70mm is frequently a format of “er’s”: bigger, brighter, crisper, sharper, wider, heavier, costlier, louder. These terms are often used to compare the format to its digital counterparts and smaller (but not lesser) film formats, but can fail to convey what actually makes the format special: 70mm’s ability to bring out the texture and weight of small details, its natural propensity for spectacle, and its magnetic ability to bring audiences together and hold them in suspense. 

In the booth, 70mm gets the museum treatment: projectors are scrutinized for any potential sources of print damage, our insurance company is notified that precious cargo is being shipped, and image and sound are calibrated to exacting standards. For a format known for its mightiness, 70mm prints are exceedingly delicate and require the same handling care as a newborn baby.

Before we close our doors for renovations, we’re thrilled to present two brand new 70mm prints alongside two rare archival ones. NORTH BY NORTHWEST and THE SEARCHERS have been lovingly digitally restored from their VistaVision negatives and printed back to 70mm; PLAYTIME screens in the only known 70mm print in the US, made in 2000 from a fully photochemical restoration and screening at the Music Box for the first time in more than a decade; and STREETS OF FIRE screens in an original release print from 1984 with magnetic sound just in time for its 40th anniversary.