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Sure, home video is great but...
9 years ago
...nothing compares to seeing a movie in it's originally intended exhibition format, namely the theater. For the past couple of years, I've been lucky to either see several older films once again on the silver screen or see some films for the very first time. In 2014 for three consecutive Tuesdays in August, I was able to see the first three Indiana Jones films in better theaters than when I originally saw them in the 80's.
Last year, I had the great fortune of seeing another Steven Speilberg classic on its 40th annniversary, Jaws. Despite seeing this film dozens of times on VHS, DVD and blu-ray, I still jumped at the parts that were intended to be jumped at. I also got to see the cult classic, Flash Gordon, for the first time ever. The film print might not have been as crisp and pristine as my blu-ray but the size of the screen and speakers pumping out the soundtrack by Queen were a spectacle all their own and one I'm so glad I didn't miss. I was actually looking for a theater showing the Bill Condon/Ian McKellen film Mr. Holmes when I found out about Flash Gordon just a few days before it was being shown.
This year, I've been able to see cult animation classic, The Last Unicorn, a couple of weeks ago. Like Flash Gordon, I was checking for other films (more on that in a sec) when I found out The Last Unicorn would be showing that weekend. I've seen the movie a few dozen times but it was still worth it for one time in theater. And earlier today, I got to see Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. It was Disney's English dubbed version with Patrick Stewart, Alison Lohman and Shia LeBeouf but not having to read subtitles enabled me to focus on the gorgeous backgrounds, unique aircraft designs, and insects of the Toxic Jungle like the enormous Ohm. Nausicaa was just the beginning of a retrospective on the entire run of Studio Ghibli. I'm hoping to make it to Princess Mononoke next weekend and a few others but I'm definitely setting my sights on seeing one of my all-time Miyazaki favorites, Porco Rosso, on the big screen when its turn comes up next month.
If I count these and 3D and special showings of films like The Lion King, Jurassic Park, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (but none of the rest. C'mon Disney!), then I've had plenty of good fortune seeing older movies in their original cinematic venue and hope to see several more in the future.
Last year, I had the great fortune of seeing another Steven Speilberg classic on its 40th annniversary, Jaws. Despite seeing this film dozens of times on VHS, DVD and blu-ray, I still jumped at the parts that were intended to be jumped at. I also got to see the cult classic, Flash Gordon, for the first time ever. The film print might not have been as crisp and pristine as my blu-ray but the size of the screen and speakers pumping out the soundtrack by Queen were a spectacle all their own and one I'm so glad I didn't miss. I was actually looking for a theater showing the Bill Condon/Ian McKellen film Mr. Holmes when I found out about Flash Gordon just a few days before it was being shown.
This year, I've been able to see cult animation classic, The Last Unicorn, a couple of weeks ago. Like Flash Gordon, I was checking for other films (more on that in a sec) when I found out The Last Unicorn would be showing that weekend. I've seen the movie a few dozen times but it was still worth it for one time in theater. And earlier today, I got to see Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. It was Disney's English dubbed version with Patrick Stewart, Alison Lohman and Shia LeBeouf but not having to read subtitles enabled me to focus on the gorgeous backgrounds, unique aircraft designs, and insects of the Toxic Jungle like the enormous Ohm. Nausicaa was just the beginning of a retrospective on the entire run of Studio Ghibli. I'm hoping to make it to Princess Mononoke next weekend and a few others but I'm definitely setting my sights on seeing one of my all-time Miyazaki favorites, Porco Rosso, on the big screen when its turn comes up next month.
If I count these and 3D and special showings of films like The Lion King, Jurassic Park, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (but none of the rest. C'mon Disney!), then I've had plenty of good fortune seeing older movies in their original cinematic venue and hope to see several more in the future.
The other theater where I just saw Nausicaa, The Last Unicorn and Flash Gordon is an independent theater that shows independent and art house films as well as cult classics and themed series like the Studio Ghibli retrospective. I believe they have a world record for showing Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight screenings but don't know it for certain.