IMAX: MODERN CINEMA’S TRUE NORTH STAR
OK, as much as I was talking about the doom and gloom of how multiplexes are inevitably fucked for not changing with the times, I then remembered a quote that American auteur Brad Bird said about IMAX being the last bastion of our modern cinematic experience. So I did what any other cynic in this field did: I went to my local IMAX to be reminded of that. And the venue that I went to was the real deal, none of that FakeMax crap that you see in multiplexes across the country these days.
No the last time we went to this particular venue, it was around January 2015 when I took my girlfriend to see Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (2014) and the venue looked really nice. From the looks of the lobby, it feels as if I stepped into the set of Jurassic Park (1993), only without the danger of being eaten by a huge dinosaur.
Unlike modern multiplexes, this venue is one massive screen. But before we can all go into the actual screening room, we all have to stand in line, a line that is comparable to that of an amusement park ride at Universal or Six Flags.
Before moving on, I’d like to mention that this particular venue has had a reputation of only displaying mostly educational subjects, since it is an aquarium, why not? But every once in a blue moon, this particular venue exhibits a major motion picture, which is always a very exciting thing to see. And in the last six years, I had the privilege of viewing Star Trek, Avatar, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, & Interstellar. All of these films were shown in glorious 70mm. The only difference about this recent experience is that the venue just underwent renovations by replacing their 70mm projectors with IMAX’s brand new laser projection system and an upgraded 12 channel sound system. And to make the experience even more special, there are only 15 of these nifty set ups available in the world.
And to mark this auspicious occasion, the first BIG feature that was requested by the organization’s Facebook group was Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Now when I first heard that IMAX would be slowly converting their venues from their 70mm projection system to their new laser system, I was a bit frightened as to why this company would make such a change after relying on celluloid for so long? In their defense, technology for projection systems are always moving forward. I see now why IMAX decided to license their brand and prototype technology (2 2K projectors that when combined make a 4K image) to theater chains across the country. They wanted to make sure that their prototypes did well in the wild before making the leap in their official venues with equipment that was 100 times better.
Here’s a video that shows off this beautiful new tech.
Here’s a time-lapse video of the installation of the new GIANT screen at the TN Aquarium:
So did the movie look good in IMAX laser?
Watching The Force Awakens in 3D Laser is truly an experience that NEEDS to be seen to be believed. The colors are much more vibrant, the contrast ratios were just amazing; the color & brightness gamuts are just damn flawless. And what truly fascinating is that there was little to no ghosting when wearing the 3D glasses. I started to notice that about halfway through when I found myself tilting my head many times in a number of different directions.
What fascinated me most about the speaker setup was the fact that there were four overhead speakers, which I can assume were inspired by the Dolby Atmos setup. Whenever we’re watching the Tie Fighters or the Millennium Falcon whoosh by the screen, you can feel those fierce vibrations in not just the seats, but all over your body.
To which the following thought hit like an egg to the face: most modern theatre chains are doing this wrong. Though I still stand by my doom and gloom assessment that the multiplex is dying, I also came to the conclusion that no theater chain — hell, not even our own homes can replicate the immersive experience that IMAX offers, which is key to their survival. Upon further observation, it’s just simple economics that the multiplex model of delivering day and date entertainment is proving to be less valuable as time goes on. Which leads to the old saying that someday, the chickens are going to come to roost or the cream will soon rise to the top. What I’m saying is that movie theaters will still exist, but it’s venues like IMAX, The Alamo Drafthouse, and the Arclight that will be that cream that will rise to the top. And it’s because they’ve developed a reputation on putting a premium on the cinematic experience. And that is what an audience truly values.
Until next time kiddos…
