Have you ever watched an action movie and thought, "the sound in this flick could be a whole lot better?" If so, think it no more.
The Harkins Centerpoint Theater on Mill Avenue is hosting the worldwide premiere of the all-new Sonic Whole overhead sound system, which is being used for the special exclusive re-release of the recent Mel Gibson war epic, We Were Soldiers. The film is now showing.
The writer and director of We Were Soldiers, Randall Wallace, sought a new kind of sound to be showcased with his action film about Vietnam.
"I wished out loud for some way to give the audience the full impact of helicopters blasting overhead, of artillery shells crashing down, jets screaming by, bullets whizzing through the air directly above," said Wallace, who wroteBraveheart.
When Paramount Pictures decided to re-release the war saga, Wallace saw an open door and got the company to let him work with Dolby Laboratories to create the Sonic Whole system.
At a special screening of We Were Soldiers on Wednesday, Wallace explained why he chose Tempe as the only city to show the improved sound system.
"Tempe was a great place," he said. "There were Western values and an embrace in American values and beliefs. Tempe is the first heartland city to come to outside of Los Angeles."
Wallace also cited the high scores Tempe audiences gave the film when it was test-screened before its original March release and clarified his reasons for making the new sound system.
"I wanted to do something no one did before," Wallace said. "So much of the [Ia Drang] battle was sound...overhead sound. This can be a new experience if we can show the audience something they have never heard before."
He also described his motives for re-releasing his film in September, rather than in the winter season when Oscar contenders are released.
"September was a great time, because university students were coming back," Wallace said. "They were the ones who would appreciate this. The highest rating for the film was given by people under 25- those who will be asked to fight in the next war. This is something we owe to young people."
The Sonic Whole system could be used for other films, even ones that aren't as action-heavy as We Were Soldiers. Wallace said he believed, "in ten years this should be the prime movie theater sound system."
College students were in attendance during Wednesday' screening, in addition to Wallace and his production team. However, veterans from the battle depicted in the film also attended.
According to Arizona State University student Bryan Royce, an exercise science sophomore, described the sound system as "awesome."
"You could feel it in the entire theater," Royce said.
Though it isn't certain that the Sonic Whole sound system will work on every kind of movie, action films are the genre sure to benefit from its power.
Reach freelance reporter Josh Spiegel at joshua.spiegel@asu.edu.
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Click here for a video clip of 'We Were Soldiers' director Randall Wallace talking about the re-release of the movie, and click here to see a video of him talking about the new sound system. |
