’t be that hard to build. Plaster board! Lots of it! The screen absorbent prevents HF zigzagging of the perforated screen, making for bright harsh sound.

Projecting the sound outwards reinforcing the lows, so that’s mostly part of the tick to it.

 

[Captain Rob]

Makes you wonder what happens in booth these days to project a film.

It was really sad to see the GCC Northpark get torn down. It had been built in the late 60's and was toen down to make way for the shopping center's expansion. AMC theatres built a huge state-of-the-art theatre on top of the new mall segment. It opened in 2006 and is beautiful. It's now AMC's premier location in Dallas. By 2008 though I started noticing their presentation slipping. Since I have to pay for movies now I usually stick to the best places. I started noticing that their prints were dirty and that the image wasn't stable, with it wandering around the screen a little.
As for THX, I knew when the installation was done because the Lucasfilm engineers put stickers over the adjustment knobs on all of the amps and the equalizer panel. The stickers had initials and dates on them and were put there to keep people from messing with the settings. Our main auditorium had 550 seats and had a custom speaker setup. Everything was JBL and we had at least 10 surrounds in hung cabinets with dual 16 inch woofers and a single horn in each cabinet. I've never seen a setup with surrounds that big. The subs were in three cabinets under the screen each with dual 18 - 20 inch woofers. When we ran "Top Gun" in 70 mm we ran the volume on full on opening night and the subs could rattle your teeth out. The subs were later replaced with a huge Bose accoustical wave cannon at least 16 feet long, which made the previous subs sound pathetic. All of our walls had that icky burlap covering popular in the 80's but the THX auditoriums had alot of sound proofing under the burlap. We also had sound baffles over the AC vents. One of them almost fell on an employee while we were cleaning up after a show.
Our smaller auditorium (500 seat) was converted the following year to a standard THX setup with much smaller surrounds. At least it also had a 35/70 projector.
That was a great theatre to start at. In 86' it was UA's busiest location. It was like being on the front line of the movie business. We were always doing sneak previews, press screenings, and film company events. UA later sold that location and it's now known as the Studio Movie Grille-Addison, even though it's actually in Dallas. It's been the busiest dinner theatre location in the country.
UA was really big with THX sound. I think that they had more THX screens than anyone. After Regal took over in 2003 they did away with the THX certification because it costs money to use the THX logo and to recertify the auditoriums. My last location with UA was the Northstar 8 in Garland outside of Dallas. We had two THX auditoriums that sounded even better when SDDS came out. I was there for 12 years. It's now a sportsbar that's closed most of the time.

 

[Epsilon-9]

It was really sad to see the GCC Northpark get torn down. It had been built in the late 60's and was toen down to make way for the shopping center's expansion. AMC theatres built a huge state-of-the-art theatre on top of the new mall segment.

It opened in 2006 and is beautiful. It's now AMC's premier location in Dallas. By 2008 though I started noticing their presentation slipping. Since I have to pay for movies now I usually stick to the best places. I started noticing that their prints were dirty and that the image wasn't stable, with it wandering around the screen a little.

I guess there are those who don't care much about presentation today.

As for THX, I knew when the installation was done because the Lucasfilm engineers put stickers over the adjustment knobs on all of the amps and the equalizer panel. The stickers had initials and dates on them and were put there to keep people from messing with the settings. Our main auditorium had 550 seats and had a custom speaker setup. Everything was JBL and we had at least 10 surrounds in hung cabinets with dual 16 inch woofers and a single horn in each cabinet. I've never seen a setup with surrounds that big.

Hmm, the surrounds wouldn't be JBL 2202 low frequency and JBL 2344 high frequency horn with JBL 2421 high frequency drivers?

I have JBL booklet that was published for "Cinedome 7-plex Fremont California" (1981) its a custom made JBL surround speaker. Interesting design.

Its also suspended by chains on the sidewalls rear wall.

The subs were in three cabinets under the screen each with dual 18 - 20 inch woofers. When we ran "Top Gun" in 70 mm we ran the volume on full on opening night and the subs could rattle your teeth out. The subs were later replaced with a huge Bose accoustical wave cannon at least 16 feet long, which made the previous subs sound pathetic.

Please wash your mouth out with soap! Bose!

Yeah who hasn't heard of the Bass Cannon?

