Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

To dream in the dark: Scott Marks says, “That’s all, folks!”

Yesterday’s gears and aperture plates have been replaced by hard drives and digital touch screens

That's all folks!
That's all folks!

After what management said, I found it impossible to continue any further as The Reader’s film critic. What did they say? “Scott, I’m sorry to say we’re laying you off.” The real shocker is that, at a time when print journalism is in greater need of a ventilator than Katherine Heigl’s career, I could until this week still be held in your hand on a weekly basis.

That’s All, folks!

The San Diego Reader had its origins as a sort of sister-paper to the Chicago Reader, a weekly that I grew up with, and one that had a tremendous influence on my cinematic sensibilities. I learned more about movies from their trio of critics — Jonathan Rosenbaum, Terry Curtis Fox, and my persnickety, auteur-fired pal Dave Kehr — than anyone short of Andre Bazan and Andrew Sarris. It’s been a great 12-year run, the length of which I attribute to not having a cubicle to feng shui. (If I had to report into the office, my meshugganah-kop would have been shown the door after two weeks.) Dear readers, whether we agree or not on a given film is of no importance. I’m as much a PR man as I am a critic, and my goal has always been to perpetuate the beauty and indispensability of theatrical exhibition. Even the shittiest movie smells better on a big screen.

Sponsored
Sponsored

My predecessor Duncan Shepherd had the good sense to get while the getting was good. The long-abstained-from union between movies and television had been forever consummated. Celluloid afforded audiences an opportunity to dream in the dark. Hollywood’s digital conversion put an end to that, rendering all that came in its wake little more than big TV. The lighting is brighter, the colors pop, and gosh only knows what aspect ratio they’ll come up with next. Visits to the lobby to complain about focus had been supplanted by treks to ask for assistance in getting the sloth in row nine to resist the urge to text in mid-movie. I’ll never forget that certain matinee at the Gaslamp, when the dunderhead seated four rows down took time out of the movie to watch a video on his phone.

My favorite audience exchange during my 12-year tenure occurred at the dreaded AMC La Jolla and it went something like this:

Marks: “You’re phone’s on.”

Neanderthal in Row Eight: “Fuck you!”

Marks: “Okay, but I like doing it in the dark. Please turn your phone off.”

Ther lug not only compiled, I got a laugh out of him!

One might think digital technology would have done wonders for older films in dire need of a facelift. A few years back, I took in a 4K restoration of Marnie. It’s a film I had the good fortune to experience several times in 35mm dye-transfer Technicolor®, and not once do I recall grain the size of golf balls bucketing down throughout the show. It wasn’t a projection problem; the picture that followed it looked just fine. Back in the day, if it was a projection problem, I knew enough about 35mm presentation to be help get a show or three up and running. Yesterday’s gears and aperture plates have been replaced by hard drives and digital touch screens that might just as well be written in cuneiform. Believe it or don’t, I have been sent packing from more press screenings canceled due to digital technology mishaps than operator error. In olden days, a seasoned booth op could get the show up with a few tightened screws or a spare part they were fortunate to have on hand. Today, if studios don’t provide exhibitors with the set of codes needed for a Barco to “ingest” a feature — or if slacking assistant managers fail to start the process — the show won’t go on.

I leave you with what has become a Holy Grail of cinema, a historical landmark that just years ago appeared to have as much chance of resurfacing as did the missing reels of Greed. My original intention was to post this on my birthday as a gift to my readers, but fate had other plans. I have yet to listen to them, and now find myself with a sudden surfeit of free time. Here are the original audio transcriptions of Francois Truffaut’s groundbreaking series of interviews that spawned the director’s indispensable interview book Hitchcock/Truffaut. You’re welcome!

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/francois-truffaut-interviews-alfred-hitchcock-82624f1fda4c

In a little over a month, The Reader turns 50. Happy Anniversary! At a time when movie theaters were shuttered, Jim Holman continued to employ a full-time movie critic. Thank you, Mr. Holman, for leaving me the heck alone and for having the good sense to team me with Matthew Lickona. I don’t know which means more to me. All good things! And thank you, my readers. Follow me on Twitter (@scottmarks) to see where I land.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Frank Barish will keep running for president until he wins or dies

He believes in the American way, even if America has lost her way
That's all folks!
That's all folks!

