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AMC Theaters now lets you buy digital gift cards with Dogecoin
Such movies, very wow.
Universal is releasing movies in theaters and at home on the same day
Movie studios have spent years considering releasing their films for home viewing at the same time they're in theaters, but have usually withdrawn those plans based on complaints by the theater chains. Now, with people staying home and theaters closing due to the coronavirus pandemic, Universal Pictures will be the first to try the scheme by offering movies that are currently in theaters for home rental at a price of $19.99 for a 48-hour viewing window. The first movies offered will start popping up on Friday, with The Hunt, Invisible Man and Emma available internationally via "a wide variety of the most popular on-demand services." It appears the Vudu is on the list, and we'd assume that other big names like iTunes and Amazon Video will also participates. The first movie to premiere under the new setup will be Trolls World Tour on April 20th.
You can see 'Gemini Man' in 120 fps or 4K, but not both
Ang Lee wants people to see his latest movie, Gemini Man, in 3D at 4K resolution and 120 frames per second. But it'll be a tough ask to watch the Will Smith thriller that way if you're in the US -- it seems no American theaters will project it in the director's intended format.
Regal Cinemas movie subscriptions are reportedly coming this month
Regal Cinemas is reportedly preparing to join the unlimited movie ticket subscription fray. It's said to be revealing its plans later this month. According to Variety, the three pricing tiers ($18, $21 and $24) will all offer unlimited tickets and will vary based on theater location, unlike the state-based pricing of AMC's year-old Stubs A-List service.
Netflix wants to buy a landmark Hollywood movie theater
Netflix has its sights set on buying its first movie theater. It's in the early stages of talks to acquire the famed Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, according to Deadline Hollywood. Netflix would supposedly decide what to screen during the week, perhaps giving subscribers another way to watch Netflix releases. Current owner American Cinematheque would handle weekend programming, including festivals and lectures.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to receive the Dolby Atmos treatment
The CinemaCon crowd may not have been keen on 48fps footage of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but we defy anyone to say they don't want the best sound possible. A select few will get just that, as Dolby and Peter Jackson's own Park Road Post Production have announced the film will be mixed for the speaker-packed Atmos technology. If you're lucky enough to live near one of the select establishments it's installed in, we doubt you'll be grumbling about the immersive audio, even if the frame rate makes those orcs look unsettlingly real. Update: That link of "select establishments" is somewhat out of date and, although the official list of locations you'll be able to see The Hobbit in Atmos has yet to be released, Dolby says there should be between 80 and 100 screens capable of delivering the over-the-top audio experience by the film's debut.
MoviePass launches iPhone app and card combo, takes unlimited viewing to all US theaters
While MoviePass was in early beta, it got more than a small amount of pushback from theaters that didn't like someone changing the price formula without their explicit say-so. The company just found an end-run around that conspicuous obstacle. It's releasing both an iPhone app and a reloadable card that, when combined, let MoviePass' effectively unlimited subscription model work at just about any US theater. The app unlocks the card for a specific showing; after that, it's only a matter of swiping the plastic at a payment kiosk like any old credit card. It's not as sophisticated as NFC or Pay With Square, to be sure, but it should keep the rude surprises to a minimum. Both the iOS app and the card require an invitation to the $30 monthly service if you're eager to get watching movies today. If either is too limiting, there's promises of both an Android app and wider availability in the future.
Dolby Atmos crosses the Atlantic in time for Barcelona's CineEurope 2012
If you're a European jealous of those of us stateside when you first read that we had fourteen theaters featuring Dolby's new end-to-end revolution in surround sound, Atmos, then maybe this news will give you solace. Starting today the new technology will be demoed at CineEurope at both Dolby's booth as well as at the Cinesa Diagonal Mar Screen 9 theater in Barcelona. No word on when you'll actually be able to take in Disney's Brave in said format, but the Mar Screen 9 will be joined at the Atmos party by a number of other theaters in Europe in the coming months, like the Empire Leicester Square in London. Want to know more? Well, check out the full press release after the break.
Dolby confirms 14 theaters for inaugural screening of Pixar's 'Brave' with Atmos audio
If you want to be among the first to experience Dolby's new Atmos surround sound experience, the company has released a list of 14 theaters that will have it up and running in time to show the first movie with the technology. Disney / Pixar's Brave hits the screens June 22nd and thanks to the Atmos setup is ready to direct sound to listener's ears from as many as 64 speaker feeds and 128 simultaneous inputs, combining with 3D visuals to increase viewer immersion. Not sold yet? Check out a few instructional videos about intelligent surround sound, and why 13.1 channels just wouldn't have been enough, plus of course, the list of all fourteen theaters.
