Blade Runner 2049

[Marco]

Yo Timbo,

I'm with you on the going to the flicks thing - sometimes nothing else will do, including enjoying an overpriced hot dog!

Also, although I missed Blade Runner 2049, when it was on the cinema (but have pre-ordered the 4K Blu-ray), and don't doubt for a second that it was utterly epic, may I ask if you have a quality home-cinema set-up at home?

If this is old news, and you have, then apologies as I've never discussed this with you. So if the answer is yes, then what is your set-up, and in your opinion how much worse generally is the move experience at home, compared with what you enjoy at the flicks?

It's just that after having had a quality home-cinema system in my lounge for a couple of years now, and optimising it (further recently with the addition of a superb Sony UBP-X800 4K Blu-ray player, equipped with Dolby Atmos/DTS-X, which matches my Sony AV amp), I'm never disappointed with the effect I get with movies, compared with that at the cinema.

Yes, the massive screen there has a significant bearing on proceedings, and the accompanying sound at the best cinemas is superb - *BUT* the latter isn't massively better than what I enjoy at home, and certainly the twin Yamaha 12-inch subs, used in conjunction with my Celestion Ditton 15XRs fronts, and UL6 centre speaker [all with ABR-enhanced bass]/Gale surrounds, all carefully positioned in a reasonably small room (and optimsed for best sound), provide suitable ribcage rattling impact/sparking clarity and gravitas to make movies come alive, so I'm never left feeling wanting, comparing it with the 'cinema experience'...

Yes, there are areas where the latter is undoubtedly better, as you'd expect, but not enough to make my modest set-up at home sound 'broken' in comparison.

Making sure that the room you're using is good, sonically, and that the speaker system used 'drives' it optimally, to create a beautifully seamless, immersive sound, and the picture quality from your chosen TV is top-notch (4K HDR resolution), with the colours all properly calibrated, and it goes a long way towards leveling the playing field, in comparison with the effect you get at the cinema.

I'd say that my home system gets around 85% of the way there... That last 15% I can live without, and is probably made up for by the fact I can enjoy the experience in total peace and quiet, minus the noise of folk whispering/farting and munching nachos, whilst relaxing in my recliner chair with a glass of my favourite tipple!

Marco.

[struth]

Got bluray on order for boy. 5th Feb it comes

[Marco]

Nice one, mate. He should love it. The picture quality on that little Sony player is fab!

Marco.

[ff1d1l]

Saw Bladerunner 2049 a little after it came out in the Liverpool IMAX.
Should be called VOLMAX
The picture was truly fantastic, but the sound was very disappointing - way too loud, as though they had something to prove, all audio verisimilitude out the window. And on top of that at least two of the surround drivers were rattling, probably shagged by the stupidly loud levels. I'd think very hard before coughing up for the IMAX experience again.

[Marco]

Well, there you go... Clearly the results enjoyed are highly dependent on the cinema you go and see the film in. Things are rather more consistent at home!

Marco.

[wee tee cee]

I loved the original.

Went to the new one and did something ive never done before....I walked out.

Even before Harrison Ford appeared.

Huge disappointment for me

[Marco]

I've got this available to rent now, for £9.99, from Sky Movies, but I'm going to wait for release of the 4K Blu-ray.

Marco.

[Gazjam]

I've got this available to rent now, for £9.99, from Sky Movies, but I'm going to wait for release of the 4K Blu-ray.

Marco.

I approve this message.

You only get one chance to see things your looking forward to the first time, and Blade Runner (to me) is such a visual medium.
4K bluray for me too.

[Macca]

My great memories of going to the cinema are all from the '70s and '80s. One big screen, huge auditorium with a balcony. Always packed and a real atmosphere. Queuing to get in only heightened the tension.

First the adverts: Pearl and Dean. Smoke from the smoking section would already be hanging in the projector beam. Then the crackly commercial for the Indian Restaurant. There's a pube stuck on the camera lens in some shots, but what the hell, this was the '70s so they used them anyway. Then the lights go back up and they flog you ice creams. Then lights down again and time for the first feature. Usually this would be that film where they rescue the blind pit ponies, but occasionally they would put on the documentary on North Sea oil.

Lights go back up, more ice cream selling,

Finally it goes dark again. Everyone knows this is it so they scramble back to their seats, a hush descends. But no! First it is 'Coming Soon!' ' A U trailer advertising an X rated film'. Usually a horror or sci-fi horror you were too young to be able to go and see. But women would be screaming just from the trailer.

And so, at last, the 'British Board Of Film Censors' notice would come up for the film that you actually came to see. We are a couple of hours in now already. Cue dozens of cat calls and wolf-whistles and cheers. At last! Not only have you paid for this but by now you have fucking-well earned it.

Regardless of how good or bad the film was, coming out was like leaving a football match that you won: a huge crowd shuffling to the exits, everyone on a high. Getting back out onto the street was weird: you'd been in there for that long that the outside world now seemed a strange, alien place that you only barely remembered.

That was an event, easily surpassing what you can have at home, no matter how big your screen or how good the picture or sound. But going to the cinema today is not like that at all anymore.

[Marco]

Good post, mate. I have similar fond memories, from back in the say, of going to the cinema.

Circle or stalls (loved going upstairs to the circle, and sitting right at the front, so you could flick stuff, rolled-up sweetie wrappers, etc, at the folk below), and being shown to your seat, by a member of staff with a torch, girls selling ice-cream on trays with shoulder straps, pre-main film, and also during the interval - all good stuff, making today's cinema experience pretty soulless in comparison....

Marco.