After what management said, I found it impossible to continue any further as The Reader’s film critic. What did they say? “Scott, I’m sorry to say we’re laying you off.” The real shocker is that, at a time when print journalism is in greater need of a ventilator than Katherine Heigl’s career, I could until this week still be held in your hand on a weekly basis.

That’s All, folks!

The San Diego Reader had its origins as a sort of sister-paper to the Chicago Reader, a weekly that I grew up with, and one that had a tremendous influence on my cinematic sensibilities. I learned more about movies from their trio of critics — Jonathan Rosenbaum, Terry Curtis Fox, and my persnickety, auteur-fired pal Dave Kehr — than anyone short of Andre Bazan and Andrew Sarris. It’s been a great 12-year run, the length of which I attribute to not having a cubicle to feng shui. (If I had to report into the office, my meshugganah-kop would have been shown the door after two weeks.) Dear readers, whether we agree or not on a given film is of no importance. I’m as much a PR man as I am a critic, and my goal has always been to perpetuate the beauty and indispensability of theatrical exhibition. Even the shittiest movie smells better on a big screen.

Sponsored
Sponsored

My predecessor Duncan Shepherd had the good sense to get while the getting was good. The long-abstained-from union between movies and television had been forever consummated. Celluloid afforded audiences an opportunity to dream in the dark. Hollywood’s digital conversion put an end to that, rendering all that came in its wake little more than big TV. The lighting is brighter, the colors pop, and gosh only knows what aspect ratio they’ll come up with next. Visits to the lobby to complain about focus had been supplanted by treks to ask for assistance in getting the sloth in row nine to resist the urge to text in mid-movie. I’ll never forget that certain matinee at the Gaslamp, when the dunderhead seated four rows down took time out of the movie to watch a video on his phone.

My favorite audience exchange during my 12-year tenure occurred at the dreaded AMC La Jolla and it went something like this:

Marks: “You’re phone’s on.”

Neanderthal in Row Eight: “Fuck you!”

Marks: “Okay, but I like doing it in the dark. Please turn your phone off.”

Ther lug not only compiled, I got a laugh out of him!

One might think digital technology would have done wonders for older films in dire need of a facelift. A few years back, I took in a 4K restoration of Marnie. It’s a film I had the good fortune to experience several times in 35mm dye-transfer Technicolor®, and not once do I recall grain the size of golf balls bucketing down throughout the show. It wasn’t a projection problem; the picture that followed it looked just fine. Back in the day, if it was a projection problem, I knew enough about 35mm presentation to be help get a show or three up and running. Yesterday’s gears and aperture plates have been replaced by hard drives and digital touch screens that might just as well be written in cuneiform. Believe it or don’t, I have been sent packing from more press screenings canceled due to digital technology mishaps than operator error. In olden days, a seasoned booth op could get the show up with a few tightened screws or a spare part they were fortunate to have on hand. Today, if studios don’t provide exhibitors with the set of codes needed for a Barco to “ingest” a feature — or if slacking assistant managers fail to start the process — the show won’t go on.

I leave you with what has become a Holy Grail of cinema, a historical landmark that just years ago appeared to have as much chance of resurfacing as did the missing reels of Greed. My original intention was to post this on my birthday as a gift to my readers, but fate had other plans. I have yet to listen to them, and now find myself with a sudden surfeit of free time. Here are the original audio transcriptions of Francois Truffaut’s groundbreaking series of interviews that spawned the director’s indispensable interview book Hitchcock/Truffaut. You’re welcome!

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/francois-truffaut-interviews-alfred-hitchcock-82624f1fda4c

In a little over a month, The Reader turns 50. Happy Anniversary! At a time when movie theaters were shuttered, Jim Holman continued to employ a full-time movie critic. Thank you, Mr. Holman, for leaving me the heck alone and for having the good sense to team me with Matthew Lickona. I don’t know which means more to me. All good things! And thank you, my readers. Follow me on Twitter (@scottmarks) to see where I land.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

World Naan Festival, Central Valley Reptile Expo

Events November 16-November 20, 2024
Next Article

Hill Street Donuts makes life sweet

A little bit of local love for a longtime confectionary
Comments
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
Sept. 6, 2022
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader