Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

An Open Letter To RON HOWARD

I agree with ya, Harry!! by Aggie_Ed	Feb 13th, 1999 01:30:43 PM
Paramount rocks!!
So why don't they just fix the damn sound? by rjslick	Feb 13th, 1999 02:45:42 PM
Yes, the Paramount is a beautiful moviehouse and a great place to see a film, but to be honest, it's not such a great place to hear one. If Ron wants everyone to hear Edtv as it was meant to sound, he better make sure SXSW goes ahead with its plans to "augment" the current sound system. This is one of the reasons old theaters die; the owners are unwilling to shell out the clams to keep the "technical" things in top shape. The investment in proper sound equipment could be made back easily with more showings of "current" films there. I think an open letter to the Paramount's owners asking them to take out all the stops and make it a THX theater is in order. Imagine sitting down to a certain opening night screening there in late May. They could chage $10/ticket and still sell out every show they had for weeks. If Austin really wants to "compete" (and that's not really the right word for it) for more Premiers, then lets make the Paramount the kick-ass drop-dead gorgeous theater IT CAN be, rather than just the beautiful theater it has been.......................... .............................. ..... P.S. Personally, I'd pay $25 per show for SW1 in THX in the Paramount, and still see it 4 or 5 times.
There are plans to augment the sound... by Harry Knowles	Feb 13th, 1999 03:22:29 PM
The Paramount has already done the sound improvements partially. And in the next 10 months there are plans to completely update everything. What YOU don't seem to understand is that the Paramount is an operating theater with something going on all year long. They have to schedule improvements months ahead of time. If you had heard APT PUPIL or THE FACULTY in the Paramount.... or more recently the Digital showing of TITANIC or DAS BOOT... and then try to compare it to the poorly operated multiplex theaters in this city that seem to have trouble throwing a switch for the sound to even come on past monaural... well.... patooie... When you schedule an EVENT screening in Austin... you screen it at the Paramount. When you're flying in movie stars and celebs... you do it at the Paramount. And when you want to EXPERIENCE a movie with an electric audience in a fabulous enviroment.... you show at the Paramount.
Hey, you're right! by copernicus	Feb 13th, 1999 04:18:18 PM
I've always known that the Paramount was a great theater, but I hadn't fully realized its magical properties. I've seen movies there I wouldn't normally like, but I did when I saw them at the Paramount. You are right, it does cast a spell on you. I even liked I Know What You Did Last Summer when I saw it there. And you know I can fully back you up on the magic of the Pleasantville premiere. Even if I didn't live in Austin, I'd fly back for ultra-cool premieres at the Paramount!
Dear Mr. Lucas, by L'Auteur	Feb 13th, 1999 05:28:06 PM
will the theater be good enough for THE PHANTOM MENACE (aka, the movie that will only be shown in the highest quality theaters)? I hope so, Harry, for your sake. Mr. Lucas is not as forgiving as I am.
The sound and the grandeur by Shecky	Feb 13th, 1999 07:05:28 PM
Harry, you have never been more right. The Paramount is the place where I really learned to appreciate film the way it should be seen: in the balcony of a great movie house. She really is a grand old dame. I was also at the Pleasantville screening and that night was the greatest night of film viewing I have ever experienced. (The unannounced second feature that night was Rushmore, which I thoroughly enjoyed with only about 100 or so others in the house.) And, when she wants to, the old girl can really crank it up. I remember seeing a screening of Hype!, the Seattle music scene documentary, during SXSW a few years ago. I believe the Paramount had just upgraded the sound system, so they really opened it up to see what it would do. I gotta tell ya, after each live performance (in you-are-there Crank-o-Vision), applause broke out like we were really watching these bands live. The place ROCKED! I, too could go on about the many amazing moviegoing experiences I have had at the Paramount. Mr. Howard, please, bring this film to the Paramount. If you wish, hand out opinion cards just like it was being screened at some Godforsaken neon orange and purple Cinecrap monstrosity with THX and stadium seating (but no ushers to take away those fucking laser pointers). Hand them out, and you will get back the best, most glowing reviews you will ever get. Even from jaded filmies like me.
THE LAST MOVIE PALACE by Uncapie	Feb 13th, 1999 07:22:58 PM
