coralnut wrote:
I'm wondering if C-41 film/processing is cheaper, then what's the allure of the cine films? Is it just the halation effect?
I think it's mostly about having another option for color film, and for some folks it's bragging rights "I'm shooting movie film in my camera!" These films were designed for modern cinema workflows, in which colorists grade the digital scans, so it's a bit more neutral than other color films like Ektar: you're meant to punch up saturation, contrast, etc. in digital post. Some photographers leave them neutral; others do more post-processing, it's really up to your taste.
I've seen lots of nice portraits shot with these films, both the daylight and tungsten versions, but I mostly prefer the ones I've seen from films with remjet and processed in ECN-2, mainly because there's less halation. Cinestill 800t (with remjet removed) is quite popular for night-time shots where the halation has a strong signature effect on street lamps and other light sources.