Star Trek III and IV in 70mm At the Fine Arts | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Written and photographed by: William Kallay, Hollywood, USA | Date: 10.09.2024 |
 The summer of 2024 in the Los Angeles area has been nothing short of incredible. I am not talking about surfing the area’s beaches or soaking in the sun. Instead, I am talking about how many 70mm presentations have occurred here. Earlier in the summer, I started by seeing "The Searchers," "North By Northwest" and "Streets of Fire," all in pristine 70mmn prints at the American Cinematheque in Santa Monica and Hollywood. Had I lived closer to these 70mm theaters, I would have seen a lot more presentations. But I will take what I can get. • Go to "The Searchers" - 70mm Screening • Go to "North By Northwest" - 70mm Screening • Go to "Streets of Fire" in 70mm The Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills has been showing its own plethora of films in 70mm this year. The 1937 theatre was, for a long time, an art house serving the region. At one point, 70mm projection was installed for the 410-seat theater. A number of 70mm presentations have screened here. One of the biggest surprises was screening most of the original “Star Trek” films in 70mm (sans “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”). STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (1984) The only way I saw “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” was on VHS videotape way back in the 1980s. Recalling my reaction to the film, I tend to remember thinking the film was okay, but not up there with “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (1982). A follow up to that brilliant film would be difficult in any circumstance. Seeing “The Search for Spock” in 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo was a revelation. The film plays much better on the big widescreen. Leonard Nimoy’s direction is assured and the performances of the cast are well done. The mood of the film, just like “ST: TMP” and “Wrath of Khan,” is somber. Yet the story is better than I remembered. The film looks epic on the big screen, though it seems that the production had some cost cutting involved. The visual effects scenes are fairly short and the sets are not as ornate as the previous films. As for the 70mm print, it was in good shape considering its age and use. A British censor board logo shows on screen before the film starts. There were scratches throughout the print, but they were not too distracting. The color was pretty solid, though the print looked a bit contrasty to my eyes. Considering that Paramount Pictures had a good number of 70mm prints struck in 1984, it is surprising that they did not have prints of this film available today. Compared to the earlier screening of “Wrath of Khan,” my good friend and 70mm expert, Michael Coate, said this was in better shape both in picture and sound quality. The soundtrack was very robust and had considerable surround sound activity. The opening first few minutes sounded bright, but toned down as the film progressed. Actress Robin Curtis, who played the role of Lt. Saavik, was on-hand for sharing her memories of acting in the film. Apparently, she does not do many appearances regarding the film. But she was very friendly and had fond memories of making it. This particular title, in my memory, does not show up at 70mm revival screenings. This was a treat to experience. | More in 70mm reading: "The Searchers" - 70mm Screening at the Aero, Santa Monica, CA, USA "North By Northwest" - 70mm Screening at the Egyptian, Hollywood, CA, USA "Streets of Fire" in 70mm At the Aero Theatre, Santa Monica, CA, USA in70mm.com News Peripheral Vision, Scopes, Dimensions and Panoramas in70mm.com's Library Presented on the big screen in 7OMM 7OMM and Cinema Across the World Now showing in 70mm in a theatre near you! 70mm Retro - Festivals and Screenings |
 Catherine Hicks was there. That is Michael Coate having his poster signed by actress Catherine Hicks.STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986) On a cold evening in late 1986, my girlfriend and I stood in a line stretched out far into the parking lot of Edwards “Big” Newport Cinema. We waited for a long time to be swallowed by the theater’s huge 1200-seat main auditorium. Our seats were a few rows back from the enormous 70-foot screen. We were about to see “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” in 70mm. My girlfriend was not a “Star Trek” fan, but this particular film had her laughing throughout. The both of us, along with the audience, laughed and cheered as the film played on that big screen. “The Voyage Home” is considered the crossover “Trek” film. The story was lighthearted and filled with crowd pleasing elements. I had not seen this film in a theater since that showing. All of my subsequent viewings were on home theater formats of the day, or on TV. This is fun film on all levels. The Fine Arts secured a near perfect 70mm print of “The Voyage Home” and what a treat it was to see it again properly. There were very few scratches on the print and it looked and sounded nearly every bit of how I remembered it. The surround sound channels were not as utilized aggressively as “The Search for Spock,” but the overall sound was excellent. Actress Catherine Hicks was there to talk about her own experiences on film. She played the character of Gillian. She expressed that the production was exciting and a lot of fun. | |
 KUDOSKudos to the crew at the Fine Arts. The theater is not huge, but it is clean and the seats are comfortable. Both 70mm presentations were professional and well done. I was able to order reserve seats in advance and the prices were very reasonable. I must admit it was a treat to see a curtain covering the screen. Very few theaters have this feature anymore and this simple décor adds so much class to the presentation. Special thanks to Michael Coate and Thomas Hauerslev | |
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