Dolby's Atmos technology gives new meaning to surround sound, death from above
Psst, did you hear that? Apparently, the folks at Dolby Laboratories are no longer content with scaring the bejesus out of moviegoers by simply funneling those horrific audio cues from today's standard theater setup. Instead, the mad audio scientists claim they can recreate a more lifelike and sensory audio experience by pushing sound from even more directions -- a feat made possible by the company's new Dolby Atmos technology. By leveraging up to 64 speaker feeds and 128 simultaneous audio inputs, for example, Dolby says it would be possible to more accurately recreate the sound of creepy footsteps coming from the floorboards of a higher floor. Yes, you could use the system to better simulate stuff like rain, too, but that doesn't sound nearly as fun as making hapless moviegoers pee their pants. Combined with Dolby's foray into 3D, it looks like the company's really focusing on kicking up viewer immersion. Dolby plans to debut the Atmos tech in 10 to 15 theaters showing Disney/Pixar's Brave this year, followed by a larger rollout by 2013. For more on the potentially bladder-busting technology, scope out the PR after the break.
Sony to stop paying for movie theater 3D glasses, theater owners fire back
As if going to the movies wasn't getting expensive enough, now theater owners and studios are fighting over the cost of 3D glasses -- again. Sony Pictures sent out a letter indicating that starting in May 2012, it won't foot the bill for moviegoer's 3D glasses anymore, pushing the charge onto the theater instead. The Hollywood Reporter uncovered the letter and indicates the total pricetag for a major movie like the ones Sony has planned for next summer -- Men in Black III and The Amazing Spider-Man -- can run as high as $5 to $10 million in total. Studios have been covering the cost to help push 3D so far but Sony's declaration could lead to other studios following, and changing to a model where moviegoers buy and keep their own 3D glasses. It'd be nice to think keeper pairs could reduce the surcharge -- or for 3D haters, switch more showings to 2D -- but with a half-full box of candy apparently worth its weight in gold, we're not optimistic.
Crapgadget: 'money to burn' edition
Gadgets can radically alter our lives -- they can save us time and money and improve our health. And then there's the crapgadget, a breed of technology seemingly designed for little more than draining our already microscopic bank accounts. But hey, it's your money, and if you want to spend it on, say, an inflatable outdoor movie theater, a speaker shaped like a tiny bird, or a case for your iPhone with a terrifying fake beetle attached, that's your call. If you need us, however, we'll be recovering from our solo table tennis game by fanning ourselves off with our smartphone. Check out the latest craptastic roundup below, and be sure to vote for your (least) favorite.
Sony stands behind its digital projectors, claims the only thing ruining movies is Russell Brand
In case you missed it over the weekend, the Boston Globe published an article stating that the misuse of 3D lenses on Sony 4K projectors is drastically reducing the amount of light and color in digitally projected 2D movies. Sony Digital Cinema has finally responded with a list of "The Facts" that reiterate information some readers have posted in our comments and that we've obtained from individuals working as projectionists. They claim that contrary to the Globe's information, the projector technology used as described isn't to blame for poor picture quality. Notable items on the list are that the Sony system does not alternate between two images rapidly, changing the lens takes less than 20 minutes, the RealD 3D filters only reduce light output by 20% (not 85%), and if the lens can't be changed, then it's still capable of playing back content at 14fl (foot lamberts) which is within the recommended specs for brightness. All of these go directly against information from the original "Deep Focus" source, although it still doesn't explain why they could see such a marked difference between films in the same theater being projected digitally or on film. However, simpler explanations like an old and weakened bulb, a film projector set outside the specs, or unintentional misconfiguration could account for all of that. Until this is sorted, all we can recommend for your summer movie viewing is that if you do see anything out of order, don't let that jumbo tub of popcorn and Icee slow you down -- complain to management loudly and quickly to get the picture fixed. Check after the break for Sony's claims, as well as more detailed information from a projectionist we spoke to that broke down just how the technology works.
Movie theaters could screw up your 2D movies by leaving the digital projector set up for 3D
We generally prefer to do our movie viewing in our own home theaters, but when we succumb to the temptation of public moviehouses we often choose digital projection hoping for a flawless viewing experience. Unfortunately, this report by The Boston Globe indicates that may not be the case. It is alleged by unnamed theater employees that theaters are leaving the 3D lens adapters on their Sony 4K digital projectors even when showing 2D. Just like viewing 3D, this cuts the light output and it's worse for 2D films not made with that in mind, but theaters do it because removing the lenses is overly complex and many moviegoers don't seem to notice or complain. The Globe suggests checking the digital projector yourself -- if you see two beams of light from on high at a 2D flick then something is rotten in Denmark. Check the article at the source link for a rundown of many of the chains using these types of projectors and why that's the case (money), but after this and Liemax premium VOD is starting to sound better and better.
