Last week, Young and I attended a matinee of Vertigo, the first film in the Alameda's classic film series. This week is North by Northwest. It was great to see Vertigo on the big screen again. It's always an absorbing, mysterious and deeply rewarding film. The print was from the restoration done about a decade ago and was not in the greatest shape, but that's to be expected.
What cannot be tolerated are the persistent projection problems in the Alameda's historic theater. Unfortunately, I don't think I have attended a film in this theater that has not been out-of-focus at least once or twice during the show, or poorly-framed (as it was when I saw Milk). I have been a defender of this theater to some who have been up-in-arms about the projection problems; after all, it's been operating less than a year and still must work out the kinks. At this point, though, these problems are unacceptable.
What's worse is that the theater was controversial from the beginning for refusing to hire union projectionists - there was a small group of picketers during the grand opening last year - an issue that I have reluctantly overlooked out of self-interest (that is, I want to go to my local theater even if I don't really want to cross a picket line, actual or symbolic). Now, with the projection problems continuing, it looks like the theater owner has made a a pretty boneheaded mistake.
I have sent a comment to the theater management via their website, and I encourage other disgruntled customers to do the same. This is a beautifully renovated theater, and the kind of repertory programming they are reviving with this classics series (which theater sources say is only the beginning) deserves to be praised to the skies, but quality projection has got to be a top priority.
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