The IMAX Thread

Mercifully, the theater near my apartment has apparently just finished installing an IMAX screen/room/whatever. Until then, the only one I was aware of the area (though I'm sure there are others) was the Omnimax in the Carnegie Science Center.

Naturally, this is very convenient for me, being in the theater I usually go to anyway. I saw one IMAX feature years ago (it was about caving), but I've never seen a "real" movie in this format. The new screen, along with the re-release of The Dark Knight = I'm going in a few hours.

In the meantime, I wanted to get everyone's impressions of the whole IMAX experience thingamajig. How does it effect movies? Have you seen a movie both in a normal theater, and in an IMAX one? If so, how does it compare? How does it differ? What about films like The Dark Knight, that filmed some scenes with an IMAX camera?

I'll have my own answers and impressions by the end of the day, if all goes well, but the adoption rate on all this seems to be going up, so I wanted to get your thoughts on whether or not it's unnecessary, good for certain films, good when the IMAX camera is used, the future of cinema altogether, etc.

Discuss!

I think a lot of it depends on the IMAX theater itself. An IMAX theater that was made to be an IMAX theater is the bee's knees. A theater that was retro-fitted to be an IMAX theater, while excellent, isn't as good as the real thing. The great thing about both of them is they come equipped with a pair of super projectors that provide some crazy awesome, retina blazing, visuals. Also the sound is turned up to 11 thanks to the monster speakers that are hard to stop looking at once you've noticed them.

As far as seeing a movie in IMAX or in a regular theater, of course I'd rather see it on IMAX. Superior picture and sound, mang. I'd be silly not too. With a movie like The Dark Knight where some of the scenes were shot in IMAX, it's pretty nuts. Like, "sensory overload" kind of nuts. Some people actually don't go for that though and would prefer a less intimidating out of home entertainment experience. Me? I lovez it.

One little quibble I have is that the projectors don't seem to have quite caught up with the camera technology yet because pixels are still apparent if you're not far away from the screen. Minor quibble though.

I saw the Dark Knight at a real IMAX theater. It was awesome but I did not see it in a normal theater to compare it to. I also have seen a specially made movie for IMAX Jordan to the MAX and that was really awesome!!!

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I never been to an imax theater. Maybe i will some day. But right now to expensive!

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So far I've only seen some documentary type movies in IMAX, I was actually supposed to see I Am Legend in IMAX but it turns out the theater we were going to go to was an IMAX theater that only showed the documentary type movies. I was also supposed to see Kung Fu Panda in IMAX over the summer, but it turns out we didn't go because my dad didn't think it was worth the extra money. I'm going to be seeing my very first IMAX feature movie ever in like a month though, because my mom already said that we would drive up to the nearest IMAX theater that has it (which just happens to be my Aunt and Uncle live). The timing is perfect too, because my mom was already going up that weekend because both of Uncles have a birthday that weekend. So my mom said me and my cousin could go on that weekend, because my cousin really wants to see Watchmen as well.

I've seen Robots the Dreamworks animated feature and The Polar Express 3D. Robots was kind of a waste of time on an IMAX screen, i saw it an ordinary cinema too and you get the same effect from the film. But the polar express was magnificent, especially in 3D. I think it really makes a world of difference with the right film.

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Undercoverlovers 100 REDUX

Went ahead and saw The Dark Knight as planned. My lady friend and I were the only ones in the 350-seat theater for 95% of the movie.

At first, the difference was striking. Almost frightening. The screen is so much bigger; it stretches all the way down to the ceiling, floor, and the walls, and it's noticably louder. But halfway through the film, most of the effect had worn off; save for the bass, which made the seats shake.

Anyway, this was converted from a normal theater, so perhaps that had something to do with it. Also, it could be one of those things that seems similar to the old way...until you go back to it. I had something like this happen to me with DVDs, where I found them underwhelming right until I had to go back and watch something on VHS. So perhaps IMAX was underwhelming only because it was competing with artificially enhanced memories.

