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

[seannyd]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

that's too bad, but I'd rather see this in 4K and not 2K 3D.



although there's no reasoning behind the conversion they did state this on their Facebook page:

"Kathy, while we've moved away from IMAX, we'll be featuring a great collection of mission-focused movies once our Giant Screen Experience opens this spring. Keep an eye on our website for our new showtimes to be released. Hopefully you'll join us to see the new theater!"

maybe they didn't want to get stuck with some of the dreck that IMAX is releasing - i.e, 'Gods of Egypt' - licensing and maintaining IMAX is a pretty expensive venture for some institutions and museums. Harrisburg Pennsylvania's Whitaker Center Select Medical (former) Imax Theatre changed over to standard digital projection (which actually got them in trouble since they were leased to IMAX for another few years - oops)

Theater's are realizing that with the advances in cinema projection and audio - it makes more sense to custom install a 4K and laser DLP systems, upgrade the audio to Dolby Atmos and not be wedded to IMAX, which also guarantees more movies than what IMAX offers.

Well, given that they were film based and not digital, and fewer and fewer IMAX prints being processed in general, I understand the need to move to digital. But I didn't fully understand why they dropped IMAX support since when movies are filmed in IMAX, we're not going to be getting the shifting aspect ratios since I imagine IMAX will keep that as an exclusive. If they get many Hollywood movies at all.

It does appear they're getting some IMAX content. I don't know. I wish they'd release some more information about it. It is very unfortunate under the current circumstances.

[MrsMiniver]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

Theater's are realizing that with the advances in cinema projection and audio - it makes more sense to custom install a 4K and laser DLP systems, upgrade the audio to Dolby Atmos and not be wedded to IMAX, which also guarantees more movies than what IMAX offers.

I am not so sure that this is true. Standalone classic, museum type IMAX Theaters are not converting over to 4K/Atmos systems because they don't want to be wedded to what IMAX is doing. They are converting over because they "think" they can attract a bigger audience to their locations without the IMAX nameplate by showing whatever they want to watch. The bigger problem is that these locations are single screen locations and cannot really compete with a standard multiplex which are all having difficulty attracting patrons to the over screen, over capacity venues. Playing Hollywood films or non-IMAX stuff is not going to all of a sudden turn around an under performing stand alone location.

Nobody goes to the Henry Ford to watch a blockbuster Hollywood movie, they go to the watch IMAX Museum fare which is what the location was originally designed for. The problem is that the this type of film/concept is no longer viable.
You can have no IMAX, or IMAX it is not going to make a difference.

And before you say, they showed up for Interstellar or other 15/70 Hollywood fare, yes they did. But these are still one-off movies that work for a very short while.

These locations were designed for documentary films that would compliment the visit to the museum. It just so happens that this concept has faded.

[antovolk]

If anyone here missed out on BFI IMAX tickets, the Science Museum is also showing BvS in 70mm IMAX film: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visi...e-70mm-imax-2d

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by antovolk

If anyone here missed out on BFI IMAX tickets, the Science Museum is also showing BvS in 70mm IMAX film: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visi...e-70mm-imax-2d

Not a single BFI screening is sold out that I can see, not even the first midnight showing.

[antovolk]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Not a single BFI screening is sold out that I can see, not even the first midnight showing.

Yeah but the actually good seats are gone. For midnight most definitely.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by antovolk

Yeah but the actually good seats are gone. For midnight most definitely.

What, you mean people don't enjoy sitting right at the front of a 65 foot high screen and having to crane their heads back by 90 degrees just to be able to take some of it in? Point taken. When I made the mistake of sitting about a third of the way up when watching Transformers 2 it felt like I was being t-bagged by Devastator's giant robot balls.

Thankfully the first week in April is still nice and clear, that's when I'm going so I'll be able to book the seat I want, and all without staying up all night hammering the F5 key to refresh the website in a frantic rush for tickets. I think it's fair to say there hasn't been a stampede for BvS at the BFI thus far.

[Goldensuitcase]

So those familiar with watching a big budget action film like BATMAN V SUPERMAN, can you give me some recommendations on where to sit and what to expect in terms of viewing for an actual IMAX theater?

Thank you.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by Goldensuitcase

So those familiar with watching a big budget action film like BATMAN V SUPERMAN, can you give me some recommendations on where to sit and what to expect in terms of viewing for an actual IMAX theater?

Thank you.

I certainly like setting in the middle of the row, and probably best not to sit too close to the screen. With BvS I have middle of fifth row tickets at the roughly 60 foot wide digital IMAX at AMC Empire 25, and while I would have rather sat a row or two further back it shouldn't be bad (others were already reserved if I wanted to sit in middle of the row), though when I was in San Francisco I got tickets to the laser IMAX there roughly in similar seats and discovered upon seeing the film that it was too close to be ideal IMO.

[Geoff D]

I think directors who use IMAX want you to sit closer so that it fills your field of vision, but the problems come when you're watching on a screen that's so large that if you sit too close you end up staring up gigantic nostrils half the time, and have to snap your head from side to side to follow the action like you're at a bloody tennis match.

I much prefer the back few rows, side or center doesn't bother me, anything down past the top quarter of rows at the BFI is neckache central. It makes the transitions from wide to tall even more impressive because I can actually see what's going on.

[42041]

Originally Posted by Goldensuitcase

So those familiar with watching a big budget action film like BATMAN V SUPERMAN, can you give me some recommendations on where to sit and what to expect in terms of viewing for an actual IMAX theater?

Thank you.

Assuming it's a 2K blowup like most big budget action films I'd sit as far back as I can from a full-size IMAX screen.

