Entertainment : Digital and 3D eras begin with 'Shrek 4' Friday at Palace

On Friday, July 2, 2010 the First Digital 3D movie will be shown at the Palace Theatre in Vinton, IA.

Showings for “Shrek Forever After” will be Friday, July 2 through Thursday, July 8 at 7 p.m. every night, with added late shows at 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday, and matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday.

This final installment in the Shrek series is rated PG and runs 93 minutes.

The Vinton Palace Theatre is the only place IN THE WORLD you’ll be able to watch this movie in 3D for just $3!

And guess what? Beginning July 9 you’ll get to watch “Toy Story 3” in 3D for $3, as well.

It’s been a crazy whirlwind of a week at the theatre! Mike and Sheldon, Sonic Equipment’s top digital installers, have been here since Monday evening and everything is in place for our long-awaited digital premiere.

OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS

How does the movie come? The movie is delivered via external hard drive with an emailed “key” allowing us access, which authorizes the start and finish play dates. The movie is then inserted into the digital server, which plays on the digital projector.

How big is the projector? It’s HUGE! And as Sheldon from Sonic said – we’ve got a Cadillac up there! Size definitely equals power in this instance. That machine, coupled with a brand new sound processor, will literally blow your hair back! If you don’t believe me, ask Lu Karr or Gerald. The three of us were privileged to watch the first two digital trailers in full sound and 3D.

To give you an example – our previous sound processor was usually set at 6 or 6. 5 for movies. Sheldon had our new one set at 4.5 and, well… WOW! The kids are gonna love it! And the 3D effects are astonishing and hilarious. Lu and I were giggling in joy and amazement.

Will we always need 3D glasses? No, just for 3D movies. All the movies will be digital (and, yes, the picture is strikingly clear – 2 times better than your new HDTV), but only some are 3D.

Can we keep our 3D glasses? You should recycle your 3D glasses. You will receive a new pair, sealed in plastic, every time you come to a 3D movie. We are not charging you for the glasses, the extra dollar is to cover the royalty fee we pay RealD per ticket. Right now the studios are still paying for our RealD glasses, so keep recycling to keep your ticket price $3 at the Palace Theatre.

Will you have child size 3D glasses? Yes!

Will you show 3D movies in 2D? I don’t like 3D, it makes me sick. No. Since we only have one screen, we can only show a movie in one format. However, I urge patrons to be open-minded – give it a try! This is not your grandma’s 3D. The glasses are comfortable and the 3D effects are startlingly natural.

I’ve heard from several skeptical adults who were pleasantly surprised. Paul Coyle raved about “Avatar” in 3D (and donated generously to bring digital to the Palace!) Also, I don’t think your younger children will be afraid, as long as the movie is age-appropriate. Lu Karr was worried her grandson, Hugh, would be frightened to see Shrek in 3D. He loved it! Giggled and pointed his way through the whole movie.

I’ll try to answer more questions as we go along, but please, come see for yourself!

New Industry Term – “trail mix” is an external hard drive sent to us each week by Technicolor which contains several movie trailers. We pick and choose which ones we want to show. J I love this stuff!

P.S. Check out our website, www.vintonpalace.org. Wesley at Monkeytown gave us a new header to herald in the 3D. It’s pretty cool.