Larger Than Life: 70MM
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This is an Egyptian
Theatre Exclusive!
70mm, like many other motion picture formats
such as Cinemascope and Cinerama in the 1950’s, was created as a way of prying folks
away from those insidious small screen "idiot boxes" (i.e., televisions) that
were starting to deplete the industry’s box office thunder. From Super Technirama 70
to Ultra Panavision to Dimension 150 and more, the 70mm large-screen format promised
– and delivered – a Barnum-esque world of spectacular sights and 6-track sounds.
If the movies were always larger-than-life, then 70mm movies were MUCH much larger! From
1955 to 1970 – the Golden Age of 70mm Filmmaking – there were nearly 60
Hollywood features shot in large format, with many more released in special engagements as
35mm-to-70mm blow-ups (which still offered superior sound and image quality to their 35mm
counterparts). Join us for films rarely screened in 70mm such as PINK FLOYD – THE
WALL, THE ROAD WARRIOR and THE WILD BUNCH.
Friday, October 12 – 7:30 PM
70 mm Print!
THE WILD BUNCH,
1969, Warner Bros., 145 min. Saddle up for a screening of director Sam Peckinpah’s
magnificent, ultra-violent Western, starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine,
Warren Oates and Jaime Sanchez as a band of doomed outlaws trying to outrun
history. Exceedingly controversial upon its initial release, THE WILD BUNCH forever
changed the way violence was depicted and perceived in the movies. And it is even more
startling in its bigger-than-life 70mm incarnation. Co-starring a tough guys’
who’s who of western greats, including Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien, L.Q.
Jones, Emilio Fernandez, Bo Hopkins and Strother Martin. "…maybe
the best shoot-'em-up ever made, the one that turned meanness into a haunting pictorial
poetry and summed up the corruption of guilt, old age and death in the American fantasy of
the Old West... A cinematic touchstone, the film has influenced a generation of movie
makers, from Scorsese to Tarantino to Hong Kong action king John Woo." –
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle
Saturday, October 13 – 7:30 PM
70 mm Print!
PINK FLOYD – THE WALL,
1982, Warner Bros., 99 min. Director Alan Parker's vivid film interpretation of the
British rock combo's classic concept album THE WALL fuses curious fantasy with dark,
tragic drama on an epic scale. It tells the story of anti-hero Pink, beaten down by life
from his earliest childhood days in WWII Britain. Despite his rise to rock star fame, he
continues to build a 'wall' around himself. The film makes innovative use of sets,
costumes, and special effects, imbuing the movie with a bizarre surrealism worthy of Luis
Buñuel and Salvador Dali. Both disturbing and bedazzling, PINK FLOYD: THE WALL is a
must-see film for any music lover. Do not miss this unique screening in 70 mm, the print
is a bit faded though with the full 5-across magnetic stereo sound, the experience is
amazing! With Bob Geldof, Bob Hoskins.
Sunday, October 14 – 7:30 PM
70mm Print!
MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR,
1981, Warner Bros., 94 min. This sequel to MAD MAX ups the ante for post-armageddon
spectacle and has few equals for creating a realistic, ever-more plausible future where
gasoline is the most precious commodity. Hockey-mask wearing Lord Humongous whips
his tribe of mohawked-speed freaks into a frenzy, while Road Warrior Max Mel Gibson tries
to save the remnants of civilization, in director George Miller’s lean, mean,
thrill machine – along with James Cameron’s ALIENS, the finest action film of
the decade. This 70mm blow-up print is slightly faded, but delivers maximum big screen
kicks like few other. |