There are very few movie palace's left in the U.S. The drive-in's are almost gone too! This is the best place to show ANY film! It used to be an EXPERIENCE to see a film! REAL BUTTER ON THE POPCORN! SODAS THAT TASTED LIKE REAL SODAS WITH CRUSHED ICE! But, the powers that be would rather shuffle human beings in and out of a cheesebox coffin. GIVE US YOUR MONEY, BUY OUR OVERPRICED GARBAGE WE CALL FOOD, WATCH THE FLICK, NOW GET OUT! Mr. Howard, you would sorely miss a wonderful oportunity for a grandiose event that would inspire someone to enjoy your film the way films should be seen and maybe inspire some individual to dream of becoming a filmaker like yourself. This is what movie making is all about.
get ron to call in the fonz to fix it by spike lee	Feb 13th, 1999 09:48:27 PM
I never really watched happy days, but did'nt fonzie do a trick where he hit something, and it was fixed. Han Solo can do the same trick.
If you build a Movie Palace, they will come. by Uncapie	Feb 14th, 1999 12:22:35 AM
Nuff said.
by Martin Q Blank	Feb 14th, 1999 03:18:02 AM
Say what you will about Harry (I know I do), but if you knew you had the ability to communicate with Ron Howard, wouldn't you? (Twas layed on a bit thick though.) P.S. Faculty came out 11th Feb in Australia, and it's none too shabby. (But what's with the 'we're normal so we're happy' ending?)
Look For Me In EdTV by Justin Sane	Feb 14th, 1999 03:51:34 AM
Hmmm... that rhymed... but, anyway, folks... don't miss my big screen extra debut in good ol' Ronnie's EdTV. Support your fellow boarders, dammit. I'm in the scene where Ed (Matthew McConohey, or however you spell the damn thing) is confronted by his brother Ray (Woody Harrelson)about stealing his woman (in disguise, no less)outside the video store where Ed works. There's a small crowd of about seven people behind Ed which include three punk rockers... the one in the middle... is yours truly!!! Well, I have a blue mohawk and am sneering and basically looking blank. I just hope I didn't end up on the cutting room floor... Justin "Sneering Punk" Sane I Had To Walk Up The Block Like 800 Times... But I Had Fun... And Got Free Apples!!!
Tinseltown? by cds	Feb 14th, 1999 10:15:42 AM
As in Cinemark, the worst theater chain on the planet? I refuse to set foot in any of their theaters. The screens are far, far, too large for the rooms. By an order of magnitude. Only children and fools sit on the front row, but in Cinemark theaters, everyone is forced to sit with the screen in their faces, craning their necks, panning their heads back and forth trying in vain to see the movie. The very last row in any Cinemark theater is yards and yards too close to the screen. Not to mention the ear-splitting noise level in the lobby, hard surface floors, walls, and even when the snot-nose kids aren't playing the video games, they still emit deafening noise trying to lure the little knee bumpers into the lair. Add to that the roaring punk music booming from every available speaker. You are required to run a gauntlet of aural abuse before even getting to the auditorium. On top of all this, the last time I was in a Cinemark (Tinseltown in Mesquite, TX), and the one that did it for me, I saw The Perez Family and thought that they had either adopted the Tarantino circular narrative model, or the reels were out of order. I mentioned this to the pimply-faced child in the oversized white shirt with the skinny black tie. He ignored me, so I asked for the manager, who basically called me a liar. No one bothered to check. I faxed their headquarters in Dallas, and sure enough, about four days later, someone checked. As I had told them, the reels were made up out of order. This, of course, can happen, rarely, but it can happen. The insult was that they called me a liar instead of bothering to check. I told them to shove their free pass sideways, and I've never been back. Sadly, Pacific Theaters in L.A. is now following their model, with gigantic screens in closet-sized rooms. Don't get me wrong, stadium seating is the greatest innovation in theaters ever, but normal humans do need some distance between the seat and the screen. That's why billboards are on the highway, not in your living room. And the Paramount? It's the only place in Austin to see a movie properly. It makes for a real premiere. You simply can't have a premiere in a multi-multiplex with the video games going full blast in the lobby. The sound? Who gives a shit? EdTV is about some gumba being followed around by TV cameras (TV, get it?). Where's the need for THX, SDS, Dolby Digital, whiz bang, golly gee sound? It's TV! Who cares? So the Paramount has a problem with exotic format sound. Tell the projectionist to just turn off the computer-controlled, space-age, CD interlocked, throw-down crap, and use the back-up analog track on the film. It's TV Ron! Who cares? For that matter, who wants to see it anyway? I already suffered through The Truman Show and Pleasantville. I'll skip this TV show.
Methinks the Harry doth protest to much by rjslick	Feb 14th, 1999 11:04:25 AM