Still, all other things being equal, if the bass were toned down a bit, it's clearly better, even in this incarnation. Bigger screen, after all. It may not have blown me away, but the first 10 minutes were pretty remarkable.

I'll need to check something out on the Omnimax here, and catch a movie on a regular screen this weekend to get a better handle on it all.

I saw The Matrix Reloaded in both IMAX and a regular theatre. The difference was I could count the pores on Fishburn's face.

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Suspect's Reviews

Good job on watching The Dark Knight on IMAX, my man.

Your experience was very similar to my first time at the IMAX. The Dark Knight was the first ever film I had seen on that format, so it was a pretty significant affair for me.

I, like you, felt overwhelmed even during the trailers. Seeing Watchmen and Star Trek trailers converted onto IMAX was quite intimidating, but seeing the actual IMAX footage of The Dark Knight was something else. You are spot on when you say it is almost frightening. There is a threatrical ride element to it.

As far as the effect wearing off, yeah, i admit, I got that a little bit. But then we have to remember that only 25% of film was filmed with IMAX cameras, so i'm thinking that the 'normal' scenes had something to do with that. Imagine if the WHOLE film had filmed on IMAX? Everytime there was an IMAX shot I had my mouth wide open. I just found the scenes jaw droppingly...immense. To me there is a huge difference between watching a film converted to IMAX and watching a film on IMAX. A film converted to IMAX is a little bit more immersive than a film at a normal cinema. Watching a film that has IMAX footage, however, is something else.

Bigger is better in the case of screen. I think as film fans, we all get to a point in our lives where it becomes harder and harder to be absorbed by a film. It's different when we were kids, where even watching VHS on a 24 inch television would take your soul. The only way to conquer this is through a bigger screen, and IMAX is the only way as it, depending on where you sit, takes over your entire field of vision so that the screen is all you know. Y'know, even the quieter IMAX moments were stunning.

Yoda, after you've watched a few films in a normal cinema go back and watch another IMAX film. Even a converted one, and you'll appreciate it more. It worked for me. I appreciated The Dark Knight even more when I saw it a 2nd time on IMAX...and that was after seeing it about 6 times in the normal cinema!

Only reason i'm seeing Transformers 2 because of it's IMAX scenes. Also, do yourselves a favour, don't bother going out of your way to watch 3D films. This 3D nonesense has run it's course and believe me when I say that it is nowhere NEAR as immersive as watching a film on IMAX.

Also, try not to go to an IMAX too often otherwise you run the risk of becoming desensitised to it, unless it's filmed on IMAX of course. And just to back up what Lusty Argon said, your experience also depends on your IMAX venue. The BFI IMAX isn't the best IMAX in the world. In fact, I think it's considered to be a bit of a disappointing IMAX going by what our American cousins have said. Yet, I was blown away by it! Go to a world renowned IMAX. Like one in New York and there might be an even bigger difference.

There's a locally-owned (Norn Ireland) IMAX cinema but I've never had the chance to check it out. The reason for this is that the locally-owned (Norn Ireland) IMAX cinema is if flippin' Bournemouth. That's Bournemouth, England.

And I think even that one closed down.

There was one in Belfast once but it only ever showed 2 films...

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I watched 300 in a normal cinema then on an IMAX screen...gotta say...the gay was much greater in IMAX! (that's a joke by the way!)

Lol, that wouldn't happen to be the Sheridan IMAX would it?

To be honest, you are better off travelling all the way to London to watch a film on IMAX. I've heard a lot about other IMAX's in Britain and they are considered to be pretty poor.

Yep, that's the one. The only reason I mention it is because I heard something on the radio about it being permanently 'closed for refurbishment', which probably tells you all you need to know about its popularity.

I dunno if I'd travel to London just to see a movie in an IMAX cinema. Depands when I can get a flight.