I can imagine the feel good feeling for the need for bigger subs to move the air in the auditorium 20” is very uncommon. 18” is very common in cinemas.

All of our walls had that icky burlap covering popular in the 80's but the THX auditoriums had alot of sound proofing under the burlap. We also had sound baffles over the AC vents. One of them almost fell on an employee while we were cleaning up after a show.

Our smaller auditorium (500 seat) was converted the following year to a standard THX setup with much smaller surrounds. At least it also had a 35/70 projector.

Blimey I guess he would have been THX'ed if that landed on him!

UA was really big with THX sound. I think that they had more THX screens than anyone. After Regal took over in 2003 they did away with the THX certification because it costs money to use the THX logo and to recertify the auditoriums.

I still have the list of THX screens in world in a folder that THX sent over to me. It only dates back to early 1990's thou.

My last location with UA was the Northstar 8 in Garland outside of Dallas. We had two THX auditoriums that sounded even better when SDDS came out. I was there for 12 years. It's now a sportsbar that's closed most of the time.

That's rather sad ending by the sounds of it.

 

[Captain Rob]

Captain Rob wrote:
The subs were in three cabinets under the screen each with dual 18 - 20 inch woofers. When we ran "Top Gun" in 70 mm we ran the volume on full on opening night and the subs could rattle your teeth out. The subs were later replaced with a huge Bose accoustical wave cannon at least 16 feet long, which made the previous subs sound pathetic.

Please wash your mouth out with soap! Bose!

Yeah who hasn't heard of the Bass Cannon?

I can imagine the feel good feeling for the need for bigger subs to move the air in the auditorium 20” is very uncommon. 18” is very common in cinemas.

Even though I had left UA in 87' I stayed in contact with a friend that became an assistant manager there after I left. The main THX auditorium had a loft behind the screen where the speakers were with an area below the loft which was wherethe subs were. We also used that lower area to store popcorn seed and oil. It served as storage with both ends having a locked door. When I later came by to attend a screening for "Days of Thunder", my friend took me backscreen and goes "Look what we got." The old subs were replaced with the Bose accoustical wave cannon that was bolted to the floor. It stretched the length of the storage area. "Thunder" was the first movie to play with the upgrade and it sounded incredible. One of the local clubs I went to had two of those things suspened from the ceiling. If you sat your drink on a table near them, the liquid's surface would dance around.
The subs at the Northstar's THX auditoriums were twin 18" woofers in a single cabinet mounted to the floor in front of the screen. We had to have a pretty substantial metal mesh enclosure for them because people kept trying to steal them. From all of the different sound system setups I've seen over the years, the one in the Prestonwood's main auditorium was definitely overkill. But it was worth it. I wonder if the setup's been changed much with the new owners?
Knowing that the Northstar was going to close I photographed the hell out of it, especially the auditoriums and the projection booth. The shopping center owner had bought the building and he only bought the equipment for the two THX auditoriums. I also took alot of pictures after the closing and the sadest ones are of the booth with six of the projectors torn down and on the floor. And they took the huge "UA 8" off of the front of the building. My one keepsake is the faceplate for the THX crossover.

 

[Epsilon-9]

Captain Rob
Wow that’s an interesting story. I take you have put the pictures on photobucket of other for viewing?

Didn’t think the Bose Cannon was capable. I have "Day’s of Thunder" Top Gun on wheels on DVD it was also produced in CDS that had a short lifespan as well as 70mm Dolby stereo SR (SS) 35mm Dolby SR.

 

[Captain Rob]

One thing about the THX baffle wall you mentioned. I never really heard that term before so I looked it up on the THX website. It's like "Ding, ding, ding...that's what that was!" I remembered that the main auditorium at the UA Prestonwood had this thick insulation pad on the wall behind the screen. It was about 6 inches thick and was like very thick insulation. It was about the same size as the screen. You could only really see it when we did screen replacements. Other THX auditoriums had somewhat thinner ones. Prestonwood was odd because that main screen had originally been mounted flush with the wall when the theatre was built in 1980. The backscreen speakers were mounted in housings cut through the wall. When the THX upgrade was done, a false wall was created that mounted the screen. The speaker loft spanned the space betweeh the sceen and the back wall, which created the storage area below where the subs were. That mysterious pad looked weird just stuck to the back wall.
I really miss running those THX trailers. With the original 70 mm one we'd ramp the volume knob up full blast at the end when the house was full. And everyone would clap. It would rattle the drinks out at the concession stand.

