A Bad Night at the Movies Trivia Quiz

Answer: The optical soundtrack

There are two lines so the sound is in stereo. When sound was still mono, there was only one line of optically encoded sound. Nowadays the sound comes in digitally, but the optical soundtrack is still placed on the film as a backup in case the digital readers fail (or if a movie house is still solely using this format)

Answer: A missplice

Each trailer comes separately and needs to be "spliced" together with a splicer and splicing tape. This is true of the feature film as well as each individual reel can only hold about 20mins of film. Right before a reel change where a splice would occur in the film you will see a dot flash in the top right corner of the film.

This is what is known as a "cigarette burn." When using reel to reel projectors, where no splicing occurs, this is used to indicate to the projectionist when to start up the next reel

Answer: 4 sprocket holes per frame

The frame is each individual image. When putting together a film, there is a protective layer at each end called the "head" and the "tail" that needs to be cut off so the film runs continuously without interruption. Many times on trailers the end fades to black making the counting of sprocket holes a necessity to ensure the film stays in frame. Starting at the last completely determinable full frame, multiples of four are marked in some fashion and the tail is cut when the last of the image has faded.

Not a fun task, but as you can see, a necessary one.

Answer: The wrong lens is being used

Since Bruce appears squished, the film you are watching is a "Flat" film, or in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The trailer that was put on is in "Scope" or 2.39:1. The correct lens for this trailer would take the squished image and stretch it out to normal.

After this showing, the entire trailer will have to be removed and replaced with a flat version. Some projectors have a rotating lens turret, making switching back and forth easier, but some require a full change. Either case would cause too much of a disruption/hassle to switch the lens after starting the film on a regular basis

Answer: Any of these answers could explain it

Sitting on the steps inside the theater is considered a fire hazard. And yes the front rows are an awful place to watch a movie from, especially the sides. Why do they still put in these seats? Missed your show time? Yes there is a reason to go change your tickets. Telling teens no about anything will always given them a challenge. Rated R movies are no exception, but don't you hate that once they get in there, they just spend the whole time on their phone anyway? (My apologies to the teens this does not apply to)

Answer: The lights have not gone all the way down

While dumping your popcorn is a reason to get up and get refilled, it is not a presentation problem. For the vast majority of theaters (unless in certain extreme circumstances) the lights are dimmed through a system of cues put on the film that are read by a device on the projector, usually made with a metallic tape. If these cues have come off or if the projectionist has forgotten to put them on in the first place, the lights will not go down (or come up at the end of the film).

This process can be done manually if needed, as in this instance.

Answer: The stationary image burns crispy from the inside out to the edges

If the film for some reason stops, yet fails to trigger the failsafe (it detects film presence), the film will not move, but the lamp stays on. The xenon bulb emits so much heat that if the film stops in front of it, the film will burn clear through. It is hot enough to burn human skin held directly in front of it (closely enough) and can blind you if you stare directly into it

Answer: 24 frames per second, or 90ft per minute

This is actual film running here, from one "platter" to the next. It is fed from the center through the "brain" to the projector and back to another platter where it is wound around a center ring. There is not fast forward or rewind. Just one direction at one speed.

Answer: Large format 70mm

Like Kleenex for tissues, IMAX is fast becoming the name large format 70mm is known as, but did you know that unlike most film that runs from up to down, IMAX runs from one side to the other. This is the reason for the "large format." The measurement is taken from the width of the film. For 8mm, 16mm, 35mm, and 70mm, the width of the image runs along this.

But in the large format, the width of the film is the height of the image, allowing the width of the image to be much larger.

Answer: yes

They should be waiting outside the theater armed with re-admission tickets for you after a showing like this, but even so, you can still get your money back in addition. Give it a try. What are they going to do say no?