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

[singhcr]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

I'm surprised it took them so long.

The format was originally designed for documentaries which don't have a lot of on scene dialogue and given how heavy the cameras already are I imagine sound proofing wasn't high on the list of priorities. There wasn't enough usage of these cameras to warrant new designs and frankly I am surprised they are making new ones, but obviously I am very happy to hear it.

[Cherokee Jack]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

Depends on the location, I think I’ve been to 4 Dolby Cinemas and two had rumble but two didn’t

Originally Posted by Poya

The rumble is due to the speakers being bassy as hell. IMAX has them, too.

Dolby Cinema recliners have special buttkickers built in. Intensity varies from theater to theater and movie to movie. I’ve been to a brand new Dolby Cinema where it was clear they hadn’t turned the rumble on but otherwise there has almost always been at least some rumble. The seats do need to be plugged in to work but you’d know if it’s not plugged in since it wouldn’t recline either without power.

Some IMAX have Dolby recliners but the buttkickers are exclusive to Dolby. You can feel some rumble at IMAX theaters due to the very loud volume but it’s nothing compared to what Dolby Cinema is capable of.

[BluBonnet]

AMC-Owned Odeon Cinemas Relinquishes BFI IMAX, U.K.’s Biggest IMAX Screen

[FAShaffi]

Has anyone happened to catch "Lightyear" in 1.43 yet? I believe the first 30 minutes are in 1.43. I was going to see it last week at Lincoln Sq. in NYC but sadly missed it, might see it in 1.90 soon

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by FAShaffi

Has anyone happened to catch "Lightyear" in 1.43 yet? I believe the first 30 minutes are in 1.43. I was going to see it last week at Lincoln Sq. in NYC but sadly missed it, might see it in 1.90 soon

Yes, but it's not the first 30 minutes exclusively.

[hanshotfirst1138]

Sigh. My big IMAX overhauled their 15/70 a few years ago. Go down swinging, celluloid. Go down swinging. That said, I have heard the new 4K stuff is breathtaking. I don’t object to it or anything, they just haven’t show anything which interests me recently.

[Geoff D]

https://www.bfi.org.uk/news/bfi-imax-operated-bfi

Since when did the BFI IMAX have a 4K install? Been 2K digital for aaaaaaaaaages because they don't want to spend the cash to upgrade a site that could well be sold off soon. Even the wording itself is weird as the "large format IMAX GT projection system" runs on from the mention of 15/70 but one is mos def not the other! Prolly just a puff piece put together by someone who's got no idea.

Still, if they're FINALLY putting in a 4K projector in at some point then I can see myself making a lot more trips to Laaaandon in future.

[Scorpion Soldier]

Originally Posted by FAShaffi

Has anyone happened to catch "Lightyear" in 1.43 yet? I believe the first 30 minutes are in 1.43. I was going to see it last week at Lincoln Sq. in NYC but sadly missed it, might see it in 1.90 soon

Not the first 30, but I'd say about 30-40 minutes throughout. The entire opening is in 1.43:1 but several of the big set pieces throughout are presented like that as well. Honestly, I found it to be an excellent use of the format.

[Fang Zei]

The AMC Georgetown in Washington, DC doesn’t seem to be selling tickets for Black Panther in Imax.

Could it be they are upgrading to Laser and 12-channel in preparation for Avatar 2 or am I getting my hopes up?

[FAShaffi]

Originally Posted by Fang Zei

The AMC Georgetown in Washington, DC doesn’t seem to be selling tickets for Black Panther in Imax.

Could it be they are upgrading to Laser and 12-channel in preparation for Avatar 2 or am I getting my hopes up?

ooh let's hope so! always good to have more IMAX Lasers in the area

[Fang Zei]

Originally Posted by FAShaffi

ooh let's hope so! always good to have more IMAX Lasers in the area

Update:

I just checked again and they *are* now selling Imax tickets for Wakanda Forever. Maybe they just really wanted to make sure those other screens sold a good amount of tickets first before they opened up the Imax seats. They do have a dolby cinema there after all.

It still doesn’t say “with laser” below the Imax logo for those showtimes, so maybe I got excited over nothing.

I guess that doesn’t *necessarily* mean they’re not converting to laser. Black Adam Imax showtimes still aren’t showing up there after the 26th but they are for the other formats, which seems weird to me since that’s a Wednesday and you’d think they’d at least have it scheduled through next Thursday. The One Piece movie is the only other thing currently listed on Imax’s website between now and Black Panther. That opens on the 4th, and Georgetown is already selling tickets for it … but not in Imax.

Another Update:

I talked to one of the managers there today on my way in to see Black Adam and apparently they are upgrading the Imax theater soon … but only to add recliner seats.

However, he didn’t seem to even be aware that *any* Imax theaters were laser until I explained that some of them (and I mentioned Tysons Corner and Rio) had gotten the upgrade. I guess we’ll see.

[Pieter V]

[Poya]

Not a single original movie in there. I weep for the state of blockbusters.

[unberechenbar]

Not a single one with expanded aspect ratios? I would have expected it from Oppenheimer at least. And I’m guessing Blue Beetle is another superhero movie?

[Pieter V]

Originally Posted by unberechenbar

Not a single one with expanded aspect ratios? I would have expected it from Oppenheimer at least. And I’m guessing Blue Beetle is another superhero movie?

Oppenheimer (2023) and Creed III (2023) will but the list simply does not mention it. Just ignore that.

[Scorpion Soldier]

Originally Posted by unberechenbar

Not a single one with expanded aspect ratios? I would have expected it from Oppenheimer at least. And I’m guessing Blue Beetle is another superhero movie?

"Filmed in IMAX" is slowly becoming exactly that. Most films on the list are filmed with digital IMAX-certified cameras, so they're just changing how they label it all.

[Poya]

You know it's BS when Dear Evan Hansen is considered an IMAX movie simply because of the camera they used.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by Pieter V

Oppenheimer (2023) and Creed III (2023) will but the list simply does not mention it. Just ignore that.

I’m assuming everything that has the “filmed for IMAX” tag will have expanded aspect ratio. Quantumania already has an expanded aspect ratio IMAX trailer, and Guardians and Dune seem like no brainers for instance.

[Lee A Stewart]

Shooting in 15/70 IMAX film has become so expensive that literally only one director uses it: C. Nolan. It suffered the same fate as 3 strip Techinolor. Superior results. Super expensive. Easy replacment for a fraction of the cost. The replacement is . . . good enough.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Shooting in 15/70 IMAX film has become so expensive that literally only one director uses it: C. Nolan. It suffered the same fate as 3 strip Techinolor. Superior results. Super expensive. Easy replacment for a fraction of the cost. The replacement is . . . good enough.

Wonder Woman 1984, No Time to Die, and Nope all used 15/70 footage in the past couple years. Yeah, there are huge technical limitations and expenses with it, but given how shooting on even 35mm film is way less common than it used to be, clearly there is some support left for that format.