New York City Repertory Cinema

[ianthemovie]

The World of Apichatpong Weerasethakul coming to Lincoln Center (May 4 - 14) and the program looks pretty awesome.

I'm not seeing anything indicating that these are new restorations, which is somewhat disappointing. Weren't Apichatpong's early films being worked on recently? I was hoping this retrospective might indicate that Blu-ray editions of Tropical Malady and Blissfully Yours might be coming sooner rather than later.

[senseabove]

On the flip side, I took the BAMPFA screenings of these to be the last time we'll get to see those in 35mm for a while. I'm sure part of it is just that a DCP is easier to get ahold of and project, but it seems like once restorations come out, it tend to take a few years for the shiny to wear off and for folks to bring back the print.


As for taking pictures of the screen, I've seen it fairly often, though definitely more post-pandemic, and really, once or twice at the beginning doesn't bother me—I've seen people take pictures of the Looney Toons logo or the titlecards of something like Wizard of Oz, and ya know, hooray for folks being excited to see things in a theater and commemorate it—but since the pandemic, at least twice I've had to ask people to stop taking pictures after they do it repeatedly during the span of the movie—with the screen brightness on full blast, holding their phone up over their head, blocking the view of and blinding folks several rows behind them.

[hearthesilence]

I remember Apichatpong making the point that the digital restorations on his 16mm films looked so much better in terms of detail, clarity and a naturally less grainier image. I think he may even prefer the DCP's in those cases. I know what he means, and not even from those films - I actually prefer Memoria on DCP, having seen the film projected four times with the third time coming from the 35mm print, and it was a night and day different. Except for the ending, which I won't give away, the extra clarity, detail and stillness really made the film seem more "magical" for a lack of a better word, and a lot of that was diminished by the hazy, gauzy look of the 35mm print where so much in the long shots was reduced to mush.

[hearthesilence]

As for taking pictures of the screen, I've seen it fairly often, though definitely more post-pandemic, and really, once or twice at the beginning doesn't bother me—I've seen people take pictures of the Looney Toons logo or the titlecards of something like Wizard of Oz, and ya know, hooray for folks being excited to see things in a theater and commemorate it—but since the pandemic, at least twice I've had to ask people to stop taking pictures after they do it repeatedly during the span of the movie—with the screen brightness on full blast, holding their phone up over their head, blocking the view of and blinding folks several rows behind them.

Metrograph addressed this in a social media post years ago, pointing out that it's actually illegal (for real) and that they will escort you out of the theater if they see you doing it.

[hearthesilence]

This doesn't seem to be well-advertised but next week there's a tribute to Tom Luddy at the Paris Theater, with at least one rarely screened film (Godard's King Lear) and special appearances by Paul Schrader, Errol Morris and more. You have to click on each film title to see that info though.

[Black Hat]

There was a lady the other night taking pictures for a good chunk of a Chaplin film. Very bizarre.

[hearthesilence]

Complete Lineup Announced for 30th New York African Film Festival, Taking Place May 10 to 16

Souleymane Cissé (perhaps the greatest living African filmmaker) will be making several appearances ("for retrospective screenings of Yeelen and Den Muso, and a special keynote talk about his career and legacy"), and his daughter Fatou will be there to present her film about him.

[hearthesilence]

A rare chance to see Rob Tregenza's work outside of his Vimeo page. He shot his stuff on 35mm with Dolby sound, and they'll be screening at MoMA.

Tregenza gave a great Q&A tonight and several times he referred everyone to this interview he gave for The Film Stage which is invaluable because there's so little about Tregenza on the web. I should know - I actually added a bunch of info with sources to his Wikipedia page two years ago and made a new one on Talking to Strangers. I think it's possible Film Stage got most of their embedded links from the references I posted, hah, but the interview's terrific and extensive, I couldn't have done better myself.

[FrauBlucher]

Werckmeister Harmonies screenings at Lincoln Center

[Black Hat]

Great news! One of my favorites.

A rare chance to see Rob Tregenza's work outside of his Vimeo page. He shot his stuff on 35mm with Dolby sound, and they'll be screening at MoMA.

Tregenza gave a great Q&A tonight and several times he referred everyone to this interview he gave for The Film Stage which is invaluable because there's so little about Tregenza on the web. I should know - I actually added a bunch of info with sources to his Wikipedia page two years ago and made a new one on Talking to Strangers. I think it's possible Film Stage got most of their embedded links from the references I posted, hah, but the interview's terrific and extensive, I couldn't have done better myself.

Yes! That was really enjoyable and educational, the rare college professor to exude warmth and openness. I've seen 4 of the 5 films, and they're all really good. Strongly urge everyone to go over the weekend.

[hearthesilence]

FYI, all four films are showing just ONE more time this weekend, with the first three happening tomorrow (or rather later today), Saturday. As mentioned in the interview, new 35mm prints were made for three of the four films from the original negative. (Gavagai was shot on film but they only have a DCP, probably because it was finished digitally.) AFAIK, the screenings from the last two days were the first time they were run for a theatrical audience, and they looked great, especially Inside/Out which may be my favorite of the four. Just to strike a new 35mm print costs $17,000 a pop, so even though these films aren't shown very often, it's more likely he'll send out a DCP for future screenings unless it's in a place like MoMA where he can trust them not to damage the print.

