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

[pL86]

Update on Justice League playing in the wrong aspect ratio at the AMC Neshaminy outside Philadelphia: the movie played last night at the correct setting with pillarboxing on the sides. I had a phone conversation with a very nice and knowledgeable AMC operations guy on Monday who said they would get it fixed and he was good on his word. He suggested the problem may have been insufficient time in the changeover from Coco, which is a scope pic, to align the dual lens projector to flat for Justice League. He said his own experience as a projectionist with the Christie Dolby projector was that alignment took about an hour. I told him the theatre manager only cited the desire to to stop getting complaints about the pillarboxing, which the AMC operations guy agreed was not acceptable. Hopefully, that was made clear to the theatre manager.

As for the presentation itself, one of the most underwhelming examples of Dolby Vision I've seen.

[Dubstar]

AMC Georgetown certainly wow'd me with 'Murder on the Orient Express' on it's Dolby Cinema screen, but AMC Tyson's newly upgraded 3D Dolby Cinema auditorium and 'Titanic' was visually astounding - some sound issues still exist, and Tyson's seems to have partially solved the light bouncing back on the screen issue.

[CelluloidPal]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

AMC Georgetown certainly wow'd me with 'Murder on the Orient Express' on it's Dolby Cinema screen, but AMC Tyson's newly upgraded 3D Dolby Cinema auditorium and 'Titanic' was visually astounding - some sound issues still exist, and Tyson's seems to have partially solved the light bouncing back on the screen issue.

I was going to Tysons to see Titanic in Dolby 3D but was not sure that those issues were still there. Thanks for the heads up. If I'm going to see a movie in a Dolby theatre, I expect to get a quality presentation, especially for the cost of the ticket.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by CelluloidPal

I was going to Tysons to see Titanic in Dolby 3D but was not sure that those issues were still there. Thanks for the heads up. If I'm going to see a movie in a Dolby theatre, I expect to get a quality presentation, especially for the cost of the ticket.

don't get me wrong, visually it's top notch, just to resee this in 3D (it's superior even when compared to the IMAX 3D presentation) AND Dolby Vision cinema color grading this go round - it looks fantastic, just realize the sound is tad wonky, and the recliners don't rumble and move when ever there is major bass going on (thank god - I hate that feature) but when the ship crashes into the ocean after it splits in half the bass was tremendous and rocked the entire the auditorium to spectacular effect.. Really the red light haze is almost but not completely gone, it never drew me out of the movie. Tyson's DC screen IS the optimum screen to see this at.

[antovolk]

No AR changes on Star Wars. Confirmed this with UK press who saw it Monday night in IMAX laser: https://twitter.com/ADLeadbeater/sta...69461039861760 https://twitter.com/bholliday/status/940673897313292290 https://twitter.com/robbiereviews/st...97611429990400

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by antovolk

No AR changes on Star Wars. Confirmed this with UK press who saw it Monday night in IMAX laser: https://twitter.com/ADLeadbeater/sta...69461039861760 https://twitter.com/bholliday/status/940673897313292290

They did say that was at the Royal Albert Hall, though right. As a special venue, it may only be equipped to show scope (for instance I expect a locked AR on scope IMAX screens, similar to how I saw the last two Transformers).

Though if it was a 1.9 or 1.43 screen and used letterboxing, then we pretty much know for sure. It would be a shame to use 15/70 cameras and not fill the screen for those sequences I think only Lucy did that but it was a limited IMAX release and the shooting on IMAX information was barely advertised.

[antovolk]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

They did say that was at the Royal Albert Hall, though right. As a special venue, it may only be equipped to show scope (for instance I expect a locked AR on scope IMAX screens, similar to how I saw the last two Transformers).

Though if it was a 1.9 or 1.43 screen and used letterboxing, then we pretty much know for sure. It would be a shame to use 15/70 cameras and not fill the screen for those sequences I think only Lucy did that but it was a limited IMAX release and the shooting on IMAX information was barely advertised.

No, the screening last night was at Leicester Sq IMAX laser in 1.9:1. Albert Hall is tonight and has a 2.40:1 IMAX screen specially installed.

Yes, exactly the same case as Lucy. only the French marketing materials and IMAX trailer mentioned that it actually had stuff shot on the cameras.

[GLaDOS]

Weird choice to not show the aspect ratio changes for IMAX exhibition if the movie was partially shot with 15/70 cameras. Even weirder that it's getting 15/70 exhibitions despite it being framed at 2.40:1 all the way.

Still, now it makes sense that the IMAX marketing for TLJ doesn't have the "select sequences filmed with IMAX cameras" disclaimer. Shame though.

[GLaDOS]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR-aS_noe0I

They did shoot in IMAX, but I reckon Johnson and DP Steve Yedlin used the cameras for the sake of experimenting with the format, quality purposes and all.

