JAWS and seeing your fav film on the big screen

[JAWS]

Just got back from seeing this a local theater.

What a treat to see my all time fav. film again on the Big Screen. I live in a small town area in upstate NY so we don't get special even showings like that very often.

Anyways it was an older theater with the older set up and the giant stage and sculpted trim. The projector and screen were new though. It was nice watching it in this theater and there was a decent amount of people. Hearing the soundtrack go through the speakers and fill the large room was a treat and the whole experience reminded me of seeing the film long ago when it made one of it's 2nd runs. I saw it at the Drive in the first time. The film itself was great again (of course) and it was nice to see some younger 20 somethings there watching the it. I asked some of them after the film if it was the first time they saw it and they laughed and said No and that it was a great film.

It was fun to notice things that for whatever reason after seeing the film a hundred times I never noticed before. Such as when Brody is questioning the young man on the beach about Chrissie Watkins Disappearance, Brody is holding her cloths and belongings (remember she went skinny dipping). Weird that I never paid attention. It's not like it's hard to see but seeing it again on the big screen it stood out like a sore thumb.

Seeing Star Wars back when it was rereleased as the Special Edition was fun but not nearly as much fun as this was. I think being able to see it in such an older theater really added to the experience. Not to mention, as my name suggest, that it's my fav film. I am bummed out because I could have saw Raiders of the Lost Ark at this theater but I assumed it would have played it in the smaller not so grand theater and not in the large one (it has two screens one large and one small). I almost did not go to JAWS because I assumed the same thing. I use to have a projector so it would not have been as big of a deal.

Anyways... Has anyone else had the pleasure of seeing their all time fav film rereleased in a theater recently? If so, did it improve your enjoyment of the film?

 

[DiFabio]

Batman 1989 at AMC theaters last year. It was a full house and a fun experience 24 years later. Things I never noticed before? How annoyed Bruce is when Vicki is still around the morning after and the Joker's weird, stuffed terrier.

I also got to see Jaws, Back to the Future, Aliens at the same theater. Jaws was fun, but I was annoyed when everyone shouted "we're going to need a bigger boat" like 4 seconds before Brody did.

 

[a-dev]

Only time I've ever seen a vintage film in the cinema was the Star Wars SE, circa 1997.

Jaws remains a summer movie classic. Every time there's a busy beach day in my town it makes me want to watch Jaws.

 

[batfan08]

I got to see Superman:The Movie at a local theater last month. It was an amazing experience. The original film predated me by a good decade and a half, about, so, my experience had always been relegated to VHS or DVD, and so forth. The theater's been around for a long time. It might be one of the oldest theaters in America, actually, and so, for a while, it was kind of a shame, as they showed movies that were pretty much DVDs playing through your average consumer friendly projector onto their screen. They showed the Universal Monster movies around Halloween a few years back, so, that's how I was familiar with the state of things, but they got a new projector last year. I wasn't sure to what extent until I saw Superman. My local comic retailer is a friend of mine, and he actually sponsored the event, paying at least some of the cost to rent the reel, and, thus, I was set up with free tickets.

I figured "maybe it's another DVD type deal, but free's free, right?" I was very pleasantly surprised. The whole time it was like I was seeing the film again, for the first time, and I couldn't help but wonder how it must've been for moviegoers in 1978. We're so used to these CG creations, with citywide devastation, and giant green monsters, but to think that this was the first time anything like a man flying had been attempted was fascinating. In some ways, I wish that I could feel that sense of wonder at the awesome spectacle of Superman catching that helicopter, as some of you older boardies did as kids, or, even, adults, back in 1978. I was hoping they'd be able to get the 89 Batman film for the film's 25th anniversary/the character's 75th, but the reel was unavailable.

 

[cokebabies]

Unfortunately, Silent Night Deadly Night 2 hasn't seen any theater revivals near me.