 

[Epsilon-9]

One thing about the THX baffle wall you mentioned. I never really heard that term before so I looked it up on the THX website. It's like "Ding, ding, ding...that's what that was!"

I can see how that would come on their site today! Its not the same as the original THX site in the 90’s, till it was sold/privatized that’s why its no longer called “LucasFilm THX” its just called “THX” now.

Oh its under the word “THX baffle wall” alright. THX even produced “The THX Bafflette” (this was in published, volume 1 number 5 June 1992 issue of “THX monitor”) that looks like the old traditional Altec or other loudspeakers of there heyday with large wings attached to sides of the enclosures.

Here is a small collection of the THX monitor and THX files I have.

Here is a small collection of the THX monitor and THX files I have.

Also some THX promotional martial. I wouldn’t mind the THX lobby poster and there are plenty of copies around for sale to day. I don’t want a hammered butchered up THX poster that looked like cat shredded it!

I really miss running those THX trailers. With the original 70 mm one we'd ramp the volume knob up full blast at the end when the house was full. And everyone would clap. It would rattle the drinks out at the concession stand.

I can understand the desire/need to turn it way up! But that puts the speakers at great risk unless the amps and loudspeakers can handle those tolerance levels. (Oh, yes everyone knows THX tests them with THX torture test to see what there breaking point is).

Usually its mark “7” on the Dolby house fader, which is plenty loud enough! Unless it’s a film with soft dynamics and there are plenty of those around.

I heard a rumour that the Empire Leicester Square busted in one of few JBL 4645 sometime during the early 90’s with “THX Cimarron” which almost made me jump out the seat when the conductors hand strike up the unchristian with WHAM BOOM! then as the THX logo comes midway on the screen the subs become active and rattle the cinema something silly LOL.

Music for that was produced by James Horner for Willow in Dolby 70mm (SS).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THX

Well one of the projectionist no longer works there, told me that they had to replace some 18” sub bass drives. It must have been the part where the subwoofer “boom channel” comes on!

The backscreen speakers were mounted in housings cut through the wall. When the THX upgrade was done, a false wall was created that mounted the screen. The speaker loft spanned the space betweeh the sceen and the back wall, which created the storage area below where the subs were. That mysterious pad looked weird just stuck to the back wall.

Must be secondary absorbent martial to damper down the bass behind the THX baffle most regular non-THX cinemas have some absorbent on the back wall. The THX baffle wall is covered to stop the high frequencies from zigzagging off the perforated screen and reflecting back milliseconds after they have left the speakers.

 

[Epsilon-9]

Here are some, very rare video interview with Tomlinson Holman “THX” (It took about 10 or more keywords several days searching around to find this). I was wondering if he had done an video interview and low and behold, I found this several years back. Enjoy them!

Please give the videos a few seconds to load/start-up its QuickPlay some videos are shot some are rather long. It all makes since with the videos rather than reading though pages and pages of white papers on the internet, unless you want.

These videos must have been recorded late 2004 or early 2005 as Tom mentions “Troy” (2004) in digital projection.

Part 1 How did THX come about?
http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/104...=GUIDE&dl=GUIDE&CFID=3242816&CFTOKEN=92081103

Part 2 THX baffle wall and mathematics?
http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/104...=GUIDE&dl=GUIDE&CFID=3242816&CFTOKEN=92081103

Part 3 5.1, and the future of more channels VS the frequency range and dynamic range?
http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/104...=GUIDE&dl=GUIDE&CFID=3242816&CFTOKEN=92081103

Part 4 The future of multi-channel music?
http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/104...=GUIDE&dl=GUIDE&CFID=3242816&CFTOKEN=92081103

Part 5 Wave field and multi channel, 1933 stereo experiment?
http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/104...=GUIDE&dl=GUIDE&CFID=3242816&CFTOKEN=92081103

Part 6 The future of Digital cinema and surround music?
http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/104...7&key2=1381423721&coll=GUIDE&dl=GUIDE&CFID=32

 

[Epsilon-9]

This is view of the THX cinema where I saw all 70mm Star Trek films in glorious six-track Dolby.

