SJ and I recently ventured downtown into the land of movie palace movie watching with a screening of Chinatown at the Orpheum. As you can see by the photos, going to the theatre used to be a glamorous evening out with bright neon marquees and opulent chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The Orpheum seats nearly 2,000 people and has a huge balcony [where we sat] that offers a perfect view down to a massive screen. I love watching films from the balcony. Talk about "old school."
Some people claim that we've progressed as a society and civilization through the decades. Well, I sort of disagree. Compare the Orpheum with the soulless, charmless multiplex and it's pretty clear that in terms of how we watch films--we've seriously digressed. I wish I could see every single movie in a place like the Orpheum, but sadly, this was a rare screening in a theatre that is currently known for live music more than movies. At least the theatre is still being used, unlike so many of its brethren from the 1920s in downtown cities across America.
5 comments:
sweet! i've never seen this movie. was it your 2nd viewing?
I could have sworn that we watched that at your house one afternoon! Maybe my memory is hazy on this.
holy crap...really? man...i don't think so. but then again, it's possible. my memory for films i watched in the 90s is terrible.
SJ asked me before we watched it if I'd seen it and I said I watched it w/ Nancy at your house! Ha.
terrible...i don't think i'd know unless i watched it again. then it would probably all come back! i noticed this at scarecrow on their front wall...maybe it just got re-mastered or out in some special format? right now, they have a display of top foreign films and then a whole wall of best from the 80s! the 80s is hilarious...all the packaging design really is 80s style with a lot of garish colors and cheesy type.
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