They're also showing Three Businessmen (which Tregenza shot as the DP) on Sunday from a 35mm print that apparently belongs to Alex Cox. IIRC the previous DVD from the BFI had to use a pretty bad transfer, so this may be the only time you can see it in decent (probably great) quality.

Also, let me add it was really cool to see Ed Lachman at pretty much all of the screenings. He's apparently a friend of Tregenza's and took the time to see all of his films projected.

[beamish14]

FYI, all four films are showing just ONE more time this weekend, with the first three happening tomorrow (or rather later today), Saturday. As mentioned in the interview, new 35mm prints were made for three of the four films from the original negative. (Gavagai was shot on film but they only have a DCP, probably because it was finished digitally.) AFAIK, the screenings from the last two days were the first time they were run for a theatrical audience, and they looked great, especially Inside/Out which may be my favorite of the four. Just to strike a new 35mm print costs $17,000 a pop, so even though these films aren't shown very often, it's more likely he'll send out a DCP for future screenings unless it's in a place like MoMA where he can trust them not to damage the print.

They're also showing Three Businessmen (which Tregenza shot as the DP) on Sunday from a 35mm print that apparently belongs to Alex Cox. IIRC the previous DVD from the BFI had to use a pretty bad transfer, so this may be the only time you can see it in decent (probably great) quality.

Also, let me add it was really cool to see Ed Lachman at pretty much all of the screenings. He's apparently a friend of Tregenza's and took the time to see all of his films projected.

god, I hope these travel out west. The Cox print seems to be held at the University of Colorado at Boulder, which is where he has taught for a number of years (I’m surprised it’s not at his alma mater UCLA, which has an interpositive of Straight to Hell and a gorgeous copy of Sid & Nancy)

[hearthesilence]

god, I hope these travel out west. The Cox print seems to be held at the University of Colorado at Boulder, which is where he has taught for a number of years (I’m surprised it’s not at his alma mater UCLA, which has an interpositive of Straight to Hell and a gorgeous copy of Sid & Nancy)

It wasn't a complete surprise that they came to MoMA because the curator Dave Kehr was probably his most vocal supporter when he was still a critic (along with Jonathan Rosenbaum). It may even help that Tregenza is a morning train ride away too.

Tregenza did go to UCLA though - if he still has any ties, maybe they can arrange a screening if they're open to suggestions?

[FrauBlucher]

Werckmeister Harmonies screenings at Lincoln Center

Do these Lincoln Center screenings tend to sell out before hand?

[Drucker]

Unlikely

[Lemmy Caution]

Would love to see Werckmeister in a genuine theater properly projected.

[Roscoe]

Based on my experience at the Gilman Theater at Lincoln Center, make very very sure you see WERCKMEISTER at the Walter Reade.

[AxeYou]

I hope this the right thread to discuss projection quality at NYC repertory theaters.

I caught Twilight at Lincoln Center while I was traveling in NYC last week (it was shown in the smaller Howard Gilman Theater). On the picture front, the contrast was extremely mediocre. Bad news for a B&W title such as this one. During several darker shots there was almost nothing visible on the screen, just a very faint silhouette. It also didn't help that some ambient lighting that wasn't completely turned off scattered onto the screen, further smearing the image. As for audio, one of the speakers was probably loose and rattled whenever the bass hit loud.

Coming from the rundown Roxie Theater in the SF Bay Area, I have heard good things about and had high hopes for Lincoln Center. But this screening left me wholly disappointed. Considering that Arbelos is releasing this title on Blu-ray later this year (likely with a flawless FiM encode judging from their track record), I could have had a much better experience watching the film on my OLED at home.

Anyone else feel the same? Are there any repertory theaters in the US with good projection? Obviously I'm under no illusion that these should rival OLED, or even IMAX and Dolby Cinema, but the current bar is too low. Is laser projection even remotely affordable for a rep theater today? At this point I don't see many reasons to visit repertory theaters other than the occasional 35mm screening of a rare title.

Based on my experience at the Gilman Theater at Lincoln Center, make very very sure you see WERCKMEISTER at the Walter Reade.

Roscoe, wondering if you've had a chance to compare Walter Reade against Howard Gilman? (Sadly Twilight was only shown at Howard Gilman during its entire run.) According to Lincoln Center's website, WR boasts Barco 32B, DCI compliant 4K resolution, while HG has Christie CP2215, 2K with HFR capability. The Barco is still just a Xenon lamp model, with a similar contrast ratio to the Christie on their spec sheets (1850:1 vs 2000:1). I would think that if HG struggles with B&W then WR would as well.

[Roscoe]

Roscoe, wondering if you've had a chance to compare Walter Reade against Howard Gilman? (Sadly Twilight was only shown at Howard Gilman during its entire run.)