 

[bigbrocha]

I got to see JAWS on the big screen on July 3rd which was awesome cause the story takes place 4th of July holiday. I also got to see a screening of Big Trouble Little China which was a real treat, cause the Robot Chicken guys where presenting it.

 

[DarthIndy]

Saw the restored 4K print of Raiders of the Lost Ark this year in Melbourne. My favourite movie and it was spectacular on the big screen.
It was a double feature with Temple of Doom (optical effects didn't hold up so well on the big screen).

 

[JAWS]

I got to see Superman:The Movie at a local theater last month. It was an amazing experience. The original film predated me by a good decade and a half, about, so, my experience had always been relegated to VHS or DVD, and so forth. The theater's been around for a long time. It might be one of the oldest theaters in America, actually, and so, for a while, it was kind of a shame, as they showed movies that were pretty much DVDs playing through your average consumer friendly projector onto their screen. They showed the Universal Monster movies around Halloween a few years back, so, that's how I was familiar with the state of things, but they got a new projector last year. I wasn't sure to what extent until I saw Superman. My local comic retailer is a friend of mine, and he actually sponsored the event, paying at least some of the cost to rent the reel, and, thus, I was set up with free tickets.

I figured "maybe it's another DVD type deal, but free's free, right?" I was very pleasantly surprised. The whole time it was like I was seeing the film again, for the first time, and I couldn't help but wonder how it must've been for moviegoers in 1978. We're so used to these CG creations, with citywide devastation, and giant green monsters, but to think that this was the first time anything like a man flying had been attempted was fascinating. In some ways, I wish that I could feel that sense of wonder at the awesome spectacle of Superman catching that helicopter, as some of you older boardies did as kids, or, even, adults, back in 1978. I was hoping they'd be able to get the 89 Batman film for the film's 25th anniversary/the character's 75th, but the reel was unavailable.

Would love to see Superman in the theaters again... I never got to see it on the big screen either. I also agree with you. It would be fun to go back and see some of these films for the first time back when they were first released. When Audiences were not so jadded. I don't really remember Star Wars at the theater. Hell I would love to just watch an audience reaction video. Such game changers. The Only film I can think of that perhaps had that same feeing on me as Star Wars had on those Audiences was Jurassic Park. That was a game changer just like Star Wars was. I do remember seeing JAWS in the theater way back when and the audience clapping after every good jump and standing and applauding after the Shark was blown up.

Saw the restored 4K print of Raiders of the Lost Ark this year in Melbourne. My favourite movie and it was spectacular on the big screen.
It was a double feature with Temple of Doom (optical effects didn't hold up so well on the big screen).

Like I said, I really blew it not seeing Raiders. The theater was about a half hour away from my home and I had actually never been. But people I knew had been and told me about the two very different sized screens. I really thought since GotG was the other film that that would be on the big screen. I should have called. It wuold have been a blast to see it. Raiders is in my top 10.

 

[Khev]

My all time favorite favorite film fluctuates between ESB, FOTR, and ROTK. Obviously the LOTR movies are pretty recent and I did see them multiple times on the big screen. I only saw ESB once as a 6 year old in 1980 and then again in 1997 for the SE. Needless to say I was pretty put off by a number of the changes in 1997 but I do remember noticing the super fake plastic tarp Han and them were walking on when they were supposedly in the belly of the space slug. I also feel like I might not have noticed Boba Fett turning his head to look toward Luke when Luke was spying on him as Fett walked the halls with the floating Carbonite Han until seeing it again on the big screen. It was cool seeing ESB in the theater after all those years but a bit bittersweet with the annoying changes.

However, prior to all the SE crap I did get to see "Star Wars" for a 15th anniversary release in 1992 at the massive Seattle Cinerama. THAT was awesome. Now I had seen it as a kid in the theater in 1977 or 78 but have limited memories of the experience. In 1992 I assumed that the sold out crowd would just watch it quietly but they were quite lively. The whole auditorium erupted in cheers when Han slid into the booth at the cantina. I was surprised at some of the lines they laughed at though. Everyone burst out laughing when Luke whined about the power convertors and when Motti said "this station is now the ultimate power in the universe."

