Count Dooku

Here in Austin, the Alamo Drafthouses run "old" movies (from a 2015 POV).

Some of the current titles include The Professional (1994), Demolition Man (1993), Better Off Dead (1985), Ridley Scott's 2007 version of Blade Runner, Assault on Precinct 13 (1976).

One of my co-workers loves to go to these, and talks about it all the time.

My attitude is: Why would I pay first-run ticket prices and buy expensive food to watch a movie I can watch at home? (For example, I already own 3 of the 5 titles I listed on DVD.)

I'm just curious how many of the hard-core movie lovers that make up the DVD Talk universe seek out a theater experience for "old" movies.

Crocker Jarmen

If it is an actual film print, absolutely.

If it is a digital projection, it doesn't feel the same, so a big no.

Why So Blu?

Yup.

The Cow

Yes, very much so.

Abob Teff

Never been, but so fucking jealous ... (that's a yes).

DeanoBKN

Absolutely. I have an Alamo about 45 minutes from home that I frequent about once or twice a montn. I've seen some amazing films over the past 2 years from that theater alone.

Dr. Mantle

The big screen is almost always the best way. It's how most filmmakers want it to be seen, and it can have a much greater affect on the viewer. A few years ago I saw Goodfellas in a theater, after having only seen it at home. The film is actually quite hilarious at times. I've also seen Lawrence of Arabia in theaters four times. That experience really can't be replicated at home.

I've got a theater near me that recently installed a 70mm projector. The first weekend they had it, there were four screenings of 2001. All screenings sold out. A month later they did the same thing, all screenings sold out.

And with an old movie, you probably know whether or not you like it, so you're not taking any chances.

I don't understand why every multiplex can't dedicate at least one screen to an old movie. But I guess it's not surprising. Most movie goers are so fucking retarded they can't stand anything with even the slightest bit of age.

Alan Smithee

On a BIG screen, yes. On a typical multiplex screen, no.

Bluelitespecial

We have several theaters and an Alamo Drafthouse in KC that do revival screenings, and yes they are such a blast to see in theaters. They are usually digital, but the Alamo also runs 35mm prints. Some of my favorites have been Gremlins, the first 3 Indiana Jones movies, Road House, The Thing, and T2. I go to these type of showings pretty regularly, almost more than newer movies.

Josh-da-man

Yeah, I would love to do this, but none of the theaters around run me do it.

My wishlist would be:

Halloween (original, natch)
Friday the 13th
Jaws
CE3K
The Thing (Carpenter remake)
Alien*/Aliens
Star Wars*/Empire Strikes Back*/Return of the Jedi* (ORIGINALS only)
Raiders of the Lost Ark*/Temple of Doom*/Last Crusade
Blade Runner
Blue Velvet
An American Werewolf in London
The Howling

Preferably on film, and not digital.

* I have already seen these films theatrically, but would love to revisit them on a big screen.

Shannon Nutt

I just saw GREMLINS a few weeks back (digitally).

Sadly, no one in my area does film prints anymore. Had one older theater that did so, but they said they couldn't get the prints of many classics from the studios at a certain point, gave up, and installed a digital projector last year.

The last 35mm print of a classic movie I saw was SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, and that was about three years ago.

Ash Ketchum

I used to go see tons of old movies on the big screen, even if I'd already seen them on television. It makes such a big difference, esp. if it's a 35mm print. But I have less time and energy for this kind of thing these days. Plus, I'm less enamored of digital projection. A few years ago, I saw TAXI DRIVER and THE YAKUZA digitally projected and I wasn't too impressed with the image quality. Screenwriter Paul Schrader did a Q&A after YAKUZA, so that was something special. Earlier this year, I saw the John Wayne western HONDO in 3-D digital at the Museum of Modern Art and I admit that the 3-D looked really good, but I just didn't like the film at all. I would go see more old westerns on the big screen if they were shown more and if they were shown in 35mm. I was watching Anthony Mann's THE FAR COUNTRY on the Western Channel last night and marveled at the location cinematography and thought how awesome that would look on the big screen.

tommyp007

I would LOVE to have a theater here that did that!

I used to live in a town that had a theater/brew pub that showed older movies sometimes and saw Rear Window there. That was pretty damn great.

kefrank

Pretty much this. I can watch digital projection in my home theater and everything is tailored to my taste there, so there's very little motivation for me to see an older movie projected digitally in a multiplex.

A real film print is an entirely different experience, in my opinion, and I love to see original prints on the big screen even with their inevitable flaws.

Giles

I personally have no problem with DCP digital

The Dark Crystal - at the AFI Silver (which shows hundreds of 'older films' [35mm/70mm/DCP]) in DCP looked simply gorgeous, it was like looking through a window at times. The same film a year ago over at the Angelika Mosaic was shown via a bluray - and it looked horrible, all the black levels were a mushy gray.

here in the DC area, there are a number of theaters which show 'classic' movies - Arclight Bethesda (35mm), Landmark Bethesda [seeing 'Mary Poppins' here recently was a riot and a ton of fun] / E Street. Cinemark Egyptian / Fairfax Corner, Angelika Mosaic (35mm), Bow Tie Reston, Alamo Drafthouse Ashburn

Nick Danger

Yes.

Not only do movies like Lawrence of Arabia and 2001: A Space Odyssey work better on the big screen, but I've found that even smaller pictures like The Third Man create a better emotional response when they're film projected on a silver screen.

Pointyskull

You will never know until you go.
And then I would imagine you will understand how the experience is completely different than watching at home.

Giles

I recently resaw 2001 over at on the Arclight's 65 foot 'widescreen' screen - and ugh ... Warner's seriously needs to do a new 4K rescan DCP encoding - the 2K DCP was horrible - if you can see this in 70mm as you're meant to, see it as such. 'Lawrence' over at AMC Mazza on their 4K Sony DLP was outstanding / 70mm though at the AFI Silver is major treat.

saw 'Blade Runner' (Final Cut) [DCP] over at the AFI Silver a few weeks back and I was catching musical cues and nuances that I hadn't really noticed before - the music on a THX sound system through the five front stage speakers was breathtaking.

OldBoy

i would love to, but don't have any places that do that sort of stuff. to see Jaws on a big screen would be a real treat!

Deadman31

I got to see the original Godzilla in a theater last year. I have always wanted to see more of the Toho stuff on a big screen, but that will probably never happen. Unfortunately, I missed out on Jaws a few weeks ago. I messed up the dates. The only other movies I would love to see in a theater are Raiders of the Lost Ark and maybe the original Jurassic Park.

Oh and I forgot, the original Planet of the Apes.

TomOpus

Absolutely would seek out an older movie in the theater. There's something special about seeing a movie on a large screen in a large theater. If you can replicate that at home, then more power to ya.

As for expensive food, no one forces you to eat there. There are other options out there.

Mabuse

Damn those are some OLD movies!

I'm not one to pay good money to see Jaws or Blade Runner for the umpteenth time, but I've certainly frequented revival theaters to see hard to find and genuinely old films. Sadly there are fewer and fewer places that are showing real film (you know actual celluloid).

It's strange that two things are happening simultaneously: People seem more interested than ever to attend revivals of films and more and more theaters are popping up that host revival screenings, and at the same time the studios are retreating as fast as they can from supplying actual prints and are offering very limited choices of DSP's.

jjcool

Yonkers? I havent been yet. How is it?

And to answer the OPs question, yes. Many reasons for this. It was a movie that came out before I was able to go to the movies, simply something that I missed seeing in the theaters, an old favorite that I want to see on a big screen again, or something that has grown on me over the years.

johnnysd

Yeah I think Lawrence of Arabia is not the same movie on almost any sized TV. It truly needs to be seen on a gigantic screen of old. It is a completely different experience then.

Mabuse

Yes, and the detail of 70mm can't be replicated at home. I have an 84" screen and I still don't like Lawrence at home. I've sworn off buying any future home video version of it. It is a THEATER ONLY film.