miffy495 Posted January 22, 2012 Not sure where to put this, but the movies thread seems appropriate. We had a special event yesterday at my theatre where we played an original print of Jurassic Park. I know it was original because it still had a trailer for the Flintstones movie attached to the front of it, which was an awesome surprise. I love the film, so I took extra care with the handling of the print, even going out of my way to repair bits that were a little damaged but not enough that it would have any impact on the print's ability to play. Today, while getting it ready to ship back to the distributor, I learn that yesterday's show is the last one for that print. It's being recycled as soon as it gets home. I always kind of have in the back of my mind that with the coming of digital cinemas (people are now saying that only restoration houses will have 35mm anymore within 18 months) any time I play a print may be its last show, but to have it thrown into such stark relief with a movie I really love was a bummer. At least it was a good one, over 200 people attended and it ran perfectly. Sadly though, this copy of the film has held onto its last butt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roderick Posted January 22, 2012 Fun fact: I went to see The Flintstones twice in cinema, for reasons I'm still not sure about. Sad to see the Jurassic Park print go, but it's the way of things, I guess. Did you cut out a single frame for yourself? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miffy495 Posted January 22, 2012 Yeah, I got a memento. Unfortunately I didn't realize until I was almost done, so it's from the opening scene, but it's something. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roderick Posted January 23, 2012 Haha, do 'mementos' happen often? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted January 23, 2012 Haha, do 'mementos' happen often? In the Fight Club novel it claims that projectionists would often snip frames from their favourite sex scenes, and so as prints would do the round across the country, the sex scenes would be getting progressively shorter and shorter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lu Posted January 23, 2012 George Lucas has no more bang in him. He's been doing nothing but deflating slowly since 1983. I'm pretty sure he has been steadily inflating since 1983. Ha ha! Fat jokes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vimes Posted January 24, 2012 It's being recycled as soon as it gets home Couldn't they allow for a movie theater to buy that last print? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miffy495 Posted January 24, 2012 Couldn't they allow for a movie theater to buy that last print? I suppose they could, but if you start getting sentimental about those things the space will run out fast. Also, it would be pretty damn expensive. As for mementos, they happen with reasonable regularity. I also, for instance, have a snipped bit of that brain worm thing being put into Chekov's head in Wrath of Khan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roderick Posted January 24, 2012 Bet you Dollars to donuts there won't be brain worms in the upcoming Star Trek 2. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ben X Posted January 24, 2012 They already had them in the first Star Trek reboot, the Romulans use them on Pike. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roderick Posted January 25, 2012 Oh. I had kind of forgotten about 95% of that movie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oubliette Posted January 25, 2012 I wish I'd been able to go seen Jurassic Park at the cinema back in the day. I was OBSESSED with dinosaurs as a child/teen but I had to make do with the book (which looking back is a good thing!). In fact I had to buy the books of every film I wanted to see as my parents wouldn't take me to the cinema, I remember getting the 'novelization' of Home Alone 2 for my birthday rather than cinema tickets! I've gone a bit mad on TV series since using the Netflix DNS trick. Me and the wife have become engrossed in Friday Night Lights despite having no interest in American Football (it's even making me feel like picking up a Madden game), along with Louie (I love Louis C K) and The League (Watched it purely for Paul Scheer and it turns out it;s actually great!). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roderick Posted January 25, 2012 Is The League still running? Jon Lajoie is funny. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vimes Posted January 25, 2012 I suppose they could, but if you start getting sentimental about those things the space will run out fast. Also, it would be pretty damn expensive. Oh, I didn't mean you'd have to do it for every single last copy; only for each that are meaningful to you... I don't know, I wouldn't mind having the last copy of Brazil or In the Mood for Love. Then again, yeah, how expensive are we talking about? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oubliette Posted January 25, 2012 Is The League still running? Jon Lajoie is funny. I'm not sure if it's still running but there's 2-3 series on Netflix. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miffy495 Posted January 25, 2012 Oh, I didn't mean you'd have to do it for every single last copy; only for each that are meaningful to you... I don't know, I wouldn't mind having the last copy of Brazil or In the Mood for Love. Then again, yeah, how expensive are we talking about? Incredibly. As in, I don't think a studio would actually SELL you the print ever, only lease it if you could convince them that you were doing occasional showings at some place for a long period of time. Really, it's so unrealistic as to not be worth looking into. When they charge several hundred dollars to lend it to you for one show, imagine how much they'd want to give it to you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
James Posted January 25, 2012 Oh, I didn't mean you'd have to do it for every single last copy; only for each that are meaningful to you... I don't know, I wouldn't mind having the last copy of Brazil or In the Mood for Love. Then again, yeah, how expensive are we talking about? As I read it, it's not the last original print of Jurassic Park, but the last showing for that original print of Jurassic Park. There may be many others. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miffy495 Posted January 26, 2012 Very true. Just makes me sad to see them retire like that. I'm sure that the Universal Vault or whatever has a print for posterity's sake. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nachimir Posted January 26, 2012 Miffy, I think this might interest you (and anyone else intersted in cinema projection): http://astortheatreblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/what-happened-last-night/ tl;dr "Fucking DRM". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miffy495 Posted January 26, 2012 Yeah, I'm aware of the technology and its kinda scary. At the end, the talk of independents being pressured to switch over to the KDM system hit pretty close to home. My theatre can't afford one, but it's gotten to the point that new films no longer arrive on 35mm. It's the old legacy prints that we get now. Any new film will arrive on Blu Ray, as long as the distributors are willing to ship them instead of insisting that we switch over. It really does suck. On the other hand, I guess it makes it pretty clear that my current path of getting out of projection and into teaching is coming at the perfect time. With the timelines that the studios are giving, I'll be starting my first September as a teacher less than a year before 35mm becomes an historical curiosity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pabosher Posted January 28, 2012 I've watched about 8 episodes of Arrested Development today (possibly more by the time this night is over) and it's getting better and better. Didn't think too much of it in the beginning, but this is getting really funny. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted January 28, 2012 I've watched about 8 episodes of Arrested Development today (possibly more by the time this night is over) and it's getting better and better. Didn't think too much of it in the beginning, but this is getting really funny. That's exactly the same experience I had. Keep going it's great! (Until the episodes with Rita, anyway.) In other news: Ben and I saw a movie we both agreed on! In short: The Descendents = Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris Posted January 29, 2012 I just saw Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in the theater again. Goddamn that is a good movie. My favorite film of 2011. I'd see it a third time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted January 29, 2012 I'm just watching Downton Abbey for the first time, and so far I've been loving it, but I'm on episode three and... Did Julian Fellowes suffer a stroke part way through writing?? Seriously... what the hell? I'd heard season two became unintentionally comical, but I'm on series one, episode three, and I'm incredulous at its absurdity. I cannot believe this is the route they've decided to take the series down... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roderick Posted January 29, 2012 Is this about the flower contest? I don't know which episode is what anymore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites