The Spy Who Loved Me in digital presentation!

Brosnan007PPKBrosnan007PPK Posts: 12MI6 Agent
This Sunday Empire Leicester square screen 1 will be holding a one day Bond screening of “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076752/ in one the UK’s largest THX screens that boasts and incredible 56KW JBL customized THX certified.

I have gotten off the phone with projection, and was told that technical crewmembers will be attending the screening, including director Lewis Gilbert. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0318150/

Performance starts on Sunday April 20th at 14:00
Tickets are £13.50p free seating, throughout Empire 1, 1130 seats.

I’ll be getting my couch ticket this week for Sunday’s Bondastic THX showing, miss this no way, its been 31 years since, I’ve seen this on large screen at Bournemouth’s Gaumont screen 2 summertime,1977 and that was in 35mm scope 2.35:1, optical mono sound.

Technical cinema information
http://www.empirecinemas.co.uk/index.php?page=cinemainfo&tbx_site_id=5

See you at the Empire! -{

Comments

  • HardyboyHardyboy Posts: 5,882Chief of Staff
    Sorry, but I had to remove the poster, since we are not allowed to post EON-owned Bond images or posters on AJB. Also, this is more appropriate for the Events & Screenings thread, so I've moved it.
    Vox clamantis in deserto
  • StrangewaysStrangeways London, UKPosts: 1,469MI6 Agent
    Mod - there was already a thread about this anyway!
    I am going but would love to meet fans afterwards for a drink. Can't wait!!!!
    PM me if anyone is interested.
  • Brosnan007PPKBrosnan007PPK Posts: 12MI6 Agent
    Mod - there was already a thread about this anyway!
    I am going but would love to meet fans afterwards for a drink. Can't wait!!!!
    PM me if anyone is interested.

    The so called newer version at the Empire Leicester Square on Sunday 20th April 2008 in THX and 56KW of JBL sound power provide by dbx4080 crossovers and Crest power amplifiers. The film was shown in digital but it suffered from “edging”!

    50 minutes into the film or transfer the sound fell apart the centre channel died out and it was mostly heard from screen right and partly on screen left, sound effects still managed to get around the fronts. I had to leave my seat and report it to management and I lost 20 minutes because of some lazy ass projectionist no names mentioned who didn’t fully supervise the rehearsal several days before it was to be screened to the public!

    The sound pressure was 120dbc at the front on some of the sub bass or LFE.1 lows bass was kick that was felt from the screen speakers, surrounds sounded very distant due to the loudness from the fronts! Empire has kick ass THX sound system it only needs the right print and without any faults what so ever and it will out perform 100 top home USA theatres and even few home UK cinemas, now then!
  • Brosnan007PPKBrosnan007PPK Posts: 12MI6 Agent
    I arrived at, Victoria train station, “shaken but not sired” LOL because I couldn’t get a single nights wink, fearing I would miss the coach trip.

    It was said by Lewis Gilbert, that "this is one of favourite Bond films that had everything in it".

    And so rightfully it does a lot new dervish or should I say old, villains and lots of tongue and cheek that made nearly packed out Empire chuckle at some of the one-liners. “All those feathers, and he still can’t fly” yeah that typical Bond, attitude all right.

    The atmosphere was very nice, different types of technical crew members turning up for this, one day event willing to share there views or even allow a few pictures to mark the days one off showing on one the UK largest THX screens and one Europe’s most powerful THX certified JBL sound system boasting sonic delight of 56KW on tap for even the die hardest of Bond fans.

    Lewis Gilbert commented about the state of digital “digitally” and it seemed why over his head, from going to 35mm film to restoration of single frame being captured, cleaned up and stored digitally.

    There where a few technical issues that I heard [instantaneously 50 minutes into the presentation]! The centre channel shifted from centre and no, this wasn’t intentional dialogue panning, I do know what dialogue panning sounds like, now then!

    Also there was edging something I never thought I’d see on this transfer as is the same with the first edition that I have on region 2 DVD.

    Going back to the sound issue, the film was original mixed for [monaural] and played back in optical mono on the original 35mm prints back in (1977).

    My first thought was “oh my god” they’ve f&^%ked the mid and high range drivers up due to aggressive overload! I knew somehow that was imposable because mid and high range drivers are protected via the (dbx4800) fast peak audio limiters.

    So it must have been a dodgy print they like to call it, a print. I call it transfer because its nothing more than transfer from film to digital storage that failed due to deaf ears or lack of supervision.

    What also makes me laugh is when I brought it to the management’s attention where they informed the projectionist who checked the issue out. I had to leave my seat again twice! And I’ve had to do that once in all the years that I have attended Empire 1.

    I missed the best part of 20 minutes of the film and that really chassed me off! I was slightly ignored by the chief projectionist on when the film ended and I wanted to have few words, seeing that I have paid £13.50 and travelled 120 miles, he rudely walked out turning his back on me!

    I have to say the other projectionists that I have meet there in the past where a lot more welcoming even as far as offering a cup of coffee in the coffee room, that is beside the projection booth.

    Dave was the guys name and I don’t think I’d what to ever talk to him again, first impressions comes first and he really ****** me off.

    Anyway I can’t help, “if I know what to look for and listen for”.

    The sound pressure level was still top at 120dbc peak at the front thou the lows on this film where different then Transformers which I saw on 35mm scope Dolby SR-D last year, perfect even for 35mm film, now then!

    The Spy Who Loved Me was played back in Dolby digital, or SR-D thou I have never seen it all working in booth and seeing its digital and not on film where it would normally hold a back-up analogue track in Dolby type SR.

    EmpireLeicestersquareSunday202008Em.jpg

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    Said hello to Mr. Lewis Gilbert, and thanked him.

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    These seats reserved for the technical crew or as its referred to as the sweet spot or money spot. Yeah sure I’ve sat here on numerous occasions in the past.

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    Hello Mr. Gilbert smile please.

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    I think this was one of the technical personnel who responsible for the presentation of The Spy Who Loved Me.

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    “Please don’t blame me, blame them” was rough quote that Mr. Gilbert said to the audience, with slight chuckle of laughter.
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,293MI6 Agent
    You should have got a pic of that fit lass sat next to Mr Gilbert... :D

    I didn't notice sound problems, but I was sat on the right hand side. Ironic, as Lewis Gilbert said he's had a word with the projectionist to make sure it was okay, joking that it had better be, he had friends in the audience...

    I do think the Park Royal crowd could have promoted this better, In fact I'm not even sure they knew about it on mi6.co.uk :o. It wasn't a bad turnout but not great by any means.
    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
  • emtiememtiem SurreyPosts: 5,726MI6 Agent
    I did notice the edging (is that the almost jpeg-style light line which separated areas of high contrast? Like Atlantis had a lighter line around it when we saw it against the sky) and the sound was a bit echoey and maybe a little too much treble- didn't notice the centre channel go, though. Very loud, wasn't it? :)
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