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AFI Silver Theater in Washington DC area showing Episodes 1-8

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https://silver.afi.com/Browsing/EventsAndExperiences/EventDetails/0000000004

The AFI Silver, in Silver Spring, MD, is showing all 8 Episodes.

  • The Phantom Menace: May 3rd, 4pm
  • Attack of the Clones: May 3rd, 7pm
  • Revenge of the Sith: May 3rd, 10pm; May 4th, 11am
  • A New Hope: May 4th, 2:30pm; May 5th, 5:30pm
  • The Empire Strikes Back: May 4th, 5:30pm; May 5th, 8:30pm; May 6th, 6:30pm
  • Return of the Jedi: May 4th, 8:30pm; May 6th, 9:20pm
  • The Force Awakens: May 5th, 11am; May 7th, 6:30pm
  • The Last Jedi: May 5th, 2pm; May 7th, 9:20pm

The OT listings say “1977/1997”, so it’s definitely SE - wouldn’t really surprise me if it was actually 2004 or 2011 versions, though I don’t recall what’s been the case at previous AFI Silver showings. No idea what versions of the prequels it’ll be, but probably whatever the most recent digital copy is. The ticketing shows them as playing in Theater 1, where do have the ability to project real film - but I’d be surprised in this case.

I’m tempted to go see The Phantom Menace, as I haven’t seen that in years and it’d be nice to see it on the big screen again, but schedule may prevent me.

ROTJ Storyboard Reconstruction Project

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I’m surprised they aren’t saving such an event until this winter. Marvel is doing a 55(!) hour marathon preceding Avengers Endgame, at least in Los Angeles.

Anyone who survives that should get a medal. 😉

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Where were you in '77?

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Oooh the AFI Silver is an awesome theater! I don’t live in DC but I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a few films there over the years. Saw Vincent Price in The Last Man on Earth just before Halloween one year and Orson Wells’ The Stranger while on a random business trip. Both were 35mm prints. I’d love to see Star Wars there!

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I was going to bring this up in the 4k restoration thread!

AFI Silver has shown the ‘97 prints as recently as a few years ago IIRC, so it’s possible they’ll project TPM and the OT-SE on actual film.

TPM’s 20th seems to be the only reason they’re doing this marathon next month.

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timdiggerm said:

Well, and it’s centered around May 4th, aka “May the Fourth Be With You”

I noticed it was in early May and yet that went completely over my head!

Anyway, I might try to ask the relevant person over there if they can tell me with any confidence which format the movies are being shown in.

I saw Search for Spock and Voyage Home back-to-back at AFI Silver the week of The Man Trap’s 50th in 2016. I asked the box office person whether they were actual prints and they asked someone and said that they were, which ended up not being true for SFS (it was digital and from the same subpar master as the bd), but Voyage Home was a European 35mm print with the prologue and it looked gorgeous!

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Dang, most arthouses post the screening formats. I’d assume it would only be 35mm prints of the 1997 SEs and then DCP for the rest. That said 35mm for TPM would be essential due to the bad HD master.
I would love to see a TPM print on the big screen with the Dolby EX track and the SEs again.

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CHEWBAKAspelledwrong said:

I contacted them out of curiosity. Not that I could go. All DCP, all SE

With whom did you speak? I’d be curious to ask (if they know) whether the OT dcp’s are 4k or just the same old same old.

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CHEWBAKAspelledwrong said:

I just emailed their customer service line.

Thank you!

I’m sure they’re fully expecting to get more questions about these screenings than they do for most other films.

It’s Star Wars, after all.