[UFAlien]

I'm quite surprised to have just found out how much the shape of IMAX screens apparently varies. I'd always heard auditoriums originally intended for 15/70 projection were roughly 1.33:1 - 1.44:1 and that IMAX Digital screens were 1.90:1, but if Large Format Examiner's measurements are to be believed it's really not standardized. Just in New England alone their listings include IMAX Digital screens with ratios varying from 1.56:1 to 2.09:1!

Apparently the one I used to go to in Boston is 2.07:1, which is almost exactly the mathematical mid-point between 16:9 and 2.40:1. Which sounds smart, except that from what I remember they had a habit of filling the screen most of the time which meant always either cropping or opening mattes (a FEW movies I do remember seeing pillarboxed there, but never letterboxed). I remember 100% that the reissue of Raiders of the Lost Ark was cropped to fill the screen.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by UFAlien

I'm quite surprised to have just found out how much the shape of IMAX screens apparently varies. I'd always heard auditoriums originally intended for 15/70 projection were roughly 1.33:1 - 1.44:1 and that IMAX Digital screens were 1.90:1, but if Large Format Examiner's measurements are to be believed it's really not standardized. Just in New England alone their listings include IMAX Digital screens with ratios varying from 1.56:1 to 2.09:1!

Apparently the one I used to go to in Boston is 2.07:1, which is almost exactly the mathematical mid-point between 16:9 and 2.40:1. Which sounds smart, except that from what I remember they had a habit of filling the screen most of the time which meant always either cropping or opening mattes (a FEW movies I do remember seeing pillarboxed there, but never letterboxed). I remember 100% that the reissue of Raiders of the Lost Ark was cropped to fill the screen.

Yes, there's no consistency with digital IMAX, probably cause many of the screens are retrofits of multiplex screens.

In NYC the 34st and Lincoln Square are 1.9 digital (though shown windowboxed in Lincoln's case), the Empire is a midpoint between 1.9 and 2.4 and gets some expansion in IMAX formatted films, and the Kips Bay is actually straight up 2.4 (noticed this with Age of Extinction and was ticked off there was no expansion for IMAX footage as that's big reason I saw it in IMAX, and will never see an IMAX formatted film there again, though did see Deadpool there just recently as its 2.4 film).

The only difference is I don't recall any unusual cropping for those screens (maybe for a 1.85 film, but that's not most films and at least close to the ideal digital IMAX AR), and 2.4 films are always presented letterbox. The only IMAX film I saw at the Boston Common was Final Destination 5, and don't recall how it was done.

[Geoff D]

Just booked my BvS 15/70 seat at the BFI. Sweeeet.

[antovolk]

Turns out the 2D digital/laser IMAX shows in the US were done at Nolan's request: http://www.hsx.com/forum/forum.php?id=3&pid=370964

[xbs2034]

I believe it has been confirmed that Batman v Superman has 25 minutes of native IMAX footage (spread throughout multiple scenes), and Civil War has 15 minutes- all in the film's big set-piece, right? And that seems to be it for Hollywood films using IMAX cameras this year.

BTW, anyone know what it is going on with the IMAX at AMC Meteron? I was gonna suggest my brother in law see BvS there (saw Force Awakens in laser there when I visited San Fran and it's an awesome screen) but not only are no advance show times posted for BvS IMAX there, the current daily schedule lists no IMAX showings, and the AMC Theaters webpage doesn't have an "IMAX" mention/option like they do for their other IMAX locations.

https://www.amctheatres.com/movie-th...amc-metreon-16

Did they close the IMAX or are doing another renovation just six months after doing the very expensive laser one? It seems really strange.

[antovolk]

BTW forgot to report back here after seeing this at the London IMAX premiere Tuesday night - BvS in 70mm IMAX was absolutely GORGEOUS. Seeing it again at same location in a couple hours.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by antovolk

BTW forgot to report back here after seeing this at the London IMAX premiere Tuesday night - BvS in 70mm IMAX was absolutely GORGEOUS. Seeing it again at same location in a couple hours.

Yup even in digital IMAX, I thought the IMAX scenes looked gorgeous. And I liked the way Snyder handled the ratios- kept in IMAX format the whole time during its four scenes rather than cutting back and forth (though I could tell some of the times he snuck regular 70mm footage in there as a substitute when the IMAX camera wouldn't have worked).

I also thought, despite a number of problems, the movie was pretty good overall and an improvement on Man of Steel. May go again next week to see it in 70mm

[GLaDOS]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

Yup even in digital IMAX, I thought the IMAX scenes looked gorgeous. And I liked the way Snyder handled the ratios- kept in IMAX format the whole time during its four scenes rather than cutting back and forth (though I could tell some of the times he snuck regular 70mm footage in there as a substitute when the IMAX camera wouldn't have worked).

I also thought, despite a number of problems, the movie was pretty good overall and an improvement on Man of Steel. May go again next week to see it in 70mm

Haven't seen the movie, but would these four scenes happen to be

[Show spoiler]the murder of the Waynes, the Knightmare sequence, Batman vs Superman, and the Doomsday fight?

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by GLaDOS

Haven't seen the movie, but would these four scenes happen to be

[Show spoiler]the murder of the Waynes, the Knightmare sequence, Batman vs Superman, and the Doomsday fight?

The first three are right (its actually the whole Batman origin, not just the Waynes' murder though), but the Doomsday fight is not in IMAX and it's a different sequence (can't really describe without heavy spoilers though)

[JustAnEpicPerson]

Originally Posted by antovolk

Turns out the 2D digital/laser IMAX shows in the US were done at Nolan's request: http://www.hsx.com/forum/forum.php?id=3&pid=370964

I find that interesting. This isn't the first time WB did 3D and 2D IMAX shows, Man of Steel did that, which may also be for Nolan, but Pacific Rim also did it, and I don't think Nolan had any business with that movie.