CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

OK, I seem to be in a minority (obviously in more ways than 1 Smile

). I have a dedicated theater in my current house. Total number of movie posters in the theater: 0.

In fact, it is as free from distractions as possible (black front wall and black carpeted stage, dark maroon walls with black acoustic panels, plain black seating). That was my goal. Yet so many people seem to have movie posters in their theaters which I never understood because:
1) They introduce a hard surface which reflects sound as well as light, and
2) In my whole life, I've never seen movie posters IN a theater.

I just figured I was in the minority until I was at my brother's house yesterday and read a recent copy of Sound and Vision which now has a column from the famed Theo Kalomirakis. His comment in this article included something to the effect of "movie posters are never IN the theater". YES! He also railed against distractions like popcorn machines, movie paraphernalia, and media cases in your field of view. YES!

So, this again got me wondering--why are movie posters and movie paraphernalia, et al so popular in DIY home theaters?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 9:59 pm Post subject:

You have to ASK that?

It's the WOW factor = the WAF, but to us it = WTF?

Very Happy

I'm right with you. They look cool, esp to the layman, but they serve no purpose.

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

Many people want to re-create the theater experience. So they get popcorn machines and hot dog machines and movie posters, and coming attraction signs.

I plan to use......NONE.

The only theater experience i want is a better picture and sound.

I plan my theater to look like a comfortable "family room" w/ comfy chairs and couches and the big ole screen for the movie.

**kal** · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:10 pm Post subject:

I have 6 or 7 large posters nicely framed.

Mine are all outside the field of view such that when you sit watching a movie, you don't see they're there. That means that one's in the bathroom, one's in the dark on the wall 8 feet to the left of the screen, and the rest are beside the rear speakers or on the rear wall.

When I went to two rows of seating I did end up moving them back a bit on the side wall as the light reflection off one (in the field of view) was distracting for me. Wife thought I was nuts.

I have a 1000+ foot basement so I doubt the few square feet of posters is going to do anything to sound. They're not placed anywhere near the first reflection points, and the the poster cover is not glass but flexible plastic. My marble bar is more of an issue for me as far as sound as concerned. Smile

So why'd I buy them? I treat them like art on the wall. The walls just look way too bare without anything on them in a big room like mine. I didn't just buy movies I liked, I bought posters I liked. I also tried to get ones that are somewhat timeless (debatable) so now (8 years after I bought most of them) they don't seem odd.

If I had a dedicated room I likely wouldn't use any, but then I'd have more of a lobby/bar outside the room and they'd go there.

I'd also like to paint the walls/ceilings 100% black everywhere (instead of what I have) but I didn't get my way. Smile

Side wall:

The Gladiator poster (it's the French version) here to the left of the screen isn't seen at all when lights are off:

Kal

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:13 pm Post subject:

Have any of you ever heard about the old (1900s) house that someone bought, and went to renovate, and discovered 100s or 1000s of 1900-1920s movie posters used as insulation in the walls?

Whatever show I watched where they covered that considered that movie poster collection one of finest in the world, and apparently several of the posters were one of a kind ones; the experts had never seen samples of some before. One heck of a show on Treasure or A&E or ?

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

Kal, yours due seem to be in the more "lobby-ish" areas (as an FYI my posters are in the room outside the theater and the bathroom--so I do have them) and not in the field of view. You also don't have DVD racks and such in the field of view, so your layout type was not what I didn't get (I get your approach). But, that said, for the theater area, why not just point some acoustic treatments around the rear to act as "flutter" killers instead of the posters (BTW, as I think you know, I do like the look of your "combo" room)?

Clarence · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject:

Tedd · Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 156 Location: Ontario

If you are truly recreating the movie theater experience, then the posters belong outside the theater. Just like actual
theaters. Smile

I am putting one lighted poster box outside the theater.

JustGreg · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3098 Location: Kenosha, WI

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:45 am Post subject:

That's the one. Back then, there was no insulation for homes, so people would stuff paper n'stuff in the walls. Turns out the original home owner worked for years for a local movie theater...

rabies_70 · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:58 am Post subject:

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 1:30 am Post subject:

**kal** · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 2:22 am Post subject:

**kal** · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 2:24 am Post subject:

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 2:27 am Post subject:

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

Related story:

http://reelclassics.com/Articles/General/posters-article.htm

wallace

J Kildare · Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 164

Well I was going to throw in three backlit movie posters in my dedicated theater, but after accoustic treatment and GOM I figured why screw up sound and contrast ratio for something that looks real cool when the lights are on, typically 2-3 minutes. Most people that see the room for the first time are kind of in awe of the room itself. Besides why cheepen it with posters. Now I have three posters sitting in a corner, but I'm going to throw them in the equipment room.

The wife otta love that.
( I can already hear it, $700 for posters in an equipment room....YOU IDIOT!!!! )
I can't even argue that.

Jim

Jester · Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 90 Location: Villa Park Ilinois

I have to say I agree, alot of ppl have a hard time creating a dedicated theater, much less a lobby. So when they do, they cram everything into it that means theater to them. I have seen a couple IRL and compared to mine they are mad crazy packed with stuff, BUT its what they want and how they enjoy it. I am more of a purest ( I got to paint the front walls and ceiling black and it makes a HUGE difference) so mine is sparse. I also have my own computer room and a work room. I am good to the wife and she is good to me Smile

So i can afford to be a "snob" lol

Jester