Digital Only “Interstellar” for Louisiana

Jealous?

Every few months, part of their Sunday night screening series, The Prytania Theatre — New Orleans’ last surviving neighborhood movie house — will show a film print of a classic movie. Yes, a real (or reel) film print. The theatre, which famously went all digital years ago, will present something like Tim Burton’s Batman on an old fashioned projector, letting the audience enjoy all the pops, crackles and color changes visible on screen.

Is it sad that REAL film showings have become a marketing gimmick for venues and studios?

Recently, filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson and Quentin Tarantino — who just purchased a theatre to exclusively show movies only on film — have advocated a return to the physical format. This, after time and money has been spent moving to bytes and pixels… It’s all very noble, and they’re right in terms of keeping the medium alive, but the exploitation of the issue is a bit slimy.

Christopher Nolan — director of The Dark Knight Trilogy — has long been a proponent for celluloid, both for shooting and for exhibition. So much so, that his latest movie, Interstellar, will get a limited run at theaters in various reel formats; IMAX, 70mm and 35mm. It’s fairly exciting as a moviefan, as there is now a generation brewing that has never seen an actual film print before their eyes. The vibrancy, the colors and the grain will forever beat Super HD “clarity”.

So, where in Louisiana can we enjoy Interstellar on film? Nowhere.

According to the official movie website, we are only getting the digital version. Hollywood South we may be, but, as per usual, Louisiana gets the major studio shaft. Though, it might not be without reason. Most of our venues have invested so much in modern equipment that to make one time accommodations would be a setback. Still, The Prytania has a 35mm projector ready to go. Audubon Institute has IMAX film capabilities. Ironically, progress has left us out in the nostalgic cold.

I fully expect Interstellar to be quite the immersive experience from a visual standpoint, and will be going to my local AMC for an IMAX viewing. Well, IMAX lite. And it’s digital. Will all be calibrated just right? Will a 3D projector be used, causing the picture to look darker than normal? Why can’t LA moviegoers’ love of cinema be exploited too? I’d be willing to bet many a film projector are available on ebay right now. Might be a good time to make some purchases.