Do You Want THE MASTER To Play In Your Town In 70mm?

I think that you do.

According to Cigarettes & Red Vines, the de facto Paul Thomas Anderson blog of record, has some info about the state of distribution for The Master, and apparently the proportion of 70mm prints struck and theaters that might be showing them is still up in the air. Word is that despite PTA’s desire for it to show in 70mm as widely as possible, he’s hitting some resistance.

So here’s where you come in.

If there’s a theater near you that is 70mm capable, now’s the time to both let C&RV know in their article’s comments section (they have a direct channel to the players involved) and to hit up that theater and encourage them to board this train. Also, on the off chance that you own a 70mm-capable theater, then you should definitely contact them.

Why does it matter?

Kicking Nolan and his Batman in the pants, PTA has gone fully nuts and shot over half of his film in 65mm (the other half in 35mm), which means 70mm will be the ideal format in which to see the film*. Note: This isn’t IMAX footage, so the theater you saw TDKR in is not useful. What’s being sought out here are older or more high-end movie houses that do 70mm revival screening of Lawrence Of Arabia and the like.

So that’s the long and short of it. If you have a hunch about a theater nearby or aren’t sure, use this (out of date) list to start, and make a call or two. Check things out and toss any relevant info in the C&RV comments. Hell, go ahead and let The Weinstein Company know that you’d like to see the film in 70mm in your town.

Can’t hurt.

*I will note here that as with TDKR, the blow-up of the 35mm footage does mean you’ll be seeing pristine footage alongside very slightly compromised footage, so if you’ve a keen eye, it can be a jarring experience.