Lots and lots of searching around, the internet too find these (secondary pictures) to create the thread. I have several pictures of my own

And this is today how it looks!

One chap that was involved with the 2006 refit provided these pictures.

Full thread at Lansing Heritage
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulle...re-Leicester-Square-London-a-JBL-installation!

 

[Indysolo]

Interesting that this thread got bumped recently.

All of the original Trek films will be playing in 70mm in LA this summer (though I don't really believe TMP will be shown that way).

Neil

 

[Epsilon-9]

Interesting that this thread got bumped recently.

All of the original Trek films will be playing in 70mm in LA this summer (though I don't really believe TMP will be shown that way).

Neil

Wow I’d define anyone that on this site that doesn’t live within a 100 miles of LA! 70mm Dolby =

I’ve had my share of Star Trek 70mm six-track Dolby stereo JBL THX to last a lifetime. Well I’m still living it, to this day.

I'll spared the word!


Edit: this is how they make there money with each film on Saturdays at $10.00 each.

Saturday June 12th
Star Trek The Motion Picture
(PG • 147 min.) 11:55pm

Saturday June 19th
Star Trek I I The Wrath Of Khan
(PG • 128 min.) 11

Saturday 26th June
Star Trek I I I The Search For Spock
(PG • 120 min.) 11:55pm

Saturday July 10th
Star Trek I V The Voyage Home
(PG • 134 min.) 11:55pm

Saturday July 17th
Star Trek V The Final Frontier
(PG • 122 min.) 11:55pm

Saturday July 24th
Star Trek V I The Undiscovered Country
(PG • 128 min.) 11:55pm


The Star Trek marathon that I saw 20 years ago was only £10.00 for the whole day in THX!


Also it would be very interesting feedback on the conduction of the 70mm prints after so many years. Any picture fading colour scratches and any lose to the magnetic tracks.

 

[Captain Rob]

Man, nothing beats seeing Star Trek in a real movie theatre, especially in 70 mm. Wish I could go.
Fantastic pictures. That's one big auditorium.
As for damaging speakers. When we ran the THX logo on full blast (10) on opening night of "Top Gun"; I made sure to stand in the back of the auditorium. The surround cabinets were hung with chains but the cabinet bottom edge only rested on a metal track. At the loudest part of the logo, one of the cabinets started hopping in it's track. That's thew last time we ran it that loud. The only thing louder at that show was the squadron of F-14 pilots (Naval Aviators) that we got from the local Naval Air Station. They showed up in their flight suits and answered questions before and after the show.
While I was at the Northstar in 2003 we had Christie LCD digital projectors installed by Regal Cinemedia ( now National CineMedia). These were for running digital ads and special presentations. Each auditorium's projector was connected to it's own computer. After reading through the projector's manual I discovered that other stuff could be plugged into it. I was able to plug my XBox into it and into the non-sync input for the THX sound system. One night after work I just popped in my STVI DVD and it looked and sounded pretty good.

 

[Epsilon-9]

Captain Rob

You should have ran it side by side with 70mm print, reduce the image size somehow and project the two at the same time on the same screen for comparison. LOL Its easy the 70mm will win!

You just knew it was loud. So I assume you didn’t use an SPL db meter. The highest I’ve noticed at the Empire in recent years since attending again back around 2007 for “Transformers” was 120dbc on the highest peak low frequency moments.

That would be when Iron Hide flipped over a screaming girl. Wow just low end pressing on my body and the stillness in the background was (rattle vibration free) now that is sound system where you only hear the sound, without distractions!

I can even recall “The Hunt For Red October” Dolby SR at UCI when I worked there. I think it was screen 5 or 6? At the time it was interlocked just moved from screen 5 to 6 on pair legs that it grew overnight.


The scene where the Red October is underwater, well there was many scenes like it, it was somewhere in the 2 to 3 reel. The frame that holds the stage speakers centre channel rattled! Now that was distracting.

I only popped in the auditorium for quick listen. Amazing how very few of us can remember events small events in cinema from 20 or 30 or even nearly 40 years back.

Also a few later I went to see film there, (no longer working for them) I think it was, oh, bugger! I have the tickets still I’d need to flip though them because I’d often write a small comment on the back of the ticket.

