Because Ike probably will not post this anywhere and it will be lost in cyberspace, I'm posting it here. This was Ike's question to Ebert's "Movie Answer Man," which was included in this week's column. It's exciting to see Ike's name so close to Ebert's...
Q. I recently took my wife to see the latest Harry Potter movie. I was amazed that the only speaker working was the front speaker. We heard the dialogue with no problem, but the soundtrack and audio effects were barely audible. When I complained to the manager after the movie, she was apologetic, and explained that the technician who was suppose to fix it was not available on the weekends.
Yet she was still selling tickets to the show and from what I could tell, I was the only person in the crowd of over 100 who noticed enough to complain. I know people rarely notice when a bulb in a lamp is too dim, but to watch a high budget film in mono? Can't people hear what they're listening to?
Ike Quigley, Greensboro, N.C.
A. Maybe they're programmed to passively accept what's on the screen, without reflecting that it is the responsibility of the projectionist and the management. Recently I attended a public/press screening of "The Stepford Wives" at a Chicago multiplex. The picture was dark, dim, murky and indistinct. Not acceptable.
I complained to the manager. A few minutes later, the light intensity was turned up, and the picture looked fine. Many theaters cheat their customers through the idiotic practice of dialing down the projector bulbs, in the mistaken believe this will extend their life. Studies have proven that it has no effect. The picture quality at the Chicago screening was dramatically bad. The theater contained dozens of film critics, not to mention the publicists, but nobody else went out to the lobby to complain.
Posted by Becky at June 28, 2004 03:50 PM