With the encouragement of Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, and Paul Thomas Anderson, 70mm film projection is en vogue again. For those in big cities, something may be showing in 70mm on a regular basis, whether it's a new release or an old film. Here in Columbus the Gateway Film Center may not play a film in 70mm every week, but their schedule features screenings in the format often enough that attending one doesn't seem like trying to catch a fleeting glimpse of a comet. If you live outside larger areas, chances are that seeing films in this format is unavailable to you unless you're dedicated to making a long drive.
The reemergence of 70mm film projection is a welcome development for those of us who still appreciate seeing movies from physical prints rather than digital sources. If I'm on the fence about seeing an older movie in the theater, I'm more likely to go if it is being projected from film. A physical print provides a different aesthetic experience that I can't duplicate at home. Along that line, the renewed interest in and availability of 70mm prints surely stem from the mild pushback to the digital conversion of the nation's theaters. Some makers, fans, and exhibitors wish to support the philosophical mission to preserve the native film experience. What had been normal for most of the art form's existence mostly went away in a relatively short period of time. In 2002 I had to pay an upcharge to see STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES digitally projected. Sixteen years later some places charge extra for 35mm and 70mm screenings.
On episode 14 of FILMBOUND we review READY PLAYER ONE, which I saw in 70mm. While I'm glad that I was able to see Steven Spielberg's latest work in this format, the existence of the film in 70mm reflects some of my issues with READY PLAYER ONE's fetishization of the past. I don't know what percentage of the film's scenes exist entirely as digital creations, but it's surely more than half and, if I'm guessing, probably close to 75%. If most of it wasn't shot on film, is there real value in having 70mm prints available, or is this merely a marketing gimmick?
Paul Markoff and I also discuss the benefits and detriments of film review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. Increasingly I'm not persuaded that the site is of much use other than being a one-stop shop for finding links to several reviews at once, links that I suspect most visitors rarely click on because they're just looking for the Tomatometer percentage or the blurbs.
Upcoming episodes:
-May 2: A QUIET PLACE and our recommendations segment
-May 9: ISLE OF DOGS and the creation of the FILMBOUND canon
-May 16: I FEEL PRETTY and our recommendations segment
-May 23: YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE and a discussion about who are the biggest new movie stars of the last twenty years and what defines a star in today's Hollywood
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