Type of presentation
Scope or W/S
Dolby A/SR
Overall presentation

The title will come to me, I’m 100% I have it on DVD.
It was the same issue of vibration buzzing the frame support wasn’t that good if played high or with low frequencies at high SPL db.

I do recall "Tango & Cash" in Dolby SR /scope and one the other projectionist turned up the Dolby fader to nearly 10! When it was set by the chief below “7” usually 5.5 to 6.5 the chief would have skinned him alive if he saw him. "Okay let's do it" [deep bass line music]

It did how ever result in damage to one of the surrounds in the auditorium. I think it was in screen 4 or 3 at the time, after playing for weeks in screen 6 I believe.

The surrounds should give even unnoticeable smooth even frequency response, without telling which one is playing? Well they all had the same, sound from the matrix surround.

With one busted in, I think it was the second one from the back on the (was it left or right?) It was the second one from the back.

There was 6 in the small screens with an odd one placed right at the very back because of the shape of the auditoriums. Only screen 5 and 6 was an even shape that was mirrored.

The surround just rattled all the time, and I just couldn’t help looking up at. Yes it was on the left! I was sat on the right far outer seat that is near to the centreline. Yes it was left, surround, that was done in.

“Always” in Dolby stereo type A with the fire extinguisher on Hal’s airplane sounding overhead or all-around got my attention looking up and all around as that was point to create diffusion/defocusing the surround.

Gordon Bennett, I can’t even find a picture of UCI or Empire cinema Tower Park on Google image. It doesn’t surprise me at all.

 

[Captain Rob]

While STVI sounded good through the XBox digital projector connection; it didn't look very good. The morons from Regal Cinemedia didn't believe in adjusting the picture to fill the screen properly. Also the relatively tiny lamps in the digital projector didn't throw near enough light as a 4.5KW xenon bulb. He had first tested the setup with the game Halo 2 and a set of good wireless controllers. After that test several of my employees would have volunteered to work for free if they could just play Halo on the big screen.
Since the image from the digital projector didn't match up with the film projector's image we were constantly getting complaints from our customers. I've been to other UA, AMC, and Cinemark theatres that now use the same system, and they have the same problem. I even complained to our Cinemedia tech about the ads ending late and his reaction was basically "They don't end late." I'm like "If the movie is supposed to start at 7:00 I should be able to walk to the projector at exactly 7:00 and press Start, and not have 4 to 5 minutes of ads left to run." At the end of the ad presentation there's a cue frame with the logo and a little projector icon in the corner indicating that it's time to start. There's even a flashing green light on the automation panel that flashes for 30 seconds. If the projector is late or early starting the system generates an error message that goes to corporate. Even the server in the booth that controls everything was the time displayed as a screensaver. And it's clock is right. Regal's doing this on purpose and now apparently every theatre that uses National Cinemedia has their movies starting late. I saw Star Trek XI five times at both AMC and Cinemark locations and they were all late. And one time the projectionist started the wrong movie.

 

[Epsilon-9]

Yeah I remember those panels.

Amber was it needs to laced-up if I fully recall.
Green ready to run the show/
Red! Well that’s not good at all! LOL Ether the film has got jammed in the (film gate or there is huge pile of film snowballing up on the cake platter) LMAO

Oh, yeah I’ve seen it.

Hey it happens its called working stress and worry.

I’ve even laced-up the wrong film for the afternoon kiddie’s mommies.

I think it was one of the smaller screen 3 or 4 well there in the same booth together!

Yeah the task was look at the (white wipe) for film title. Okay its “All dogs go to heaven”

I walked around to find the head-leader on the film removed the centre halo ring placed it on the wind-off platter, placed the film feeder in the centre hole on the platter, started thread the film though and up and down and around the rollers to the projector and back to the platter.

Then started to clean down the lens sprockets sound head and film gate and aperture plates with bush, then finally using Co2 air to give it a good spotless clean off.

Started to lace-up with plenty of time (mind you I was only a trainee at the time). I started at top sprocket down to the film gate around and over the intermittent sprocket over the sound head then locked up the film gate (checked the racking) also checking the loop on the (intermittent sprocket) for the correct size. Too wide not good! Too narrow not good!

