Nordling here.
It's been years since I've seen a movie in 70MM. I'm dying to see something like LAWRENCE OF ARABIA on the big screen, in 70MM, displayed in all its glory. Now with digital projection, frame rates, 3D, all the tchotchkes that seem to accompany moviegoing these days, it's good to see great old-fashioned 70MM celebrated, projected on the biggest screen you can find, and diving into the world of film.
To that end, the Alamo Drafthouse is announcing their new series of movies - ALAMOSCOPE, played in stunning 70MM at the Alamo Ritz, starting this month and running through September. There's some great titles coming your way, but one that I think many are very interested in is, yep, Paul Thomas Anderson's THE MASTER, which will be playing the week of Fantastic Fest and you can bet that I'm going to see it in 70MM at some point that week. But wait'll you see what the Drafthouse has cooked up - BARAKA. Jacque Tati's PLAYTIME. WEST SIDE STORY. And one I know people are going to go completely mental for, GHOSTBUSTERS.
Here's the trailer for the event:
And here's the press release! Austinites, which one will you jump into? I'm dying to see all these titles. This is going to be truly glorious:
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
PRESENTED IN AMAZING ALAMOSCOPE:
70MM AT THE RITZ!
Brand New Programming Series Goes Big, Including Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master”
Austin, TX--- Wednesday, August 1st, 2012--- Alamo Drafthouse is pleased to announce a new ongoing film series beginning August 24, titled “Presented in Amazing AlamoScope: 70mm at the Ritz!” In the world of film presentation, nothing -- digital or otherwise -- can ever match the power and glory of 70mm film. A gargantuan creation of the 1950s, 70mm quickly became the permanent benchmark of quality, transforming every title released in the format into a mind-expanding epic. The depth, the sharpness, the beauty and the history make every 70mm screening an unforgettable event for any movie fan. While movie studios and theaters dump celluloid to replace with computer files and giant TVs, the Alamo is proud to instead leap into the tremendous, triumphant arena of 70mm.
The incredible lineup at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz in Austin, TX includes WEST SIDE STORY, CLEOPATRA, GHOSTBUSTERS, INDIANA JONES, BARAKA, PLAYTIME and Paul Thomas Anderson’s highly anticipated new film THE MASTER, all shown the way they were meant to be seen, in glorious 70mm.
"I am thrilled that Tim has helped us present the film in its intended way. This is a special format, and keeping it alive is important," said director Paul Thomas Anderson.
“Paul Thomas Anderson has bucked the trend of digital conversion and shot his new American epic THE MASTER in glorious 70mm. As an homage to his bold ambition, we have made a long-term commitment to celebrate 70mm, both as a lead-up to the release of his new film and as an integral part of our programming for years to come,” says Tim League, founder and CEO of Alamo Drafthouse.
Tickets to WEST SIDE STORY are on sale now. A badge providing access to all 7 films including THE MASTER is also on sale. The badge includes access to the first show on Saturday for all repertory films and the premiere screening of THE MASTER on 9/21 at 7:00pm (approx.).
Go here for tickets, schedule and more information on
“Presented in AlamoScope: 70mm at the Ritz!” - http://drafthouse.com/alamoscope
Watch a trailer for “Presented in AlamoScope: 70mm at the Ritz!” here -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXjOSQ4e9VM
THE MASTER will run exclusively in 70mm at the Ritz in Austin beginning September 21. The Ritz will continue to screen 70mm films in the years to come as part of the Alamo Drafthouse’s continued commitment to film preservation.
WEST SIDE STORY: August 24 – August 30
Dir. Jerome Robbins & Robert Wise, 1961, 152 min, 70mm
This world-class musical is inarguably among the great classics of cinema, but its much-ballyhooed drama, romance and daredevil dance sequences are matched by the incredible 70mm photography sweeping across the mighty cityscape. Get ready to experience the maximum benefits of your senses when this massive cinematic titan is presented in its fullest 70mm glory on our big big screen! The Sharks and The Jets will thrill and fill your eyes and your ears, as this blue collar Romeo & Juliet tale fills your heart to bursting. It’s an experience that has rattled and rewarded audiences for generations, and now we’re bringing it out in the biggest and best way possible.
