2024 TCM Film Festival

[txfilmfan]

Just got an e-mail that this year's festival is returning to the Egyptian after a long hiatus (due to the renovations there). For those unaware, the Egyptian is one of the few venues left that can screen nitrate prints.

They've announced screenings there of Annie Get Your Gun (35mm nitrate print), Lawrence of Arabia (new 70mm print) and The Searchers (new 70mm print). Hopefully they've secured the Egyptian as a full 3 day venue. The renovation looks great. The previous iteration was less than ideal.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Yes, kingrat! And the seats themselves were so uncomfortable. Several were broken and never seem to be repaired.

[BagelOnAPlate]

It doesn't look like I'll be attending the 2024 Film Festival.

"Waaaaaaaaaaah!" {breaks into Lucille Ball imitation}

Last year my mom and my aunt surprised my cousin and me by treating us all to the festival and a stay in Hollywood and Santa Monica.
We all had a great time.
I hope to attend another TCM Film Festival in the future.

While none of this year's movies* that have been announced so far are screaming out to me that I must see them on the big screen, I would love to see a movie at the renovated Egyptian Theatre, an historic movie palace that opened during the silent film era.



* . . .although I do have a soft spot for National Velvet so seeing that in a cinema would be a treat. Also, as an Alfred Hitchcock fan the North By Northwest restoration sounds exciting as well as the 70th anniversary presentation of Rear Window.

[speedracer5]

I am excited to announce that I WILL be attending the TCMFF after all. I didn't think I'd be able to do so this year, because we went all out last year, but I ended up receiving media credentials. I applied on a lark and submitted the article I wrote on my blog last year about attending the festival and I was selected. Luckily, I was able to pick up a Classic pass for my husband and was able to get a hotel near the Roosevelt and plane tix. I'm so excited!

[lydecker]

First, let me say that I adore TCM and could not live without it. For years my husband and I debated about going to the festival but the thought of paying for the cost of the passes plus travel to LA (for 2) always seemed to be a wee bit extravagant to screen movies that, in most cases, you had seen many times before. However, after the sudden, devastating death of my husband 18 months ago, I decided to treat myself to the festival this year. If you haven't been there, you may be shocked to learn (as I was) that buying passes is absolutely NO guarantee that you will be able to see any film. I purchased the "low" end of the passes ($850) (there is one festival pass that is cheaper) and assumed that I could just go from film to film to film. Not so. Getting into a film requires waiting in 2 lines every time and it is almost a certainty that you will have to line up at least 90 minutes prior to each film, simply to get a "queue pass" which gives you the ability to line up AGAIN (30 minutes prior to the screening) to maybe/maybe not get into a desired film. Spending literally hours in line for each film severely limits your ability to see lots of films. (Not to mention it kills your back!) It also causes you to have to leave films you love up to 30 minutes early so that you can get in the "queue pass" line in the hopes of seeing the next movie. I had to walk out of a screening of Double Indemnity (which screened at 9 AM but I had to be in line at 7 AM for a decent change to get a seat) about 30 minutes before the film's end (just about killed me to do so) so that I could stand in line for 90 minutes in the hopes of getting in to see The Sin of Nora Moran. Crazy!!! In most cases the lines consisted of 500-700 people and as shocked as I was that this was the way it was going to be the whole weekend (in all probability I spent more time in lines than screening films) I was among the "lucky ones" since I actually did get into every one of my "must see" films. However, if the TCM Film Festival ran the way other film festivals I have attended did (you buy your tickets in advance and simply walk into the theatre -- no waiting) I would have seen many, many more films. There was also no time to eat, no time to go to the bathroom, etc. etc.

Bottom line, if you are going to go to the TCM Film Festival in the future you should either purchase the "Spotlight" pass (at a whopping $2549 which will no doubt be even higher in 2025) or buy the lowest priced pass at $399. Because, whether you paid over $1,000 or "only" $399 you will still be standing for hours in the same long lines. Only Spotlight pass holders get preferential treatment and are allowed into theatres first and, since there are far fewer of them, their wait time in lines is fairly minimal.

Much to my shock, very few people seem to have a problem with paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for admittance to the festival with NO GUARANTEE that they will see a single film. Shame on TCM for selling far too many passes and not caring that all of the attendees will be spending most of their time waiting in lines, instead of watching films which is the very reason they showed up in the first place.