Geez guys, I LOVE the Paramount. I wouldn't exactly call it magical, but it's close. (I think the Alamo is a magical place, but then again, maybe thats the beer.) To be honest, I've lived in Austin less than a year, so I didn't know about all the improvements that have already been made. But when you have a big Hollywood Premier, you expect the latest sound wizardy and it doesn't have that. The directors want the best, always. All I was saying is that all they need to do is drop a butt-kickin' Digital-THX-whatever audio system in there, and we may start seeing a lot more of these things. I'll still go there whenever possible (except when I MUST have killer sound, like SW1) .............................. .............................. ....BTW, Harry, you should make a trek up to Louisville, KY some time to check out the "Palace" theater there. They mainly just have concerts, but last summer they had a great classics series. It's appeared in a few books on old theaters listed as one of the most ornate in the country still standing. Michael Mann looked at it when he was in town as an option for Premiering his "60 minutes/Tobacco Industry" film (due this fall) that was shot there last summer, but reportedly the sound was what kept him from trying to book the place right then and there. If I had the cash I'd go around the country and buy these places up, putting in killer sound systems and showing one film from May 21 through November, at $10 a pop. Enogh daydreaming; the Paramount rocks, but I just wish it would rock a little harder.
Paramount Theatre by atticus	Feb 14th, 1999 01:53:42 PM
Harry - Thanks for your letter to Ron Howard. I agree. Last spring, during the "Oscar Winner's" series, I saw Lawrence of Arabia while sitting in the third row of the Paramount's balcony. It was a matinee and there were only a few people there. But even without an electrified crowd, the building did its magic. The great scale of the movie filled the whole space of the Theatre. It was incredible. In addition to being a Paramount fan, I am on the Board of Directors at the Paramount and on the Building Committee, and I wanted to comment on the issue of "why don't those greedy owners just put in a fancy state-of-the-art Hollywood sound system?" Basically there are two reasons. First, money. The Paramount Theatre is a charity. The building is owned by a non-profit corporation. Less than 80% of our annual budget comes from ticket sales, so we have to depend on contributions, fundraisers, and corporate sponsors. We could not keep the doors open without this financial support from the community. To keep our costs as low as possible, we depend on a large group of volunteers; for example, the ushers you were rightly praising? All are volunteers. All of the officers and all of the members of the Board of Directors are also volunteers. Despite tight funds, we have upgraded several portions of the sound system. We realize that there is more work to be done. The Board voted last October to commit the Paramount to top quality movie presentations, so this is one of our priorities within the limits of our resources. We are working on ideas for special fundraisers from which all proceeds would go to movie upgrades. The second reason we don't have totally modern projection capability yet is history. The building was completed in 1915, and operated throughout the golden era of movies and vaudeville. Your letter to Ron mentions Marx Brothers films. Well, the Marx Brothers performed live on the Paramount stage years ago. The Paramount has a long history of presenting movies as well. We presented CASABLANCA during its original commercial release 50-odd years ago. By the mid-70's the Theatre was closed and the plan was to tear it down to put up a Holiday Inn on Congress Avenue. Instead, the non-profit company was formed to save the building from the wrecking ball. Today the people running the Theatre believe that an important part of the Paramount's magic is its wonderful history. Trying to maintain that historic quality is expensive, which leads back to reason #1, money. The "grand old dame" has many needs, not just a new Hollywood sound system. So we have to strike a blance. Overall, though, we agree with you and your readers who feel that the Paramount is a special place for movies. We will continue to maintain and upgrade the experience as best we can. We appreciate your support and your patience as we improve.
An open letter to Opie. by John McLame	Feb 14th, 1999 02:21:45 PM
When are you going to stop playing games and shoot the Happy Days movie?! The world is begging you to make it. Every other damn TV show is a movie now, short of Different Strokes, so bring us the damn FOnz! I say hire Leonardo Dicaprio as Fonzie, & McCauly Culkin as Richie. Also, Chow Yun Fat as Arnold.
Trust the Audience, Ron by LA Joan	Feb 14th, 1999 02:30:26 PM