Dolby introduces lighter, cheaper 3D glasses to better compete with RealD and IMAX
Dolby has been working on getting the cost of its 3D glasses down since bringing Infitec color shift technology to theaters back in '07 and it couldn't wait for CinemaCon 2011 next week before announcing the new models seen above. These should please theater operators by being cheaper than the old ones -- down to $12 or less per reusable pair from $17 last year and $27.50 the year before that -- and hopefully cinemagoers by being lighter, with a new multilayer optical film from 3M and redesigned frame to help block extraneous light. There's also RFID tags to help keep them from walking out of the moviehouse, and it claims they will fit over 98 percent of prescription glasses. So far RealD has lead the market with its cheaper glasses, multiple styles and home HDTV cross-compatibility, while IMAX is synonymous (usually) with big screens, but if theaters start passing down that savings in the form of lower ticket prices we might pick out a Dolby screen among the other 3D theater competition the next time we head to the theater.
Carmen in 3D hits 1,500 movie theater screens tomorrow
After setting records by screeneing for 240,000 movie theater attendees of its HD broadcast, we suppose the only natural evolution for Carmen was to go 3D. Filmed live at the Royal Opera House, Carmen in 3D will be shown at over 1,500 RealD equipped movie theaters around the world tomorrow. It's the first time an opera has been screened in 3D, which, like HD before it, is supposed to let audience members feel even more like they're actually in the auditorium with the actors. Hit the read link to find out if it's showing near you, though we're not sure how those little opera glasses will work in combination with the usual 3D specs.
EVE trailer coming to a theater near you (maybe)
Ever wanted to see CCP's version of internet spaceships on the silver screen? You may be in luck if you live near a major metropolitan movieplex. In a forum post released yesterday, CCP Manifest broke the news of an EVE Online trailer attached to selected prints of the new Tron: Legacy film scheduled for release on December 17th. The trailer will run for a limited time (through January 13th to be exact), and will take a bow between eight and 15 minutes prior to showtime as well as twice every 12 minutes in theater lobbies. Details are scarce as to the actual content of the clip, and the showings are currently limited to a handful of venues in the United States. Check out the full list on the EVE forums.
Prima Cinema plans to offer $500 first-run movie downloads, with a mere $20k setup fee
To achieve balance in all things, a new startup called Prima Cinema apparently figures while the proletariat are rejoicing over Netflix all you can eat $7.99 streaming and Redbox $1 rentals, there's room at the high end and will offer a $20,000 digital delivery system to bring home first-run movies as soon as they come to theaters in theaters for $500 a pop. Beyond simply achieving the goal of making proposed $20-30 movie VODs on cable seem downright reasonable, The Wall Street Journal reports the company figures it can work this system into as many as 250,000 homes in the next five years. The idea is to deliver these flicks beyond the lucky few who currently receive copies for private screening to people whose home theaters make our Engadget HD Flickr group look low-rent, although theater industry insiders have already pointed out the increased risk of piracy. We're not sure exactly what hardware that initial $20k buys, but at those prices we'll probably still be looking at TS and cam rips for most bootlegged flicks after this service launches next year.
World Cup 2010 final game is coming to movie theaters in 3D
So maybe you're like our friend Jimmy and want to check out some World Cup action in 3D, but don't know where to go to see it. Luckily Cinedigm is adding to its list of sports broadcasts by bringing the World Cup final to a few moviehouses in 3D. Check out the official site for the current list of locations, although there are far fewer than we've seen available for events like the NCAA Final Four and BCS National Championship game. Maybe if the US team moves on we'll see that number improve but if all you want to do is slip on some 3D specs and catch some football international-style, we'd get a ticket now.
Final Four basketball in 3D is the closest thing to being there
What a difference a year can make. The first time we got our eyes on 3D sports, we saw a lot of promise during the 2009 BCS Championship -- but it was marred by technical glitches and a lack of onscreen information during the game. This weekend we settled into a local movie theater to check out a presentation of semifinal round games from the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in our lengthiest experience with 3D yet. Not a lot has changed in the theater with the same passive RealD glasses, but the quality of what's on screen has gone way, way up. For basketball, most of the camera angles were similar to a videogame, mostly using sideline shots that seemed lower than we're used to on HDTV broadcasts. For the price of a $25 ticket for both games, it was a reasonable approximation of seats 10-15 rows up in Indianapolis; Lucas Oil Stadium that would have cost considerably more. Other angles included a skycam view that we probably liked the best, which was supplemented by cameramen positioned under each basket for a front-row view of the action and a couple of views from over each basket and behind the student section that varied in quality depending on what was going on in the game. The picture was sharp and the motion was easy to keep track of, though there were still a few times when it seemed to lose focus, especially during the first game. We've never had a problem keeping track of the ball during a match, but spying passing lanes and the aim of long jump shots was far easier than viewing in 2D. There's no mistake about it, 3D brought us closer to the action -- even from hundreds of miles away -- than we were previously used to.
