UK Theaters Using Military Nightsights To Catch Camera Users

[RayH]

Anybody not see a movie because of a vidcam? I mean if the movie was any good to begin with.........

[flaninacupboard]

i've only seen two cammed movies, the matrix (which i saw twice in the cinema, and now own the DVD) and Shrek (the cam put me off watching. i picked up the DVD from a bargain bin some time later)

[Capmaster]

I keep picturing that scene from Seinfeld when Kramer's friend wants Jerry to cam some movies for him. At one point Kramer does it and he's turning the camera to the side while he's talking

[Madz]

I've seen a few of these "cam-in-theater" copies and they're absolutely horrible. One was "A.I.", which looked like the camera was out of focus and had Chinese subtitles. And the sound died half way through it! After seeing that schlock, I went and saw it in the theater!

Speaking of that, the movie theater right down the street from me has a big, bold sign in the lobby specifically stating, "No Camcorders Allowed!" And yes, we're going to see "HP3" this Friday -- during the Matinee!

[DVO]

What about camera mobilephones? Hahahahah! Wonder when the first 3GP movie comes if not allready avalible.

[spiderman2k1]

This will only hurt sale's if the movie suck's. If the movie is good most kids just keep it until the DVD come's out. One work "HULK" may I say more LOL

[RottenFoxBreath]

well,it doesnt look like they have stopped shit.
theres 2 or 3 different versions of the new potter movie on the net now.

[spiderman2k1]

It seem's to be ever time there not a good movie or they do not know if people will like it they look for cam people. Now I do not know about this new movie. I hope its good I like the last two movie's. But its weird a very good movie people will still go see it.

[thor300]

One was "A.I.", which looked like the camera was out of focus and had Chinese subtitles. And the sound died half way through it!

I think i seen A.I. in a similar version, just worse: It was cut out some scenes towards the end to make it fit in 2 VCDs. A cam version of last samurai on DVD-ROM had that sound problem you mention + missing subtitles on the Japanese spoken parts. Camcording sucks, how stupid must people be to do that? IQ must be well below normal room temperature.

[Nilfennasion]

Best way to kill the market for cam-job recordings: get the legitimate product out in a timely fashion.

George Lucas was insisting for months that he would not release his new films on DVD until they were all done, claiming that VHS was good enough. He claimed he wanted to bring the film out in the best possible version at one point. At least until people asked "what's next? only releasing the soundtrack album on 8-track tape?".

Then, sometime in 2001, the accountants came to Georgie and said "look boss, those VHS tapes are just not selling at all. People would prefer to pay for a badly-made VCD that was recorded in the theatre, or even sourced from laserdisc.", and bingo: Lucas changed his mind. For a guy who claims to like to be an innovator, he sure can be dense about where the market is at for Joe Average.

Oddly enough, the sales of bootleg copies (I know someone who sold them in order to pay the fabulous cost of medicine, as he was a migrant with no healthcare entitlements) fell off to nothing when TPM was released on DVD. They're still losing money from pirate releases of the other three films (the good ones), but they're coming around.

Henceforth, it shall be a natural law. The best way to make studios realise they should have a think about bringing things out faster is to let pirates convince them they are losing cash.

[FulciLives]

Too bad they don't use nightscopes in dark alleys to stop REAL crime.

Because Hollywood has the money to push for this kind of policing.

To them a person getting mugged for whatever they have on them (cash, credit cards maybe jewlery etc.) is nothing compared to all that money THEY loose when someone pirates a movie.

It's all about the money ... makes me sick.

The average Joe makes barely enough money to pay for all the shit one has to pay for (housing, utilities, food, transportation) that we are left with so little left for things that are simply enjoyable (like paying to see a movie be it in theatres or via a DVD purchase/rental).

Then the RICH want to take that little bit we have so they can build a ******* house in Beverly Hills for 5 million and own 5 cars that probably collectively cost half of what the house cost.

We need a revolution to set this shit straight.

I don't advocate piracy but the best way to do ... don't get cable TV or dish TV ... don't buy music instead listen to the radio ... rent DVD movies instead of buy them etc.

I'd love to see a campaign where people actually boycotted all this stuff for a period even if only for a week or better yet a month to send them a big ass ******* statement that is direly needed.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
I watch over-the-air TV currently. I hardly ever go to the movies. I haven't bought a CD in a while and most of the stuff I do buy (rarely) is on oddball small independant labels (easy for me since I have strange tastes that way i.e., mostly Italian film scores). Only thing I'm guilty of is buying DVD movies but I do try to rent more these days in order to keep myself from otherwise buying stuff when I don't need to be spending the money. Most movies I do buy on DVD are not recently made films.

