Cinerama Hollywood
6360 Sunset Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6360 Sunset Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
142 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 1,412 comments
Happy 60th to the Cinerama Dome, which held its grand opening (and world premiere of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”) on this date in 1963. It’s a shame the theater is currently closed and that we cannot celebrate the occasion with a festival or special screening. As a celebratory alternative, linked here is a little something I put together to help you reminisce about the stuff you may have made the extra effort to see there.
A new article has been published cataloging the 70mm presentations of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The Cinerama Dome gets several mentions in the piece.
Delta, I agree with what Pictureville is doing, and I would not want to see the 3-srip format locked away forever from viewers. I believe, however, that only “Grimm” and “West” are films that have permanent value among all those produced in the Cinerama process, although “Grimm” is not of interest to me personally. These two films, I believe, can still draw audiences, and their presentation in a reconstructed format makes it less expensive for exhibitors to do so. It also provides a technically superior presentation. This is the way for Cinerama to live on.
We are fortunate in the UK to have the Pictureville Cinema in Bradford which has frequent showings of Cinerama films in either original 3-strip format, digital reconstruction format, or 70mm format. It is an essential reminder of some of the great and innovative days of cinema and to still enjoy the experience. The cinema’s annual Widescreen Weekend is about to celebrate the 70th anniversary of CinemaScope. Also, alongside Pictureville cinema is the National Media Museum where the first in the UK and still operating IMAX cinema is installed.
Do we really want theaters to screen the Cinerama films as they were originally screened, with all the imperfections of the process? I am not disparaging the process, for it started a trend in film production and screening that today gives us beautiful digital improvements of these Cinerama films. I’ll be on my way to Hollywood and the Cinerama Dome as soon as I learn that “How the West Was Won” will be digitally presented, with the richness of the soundtrack as we knew it from the original seven tracks.
m00se1111: I actually reference this site: https://incinerama.com/ctdome.htm. But thanks for thinking of me.
Give it to Quentin Tarantino for FREE! He is probally about the only known individual who could make it a profitable enterprise based on his name recognition and his love for the wide screen format. Otherwise this will be a great loss. Hopefully the Uptown in DC and the Cinerama in Seattle will be able to operate again as true Cinerama’s.
Regarding that NY Times article that stevenj shared please Decurion Corp, just sell it to a group or a chain that actually cares and can re-open it. Decurion Corp has clearly been holding on to the property out of pride with failed promises of a re-opening, re branding, or renovations that are just not happening. The complex had been sitting vacant and collecting dust for 3 years now. Regency or Landmark would be perfect fits. If I had the money and could take it off of Decurion Corps hands and run it independently I would. Something needs to be done fast to re-open it and get it out of Decurion Corps hands. The longer it remains vacant and collecting dust, the more danger it will never re open.
Maybe save Flix some steps in the future..
https://in70mm.com/news/2021/dome_playdates/index.htm
Ralph Bakshi’s 1983 animated dark fantasy “Fire and Ice” began a three-week stint at the Dome 40 years ago this week (Aug. 26, 1983).
NY Times article “A Dormant Dome for Cinephiles Is Unsettling Hollywood” linked here.
Cinerama Dome
Peter Hyams' little-seen 1983 Michael Douglas-starring thriller “Star Chamber” began a three-week stint at the Dome in 70mm 40 years ago this week (Aug 5, 1983).
Roger, I easily spotted the difference in HTWWW: the mountain scene in the background of the imported segment is very grainy.
Yes parts of HTWWW were shot in Ultra Panavision and don’t look as sharp as the footage shot with Cinerama cameras. To really tell the difference you have to sit close and have good eye site.
I am interested in Roger A’s comment. I would have to see side-by-side presentations of parts of a Cinerama film in both formats to be able to evaluate the quality of each. I am pleased with the quality of “West” and “Grimm” when I see them on Turner Classic Films.
As much as I enjoy “How the West Was Won,” I tend to think that it was not “pure” Cinerama–that is, everything seen on the screen had come out of the Cinerama cameras themselves. We know that HTWWW has some short segments borrowed from “Raintree County” as part of a cost-saving effort. While I cannot find sufficient detail about the other 1962 production, I think that “Grimm” is entirely out of the Cinerama cameras. Later productions, I believe, should not have been labelled as Cinerama or “Cinerama out of one lens.” Cinerama is always about the 3-lens, 3-projector process and presentation. I’ll remember it best as the start of a wonderful new beginning for filmmaking.
Digital is a long long way from matching film. I don’t pay top prices to see a digital show. I wouldn’t go see digital versions of Cinerama movies they just lack the detail.
I’m of the opinion that what Mr. Strohmeier and others have done to digitally improve the quality of the projected Cinerama 3-strip films means that we should put the old format to rest. Yes, it was great, especially for what it did for motion pictures generally. What it did was inspire others to simplify the widescreen process and produce better film emulsions. We can truthfully say that Cinerama started it all–giving a brief nod to Fox’s attempt back in the 1930’s. I would make plans to see “How the West Was Won” again at the Dome, in digital form and with 7-track sound, if the opportunity arises. I feel that Fred Waller and the others would be proud of the restorations.
You have done your homework great update CTCrouch. I doubt that anything will happen to the dome it’s such an icon. It has a future as a specialty theater whether they develop that or not is the question. It’s one of the only theaters that can present 2001 the way it was meant to be seen. Besides being able to run three projector Cinerama.
RogerA: As far as I know it remains the same ownership for the theatre and surrounding property. However, what business entity they are currently operating under appears somewhat murky. Pacific/Arclight and their parent company, Decurion Corporation, are defunct. Also, the group’s real estate division, Robertson Property Group, has taken down their website, but there has been no indication as to what the company’s status is. The swap meet branch remains operating under the Pacific Swap Meet/Nationwide Theatres Corp names. My best guess is that the ownership is reorganizing under a new corporate structure (the home office for this confusing web of companies, on North Robertson Blvd, is still open).
Are there new owners of the Cinerama Dome?
Was just by the Cinerama this past week. The site is still boarded up with no sign of any work is being done on it. With roughly only five directors committed to shooting in 70mm and the push to use small screen format, i.e. streaming, it is difficult to see how the new owners will be able to keep this operational. I really do hope for the best. This is an icon.
Cinerama Dome Re-Opening Pushed To 2024, per Deadline link below.
https://deadline.com/2023/05/cinerama-dome-closed-status-hollywood-movie-theater-1234898930/?fbclid=IwAR2dYSbC43JTV1f3wEW0CfH4tN2s8f1g4iXzwvp4Ogjk7E5ZHYWiSFf_tik&mibextid=Zxz2cZ
Michael Wadleigh’s Oscar-winning 1970 documentary “Woodstock” returned to the Dome for a one-week stint 40 years ago this weekend (January 28, 1983).
$1,000,000 in 1977 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $4,917,689.77 today, an increase of $3,917,689.77 over 45 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 3.60% per year between 1977 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 391.77%.