Well, dear readers, I’ve been reading reports from people who’ve seen the new My Fair Lady restoration at motion picture theater screenings. The actual restoration is getting high marks from everyone, as it should. What is not getting high marks from everyone is the presentation, with some theaters showing it letterboxed on a 1.85 screen (shameful) and most theaters being tiny little shoeboxes and let me tell you that no matter how wonderful the restoration is, Mr. George Cukor and the people who made the film would not have wanted it seen under those conditions. No, they would have wanted you to see it properly, especially with a brand new restoration. The fact is, it should ONLY be show in a theater with a very large screen that approximates what the screen size would have been in the roadshow 70mm engagements. THAT’S how it should be seen, not in some little rat hole of a space. What ever happened to showmanship? Even in the very earliest days of the multiplex there was some attempt at showmanship, but that ended by the mid-to-late 1980s. After that, what was one presented with? No curtains. Either a blank one-size-fits-all screen or the same screen with constant advertising on it.
No pride in presentation is the single biggest reason that movie going has become a thing for yahoos – the lowest common denominator who will sit and not care about no curtains and all those adverts because it’s just like their den and besides they’re not even noticing because they can’t take their yahoo eyes off their phones. Pride in presentation was EVERYTHING during the glory days. It’s WHY people went – to enter a clean, well-run movie theater and know they’d be given a show – and because of it they’d be able to get lost in the world of the film they were watching, without having to deal with cell phone lights, the smell of nachos and hot dogs, people who think they’re sitting on their couches and that it’s okay to yak the entire time. Even the lowest of the neighborhood theaters were single screen theaters run by people who cared about movies and presentation.
I cannot explain to you how it was to grow up in a time when you paid your dough, got your seat, heard music before the show, curtains opened and you got your money’s worth no matter what. And for the movie palaces it went much beyond that. It was like entering a temple – of dreams. Seeing West Side Story at the Chinese or Ben-Hur at the Egyptian (or My Fair Lady at the Egyptian) or Spartacus at the Pantages or the Cinerama films at the Warner Cinerama or anything at the Paramount (now the El Capitan – that’s still a great place to see a Disney film), you just don’t know unless you were there what that showmanship was like. They wanted you to have the best experience possible, even the neighborhood theaters. They wanted you to feel like you were getting your money’s worth at a time when it cost under a buck to get in and even reserved seat roadshows were three bucks or so. At any theater other than a roadshow, if you wanted to stay and see it all again, you could. Popcorn came in nice-sized containers, not huge tubs. Drinks came in reasonable-sized cups, not big boy big gulp tubs. Candy was in reasonable-sized packages, not eight-ounce big-eater sizes. The projectionist in ninety-nine percent of theaters was a professional who knew his/her business, made sure the film was in focus, did his job and cared that he was doing a good job. They all knew what the movie going experience was supposed to be like – magical, transporting, with no distractions.
These stupid multiplexes don’t know or care about showmanship. They’d rather deliver your dinner to your seat, like THAT is some kind of showmanship. THAT is sickening. Put it back the way it was. If I had all the money in the world I would buy the Warner Cinerama, restore it, and do nothing but show movies with the kind of showmanship that meant everything back in the day. And you know what? I bet people would come and support it. It’s like going to a great, old-fashioned restaurant, one that still cares about the service and making you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth in their establishment. Pride of service. Not like the restaurant is doing you a favor by letting you in. End of rant.
Yesterday was almost the day I needed it to be. I fell asleep at two in the morning and did not awake until one in the afternoon and boy did I need that sleep. And it was a good way to insure that I would have the day off I needed, what with missing the entire morning. Once up, I just answered e-mails and tried not to let be bad stuff from Saturday get my day down – oh, it did make a couple of minor appearances, but mostly I was able to just relax and not do anything much. Instead of going to Jerry’s Deli I went to the Subway and had a spicy Eyetalian foot-long sandwich – that’s about fifteen bucks less than Jerry’s and frankly it was really good. I had a few chips with it, too. I picked up no mail or packages and ultimately I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching a Chilean movie made mostly in Italy and Germany, entitled The Future. It’s based on a book called A Little Lumpen Novelita. I rather liked the film – it’s strange and a bit off the beaten path, but it really held my interest and the performances, especially the leading young lady were all really good. The film’s only name is Rutger Hauer, who plays an old man called Maciste, called that because he used to star in peplum films playing that character. He’s really good in his small role. It’s well directed, has an interesting score, and it’s free on the Flix of Net so check it out if you’re of a mind to.
After that, I just listened to music and did a bit of work at the piano.
Today, I have to start casting the holiday show and figuring it out, I’ll eat, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, and then Greer Geissman will come over and we’ll conform the script for Welcome to My World. Someone in Canada is interested in doing the show, so I have to get everything prepared, plus I’m in discussions with two licensing companies about handling it. I knew where I’d like it to be so I’m hoping that’s the one that works out.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals and trying to keep letting in the light. Do send all excellent vibes and xylophones for the bad stuff to just get the HELL out.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, cast, choose songs, eat, hopefully pick up packages, and then conform the script. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite movie going memories from years’ past, those special theaters and films that made your childhood and adulthood into something magical? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where my dreams will be presented with great showmanship.