Large Format/"Premium" Theaters (IMAX 15/70, Digital IMAX, XD, ETX, RPX, etc.)

[GLaDOS]

Originally Posted by ITDEFX101

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssss......... ......... As for Dunkirk, if it's going to be playing for a long while I might just wait until the second week to see it and go late night, so I can sit whereever the hell I want and near dead center.

For me, I prefer to sit dead center, 2/3 at the back. You get a sense of scale from the giant screen while having your entire peripheral vision engulfed by it.

I sat near the front when I saw BvS on Udvar because we were too late and my neck hurt like a b*tch for looking up at the screen too often

Originally Posted by FAShaffi

"Dunkirk" will have about 100 minutes of full frame IMAX footage that will fill the entire Udvar screen, and I believe "The Last Jedi" is going to have at least one scene in full frame as well

Dunkirk will run at 107 minutes long with about 75% of IMAX footage, so expect at least 80 minutes of material to fill the entire screen. Still, that's the most IMAX footage ever filmed for a Hollywood production.

[ITDEFX101]

Originally Posted by Blu-Malibu2009

70-75% of Dunkirk will fill the entire Udvar screen, all 62 feet of height and 85 feet of width. Should be glorious.

Dunkirk Prologue sound was jawdropping in the new audio system that's part of the Laser installations. Blew Rogue One out of the water. Udvar has the Laser projector installed so I assume it also has the new sound system too.

Udvar had a really good sound system from last year's Captain America and Star Trek Beyond mix.... The audio mix for Transformers presented here and for Manassas Imax were sub par considering Manassas jacks the shit out of the audio during the trailers and gives decent audio during the movie. Considering Bay's blow shit up and make it loud, it just felt underwhelming for this movie compared to the last 4.

[ITDEFX101]

Originally Posted by GLaDOS

For me, I prefer to sit dead center, 2/3 at the back. You get a sense of scale from the giant screen while having your entire peripheral vision engulfed by it.

I sat near the front when I saw BvS on Udvar because we were too late and my neck hurt like a b*tch for looking up at the screen too often

Dunkirk will run at 107 minutes long with about 75% of IMAX footage, so expect at least 80 minutes of material to fill the entire screen. Still, that's the most IMAX footage ever filmed for a Hollywood production.

I can't get too close to an IMAX screen for a 3d movie. Last time I saw an imax 3d movie was for Green Hornet at AMC tyson's. My then GF (Now wife) ended up feeling sick after watching it so close.

[Blu-Malibu2009]

Originally Posted by ITDEFX101

Udvar had a really good sound system from last year's Captain America and Star Trek Beyond mix.... The audio mix for Transformers presented here and for Manassas Imax were sub par considering Manassas jacks the shit out of the audio during the trailers and gives decent audio during the movie. Considering Bay's blow shit up and make it loud, it just felt underwhelming for this movie compared to the last 4.

Hell, I thought Rogue One had pretty good sound...but the 5 minute preview of Dunkirk featured downright incredible sound.

[ITDEFX101]

Originally Posted by Blu-Malibu2009

Hell, I thought Rogue One had pretty good sound...but the 5 minute preview of Dunkirk featured downright incredible sound.

Yeah it was good, except for that really loud sound of the plane sounding like it was going to crash. WAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY TOO Loud!

[GLaDOS]

Originally Posted by ITDEFX101

I can't get too close to an IMAX screen for a 3d movie. Last time I saw an imax 3d movie was for Green Hornet at AMC tyson's. My then GF (Now wife) ended up feeling sick after watching it so close.

That's why I prefer sitting at the back, especially for a 3D movie (and I f*cking hate 3D). Sitting at the front of an IMAX venue feelsbadman.

Originally Posted by Blu-Malibu2009

Hell, I thought Rogue One had pretty good sound...but the 5 minute preview of Dunkirk featured downright incredible sound.

F*ckin A, man. That sound design was on point, probably a lot better than Interstellar's.

[Blu-Malibu2009]

Originally Posted by ITDEFX101

Yeah it was good, except for that really loud sound of the plane sounding like it was going to crash. WAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY TOO Loud!

No way. I thought it kicked ass.

[ITDEFX101]

Originally Posted by GLaDOS

That's why I prefer sitting at the back, especially for a 3D movie (and I f*cking hate 3D). Sitting at the front of an IMAX venue feelsbadman.

