A Reel Education: GHOSTBUSTERS Back on the Big Screen

Columbia has announced that GHOSTBUSTERS will be returning to the big-screen next month. For three Thursdays beginning October 13th, the original film will be shown in 500 theatres across the country.

On the surface, this seems like a great thing; introducing the film to a new generation while possibly drumming up interest in the long-stalled GHOSTBUSTERS 3. The long-time fans will likely come out in hordes, and Ray Parker Jr. will be back on the map.

However, the press releases do not mention exactly how the film will be presented; Digital? Film? Should that matter? You bet your Stay-Pufts it does.

Columbia has three options in distributing the film:

1. Original 35mm Print: Believe it or not, most theatres in the U.S. are still projecting their films in the old, yet tried-and-true 35mm film format. If this be case, then this chic may be toast. Film is great, but it is not durable. Assuming Columbia will not order new prints to be pressed (approx. $2500 per print), they would be shipping original prints out to the theatres. These prints, which will now be 27 years old, would likely be marred by scratches, dirt, and other defects. Even if the prints get cleaned, it is likely that they would suffer from faded colors; making for a very unremarkable picture. And this blogger cringes at how it would sound.

2. Digital 1K Projection: If you have attended a “live” event at your local movie theatre, that show was likely projected on a 1K digital projector (1K meaning 1280 pixels of resolution). These projectors are capable of running standard DVD’s and other digital video formats. This would be better looking and sounding than a thrashed 27 year-old piece of film, but a 1K picture projected on a big screen would make for a very grainy picture.

3. Digital 2K or 4K Projection: The absolute top of the pyramid in all movie projection. 2K displays at 2048 pixels of resolution, and the newer 4K at 4096. These bad-boys display with outstanding picture and sound, and can also project (glorious) Blu-Ray without losing any quality. This new piece of tech has allowed theatres to re-run decades-old films in all of their visual glory.

So why should all this crap matter? If a proud Dad is taking his kids to the theatre to introduce them to Slimer and Venkman for the first time, he should not have that experience ruined by a shitty picture and even shittier sound. Every movie-goer should be seeking a perfect presentation every time out. If you’re excited to see GHOSTBUSTERS, or any other re-issue in the theatre again, that’s great. Just find out what you are seeing before shelling out the green.

And make sure it’s not being shown in (goddamn) 3D.