Last month, we took a look at some of the qualities that make for a superior movie theater presentation. This month, we’ll identify some specific tools that can assist you in finding the best local theaters.
Use the THX Website to locate a THX-certified theater. THX was developed by Lucasfilm in the early 1980’s to act as a quality-assurance program for movie theater companies. THX came about from George Lucas’ disappointed at the state of theater sound systems and their inability to accurately present the complexity of the film soundtracks that his audio team had worked so hard to create for his films. Adhering to the THX standards allows theater owners to guarantee that their exhibitions are presented exactly as the filmmakers intended. By employing THX-approved architectural design and THX-approved projection and sound systems along with an annual THX calibration of all technical equipment, the theater can advertise to patrons that they offer a truly superior presentation. In 2004 I was in Salt Lake City attending a conference and used some down time to see a couple of movies. A quick check of the THX Website directed me to the Century 16 Salt Lake where I saw the action-packed Alien vs Predator and the very-odd-at-the-time Napoleon Dynamite. Even though I had not previously seen either of these films, I knew that I was seeing them exactly as the filmmakers intended since the theater I visited had the THX stamp of approval. I was not disappointed with either presentation. THX-certified theaters can be found throughout the country and around the world. The Mann’s Chinese Theater and the Disney El Capitan Theater mentioned in last month’s newsletter are both THX-certified.
Use the DLP Cinema Website and the Sony Digital Cinema Website to find theaters that have installed digital projection systems. Traditional film projection systems can suffer from distractions such as film wear, scratches, blotches, weaving, misalignment, poor focus, audio drop-outs and the like. These matters get worse over time as the same film is projected over and over. Digital projection systems solve all of these problems and generally offer a more dynamic, vibrant and accurate picture. And the image quality is consistent from the first projection to the 1,000th. You might think of digital projection as a super-resolution HDTV the size of a movie screen. My first experience with digital projection was in 2002 with the release of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones at the AMC Pleasure Island 24 in Orlando. From that day on I’ve tried to seek out digital projection presentations whenever I can.
Perhaps one of the best ways to determine which movie theaters offer better quality presentations is to experience the same movie at several different locations. Notice the differences between the sound quality, the size of the screen, the seating arrangements and the projected image quality. Can you understand dialog without strain? Do explosions have lifelike impact? Are sounds from theaters next door leaking into yours? Sometimes, it comes down to the theater staff and how well they pay attention to the details of the presentation. Is the sound too soft? Are the screen curtains not opened enough to show the entire film area? Are there distracting film splices throughout the movie? A great coffee bar at a theater’s concession stand may be a nice perk but if it’s at the expense of an immersive, high-quality film experience, I say save the coffee for a trip to Starbucks after the film.
Americans will no doubt continue to enjoy going out to theaters for years to come. The record-breaking Avatar is evidence of that. Make sure your experience is as good as it can be - and that you’re seeing and hearing what the filmmakers intend - by seeking out quality movie theaters.
And when you want to experience theater-like movie quality at home, watch those Blu-rays and DVDs on home theater installation featuring THX-certified equipment!