The screening of TWILIGHT I attended at the Gilman was plagued by light pollution in the cinema more than any issues with the projection, the light coming from the prominent exit signs and the over-bright floor lighting -- the image on the sides and corners of the screen was washed out by it. Not a problem in a sunny well-lit movie, maybe, but in a dark black and white mood piece with numerous near-pitch black night scenes, it became a major distraction. Detail just plain vanished. Add to this the rattling coming from the speakers because they couldn't handle the extreme bass notes in the soundtrack, and the frequent audibility of the loud score in the cinema next door, and I had an experience I won't be in a hurry to repeat. Feher's TWILIGHT will be better viewed in my living room, where I can turn the lights the fuck off. And that's about the direst thing I can say about my experience at the Gilman theater at the Munroe Film Center. The Film Society at Lincoln Center should be doing better.

The Walter Reade, on the other hand, doesn't have those problems, or at least I've never experienced them there. The extreme light pollution isn't an issue there. It's one of the best cinemas in NYC, and I'll be making damn sure that I see WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES at the Walter Reade and only at the Walter Reade.

And FWIW, I'm so glad someone else noted those issues at that cinema. I was starting to feel like the lone loon in the city here.

If you're in NYC, I can recommend the screenings at the Museum of the Moving Image (despite an unfortunately placed pair of doors that can be a distraction), Film Forum (generally) and the Metrograph. The issues I have had there have been more to do with the quality of the prints they're sometimes stuck with. They also don't have the hideous light issues that the Gilman has. Has no one noticed it before?

[pistolwink]

Not New York, but I can't be the only one who's noticed that the Music Box Theater in Chicago once had a wonderfully dark main theater (sometimes I could barely even see my own hands) but then installed some sort of lights along the aisles and on the walls and now it's light enough in the theater to read your program while the feature is playing.

I've also noticed that a fair number of museum and university theaters that are used for more than film screenings often have polished wooden walls and other design elements that reflect light, which means the light from the screen is bouncing everywhere around the room during projection.

First world problems, admittedly, but it shouldn't be that hard to design a theater so that it's actually dark while a movie is playing.

[AxeYou]

The screening of TWILIGHT I attended at the Gilman was plagued by light pollution in the cinema more than any issues with the projection, the light coming from the prominent exit signs and the over-bright floor lighting -- the image on the sides and corners of the screen was washed out by it. Not a problem in a sunny well-lit movie, maybe, but in a dark black and white mood piece with numerous near-pitch black night scenes, it became a major distraction. Detail just plain vanished. Add to this the rattling coming from the speakers because they couldn't handle the extreme bass notes in the soundtrack, and the frequent audibility of the loud score in the cinema next door, and I had an experience I won't be in a hurry to repeat. Feher's TWILIGHT will be better viewed in my living room, where I can turn the lights the fuck off. And that's about the direst thing I can say about my experience at the Gilman theater at the Munroe Film Center. The Film Society at Lincoln Center should be doing better.

The Walter Reade, on the other hand, doesn't have those problems, or at least I've never experienced them there. The extreme light pollution isn't an issue there. It's one of the best cinemas in NYC, and I'll be making damn sure that I see WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES at the Walter Reade and only at the Walter Reade.

Thank you, Roscoe! That's exactly the experience I had viewing Twilight at Gilman. I just wasn't exactly sure whether the poor image was due to a mediocre projector or excessive light pollution.

Next time I'm visiting I'll try out Walter Reade for sure.

And FWIW, I'm so glad someone else noted those issues at that cinema. I was starting to feel like the lone loon in the city here.

I feel like maybe so many moviegoers still watch terribly compressed movies from streaming services on their small LCD TV, that the "big screen" alone still holds its allure, despite few cinemas actually offering a good image. Vulture published an article in March that touched on cinema projection's shortcomings (based on screenings in NYC but really applies everywhere). I too wish this was more discussed among moviegoers, not just cinephiles and those technically minded, and in greater depth.

If you're in NYC, I can recommend the screenings at the Museum of the Moving Image (despite an unfortunately placed pair of doors that can be a distraction), Film Forum (generally) and the Metrograph. The issues I have had there have been more to do with the quality of the prints they're sometimes stuck with. They also don't have the hideous light issues that the Gilman has. Has no one noticed it before?

Thanks for the recs. Many times when I come across FF and Metrograph's programming I wish I lived in NYC. Glad to know their projection and light level are good. Although I must admit I really don't get the seating arrangement FF has. It looks like a very narrow but long room with the screen way above eye level. If you sit close enough for a good FOV then you'll have to crank your neck the whole time. Sit too far away and the image looks smaller than a 55" TV at home. It's the same style we have at Roxie Theater in SF. Is this just an old school thing (in the US?)? I'm afraid I grew up in a different time and place to appreciate it.

[Roscoe]

Clearly there are safety reasons for the lighting, especially along the floors and the exit signs. They just need to find a way to make them bright enough for safety's sake but not so bright that they dim the image on the screen.

[nowhereisaplace]

Not sure if this has been discussed before, but is there like an app that aggregates all of the NYC repertory screenings and would list them by the day?

[senseabove]

Not strictly rep, but screenslate.com

[nowhereisaplace]

Wow that’s close enough for me. Awesome, thank you!