I was extremely impressed with the standard screens shown at Alamo Drafthouse. In the Downtown LA branch, after seeing Last Night in Soho, I just had to talk to the projectionist. He was kind enough to discuss technical aspects for over an hour. He explained that they do projector and audio calibrations as part of their bring up for adding a new film. The video calibration being a special laser they use from the center of the room combined with the projectionist's gut feel. The audio being setting up microphones through the room and measuring test signals through the different speakers. The results show: the standard screening of Last Night in Soho looked and sounded better than the Dolby version I saw in AMC. AMC does not have this kind of care placed on their screens because I think they have essentially cut their projectionist staff down to the bare minimum.

The article alluded to the massive investment AMC is doing by replacing the majority of their standard screens over to the new Barco Laser projectors. Here in NJ they are rolling these changes out theater by theater. It was really disappointing to see that AMC Empire 25 really messed up the presentation that the author saw as they were one of the first theaters to undergo this renovation.