F*ckin A, man. That sound design was on point, probably a lot better than Interstellar's.

You know what? I did a test. My wife and I usually sit in the rear last row to the left. 3d effects aren't noticeable. If I go sit in the middle rows, then yes I can notice some of the 3d effects.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by ITDEFX101

Ok....so I saw Transformers:TLK at Udvar Hazy last night for the 10:30 showing........... guess what? I was like the only person there up until an Asian couple came in 5 minutes before the movie started. When I arrived there was no one to ring me up for the ticket and I was like oh shit free movie, then the manager came out and was like giving me attitude about how when there are low ticket sales or no one shows up they encourage people to come back some other time. She acted like she did not want to be there past 1 am. You know what? go to hell! if the theater is scheduled to show the movie at 10:30, then I am going to see the movie at 10:30! I even suggested that she tell the projectionist to go straight to the movie since that will cut 20 minutes and I didn't want to see 4 or 5 Dunkirk spots ...again ... :\

Ok... some thoughts on the real IMAX presentation of this movie.

-Sound mix was lower than the previous transformers movies as it didn't feel as immersive as other IMAX audio presentations in the past.

-As known before there were various AR presented in this movie. At no time did it ever go full frame. :O (like during the Jakku escape scene in TFA or TDK Joker Bank Heist scene).

This is what is really confusing me now.

During the Digital IMAX presentation at at the Regal IMAX in Manassas, there were several scenes that went FULL Frame...but at the Udvar it didn't show full frame....was the movie ever shot in full frame or were the scenes that I saw during the Regal IMAX presentation not full frame but as close to full frame as the screen could display compared to that of the size of the Udvar screen?

Dubstar where are you man? Need your thoughts!?!?!?

Here I come to save the daaay!

As others have pointed out the fullest screen image was 1.78 - full screen for IMAX digital cineplex screens but not for 1.43:1 screens (I didn't realise that either til I saw the movie yesterday afternoon).

As to the sound - it was nowhere as creative as 'Age of Extinction's Dolby Atmos mix which I heard on Tysons prior ETX screen (before it changed over to its current Dolby Cinema configuration) - where the ceiling sourced sound was jaw dropping. The Tysons IMAX-digitals sound volume was truly a deafening experience - I literally had to cusp my ears it was THAT loud.

Even the 3D was hit or miss, even Age of Extinction I thought was better implemented and overall presentation. The latter end of "The Last Knight" and its final action set piece was the best 3D sequence in my mind

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Blu-Malibu2009

70-75% of Dunkirk will fill the entire Udvar screen, all 62 feet of height and 85 feet of width. Should be glorious.

Dunkirk Prologue sound was jawdropping in the new audio system that's part of the Laser installations. Blew Rogue One out of the water. Udvar has the Laser projector installed so I assume it also has the new sound system too.

Yes Udvar is 12-channel sound

[ITDEFX101]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

Yes Udvar is 12-channel sound

I should have seen Rogue One at Udvar if not just for the audio presentation. That space and ground battle was awesome.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by ITDEFX101

I should have seen Rogue One at Udvar if not just for the audio presentation. That space and ground battle was awesome.

I actually saw Rogue One down at the Air & Space (Lockheed Martin IMAX screen) downtown - and lordy the 12-channel presentation was all kinds of audio goodness (if not a bit too loud at times).

~~

Independence Day at Lockheed July 2nd (5:50pm) !!

[CelluloidPal]

I looking into these premium/large format theater over here in DC.

I understand that the IMAX theater at the Lockheed Martin is showing movies on Sundays. For those who have been to these, how's the presentation? Is it film or digital? I'm interested because Independence Day on July 2 and would love to see this on a massive screen with awesome sound. I know Dunkirk is coming there though.

As for Dolby Cinema in Tysons and Georgetown, I understand that their screens are common width. If that's correct, does that mean scope movies will have those black bars on them?
And how are the IMAX screens at those theaters? I live near one and the screen reaches from the floor to the ceiling.

[ITDEFX101]

I am not too sure if ID4 got an audio remix overhaul. Last year when I saw it during the ID4/ID:R double feature at the Alamo, the audio mix was not as strong compared to movies of today , including that of it's sequel. They did improve the PQ for the BR release.

Unfortunately all movies I have seen have black bars on them...it's just the way life is...pay big prices but lose a lot of space to the black bars.

