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- Feb 23, 2016
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Went to the actual movie house to see a movie last night. I won't get into the movie as it never had a chance. The theater is a modern up to date theater capable of decent sound and good pictures. This movie was dark however. Very dark. Other people were complaining it didn't seem to have home HDTV resolution. It was the darkness as it was dropping all fine details so far down they looked black. My eyeball guess was this was subjectively somewhere south of 1/4 normal brightness. It also was pulsing up and down in brightness noticeably about every two seconds the whole time.
I went out once to complain, but no one was at the front counter. When leaving I said something to an usher about it. His reply, "oh yeah, it's real dark. They know about it. The new bulb came in this afternoon. So they'll replace it tonight when everyone leaves."
So I hunt somebody up to complain. The manager wouldn't come out, but sent someone else. "Oh yes sir, was it really that dark." Me, "yes it was too dark to see any detail and ruined a visually impressive movie. So are you getting new bulbs or something because that projector is not up to snuff? Would have looked better on my TV at home". Theater guy, "oh yeah, actually we got in 4 bulbs this afternoon. It'll be fixed before another showing. Yes sir, we don't do business that way, it'll be right tomorrow I assure you. I promise you the next showing will look like.....like good." I am thinking is there some disconnect here? So I say, "sounds like maybe I should have watched it tomorrow then instead of tonight. If only someone had told me when I bought my ticket that a new bulb was going in for tomorrow. Then I would have known to see it tomorrow." The light bulb, not the one in the projector is starting to light up now. Theater guy, "oh....OH YEAH! Would you like a rain check to watch it later or another movie?"
In the end a few people had overheard this, and now the manager has to come out. Issues a half dozen free passes for a future movie. Okay so they made it good, well to a few of us. A small minority of those having seen it. The movie opened last week. That bulb didn't go that bad that soon. Probably hundreds at a minimum saw it in the same conditions. These folks wonder why they are losing out to people waiting and watching movies at home.
The sound system wasn't better than what I have at home. The theater is some better than the projector I have when working right. The time to go, the inconvenience of not being able to pause it, and the high ticket price. My home projector quality is far better when the movie house bulb is on its last legs. Leaves little reason for someone to go to the theater if they are running that much on the ragged edge.
I keep hoping they will see the light and release movies streaming instead. Of course in a way Amazon and Netflix originals are already doing that. I just don't see the movie theater doing much better in the future.
I went out once to complain, but no one was at the front counter. When leaving I said something to an usher about it. His reply, "oh yeah, it's real dark. They know about it. The new bulb came in this afternoon. So they'll replace it tonight when everyone leaves."
So I hunt somebody up to complain. The manager wouldn't come out, but sent someone else. "Oh yes sir, was it really that dark." Me, "yes it was too dark to see any detail and ruined a visually impressive movie. So are you getting new bulbs or something because that projector is not up to snuff? Would have looked better on my TV at home". Theater guy, "oh yeah, actually we got in 4 bulbs this afternoon. It'll be fixed before another showing. Yes sir, we don't do business that way, it'll be right tomorrow I assure you. I promise you the next showing will look like.....like good." I am thinking is there some disconnect here? So I say, "sounds like maybe I should have watched it tomorrow then instead of tonight. If only someone had told me when I bought my ticket that a new bulb was going in for tomorrow. Then I would have known to see it tomorrow." The light bulb, not the one in the projector is starting to light up now. Theater guy, "oh....OH YEAH! Would you like a rain check to watch it later or another movie?"
In the end a few people had overheard this, and now the manager has to come out. Issues a half dozen free passes for a future movie. Okay so they made it good, well to a few of us. A small minority of those having seen it. The movie opened last week. That bulb didn't go that bad that soon. Probably hundreds at a minimum saw it in the same conditions. These folks wonder why they are losing out to people waiting and watching movies at home.
The sound system wasn't better than what I have at home. The theater is some better than the projector I have when working right. The time to go, the inconvenience of not being able to pause it, and the high ticket price. My home projector quality is far better when the movie house bulb is on its last legs. Leaves little reason for someone to go to the theater if they are running that much on the ragged edge.
I keep hoping they will see the light and release movies streaming instead. Of course in a way Amazon and Netflix originals are already doing that. I just don't see the movie theater doing much better in the future.