Remembering the big screen

sunsanvil

My history with the films is somewhat different from others my age, me being in my early 40s. In my teens, the 1980s, my family was overseas living in a country which only recently got its independence and still had a strong colonial influence. In particular the movie theaters were still the gargantuan monsters, built probably in the 60s, with names like "The 20th Century", or "The National". Seating was still assigned with no less than 3 different price points in the stalls (main floor), and two in the balcony (price determined by distance to screen). Yes that's right, I said "Balcony". Back then they still started with the national anthem, a newsreel, and even an animated short, before the feature. To give you a sense of size, later that decade the balcony was renovated into two small theaters, the main floor converted into retail store space.

Movies notoriously came at least a year later than the rest of the world and seem to hang around for a long time, even spilling over to one of a couple massive drive-ins for a sort of second or extended run.

As fate would have it, more than once during those years, James Bond "films-festivals" came round the circuit. Net result, my introduction to 007 was to see all the films, in release order at a rate of about one per week, on the big screen, the REALLY big screen! And not just once, but several times.

I remember looking at the posters outside, and then the lobby cards inside. The anticipation!

Seeing those Maurice Binder and Robert Brownjohn titles for the first time....I was enchanted! Back then they played trailers after the feature, in this case advertizing next week's Bond. What a show.

30 years later it is difficult, even on the most technically proficient home theater hardware, to reproduce that experience...

CrabKey

As a kid, my film going experience was largely the same. Three motion picture theaters were within walking distance of my house. Incredibly, I paid fifteen cents (under 12) to see three features on a Saturday afternoon. Of course soft drinks, popcorn, and sweets were five to ten cents. Having said that, I have clearly dated myself.

But the larger point here was the experience. Theaters were large and comfortable and alluring. The setting contributed to the magic of seeing films. I still recall the excitement of seeing The Great Escape at The Centre. Equally as memorable, but in a completely negative way, was seeing Jaws in a sardine can referred to as a multiplex. What a horrid, abysmal trend that was.

I am glad to see the efforts of some chains to recapture a bit of the nostalgia. Some are actually making the experience of being in a movie theater pleasant and comfortable again.

patb

Check out "The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex" by Mark Kermode. all about the decline of the cinema experience, the first chapter is funny and sad at the same time where he recounts taking his daughter to to a big multiplex. The second chapter deals with the loss of projectionist expertise how digital projection has taken the skill way, its a good read.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Bad-Multiplex-Mark-Kermode/dp/0099543494/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8