Lydecker

[txfilmfan]

First, let me say that I adore TCM and could not live without it. For years my husband and I debated about going to the festival but the thought of paying for the cost of the passes plus travel to LA (for 2) always seemed to be a wee bit extravagant to screen movies that, in most cases, you had seen many times before. However, after the sudden, devastating death of my husband 18 months ago, I decided to treat myself to the festival this year. If you haven't been there, you may be shocked to learn (as I was) that buying passes is absolutely NO guarantee that you will be able to see any film. I purchased the "low" end of the passes ($850) (there is one festival pass that is cheaper) and assumed that I could just go from film to film to film. Not so. Getting into a film requires waiting in 2 lines every time and it is almost a certainty that you will have to line up at least 90 minutes prior to each film, simply to get a "queue pass" which gives you the ability to line up AGAIN (30 minutes prior to the screening) to maybe/maybe not get into a desired film. Spending literally hours in line for each film severely limits your ability to see lots of films. (Not to mention it kills your back!) It also causes you to have to leave films you love up to 30 minutes early so that you can get in the "queue pass" line in the hopes of seeing the next movie. I had to walk out of a screening of Double Indemnity (which screened at 9 AM but I had to be in line at 7 AM for a decent change to get a seat) about 30 minutes before the film's end (just about killed me to do so) so that I could stand in line for 90 minutes in the hopes of getting in to see The Sin of Nora Moran. Crazy!!! In most cases the lines consisted of 500-700 people and as shocked as I was that this was the way it was going to be the whole weekend (in all probability I spent more time in lines than screening films) I was among the "lucky ones" since I actually did get into every one of my "must see" films. However, if the TCM Film Festival ran the way other film festivals I have attended did (you buy your tickets in advance and simply walk into the theatre -- no waiting) I would have seen many, many more films. There was also no time to eat, no time to go to the bathroom, etc. etc.

Bottom line, if you are going to go to the TCM Film Festival in the future you should either purchase the "Spotlight" pass (at a whopping $2549 which will no doubt be even higher in 2025) or buy the lowest priced pass at $399. Because, whether you paid over $1,000 or "only" $399 you will still be standing for hours in the same long lines. Only Spotlight pass holders get preferential treatment and are allowed into theatres first and, since there are far fewer of them, their wait time in lines is fairly minimal.

Much to my shock, very few people seem to have a problem with paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for admittance to the festival with NO GUARANTEE that they will see a single film. Shame on TCM for selling far too many passes and not caring that all of the attendees will be spending most of their time waiting in lines, instead of watching films which is the very reason they showed up in the first place.

Lydecker

Sorry your experience wasn't what you hoped.

Queue management has always been an issue. I seem to recall the first time or two I went, you couldn't get out of the queue, or you'd lose your place. They started distributing queue cards so that you could leave and return 30 minutes before the showtime, as that's when they open the doors. So that's why you now line up twice.

FWIW, it seemed to be worse this year than in any other year I have attended (I missed the first two years). There seems to have been more Spotlight and VIP folks than in years past. They are admitted first to all screenings. I first noticed it when we went to Close Encounters at the Chinese Theatre. I knew it would be crowded because Spielberg was there, and we got in the queue about an hour ahead of screening time. I had queue number 504. The theater seats about 930. In years past, this wouldn't have been an issue. When we got inside though, there were perhaps a few dozen seats left. We ended up on the third row, which was fine for the interview but terrible for the movie (neck strain). Now they always reserve some seats for guests, and some are for ADA seating, so there should have been about 850 or so open seats available when they let in Spotlight/VIP folks. It's hard to imagine that there would be 200+ of these folks in line. The irritating thing is that once the Spielberg interview session was over, dozens and dozens of people left, because that's all they wanted to see.

The Classic Pass was $100 less if you bought it within the first month or so of going on sale. I don't find the next pass up (Essential) to be of value. We did it once for the experience, and will not do it again. It gets you into the big opening night screening, plus a gift bag. But you pretty much have to buy it the day it goes on sale (usually sells out that day), without knowing what the opening night film will be. The Spotlight Pass is exorbitantly priced, IMO.

Most of the time we would arrive 45 minutes ahead of the screening and we'd get in. For Double Indemnity, we lined up a few minutes after 8, and got queue cards numbered around 210 or so. For a couple of titles, we arrived an hour ahead. To avoid the same problem with Chinatown that we had with Close Encounters, we arrived about 1:15 ahead of showtime. The hardest ones to get in are typically in the upstairs theater at the multiplex, as it seats fewer than 200. We were going to see Summer Stock there, but when we arrived they were already well past queue card number 100, and we figured we wouldn't make it. So we opted for La Strada instead.

