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The film transport system consists of three platters. (Only the two top platters are shown in this picture.) Each platter can hold up to four hours of film.

Here, the film is coming off of the top platter, going through a series of rollers to the projector, and returning through more rollers to the middle platter. There is no rewinding, because the beginning of the film is in the middle of the pack.

When originally installed, the platter system was in a storage room next to the booth. Film was routed to the projector and back over yet another group of rollers.  The platter was moved inside the booth in 1984.

This photo shows the lamphouse, the rewind bench (which is mostly used for film inspection purposes) and in the foreground, the film makeup table and splicer.

Film comes on reels, approximately 15 to 20 minutes per reel. We transfer the film from the reels to the platter, using the makeup table. Each reel goes onto the spindle, and the film runs over the rollers and to the platter. When the first reel is on the platter, the second reel is spliced on and the process continues. While putting the film onto the platter, "cues" are added to the film which take care of turning the auditorium lights on and off, and setting the sound system for the proper playback format.

When the film has finished its Forsyth run, the process is reversed. The film is pulled off of the platter and put back onto the shipping reels. The lighting and sound cues are removed, and the film is ready to be sent back to the film depot.

The rack in the background contains our supply of trailers (previews), and our pre-show music system.  

Our projector and platter in action in 2009.

Our stereo sound system was installed in 1992, and the DTS digital system was added in 1994. The first movie shown in DTS was "True Lies," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.

In early 2006 we did a substantial upgrade to our sound, increasing the amplifier power, bi-amping the stage speakers and converting to Dolby Digital Sound. The results are crisper highs, deeper bass and better dynamic range with less distortion.

The blue ring around the center platter is called a platter safety ring. Occasionally, static electricity can cause the film layers on the platter to stick together, resulting in uneven rotation. This in turn can lead to the film getting "thrown" off the edge of the platter by centrifugal force...not a good thing. This ring keeps that from happening.

Here's a closeup view of our projector as it looks with a show in progress. It looks almost the same as it did in 1980, except for the addition of the sightbox (the greenish window area). This was added in 2002 and allows us to view the light output from the lamphouse.

This machine is a Simplex 35 projector, with a Simplex 5 Star sound head. Like our lamphouse, the projector and soundhead have received occasional upgrades through the years. The most recent update is the addition of a bright red LED reader, which can read the most modern types of analog soundtracks. The analog reader is a backup, in case the digital sound reader malfunctions.

The black device on the top of the machine is the DTS timecode reader, part of the DTS Digital Sound system which was added in 1994. This system was replaced in early 2006 with the Dolby Digital system (see below).

Our current system features about 3500 watts of amplifier power, 17 speakers (including two subwoofers), and not forgetting a vital feature: Our wood floor, which sets the Roxy's sound apart from large-city cinemas with concrete floors.

The Dolby CP650 digital system works by reading the sound from the film using a miniature camera. The data is transferred to the digital processor (the gray unit in this picture) where it is converted to the sound you hear.

This Dolby system is the most popular cinema sound system worldwide. It is installed in over 20,000 screens in the United States.

For more pictures of our sound system and some behind-the-scenes on how it all works, CLICK HERE.

In the old days, in order to splice film together, we used a cold cement splicer, which was slow, messy and unreliable. The splices could tend to pop apart at the worst possible times.

Today we use a tape splicer. We can repair small tears or other damage in the film without having to cut out footage. Special ultra-clear tape is used, and the blades inside the splicer cut the sprocket holes and trim the tape off the edges with a press of the handle.

This splicer was put in our booth in 1977. Its handle has been worn out twice.

The film under the splicer is actually just a piece of leader, which we can use to measure film. Using this guide, we make sure that all of our splice cuts are made "in frame."

Here's a shelf full of trailers. (You probably know them as "previews.")

At any given time, we have trailers for at least 20 or 30 different upcoming movies in stock. We usually play three to five trailers ahead of each movie.

When we play a brand-new film, it often comes with as many as a dozen trailers, all with an "urgent" request for screen time.

These are film shipping cans. Attempts have been made over the years to update or change the film shipping containers, but the industry always seems to stick by the tried-and-true cans like these, until the mid-2000s when plastic boxes became the norm for shipping. The venerable film can is still seen occasionally today, though, and some archived film is stored in cans like these.

Each can holds two to four reels. A four-reel can full of film might weigh up to 60 pounds. Most movies consist of five to seven reels. The longest movies we've ever shown have come on as many as 14 reels!

Today's shipping boxes can hold an entire print (up to seven reels worth) and will weigh up to 65 pounds.