Dubstar and Glados are experts on here when it comes to which ones have the best screens and audio. I swear they travel all over the DMV...listen to what they say. The Dolby Atmos at Tyson's corner sounds really good compared to Regal's RPX.

[GLaDOS]

Originally Posted by CelluloidPal

I looking into these premium/large format theater over here in DC.

I understand that the IMAX theater at the Lockheed Martin is showing movies on Sundays. For those who have been to these, how's the presentation? Is it film or digital? I'm interested because Independence Day on July 2 and would love to see this on a massive screen with awesome sound. I know Dunkirk is coming there though.

As for Dolby Cinema in Tysons and Georgetown, I understand that their screens are common width. If that's correct, does that mean scope movies will have those black bars on them?
And how are the IMAX screens at those theaters? I live near one and the screen reaches from the floor to the ceiling.

Never went to a Dolby Cinema, Cinemark XD, or a Regal RPX before. I wanted to watch Arrival on Dolby Cinema in AMC Georgetown but alas it was a pain switching trains in DC and walking on foot afterwards when I underestimated how much time I had to get there. I did have the pleasure of going to all three of the Smithsonian IMAX theaters, and I think Udvar takes the overall cake in terms of presentation and sound. I wish the Smithsonian used the Johnson theater for theatrical presentations; I saw Interstellar there twice and it was awe-inspiring seeing it in 15/70.

EDIT: If they scored a 15/70 showing for Dunkirk, sign me the f*ck up. Also, imagine if they used the Johnson theater for replaying 15/70 prints from The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and the Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Never had the pleasure of seeing those movies the way they were meant to be seen

The Lockheed Martin IMAX theater's pretty great on image quality. It's an IMAX Laser screen, so while it's a digital projection you get nice bright and high quality presentation especially if you're watching in 3D. I saw Rogue One on Lockheed Martin and I thought the presentation overall was great. I couldn't really care less on 3D, but the colors and brightness were a lot better presented there than when I watched it on a conventional screen.

And hoo boy, the Dunkirk prologue that came with my Rogue One showing was AMAZING to behold. The IMAX footage held incredibly well, and while the 5/65 footage was noticeably a bit more grainy it looked a hell of a lot better than the 35mm footage from Interstellar. I'm seeing that b*tch on 15/70 on opening weekend and later sometime on IMAX Laser when I get the chance. So definitely go Lockheed Martin or Udvar for seeing Dunkirk in Laser

Originally Posted by ITDEFX101

I am not too sure if ID4 got an audio remix overhaul. Last year when I saw it during the ID4/ID:R double feature at the Alamo, the audio mix was not as strong compared to movies of today , including that of it's sequel. They did improve the PQ for the BR release.

Unfortunately all movies I have seen have black bars on them...it's just the way life is...pay big prices but lose a lot of space to the black bars.

Dubstar and Glados are experts on here when it comes to which ones have the best screens and audio. I swear they travel all over the DMV...listen to what they say. The Dolby Atmos at Tyson's corner sounds really good compared to Regal's RPX.

Actually I haven't had the luxury to travel everywhere to experience different venues. Wish I did, but juggling between studying engineering school and watching movies outside is kind of a pain in the ass.

[imdobe]

Yesterday I saw The Last Knight at the recently opened Laser IMAX in Bergamo, Italy. Over the years I've been to roughly 50 different IMAX locations all around the world. But Bergamo was by far the best IMAX experience ever (and that wasn't because of the movie). I will definitely visit again for Dunkirk.

[xbs2034]

Looks like Transformers is losing its premium screens quicker than expected. I already see Dolby Cinema and 4DX showings moving over to Baby Driver, as well as more of those and some IMAX screens going to Despicable Me 3 this weekend (don't know if I've ever seen a movie shot with IMAX cameras lose screens faster than two weeks before)

[ITDEFX101]

Has anyone noticed that at times Regal will dump a comedy on to their RPX Screen vs anything else? Big screen = Big Laughs? :| They did that with Neighbors 1 and 2 I think...

[Tony208]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

Looks like Transformers is losing its premium screens quicker than expected. I already see Dolby Cinema and 4DX showings moving over to Baby Driver, as well as more of those and some IMAX screens going to Despicable Me 3 this weekend (don't know if I've ever seen a movie shot with IMAX cameras lose screens faster than two weeks before)

At my theater it already has less showtimes than Wonder Woman 😲

[Geoff D]

TLK is sinking like a stone as far as US takings are concerned. Did not see that coming.