2 Things: 1. I went to SXSW on vacation last year, which is a real movie lover's festival. And the Paramount is a true movie lover's theatre. As a film festival junkie, I believe taking the film festival to a multiplex with no tradition behind it would cheapen the entire experience (some festivals work in a multiplex environment, but not SXSW). The audience is there to support you and film. Go with the Paramount! 2. I too saw PLEASANTVILLE in a premiere-type setting with Gary Ross in attendance. The theatre in this perfectly Pleasantville-like small town was a mono house, not stereo or anything deluxe. He freaked and wanted to move it to a multiplex, but the festival persuaded him to keep it in this wonderful small town theatre. The sold out audience loved his film so much, I think it made up for any minor sound deficiencies that only technicians would notice. S0, if the film is good, the screening should go great.
THX Theatres by JediFunk	Feb 14th, 1999 08:40:51 PM
I wish there were more great theatres in my area(NJ)..too many minimalls..I doubt I'll be able to see TPM in NYC. I know a THX guy reads this web page from his posts in other forums. So this question is for U THX dude! The web page needs to be updated faster!! Which theatres will have the new Ultra THX system? I don't see any theatres listing U-THX capable systems. I need to start planning now with my fellow TPM movie goers on which theatre to see it...If it's Ultra THX cert. and close enough...we'll be there!!
A message from Peoria by macdonald4n6	Feb 14th, 1999 10:52:17 PM
Too bad nobody actually wants any reaction from Peoria! After living here for 23 years, it's getting very difficult to sit and wait weeks and weeks for films that have been out forever in other markets. We're still waiting for "Rushmore" and there's no sign that it's going to be here anytime soon. So, my open message to Ron Howard is that maybe you could pull a few strings and actually see how "EdTV" plays in Peoria. We have a lovely collection of mall-type theaters that completely blows away anything you'd see in cities like Dubuque, Iowa or Cincinatti, Ohio. One day, we even aspire to be on the same moviegoing level as Ypsilante, Michigan. What an incredible day that will be.
cool theatres of the world unite by mambo bwana	Feb 15th, 1999 01:21:28 AM
I completely agree with Harry. In my opinion, what defines the experience of seeing a movie in the theatre is the location itself. If it didn't make a difference, I would simply rent videos and watch them on my thirteen-inch television. It is really a tale of two eras. In today's world, theatres are made to look like garrish theme-parks. I often wonder if I am alone in my disgust of what I will call the Disney World-i-sation of theatres. Am I? Point is, the older theatres still kick ass because they don't have all the distracting neon lights and neon signs that most cineplexes now must have. Instead, you are left to sink into the timeless movie-going experience. And they don't make chairs like they used to. On the old-school theatre tip, I strongly suggest to everyone who plans on visiting Portugal to take the time and catch a flick at the Sao Jorge theatre in Lisbon (located right on Avenida da Liberdade). It is the most glorious movie-house on earth. Also, the theatre still has ushers!
Courtney killed Kurt by mambo bwana	Feb 15th, 1999 01:25:48 AM
if you haven't already seen Kurt and Courtney, check it out asap. Great documentary/travel movie. And Courtney Love is a psycho.
Wow by Sithslayer	Feb 15th, 1999 08:18:40 AM
It's amazing what a free refill of popcorn and pop will do to make you feel so passionately about a movie theatre.
The Magic Theatre by YoungShirleyMaclaine	Feb 15th, 1999 09:22:33 AM
BRAVO, HARRY! Super letter to Ron. As a local actress who has had the priviledge of performing on the Paramount Theatre stage, I can truly agree that it is a magical place. I also have seen several movies there and and the experience is just amazing. The audience knows how special it is to view a movie there. Sure we can all rent a video and enjoy the comfort of our homes or goto the mall theatre too, but going to The Paramount, a historic grand theatre, is like nothing else. I'm also proud to say, that the company I work for has just become a corporate sponsor of this beloved landmark. It does need monetary support as well as emotional & verbal. I hope Ron Howard listens to you and the rest of us who love this magical place.
Verification by Gary Ross	Feb 20th, 1999 01:35:15 AM
You got it 90% right. It WAS the best screening I ever had. That was sweat not tears (I'm a big crier, that just wasn't one of the occasions) There ARE no audiences as good as Austin audiences. AND HARRY, HOW COULD YOU LEAVE OUT THE 1O minute standing ovation. Jesus--if you're gonna relive the best night of my life, don't edit the great parts. Anyhow--the paramount theater IS a magical place--but you all should get new PROJECTORS--the sound is fine. And thank you to everyone in Austin for one of the most memorable nights of my life.
Is that a toaster he has lodged in his head? by Wolfpack	Jul 4th, 2006 07:18:16 PM

Talkbacks

An Open Letter To RON HOWARD

User login

Quick Talkback

Talkbacks