toddly6666

In art-house theaters or second-run theaters, have you ever seen a theater that projects a DVD instead of projecting the reel of that film?

UAIOE

Yes.

I went to see "Mallrats" for a re-run series and saw a "DVD-Video" in the upper right corner when the movie started.

RichC2

Only for "special events", never for current movies.

When you say Second-run, I basically think dollar theaters (they get the movie after the first run theaters), and those have always been film reel for me (for current flicks). Art-house theaters for first-run movies (like say The Fall) are also always film reel or DLP for me.

That said, if it's a special event, like a midnight showing of The Goonies, then yah they occasionally use the DVDs.

NoirFan

I saw a DVD projection of Blade Runner earlier this summer in an independent theater.

toddly6666

How do they start a DVD projection then when the lights go off? Do they have the movie instantly starting or do you have to watch them fiddle with the DVD menu?

BlueCC

I watched them fiddle with the DVD menu when I saw a midnight showing of Clue.

zombeaner

I watched a double feature with Angel Heart and Serpent and the Rainbow and they were both DVDs and only one of the menus showed, there's a way to do it, I'm sure for that kind of projection they have a monitor in the projection booth.

SPiRAL

We saw, I Am A Sex Addict, at an art theater and it was a dvd.

MBoyd

The Angelika in Plano had a Hitchcock month last October and we went to see The Birds. It was a DVD. Looked terrible.

Trevor

The Attack of the B Movie $5 double features that mainstream theater chain UA is doing each Thursday night use DVDs.

stingermck

Happened at my college theater a lot. Weekends were newer releases, but Wednesday night were older movies, and sometimes you'd see the DVD player/PC screen load up.

Giles

yes, the AFI just recently played Ryan's Daughter from a DVD, I thought no, the last DVD projection from them looked like shit, went round the corner and saw Death Race at the Regal instead.

islandclaws

No. I frequently go to the New Beverly in Hollywood and they always show 35mm prints. The only time I've seen a DVD projected was during a Fathom event, which I have now learned to avoid like the plague.

Giles

actually I find the AFI Silver to be rather hypocritical, they opt and try to present everything on film, but if said print is not available they go with the worst possible option; DVD. They have three DLP units in each auditorium and yet they don't book current films that could be shown digitally (and properly) and move from one auditorium to the next when films get bumped and rotated nearly every night. Their DLP systems seem to be only used at their annual Silverdoc's festival.

toddly6666

So for the crappy DVD projections, is it because they are using very bad quality DVD projectors or that's just what a good DVD projection looks like - crappy?

I ask these questions because I've rarely seen a decent DVD projection room in electronic stores, nor have I ever seen someone who owns a dvd projector. In the stores, they always have lights on. Are there any stores in NYC that have decent DVD projection displays? I would assume that they could sell more if they had them for show.

DonnachaOne

Blown up like that, it never looks good.

Projecting a DVD and charging for it is the devil's work.

NoirFan

All of the films shown at my local library are taken from DVDs, but since there is no charge I have no objections.

marty888

Basically the same here in NYC.

Several of the films at this past June's Newfest were DVDs.

UAIOE

I was charged $3 to see the Mallrats DVD projected onto a screen.

I guess I shouldn't complain, I did get to hear the movie in surround sound (what little there was) as I don't have a SS setup of my own.

MBoyd

I miss the 90s when Northpark I and II were still around in Dallas and they'd show classics and sci fi classics at midnight Friday and Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Film print of course and often in 70mm

The Bus

I had to lend my copy of Grey Gardens to a university showing when their film print didn't arrive in time. So, yes, it's done.