It's the scale, Villain. When the images dwarf yourself and everything else around you, it lends them a weight and importance you don't get watching them at home. Seeing a film this way becomes an immersive experience that is incomperable. If it weren't for modern audiences, it would be a given.

Seeing 2001 on a 180 degree cinerama screen on its initial release was a mind blowing experience.

Same with Close Encounters, when you had to follow the travel of that tiny spaceship at the top of the screen as it went from left to right.

The magnificent scenery of Barry Lyndon, the way Kubrick had it shot with special comeras... the panoramas were breathtaking.

When I saw The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, it was an entirely different experience.

But it doesn't take a big spectacle to make a film special on the big screen. It works for any film. It's magic really. If it weren't true, theatres would have gone out of business long ago and we'd just order them at home for private viewing.

And I think we should put the comedy vs. horror debate to rest. We have other comedies on our list, so it's really a moot point.

Added.

Nightbreed has pretty much sealed it's place in the top.

As for Ringu, it's still in contention because I have received 4 "Yes"s for both films so far. Right now, two films are breathing down it's neck with 3 backings each (Ringu has 4) - Audition & From Dusk Till Dawn.

http://www.horror.com/forum/showthre...943#post954943

I have also underlined those films who look to be frontrunners for our SIX Honorable Mentions. We shall have NINE films to pick from.

In the interest of fairness, I'll keep the Ringu spot open for 12 more hours. If nobody else has any objection within that time (other than the 4 members who already passed it), it seals it's place and we start working on the Honorable Mentions.

As for Ghost Busters, the debate is open for the next 12 hours as well, in spite of the majority asking it to be included in the Special section. If it can garner enough support for replacement, it will be considered. Right now I see 3 members against it, and 1 for it.

I got to see a clean 70mm print of this at a theatre here in Chicago last year. It was nuuuuuts. Unreal.

Actually the cameras were normal; it was the lens set that he used that allowed him to photograph scenes with only candlelight. They were super-fast lenses (f/0.7) developed for NASA for space photography and the Apollo missions, and were adapted to fit the cameras.

Well, that made the cameras pretty special, didn't it? :D

I get what you're saying. It does give you a different experience but does that really affect your opinion of the movie afterwards? If so, is it because the movie was actually as good as you remember it or just the experience? If it's the latter, then seeing a movie in the theaters might actually hinder your ability to judge the film. Either way, i do get what you're saying and have had experiences like that myself.

The medium is the message.

What do you mean?

Villain, I agree with you a film's story is the same, regardless of the screen size. Watching a film on the big screen, is an enhanced experience for many because it's more engrossing with no home distractions (lights, phone, dog, home-mates, etc), it's more visceral with the surround sound & big bass, nothing for your eyes to see but the screen. And as Never said, the hugeness of images dwarfing you is a powerful thing. Also, there's a communal experience with the audience, where we feed off each other, like live jazz music. 99% of theatre audiences have been all good with me.

There are some films that have aspects to them that are incredibly enhanced on the big screen. Of films I've both at home and at theatre, where it made a huge difference were: 2001 (& 2010), Cloverfield, Star Wars and The Right Stuff.

(I mentioned Ghostbusters because it was 'huge' in theatres at the time, crowds were amazed & laughing; we'd never seen anything quite like it. It was a communal experience you can't duplicate in 2013 (because 1984 people aren't the same as 2013.)

Alright that i can understand and agree with. It's funny you mention Cloverfield because now that i think about it, i had an experience like that. I felt like the whole theater was shaking and that the monster was gonna smash in our something because of how the stereos were, plus we were pretty close to the screen and that definitely effected how i feel about the film.