| Editorial March 2007
 Being a Hometheaterphile
I love movies, and always have. At a young age I spent
countless hours glued to the TV, most of the time watching the same movies over and over
again: Star Wars, The Goonies, The Gremlins, Indiana Jones and the
Temple of Doom, Top Gun, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. All of
these had incredible visuals, and each still holds a spot in my heart. Their exciting
stories were something new and completely foreign to me. They inspired me to daydream
about something different from the same old sports my dad liked to watch. I enjoyed these
films on a small Zenith color TV and a brand new VCR. I wouldn’t consider it a
videophile-caliber system, but for us back then, it didn’t get any better.
Music was the same way. I remember hearing Willy Nelson and
Alabama in the house. We had a little record player with built-in speakers, and 45rpm
singles that spun so often I could recite every word without knowing what they meant --
the lyrics became reflexes that grew out of endless repetition. My first favorite band was
R.E.M., but at the time, the word alternative didn’t mean anything to me.
Driving around in my car in my high school years, I played those songs as loud as I could
stand them, paying no attention to the car’s speakers; I was listening to the words
and enjoying the effect the rhythm had on me. It was about that time that I began to
develop my own likes and dislikes, my own appreciation of the musical performance. Later
on, my musical interests grew more passionate, and that carried through into my enjoyment
of movies.
As I grew older, listening to my music and watching my
movies began to mean something more than mindless entertainment. I began to appreciate the
fine distinctions within these audible and visual arts. Music was no longer for the
background -- I began to hear more in the musicianship and voices of the performers. I
also started to look deeper into movies. I no longer chose films simply for who starred in
them. In search of good stories, I would go see any movie, regardless of what it was
about. In the process, I began to notice the nuances with which filmmakers presented their
stories to me, transporting me into the films -- at least, the good ones did, with their
use of breathtaking visuals and enveloping sound. The next step was to bring that
enjoyment into my home. Like a connoisseur of fine wines, I began to develop myself into
the hobbyist I am today. Now, thousands of dollars later, a new pastime has been born. I
am a hometheaterphile. The first step is admitting it, right?
I remember a scene that had a profound effect on me: the
asteroid chase in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. In the theater, I
remember seeing the seismic charge leave Jango Fet’s ship moments before it
detonated. As the charge flew through space and into the midst of the asteroids, I knew
the resulting effect would be intensely uncomfortable, and actually covered my ears. From
the initial flash of the explosion, a wave of sound came rushing from the front of the
theater to the back, an experience that haunts me to this day. The day the DVD edition was
released, I bought a home-theater-in-a-box just so I could experience it again. To this
day, no matter how much money I’ve spent, the memory of that sound effect in the
theater has never been duplicated or bested by any configuration of equipment I have had
in my home. Perhaps my recollection of the effect has been amplified by time and
untrustworthy memory, and because of that is unique and irreplaceable. But one thing is
for sure: My pursuit of re-creating that experience will never end.
Beginning next month, I will share my never-ending pursuit
in "Hometheaterphile," a column that will be found in the "Features" section of this site.
In it I will write about home-theater audio and video equipment and discuss the technology
behind it. Equipment will not be chosen on the basis of price; the determining factor will
be performance. I will also interview the designers of the components reviewed so that I
can fully understand all aspects of their products.
From time to time I will step away from the standard review
format to address topics that are important to the hometheaterphile. From the best way to
treat your room to understanding the new sound formats, I will ask questions of and get
answers from the people who are shaping the future of the industry. I will go directly to
the source, then try to convey what I’ve learned in ways you and I can both
understand. If you have a question that needs to be answered, ask me. I will use the resources of the
SoundStage! Network to get them answered. Together, we can further our understanding of
the equipment that we use to bring movies alive in our home.
...Randall Smith
randalls@hometheatersound.com |