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE: August 31 – September 6
Dir. Steven Spielberg, 1989, 127 min, 70mm
I’m starting to think that Nazis are just no fun at all. I mean, it was bad enough when they tried to steal the Ark of the Covenant, but now they’re up to more crud. After Hitler’s lil’ homies kidnap our hero’s eminent father (played by Sean Connery), Indy is forced to grab his trusty whip and jump right back into the Nazi-battling business. In his final great adventure (sue me), he travels across the globe, narrowly avoiding death at every turn, leaping from tanks to planes to impossible battles, and facing one of the most powerful legends in history. This is truly a perfect action movie, the kind that they don’t make anymore...especially on 70mm, which will have every pulse-pounding moment exploding off the screen and into your cerebral cortex.
BARAKA: September 7 – September 13
Dir. Ron Fricke, 1992, 96 min, 70mm
BARAKA is a gorgeous, non-verbal journey that brings the farthest corners of the entire world to the cinema screen. Director Ron Fricke's stunningly beautiful film, photographed in large format negative, is a kaleidoscopic narrative that spans the monasteries of Tibet, the volcanoes of Hawaii, the shocking poverty and glowing humanity of Calcutta, the ruins of Angkor Wat and more - a total of 152 locations in 23 countries. BARAKA is one of the most acclaimed and transcendent viewing experiences you will ever have. "It is claimed that the great age of travel is dead - that there are no longer amazing, exotic, beautiful and fearsome places for the traveler to discover. A movie like BARAKA gives hope." - Roger Ebert.
GHOSTBUSTERS: September 14 – September 20
Dir. Ivan Reitman, 1984, 105 min, 70mm
It’s possible that GHOSTBUSTERS is the world’s only universally adored movie. If you don’t love it, you’re obviously not a human being. Spectre-destroyers Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis and the vastly under-appreciated Hudson collectively defined everything we enjoy in ‘80s cinema, unleashing a supernatural adventure that busts funnybones as well as ghosts. Together, the four hopped in a converted ambulance and made an entire decade safe for hilarity, action, and transdimensional demon combat. But you knew that already, as this timeless classic is burned into our minds eternally...but NOW it can be seen in paranormally perfect 70mm, which will bust your skull open like a lightning bolt shot straight outta Gozer!
THE MASTER: September 21 – TBD
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012, 70mm
After returning from the Second World War, having witnessed many horrors, a charismatic intellectual creates a faith-based organization in an attempt to provide meaning to his life. He becomes known as "The Master". His right-hand man, a former drifter, begins to question both the belief system and The Master as the organization grows and gains a fervent following.
CLEOPATRA: Exact Dates TBD (following the run of THE MASTER)
Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1963, 248 min, 70mm
This astonishingly grandiose, lavish historical epic broke box-office records. It was a TITANIC-sized success. But the budget and cost overruns were so high that it still did not break even. Heads rolled in Hollywood over CLEOPATRA and it became a catchphrase for bloated filmic spectacles, but all these years later, it's still magnificent to see. Like the pyramids, it is a gaudy monument to extreme wealth, and also like the pyramids, it will fill you with wonder at its immense scale. Elizabeth Taylor, who naturally plays the title character, and Richard Burton, who plays her tragic lover Marc Antony, were the two greatest stars of their age. They could have acted against a painted backdrop and created a box-office sensation, but producer Walter Wanger surrounded his two shining jewels with millions of dollars in settings, locations, props and dancing elephants. It's huge, and hugely vulgar - fortunately, it's also fabulously colorful and entertaining on just as grand a scale. Taylor and Burton are magnetic, and their chemistry is intoxicating. Their famous eyes almost outshine the tens of millions of dollars of fineries and sets brought in to support them. It is gigantic, grand and monstrous all at once. If you love Hollywood, do not miss it.
PLAYTIME: Exact Dates TBD (following the run of THE MASTER)
Dir. Jacques Tati, 1967, 115 min, 70MM
Writer/director Tati expertly transforms the screen into a manic comedic typhoon of outrageous inventions and blaring colors in his single greatest, grandest and most earthshakingly hilarious foray into fearless filmmaking. In PLAY TIME, Monsieur Hulot (played by the director) stumbles through the terrifyingly modernized streets of Paris, where ludicrous architecture and zany Rube Goldberg-esque mantraps cause increasingly complex goofball crises. It's very truly one of the most stunning accomplishments in the history of movies; an impossible spectacle that'll unravel your brain while you laugh yourself inside out. PLAY TIME was shot in 70mm, and we'll be experiencing it in a big, big, bright, recently restored 70mm print, where Tati's visionary madcappery will explode into your senses and never leave your skull. Unforgettable, unbelievable, and unmissable!