They do try to schedule films in blocks, so that the gaps between showings across all 5 venues are more or less in parallel, to give you some time to get to the next venue, but sometimes extremely long films (like El Cid orLawrence of Arabia, this year) can mess up the timing. I've never had to leave a film early to get to the next film. The biggest problem most people have is going to/from the Egyptian, as it's a few blocks from the other 4 theaters (which are all very close to each other).

If you want a sit-down meal before 9am or after 12 midnight, you will almost always have to decide to skip a showing somewhere. We try to have one sit-down meal and then snack the rest of the day.

TCM usually sends out a survey after the festival. Watch your e-mail for one and let them know your opinion.

[Hibi]

Wasn't the Egyptian divvied up into small performance spaces? Is it all one theater again?

[speedracer5]

Wasn't the Egyptian divvied up into small performance spaces? Is it all one theater again?

The Egyptian was all one space. It just reopened a few months ago after being closed for a year (or maybe longer) for a renovation. The theater is gorgeous. We saw two movies there during the festival.

[Hibi]

Wasn't the Egyptian divvied up into small performance spaces? Is it all one theater again?

The Egyptian was all one space. It just reopened a few months ago after being closed for a year (or maybe longer) for a renovation. The theater is gorgeous. We saw two movies there during the festival.

Fantastic. Thought it was terrible they carved it up into bits some years ago.

[speedracer5]

Wasn't the Egyptian divvied up into small performance spaces? Is it all one theater again?

The Egyptian was all one space. It just reopened a few months ago after being closed for a year (or maybe longer) for a renovation. The theater is gorgeous. We saw two movies there during the festival.

Fantastic. Thought it was terrible they carved it up into bits some years ago.

It was gorgeous! The recent renovation restored it back to what it looked like in 1922. I had never been there before last week's festival, so I don't know what it looked like before. I understand that they removed the balcony that was added in the 90s as well as a smaller theater that was added at the same time. That is probably when the theater was "carved up." It's all one room now though, and it's absolutely stunning.

[txfilmfan]

Wasn't the Egyptian divvied up into small performance spaces? Is it all one theater again?

The Egyptian was all one space. It just reopened a few months ago after being closed for a year (or maybe longer) for a renovation. The theater is gorgeous. We saw two movies there during the festival.

Fantastic. Thought it was terrible they carved it up into bits some years ago.

It's not back to its original configuration, but the current arrangement is much better than the 1990s version. The original theater sat over 1700 people on a single level. The 1990s renovation reduced it to just over 600 (with a balcony) and added a second very small (80 seats at most) theater (The Steven Spielberg). The lobby was enlarged with this renovation, but it was weirdly asymmetrical - kind of off to the side making for difficult traffic flow. I think the addition of the lobby space plus stadium-style seating reduced the capacity, along with carving out the second theater.

Now capacity now is 516, without a balcony, and without the 2nd theater, which was removed to enlarge the concessions area and provide more event hosting space. The interior is much, much better than it was.

The outdoor courtyard lost the palm trees, so it's a rather bland space now, apart from the Egyptian-like frescoes on the walls. The trees had planters around them, which were convenient for sitting while waiting for the next film. Those are all gone. And Netflix opened up a shop next door should you wish to buy any of their merchandise...

[Hibi]

The Egyptian was all one space. It just reopened a few months ago after being closed for a year (or maybe longer) for a renovation. The theater is gorgeous. We saw two movies there during the festival.

Fantastic. Thought it was terrible they carved it up into bits some years ago.

It's not back to it's original configuration, but the current arrangement is much better than the 1990s version. The original theater sat over 1700 people on a single level. The 1990s renovation reduced it to just over 600 (with a balcony) and added a second very small (80 seats at most) theater (The Steven Spielberg). The lobby was enlarged with this renovation, but it was weirdly asymmetrical - kind of off to the side making for difficult traffic flow. I think the addition of the lobby space plus stadium-style seating reduced the capacity, along with carving out the second theater.

Now capacity now is 516, without a balcony, and without the 2nd theater, which was removed to enlarge the concessions area and provide more event hosting space. The interior is much, much better than it was.

The outdoor courtyard lost the palm trees, so it's a rather bland space now, apart from the Egyptian-like frescoes on the walls. The trees had planters around them, which were convenient for sitting while waiting for the next film. Those are all gone. And Netflix opened up a shop next door should you wish to buy any of their merchandise...

That's too bad. A lot smaller than in its original form, but I'm sure a lot better than what it was before this. I wonder why they got rid of the palm trees? The outdoor courtyard was what added to the mystique.