I checked the lens for W/S as “All dogs go to heaven” was 1.85:1W/S. waited for the auditorium to be full well it was afternoon, there was only 20 or so waited for the time and then started up the projector.

Opened the dowser faded the Dolby fader up to what was said on the (white wipe board) adjusted focus on white titles, and just let UCI logo play out with adds and trailers!..And that was when I heard a knock on the booth door, during the trailers.

The usher was saying. “You’ve got the wrong film on” LMAO Oh, my god! I had to ask a co-worker to sort this out as I wasn’t trained or haven’t been fully briefed enough about playing the wrong film.

Hundreds or feet of film had passed though by then. The projector was stopped and bullshit usher told the audience, “We have problem”. LOL

It only took about 15 minutes to sort it out. Otherwise the mommies and kiddies would be treated to “Society” rated 18 I guess I'm an early version of "Tyler Durden" only its not single frames of pornography spliced into a family film, its the whole full Monty!

If the usher had left too early I would have walked out the booth, not knowing what film the families was watching?

 

[Grant]

Hey lucky folks who get to these showings................

It has always been said that the 70mm version of TWOK has a few other minor differences from the 35mm version besides the lack of 'II' in the title.

Specifically for one, the part in the pod with Kirk, Sulu, McCoy etc has a couple of lines not in the other cuts.

NO, not the entire Sulu's 'promotion' dialogue, but a few more words by Sulu before they cut to the exterior shot of the pod.

will anybody who sees this please check to see if this is true?

I would really appreciate it!!

 

[Captain Rob]

Oops; my goof about the indicators for the digital ads system. I know the panel you're talking about. Some of the theatres i worked at had them and some didn't. What I was talking about was a little black box with a reset button and a multicolored LED on it that wired into the computer that controlled the digital projector. The computer was also wired into the automation system. The reset button would manually restart the stack of ads running. And the LED would flash green when it was time to start the projector. It would flash red if the projector had not been started yet or there was a problem.
I can say for sure that I never ever ran the wrong movie. Accidentally started to thread the wrong one a few times; bur never started the wrong one. I did have a new projectionist start the wrong movie once. She freaked out when she discovered it. It amazes me that some people can't figure out what to do. Luckily it was still in the previews, so I had her run it down to where the next preview was about to come off of the platter. She stopped it and I broke the splice and had her run the film through the projector and onto the take-up platter. Then I took the center ring with the film off and had her thread up and start the proper film. I don't know what you guys call it over there but I did what we called a center-drop. That's were I take the center ring with the film and place it on top of the rest of the print on the feed-out platter. Then I carefully cut out the torn splice and resplice the film. Then gently pull the center ring out and work the film into the middle of the feed-out platter; forming small loops if neccessary. I was about the only one who could do it successfully every time, and I could do it with up to about a reel's worth of film. I've done it with more but it can look like a mess.
I did have another new projectionist who started the wrong movie. After he discovered his mistake he didn't bother to stop it. At least he came and got me. When I got to the projector and saw it still running I asked "Why didn't you stop it?" His reply was "I don't know." He didn't last long.

 

[Epsilon-9]

That’s a good bit of thinking guess it cut time down by minutes, rather than undoing the whole thing! LOL

Even almost placed it back to front and that can be easily done.

Always make sure the soundtrack is facing you!

If the soundtrack is on the opposite side then exciter lamp light beam won’t shine on the photo optical soundtrack. Also the image will be reversed, (no you don’t say). LOL

One projectionist even forgot to flip the (W/S lens) over to (scope lens for “The Hunt For Red October”) in screen 5. By the time I noticed it peering though the port window after being in another booth,. I noticed all the image was stretched vertically. The film had been running for 15 minutes and the audience didn’t even notice or a complaint made to management. Just goes to show not how many of them are technical advanced.

I guess you might have seen a xenon explode? I wasn’t there to see or hear go kaboom! After the word got around that xenon lamp exploded in one of the smaller screens, (was it screen 3 and 4).

The show was only delayed hey what can, you do. The mess inside was like sugar! Wow that must have been some explosion to shatter it, into (millions of fine shards of broken glass), that had to be swept up with (dustpan and brush) and finally vacuumed out to make sure the lamp house was free from any small pieces.

In the training we where all, brief never to open up the lamp house while it’s been running, for some time.