[xbs2034]

https://www.imax.com/content/imax®-a...l-through-2019

Here the press release which announced IMAX shooting on The Last Jedi and included a production photo. The release specifically mentioned the "exclusive aspect ratio" as one of the immersive benefits to the IMAX shot sequences, and that Disney would expand their IMAX marketing on films shot in IMAX and using expanded aspect ratio.

Obviously something changed since February, I recall The Last Knight also was advertising exclusive aspect ratio around this time before we learned the variable aspect ratio was part of the regular DCP. Perhaps IMAX loosened up on its contracts for using the cameras, and Johnson prefers a locked aspect ratio even while he likes the image quality with the IMAX cameras, while Bay likes the variable aspect ratio being as wide as possible.

[ITDEFX101]

Well we are going to officially find out Thursday night. Son of a ***** I have been saving my free IMAX passes (given to me by the head IMAX QA guy) for this movie and to find out it's going to be locked down...ugh...

[BLMN]

Originally Posted by ITDEFX101

Well we are going to officially find out Thursday night. Son of a ***** I have been saving my free IMAX passes (given to me by the head IMAX QA guy) for this movie and to find out it's going to be locked down...ugh...

Disney almost never allow re admit passes, discounts, employee pass, courtesy and you name it on the first 14 days and sometimes more. They need all the money they can get

[antovolk]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

https://www.imax.com/content/imax®-a...l-through-2019

Here the press release which announced IMAX shooting on The Last Jedi and included a production photo. The release specifically mentioned the "exclusive aspect ratio" as one of the immersive benefits to the IMAX shot sequences, and that Disney would expand their IMAX marketing on films shot in IMAX and using expanded aspect ratio.

Obviously something changed since February, I recall The Last Knight also was advertising exclusive aspect ratio around this time before we learned the variable aspect ratio was part of the regular DCP. Perhaps IMAX loosened up on its contracts for using the cameras, and Johnson prefers a locked aspect ratio even while he likes the image quality with the IMAX cameras, while Bay likes the variable aspect ratio being as wide as possible.

Yeah, seems like once the final edit has been locked Johnson didn't feel opening up to 1.43 worked.

[ITDEFX101]

Originally Posted by BLMN

Disney almost never allow re admit passes, discounts, employee pass, courtesy and you name it on the first 14 days and sometimes more. They need all the money they can get

The passes have an actual value (have to check the email) so it's like those promos where you buy a BR you get 7.50 off an upcoming movie..but I think the value is about 14 or 15... I can't remember. I will have to figure it out when I try to redeem the codes.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by BLMN

Disney almost never allow re admit passes, discounts, employee pass, courtesy and you name it on the first 14 days and sometimes more. They need all the money they can get

I suppose a lot depends on the chain. But from what I've seen if you have AMC coupon tickets from Costco, or want to buy your ticket using Regal Crown Club points, that's true. But if you have a readmit pass (say due to technical issues with an earlier screening), there is no restriction on the movie you can see.

Those passes will usually also let you see a premium format screening for free (just used one a week ago for Titanic in Dolby Cinema 3D, and used one earlier for Interstellar in IMAX)

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by GLaDOS

Weird choice to not show the aspect ratio changes for IMAX exhibition if the movie was partially shot with 15/70 cameras. Even weirder that it's getting 15/70 exhibitions despite it being framed at 2.40:1 all the way.

Still, now it makes sense that the IMAX marketing for TLJ doesn't have the "select sequences filmed with IMAX cameras" disclaimer. Shame though.

I'm soooo glad that I didn't make arrangements to schlep into London to see the 15/70 at the Science Museum. Hell, I'm not even gonna bother going to a regular cinema to see it, I'll wait for my local second-run theatre to get it which should be the middle of January.

[antovolk]

Came back from midnight IMAX 3D, no AR shifts and no 'filmed with IMAX cameras' intro either, just the regular old one.

[dannphou]

Originally Posted by antovolk

Came back from midnight IMAX 3D, no AR shifts and no 'filmed with IMAX cameras' intro either, just the regular old one.

Which theater did you go to?

It's weird how they filmed but decided not to use it!

[antovolk]

Originally Posted by dannphou

Which theater did you go to?

It's weird how they filmed but decided not to use it!

Empire Leicester Sq in London. 1.9:1 IMAX Laser but widest in the UK, even wider than the BFI.

[Kaonashi]

I saw it at a "premium" large format called "MAXX" (sounds like rip-off IMAX, I know), the whole film was 1.90:1, and during the credits you could see that the sides were cut off because the text was cut off too. It bugged me because I got the feeling that a few of the shots I recognised from the trailers looked zoomed in/cropped, and started wondering if maybe the theatre had been projecting it wrong.

EDIT: by "it" I mean Star Wars: The Last Jedi, forgot I was posting in a general IMAX thread.