[Nilfennasion]

I think it would take a longer period of time. It would really mess with Hollywood heads if there was an international, organised boycott of MPAA product for an entire year. The way the Hollywood system works, each studio relies upon one or two blockbusters at a specific time of year to make up the losses they took on the rest of the films they made. Films like Fight Club are made up for by Star Wars: TPM, and so forth.

So if people managed to boycott for an entire year, that might make an impact. Companies like Orion went out of business because they took nothing but losses for an entire year (with output like RoboCop 3 expected to make up for that, I don't wonder why). The sad thing is that some studios, such as Columbia, basically have so many divisions that it could take years of boycott for them to get the message.

[stackner]

Too bad they don't use nightscopes in dark alleys to stop REAL crime.

Amen to that.

I can't STAND the anti-piracy blurbs they are now showing at the beginning of many movies. HELLO I AM IN THE &UCKING THEATRE why are you preaching to me about piracy? That irks me to no end. I payed my money now shut the hell up and just roll the movie.

i can';t agree more. i know some people go in and record the movie. but personaly i am paying my money so **** off with the piracy warnings.

[brokenback]

nah, they cannot be using night vision goggles, the light from the projector would be too bright for the intensifier tubes. the tube out put would have too much flare to be viewable.

Intensifier tubes amplify very very low light levels, a cinema is too bright. you couldn't scan around and look at the screen or projector etc.

a match struck in the cinema would be about the light level the tubes are good at, i have used stage 3 night vision and know how effective they are, plus they cost heaps.

They are probably using infrared goggles. they are alot cheaper.
good story though.

[Roderz]

I would be intrested to see what they can see through these goggles
And what are they looking for - someone holding a cam to there head?
or a tripod with a coat slung over it ?
does a cam give of much heat ? and could it be wrapped in foil ?
Anybody here had any experience?

[thor300]

I dont agree that night vision of amplifier type is expensive, its many years since i bought two different ones, russian army types, so cheap, one was with a ~1 mile range infrared laser. Paid a total of just over $200. Good picture and compact. Even original russian tank goggles was only a few hundred $$, an amazing quality from what i was told.

[Capmaster]

Steiner makes a pair of infrared binoculars that sell for about $1,000. Those are new ones. You could probably get a decent pair of surplus goggles for less than half that. A drop in the bucket for Hollywood

[thor300]

Infrared sux, and btw, Steiner sux too, bad optics. The infrared part could still be good, i dont know how Steiner is at that, but generaqlly Steiner is low end. Quality cost big bucks, a Swarowski light amplifier would be well over $5000, with the best of optics you can buy for money.
For what you can see through this infrared goggles i have no idea, i just know that my ultracheap russian lightamp would be able to spot details far smaller than a cam inside a cinema. I dont have any of them anymore, unfortunately, got a very good bid on those, easy money

[Roderz]

Hasn't worked tho has it - check this out for a piss take
http://www.vcdquality.com/image.php/i-28969.html

[andyp1]

It didn't work , I saw it for sale today at a car boot sale.
The guy had it playing on a laptop . I could see it was a cinema rip.
I wonder how much they spent on night sights.
It was a waste of money.
Maybe they didn't buy them maybe it was just a rumour to try and scare people.

[Nilfennasion]

Maybe they ought to try ceasing to make films that parents feel they're being forced to watch simply because they have children. The attitude of "who cares if anyone over the age of ten likes it, we've got it sold" is a primary agent in killing Hollywood. I honestly wish some of the early Doctor Who producers would step into making feature films.

[Roderz]

I saw it for sale today at a car boot sale.

What part of the uk r u in, cus I saw it also @ a boot sale 2day

[andyp1]

South Manchester.

[Mr anderson]

on the weekend i went to see the new film with hugh jackman in, about 25-30 mins into the film this person ( someone who works there) walks in and looks up at where everyone is siting with these infrared binoculars, but he did not look all over it was just the centre? and he did'nt even have a good look high tech, nope dumb tech!

[The_Pioneer]

I heard that last weekend was the movie industry's biggest gross ever. So whats their beef?

Really speaks volumes about the audiences desire to see intelligent, thought provoking cinema. Way to go all those who rushed out, especially the over 16's who surely could find something a little more captivating for their age group?

I blame alcohol licensing and the subsequent poor availability of intoxicating licquors laws to minors in the states. If more of your 13-17 year-olds were out drinking, they couldn't be simultaneously financing yet more predictably average cinema.

Mind you, a few drinks before a Harry Potter film would be advisable surely.

[Nilfennasion]

Mind you, a few drinks before a Harry Potter film would be advisable surely.

I recommend cocaine... LSD... herion... anything that destroys your sense of reality enough to cope with all the bullshit being shown on the screen. I think it speaks volumes about modern entertainment that filmmakers and programmers these days equate "young" with "retarded".

[Sillyname]

Red monocle=BORG