I do remember being utterly SHOCKED that after years of watching SW on pan and scan VHS that when Luke was spying on the bantha there actually WAS a sandperson that came into view. I was confused for years as to why he said the "wait I can see one of them now" line because the VHS cropped the side of the screen that had the sandperson!

The DS space battle on that massive screen was utterly sublime though. So glad I got to see the movie on the big screen as an adult one last time before George forever butchered it.

 

[karamazov80]

I saw Ghostbusters last year, and Back to the Future and Raiders this year. In each instance I saw things I never noticed before. But I have to admit that the novelty wasn't as great by the time I got around to Raiders.

 

[Khev]

Oh yeah, Raiders was awesome in IMAX in September 2012.

I missed ALIENS in the theaters in 1986 but was able to remedy that for a 1996 10th anniversary theatrical re-release at a theater near where I lived. Then I saw it again on the big screen in 2000. It was awesome both times. One thing that stood out for me with ALIENS in the theater after watching it for years on laserdisc was just how DARK and deeply black the darker scenes were. Not overly dark like AVP2, but just such deep pitch blacks compared to the dimly lit lights and muted military colors. The contrast was amazing and so unsettling during the red emergency lights of the Operations final battle. It was great.

 

[greygoose]

I saw Jurassic Park in IMAX 3D last year. It was incredible! It was like being five years old again.

 

[Khev]

You were five when JP came out? I was in college. Man I feel old.

 

[DiFabio]

Oh, two or three years ago I went to a LOTR trilogy event at AMC theaters where they played EE Fellowship, EE Two Towers and EE ROTK back to back to back. That was an . . . interesting experience. I don't really think about it though since 2001-2003 still seems so recent to me, even though in reality it's been over a decade.

By mid Two Towers, I was getting really uncomfortable and wanted to go outside. Thank god for the half hour/45 min breaks in between.

 

[rushmore223]

You were five when JP came out? I was in college. Man I feel old.

I was just out of college at that point (22) so I know what your talking about, but then, because of my age I was lucky enough to see all the Star Wars movies, all the Indiana Jones movies, Alien and Aliens, Blade Runner, Jaws, Close Encounters and so on at the theater. Hell, I even saw a bunch of old Godzilla movies at the drive-in.

 

[greygoose]

You were five when JP came out? I was in college. Man I feel old.

My mistake...I was actually six.

 

[cokebabies]

I saw Jurassic Park in IMAX 3D last year. It was incredible! It was like being five years old again.

I saw it as well, because I thought it would be cool to see on the big screen again. But one thing I wasn't expecting was just how powerful it would be to see it up there, again. When they first pan to show the dinosaurs, and the theme starts blasting, I got chills.

 

[rushmore223]

I saw it as well, because I thought it would be cool to see on the big screen again. But one thing I wasn't expecting was just how powerful it would be to see it up there, again. When they first pan to show the dinosaurs, and the theme starts blasting, I got chills.

I am not as fond of JP as many on this forum are, but I imagine it would really benefit from a giant Imax screen more than other movies might.

 

[Adolfo]

The latest Godfather offerings were great. I got to see the restored Wild Bunch in 94 in NYC. It was the 25th anniversary of the Wild Bunch and for two weeks every Peckinpah film he did was shown. Great time and brought back memories. Back in the late 70s I saw all five PoTA films and took a few bayer aspirin that long day. Saw Jaws at the beach for an outdoor showing 2 years ago too. I hope to see the Quiet Man and the Searchers on the big screen one day. Escape from NY and Blade Runner was another I've seen a few times way after it's in initial release. Saw a Firefox and Blue Thunder viewing also about 20 yrs ago. My additional wish list for theater rehash is Blues Brothers and Excalibur.

 

[The Josh]

Anytime I can see the LOTR movies in theaters is awesome for me. I also really enjoyed the Indy IMAX four movie showing they did a couple years ago.