You might be able to figure out that I had a not so enjoyable night at the movies tonight. Once again, I saw a 2-D film projected with a 3-D projector and, as usual, the night scenes were so dark no one could tell who was speaking. Had I not seen the film several times before, I might have never known. I got home around midnight, and here it is close to 1:00, and I’m too angry to sleep. After the same thing happened with Raiders of the Lost Ark last month, I wonder if I will ever be able to see another movie in town again. (I gave up on the other theaters in town a long time ago. Rave was the last bastion of quality.) Anyway, because I’m mad and want to stir up trouble, I’ve pasted the e-mail I wrote to Rave Cinemas customer service. Take no prisoners!
To Whom It May Concern:Tonight I attended the seven o’clock screening of Lawrence of Arabia at the Rave Patton Creek 15 in Birmingham, Alabama, and while the movie was good, the projection was horrible. The problem was that the night scenes were too dark, so dark that sometimes you couldn’t make out who was speaking or what was going on. I’ve been a fan of Lawrence for a number of years, I own a DVD copy, and not once have I ever had a difficult time making out what was going on. In fact, the colors in daytime scenes are rich and vibrant; not so in your theater tonight. I had the same miserable experience watching Raiders of the Lost Ark at the same theater a month ago.The common denominator between my viewings of Lawrence and Raiders, is that they were both screened in theaters reserved for 3-D. As many film lovers know, if 2-D film is shown on a 3-D projector, and certain filters are not removed, the image will be darker, as it was tonight for me. I can’t begin to tell you how unlikely it is I will ever pay $12.50 again to see a movie there, or at any Rave again, which was the last theater chain in Birmingham that I trusted. I enjoy the movies, but in the last few years, it has become very difficult to put up with.Please, at the least, stop showing classic films. To desecrate Lawrence of Arabia is unconscionable.Sincerely,Garry Evens
Mr. Evans,I would like to extend my sincerest apologies for your movie experience last night. I am also a film buff and enjoy getting a chance to watch older cinema classics on the big screen (sometimes for the first time). I know the excitement you must have felt leading up to the re-release of both Raiders of the Lost Ark in Imax and Lawrence of Arabia and I sympathize with your frustrations that neither experience was up to par for you. I would very much like to not lose the attandance of any individuals such as yourself that have a deeper appreciation for quality movies. I would like to offer you passes to give our theater another try. I can assure you that we will do everything in our power to ensure your movie experience will be a pleasant one. As a result of your criticism of the picture quality, I will be getting with our contract provider for projection maintenance to determine the problem ( as all 3D filters were removed) and find a way to improve upon the picture quality. I hope that you have a wonderful day and that I see you someday soon.Thank you,
