Are theater screens around here dim, or is it just me?
For roughly the last five years, I've been dissatisfied with the brightness and vibrancy of the projection at both Regal and the mall theater. At Regal especially, it seems like every movie I've seen on a non-IMAX screen is dim and kinda blueish. I was occasionally getting better results with the Theater Currently Known As Hooky for a while, but then also had at least one screening of THE MANDALORIAN that felt underlit. Most recently I watched BRAND NEW DAY on one of their oversized "SDX" screens, and noticed a lack of vibrancy in the color right from the Columbia Pictures logo. I also felt the darkness in certain indoor scenes was overly pronounced. And when I watched the trailer at home on my Pixel to check, the difference seemed impossible to miss.
Does anyone else have this problem? I haven't seen any mention of it in online reviews for either, and the people I watch movies with only ever seem to half-acknowledge it, but it drives me nuts. I know from reading Roger Ebert that theaters used to dim the bulb to save money, but that was in the age of film projection. I also remember reading somewhere that 3D films require different lenses and if those aren't changed, it affects other movies- is that what's going on? Or is it really just me being impossible to please?