Imax vs Imax "lite"

[Bizdady]

My local AMC Currently decided to do this, they made their biggest screen into an "Imax" Its not even close to Imax size yet they charge you an extra $5. I know the theater in this article because I go to this theater often, Ive even sat in this theater before they changed it to the "Lite" Version. Man I would be pissed to though If I went in expecting Imax and got a regular theater though.

http://consumerist.com/5250698/does-...just-imax-lite


edit:

Gizmodo did a followup piece with more detailed information.

http://gizmodo.com/5250625/cineplexe...-or-conspiracy

[fatediesel]

Link?

I did read about this and Imax is just selling out it's name to make more money. There is nothing Imax about these theaters. They're just a little bigger than normal but since they use the Imax name they think they can charge more.

[Bizdady]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

Link?

I did read about this and Imax is just selling out it's name to make more money. There is nothing Imax about these theaters. They're just a little bigger than normal but since they use the Imax name they think they can charge more.

Oops I knew I forgot something lol ok adding LInk my bad

[Rantlers]

I was so psyched when I heard they were releasing an IMAX theater at my local AMC which is only 5min from where I live. Sadly, it turned out to be one of these "Lite" things, so I still have to drive 25-30min out to get my real IMAX fix in.

[Blu-ray Fanatic]

Yeah, what a ripoff.

[Bizdady]

Its funny, the guy that wrote the blog is an Actor. Ive actually seen him on scrubs and that new show in nbc with Amy Poehler about Parks & Recreations.

[CptGreedle]

That is awful. It is no where close to the size of an IMAX screen! I wouldn't pay $5 more for that!
I hope the local AMC here doesn't do this too.

It would honestly be worth more if they didn't charge a full $5, they called it something else, and they kept the width of the screen at the proper width of an IMAX screen and the height at the correct ratio for the movie so it fills in the width.
in other words, make it a shorter screen for these widescreen movies since IMAX is mostly square, but keep everything else the same and charge less.

[VinnAY]

MY local AMC has this Imax-lite as you're calling it. I knew it wasn't the "real" Imax as I know something has to be filmed in Imax if I'm not mistaken.
But still, better than the other screens in this theater, which are all good. So in my book it's an improvement over their current offerings.

[Porkchop Express]

I think all AMCs that claim to have imax, actually have "imax lites", the screen is bigger but not $5 extra bigger.

[deckardp]

The AMC 5 minutes from me has the new "Lite" version. I saw "Watchmen" there and noticed they had louder sound and more bass as oppose to their other auditoriums. Thought it was overpowering to the point of just being a booming mess. The size wasn't much bigger of a screen then what was there in the first place. Plus the fact that the movie ended up being letterboxed..... WTF!

[jk1138]

we have 3 Imax theaters near us, 1 is the "IMAX lite" and I avoid it. One is the real IMAX and when I go there it is just too big, it wraps around and you lay back to look up at it, is just too much. And just like Goldie Locks I go to the one in in middle because it is just right. It is very big, but not mind dizzyingly big. What gets me is they all charge the same price.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by VinnAY

MY local AMC has this Imax-lite as you're calling it. I knew it wasn't the "real" Imax as I know something has to be filmed in Imax if I'm not mistaken. - But still, better than the other screens in this theater, which are all good. So in my book it's an improvement over their current offerings.

Movies don't Have to be filmed in IMAX - they can be of course which is the normal way. But most recent Major releases (TKD, Watchmen, Day the Earth Stood Still, STAR TREK), were filmed with normal cameras (& yes, some "Scenes" shot in IMAX Cameras), but they are then just re-formatted to fit the Massive Size of the IMAX Screens. I hope that is clear.

Basically an IMAX movie doesn't need to be filmed in Imax -- an "Imax" camera that is - to be shown at their theater. Most major Hollywood BIG Event movies sometimes add scenes shot that way, some don't -- & then are re-formatted for the larger Imax screen.

BTW - "STAR TREK" on a Real IMAX screen... Amazing!!!!

[deckardp]

Originally Posted by DVDave

It will be letterboxed on an Imax screen because of the aspect ratio it was shot in. If you saw The Dark Knight on Imax, you would see the variable aspect ratio between the scenes that were shot in full 1:78:1 Imax scope and the regular 2:40:1 35mm footage.

Then don't bother showing it on an Imax if it isn't intended for an Imax screen. I figured that was why it was like that, but it didn't me make me any less pissed.

[Bizdady]

Gizmodo did a followup piece with more detailed information.

http://gizmodo.com/5250625/cineplexe...-or-conspiracy

[groove93]

I always wondered about these Imax Light theaters. I was planning to take my son to Augusta, GA to see "Monsters and Aliens" in 3d Imax. But when I read about these lite theaters, I became hesitent. The Imax theater in Augusta is 70 miles away and I found no information pertaining to the dimensions of the auditorium and the screen. I said, "Screw it" and drove 3 hours to Atlanta to the Mall of Georgia. This was our first IMAX experience and the screen was huge. Who cares if the aspect ration didn't fit the screen. The 3D experience alone was enough to keep you into the film.

Are there any websites that have actual screen sizes of each Imax theater?

[cajmoyper]

Originally Posted by DVDave

It will be letterboxed on an Imax screen because of the aspect ratio it was shot in. If you saw The Dark Knight on Imax, you would see the variable aspect ratio between the scenes that were shot in full 1:78:1 Imax scope and the regular 2:40:1 35mm footage.

If you saw TDK on IMAX, the IMAX scenes would have been 1.44:1, not 1.78:1. Their only 1.78:1 on the BD so that the bars wouldn't be as distracting.

[statikcat]

What is irritating is that 5$ extra is more than a legit Imax costs which is usually 11$. A regular ticket is 9$ + 5 = 14$ .. what a rip off. 30$ for two people..

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Aerodude73

Movies don't Have to be filmed in IMAX - they can be of course which is the normal way. But most recent Major releases (TKD, Watchmen, Day the Earth Stood Still, STAR TREK), were filmed with normal cameras (& yes, some "Scenes" shot in IMAX Cameras), but they are then just re-formatted to fit the Massive Size of the IMAX Screens. I hope that is clear.

Basically an IMAX movie doesn't need to be filmed in Imax -- an "Imax" camera that is - to be shown at their theater. Most major Hollywood BIG Event movies sometimes add scenes shot that way, some don't -- & then are re-formatted for the larger Imax screen.

BTW - "STAR TREK" on a Real IMAX screen... Amazing!!!!

No...its not very clear. What do you mean by "reformatted"?.

[4Dblu]

funny, i laugh hard when i hear people say they saw a movie in IMAX. first, and foremost none and i mean no existing movie theater will spend the money to build a IMAX screen let alone a IMAX projector. i do maintenance on IMAX projectors and its taller than me and the projector can not run a movie longer than 1hr 20mins. no studio on this planet will spend the money to put a major film on IMAX print. you think u spend alot now to go to the movies. imagine how much u spend if it was real IMAX film!!!

[toef]

So when they say Star Trek set the new IMAX record, we have these Lite versions to thank? So it's not that more people went to the real IMAX's, and instead more of these fake ones popped up, and got included in the IMAX count.