Digital Cinema

Friday night I went to see “One Night with the King” for the second time. Though the theaters were practically empty both times, it would seem good news that it was still playing for a third Friday. The first time I saw it was at the premium facility at Disney's Pleasure Island. One goes there expecting the very best cinema experience possible. The 35mm print was good without scratches but I had a hard time understanding some of the dialog, which I thought was a problem with the sound mix. Last night was at a theater in Columbia, South Carolina at a facility that is not the best in town. The projector was a DLP technology digital cinema unit. These are the devices that promise to revolutionize the way movies are distributed, but the cost of refitting all the theaters is daunting. This type of projector is way higher resolution than what we think of now as hi-res.

Anyway, the doubt has been for a long time whether any video projector would be able to duplicate the big screen experience of a 35mm print. After such a direct comparison, for me the answer is that it is much better. The picture is not discernibly different except that it is flawless. There is never a scratch from the first showing to the last. And it doesn't wander out of focus. The ads and previews that ran before the feature, which are often completely beat up on film, were all pristine.

But the biggest difference is the sound. The audio from the digital medium is much clearer than from the 35mm film print. In really old theaters the sound is often bad, but in the Disney room, the pride of Disney World in the movie-going department, the equipment is the very best available. But what I heard in the po-dunk room in little old Columbia last night was far superior. I could make out every word. It wasn't a problem with the mix at all.

Oh, and btw, go see “One Night with the King” on the big screen while you still can. I enjoyed it the second time. It's really quite good. That Tiffany Dupont who plays Esther is really something. The producers found her just weeks after she landed in Los Angeles. I think that little gal is going to be going places. The film is dialog heavy which places a great burden on the acting and the actors deliver.

Before the movie started, a promo for FoxFaith films ran. It was a montage with music and included scenes from “End of the Spear.” Hollywood is finally making room to serve up the kind of faith-based films that Christians have been vocally bemoaning the lack of for years. This is a huge opportunity for speaking truth into our culture. Vote early and vote often. Go buy tickets and see these movies.