I went to Stafford in the UK.
Was ok, the documentary was unbelievably loud and the concert was a lot quieter than i had expected.
The cinema was dead.
How was it for you guys?
Yep, there is a post in General Sect on it and most of us had same issues with sound being WAY TOO LOW. Improved after ITLOFG and IAKOM tho.
Looked beautiful. Better than Montreal imo
I hoped the 4 mini documentaries following each band member during gig would have been deleted, but it wasn't to be.
Some fantastic camera angles made it nice and fresh though.
When sound improved, the cinema started getting a little bit more into it, but sadly the quiet start meant most just sat back and watched it, very little participation or even clapping.
IWTBF onwards had the best sound levels... and this will sound great on BluRay imo. I reckon you'll really get to hear every last bit of effort Freddie put in as his voice tires around HTF... and he really picks it up again from Radio to Champions... RGG is amazingly close to studio.
I just came back a few hours ago from the cinema Showcase from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I really liked very much the concert, the refreshing remastered film and the awesome quality (you could notice drops of sweat at Freddie, or real and vivid colors, the Brian's hand take at the piano on WWtLF, just awesome quality). The show gave you some times the feeling you were in a concert if you really wanted to get envolved, with the people clapping after some songs. I'm glad they didn't cut off the bits of the band members, those are a good inclusion, to know a bit better their personalities. The beggining documentary was a good brief to put you in the context. There were lots of funny moments.
The people in the cinema was very mixed: children taken there by their parents (and viceversa) young people, older too. I took my father to watch the concert. This movie was a good way to reach new markets. Full cinema, 16 rows and 26 or 28 seats in each one, so about 400-450 persons there .
The cinema was half clapping and singing, mainly after the "EEEEEEEROOOO" part. In Radio Ga Ga you could notice that, how the 50/60% of the audience raised up their hands, singed and clapped. The songs in which the people didn't get too involved were in the first ones (till UP), Now I'm here, and Tutti Frutti. Anyway, it gave me shivers how the people singed along WWtLF, BohRha, WATC, WWRY, RGG, HtF, FWBF, CLTCL, and the acoustics, it was like an "all together" feeling. This doesn't mean that they were standed up shouting to the screen (how I expected it to be); all this was from the seat.
I think the main problem was that the sound wasn't the loud enough. When people clapped at IWtBF, they felt a bit stupid (including myself), because the claps sounded louder than the movie you coudn't hear the song (like when opening a snacks bag). The sorround was very low (or it just wasn't there), so all the music came from the fronts and one speaker at the back, which sounded like the center speaker to me. At least it was on stereo, as at WAtC Freddie came from the right channel and Roger from the left one. On RGG you could feel the sequencer behind you. There were many volume differences, after guitar solos mainly. The piano and the guitar were very low, and stole body to all songs; when suddenly, Freddie and Roger explodes all. Roger's cymbals were too low (except the hi-hat).
The experience: 9/10. I expected more participation, but I enjoyed watching the concert with my dad and being with some other die hard fans. Some sound problems (I hope from the cinema), but great quality. A good product.
The sound thing is an issue with the way cinemas presented it, and they usually fixed it at some point in the show. It's not Queen Productions' fault and it should be fixed on the CD/DVD/BR.
I also really enjoyed the alternate shots, particularly of Brian's keyboard playing in WWTLF.
Sound was pretty good in Wallingford - with their new digital system.
Actually, though very good, I found it somewhat upsetting - for the OBVIOUS reason. :-(
"Literally nobody clapped, or even moved really, at mine. Which was pretty depressing."
Nobody WAS clapping at mine, so I started and then others joined in.
I kept doing it, and they kept following along.
Worked for me, as long as people were clapping. Great concert.
It's on in my local vue cinema. Ironically i'm going to the complex tonight but to shop only.
I was in two minds whether to watch it or wait for the BD release. I have a fairly decent home cinema set up so after reading this thread my mind is defo made up....I'll wait and enjoy the BD in the comfort of my own (new) home!
I didn't go. Reason? Here in Slovenia, just like in all the rest of Eastern Europe, with the exception of Hungary, the film isn't being shown at all. Not even a "Coming soon" notice on their site. And with noone to support our concerns, they'll keep ignoring us.
I guess we have to wait for the November 5th release of the DVD etc... that is, if we don't get excluded from that too.
the film opened up loudly with the "magic years" supplemental mini doc.
That got many laughs mainly due to freddie's candor and the "opening act" singing rolling stones songs.
The main feature was not as loud, however the dynamic seemed to change at the conclusion* (or rather CONCUSSION) of ONE VISION..
the feature obviously kept the same omissions as the original due to the film having been abandoned.
notably the short version of CLTCL missing the second verse and i'm pretty sure TYMD was missing the solo.
i have a badly converted VHS from a PAL transfer that i had purchased on ebay a decade ago. the user was kind enough to send me the original PAL along with a copy in NTSC.
anyways, besides the point.
there were 8 people when me and my pal entered. At the conclusion there were somewhere in the amount of 20 people.
Little clapping, but we weren't swamped nor were we in Magic Johnson Theaters, so no one was shouting "WATCH OUT FREDDIE THERE'S A BOTTLE FLYING TOWARD YOU!!!"
(american joke...wonder who gets it)
sadly, the presentation was NOT in 5.1 SURROUND and the volume seemed to fluctuate pretty drastically.
i went to see the film at a different theater on the last day it was presented *23rd.
I had informed management prior to my seating that although the film was incredibly vivid in color and detail, the adverts had all boasted about it's RESTORED AUDIO AND VISUAL... and a 5.1 DTS
Unfortunately, after running through the mini doc and 3 songs, i realized it was still in stereo.
I got my money back (never thought i'd walk out of a Queen concert on the big screen, but it was a let down that the studios didnt conduct this properly)
FOR TECH BUFFS:
I was told that they had to use a different projector specifically brought in with this film and that it was screened in "Star vision" projection or something like that. There was NO CHANCE of a proper 5.1 surround mix coming forth.
In the end, it was STILL an awesome treat. AND i did manage to get the Marquee cards for the film *although one was sun damaged.