Cinemark really came through

[Sapphire Silk]

Went to see Jack the Giant Slayer the other day. It was OK, some plot weaknesses but the giants were really cool. Solid B film.

We saw it in 3D with D Box. As usual, I found the 3 D to be disappointing and the D Box was a total waste of money. I'll never pay to go to a D Box movie again.

But here's the cool part. I noticed at the start the movie seemed very dark, like the brightness was turned down on a computer screen. It was noticeable but not too big a deal and I didn't complain or hear anyone else complaining about it.

When I left the theatre, the management was there handing out replacement tickets to the customers, and special ones for a free D Box movie to the D Box customers. I asked the manager about it and she said they realized when the movie started that the projector bulb was going, but that it would take over an hour to actually replace it and they felt it was better to show the film and give the free tickets than upset people but shutting down the movie after it started to fix it.

I don't mind that a bit

[BearLeeBadenaugh]

Bulb going? Sheesh, when I worked at a theatre we kept a bulb log and it was part of my job as Projection Head to change bulbs @ 5000 hours. They generally don't start losing picture quality until they're already well past need of replacement.

[telecom_goddess]

ok 3D I get but what's D box?

[sms001]

Very heads up move Cinemark. What's 'D-box' Sapphire?

[PepperElf]

ok 3D I get but what's D box?

i'm not entirely sure either but i found this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7lU4XpYKbw

most of the fan reviews are "liked it" and that the chair moves with the movie etc. although I'm wondering .... if that would get some people sick.

[csquared]

ok 3D I get but what's D box?

www.d-box.com

[Sapphire Silk]

Yeah, D box is the moving chair. It's programmed to move certain ways in time with whats going on in the movie. It shakes when the giants are marching. It moves in a circle when you're looking at a panoramic scene.

It costs $8 extra on top of the 3D price. I think my ticket price was around $40 . . . way, way too much. I found it distracting, and did not care for it. But hey! At least I tried it.

I have no idea what the theatre's policies are on bulbs and the like. It was just a little dim, enough to be noticeable but not enough for me to complain. I was happy to get the replacement ticket though.

[PepperElf]

40 bucks? meh count me out then.
heck last movie i saw i didn't even pay to see. i used coupons for everything - ticket, new bucket for the year, popcorn etc.

[telecom_goddess]

Interesting...I think it would probably make me sick though. I can't watch 3D either. And 40 bucks is a bit much.

[Sapphire Silk]

For me, too. I don't like even paying the inflated prices for 3D.

I went with Evil Empryss. She covered me to pay me back for something else, otherwise I doubt I would have done it on my own. It's just way too expensive.

I predict D Box will quickly fade away as a novelty. It just doesn't add as much to the movie experience to make it worth the extra 8 bucks.

[sms001]

Whenever people talk about 3-d I kind of chuckle to myself. I can take it or leave it (and the wife doesn't get it at all) but I always wonder whenever I dismiss it if I sound like one of those silent film aficionados after talkies came along...

And I agree, Sapphire, the d-box sounds kind of gimmicky. (And haven't they done that before, except with whole theaters? Not to mention Smell-O-Vision.)