jstn:

azizisbored:

If you don’t want the whole long story, I did some research online and found this article that explains it. Basically IMAX is whoring out their brand name and trying to trick people. These new “IMAX” theatres are really just nice digital screens with good sound, but they ARE NOT IMAX, in that they don’t have the huge 72 ft gigantic screen which people would expect. However, they still charge $5 more for tickets as they would for the regular IMAX.

The IMAX brand is basically self-destructing, and it’s sad because the IMAX format really is something special (it’s more than just a big screen, it’s big film shot on big cameras). After getting duped last year by AMC Empire I decided I was done with regular 35mm movies blown up to IMAX size, but I’ll still see movies that use the real IMAX format (e.g. Dark Knight), I’ll just go to Lincoln Center where they have a real IMAX setup.

If your local multiplex suddenly offers an “IMAX experience” and they haven’t been under construction for months to put in a 72-foot tall screen, be suspicious; it’s probably just a 2K digital projector. What’s IMAX going to do when all movie theater projectors inevitably go digital? According to /Film, AMC is putting Sony 4K projectors into all their theaters by 2012. Oops.

By the way, my favorite theater in New York for most movies is the Ziegfeld on 54th, which has a single screen with an awesome NEC 2K projector that’s on par with what they’re now calling “IMAX”, but they won’t charge you an extra $5. It also happens to be a cool building that retains its beautiful ’60s red velvet & chandelier interior.

Stupid IMAX.

I rarely reblog posts as I feel it gets redundant, but this is a very valid and educated point of view. Shame on IMAX? Possibly. I won’t go into meltdown mode yet, but theater companies tricking people with a slew of new projection technologies is silly. None of it really matters until my ticket price goes up… then I start getting really critical on what upgrades have actually been done.

The theater chain (Carmike Cinema) around here made a move to Christie DLP-based 2K projectors around summer 2007 and most movies immediately started looking better. Fortunately, though, ticket prices stayed the same.

In the past year I’ve been to a few AMC theaters that have a few special “digital” screens that only show certain movies. I’m not sure they used the IMAX moniker, but I do know the ticket prices were higher. Beware on your moviegoing experiences. Don’t be tricked into paying for a marketing term.

Fin.