Comments on: Farewell to IMAX http://www.needcoffee.com/2010/01/31/farewell-imax/ The Official Website of the Sleep Deprivation Institute Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:04:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Widge http://www.needcoffee.com/2010/01/31/farewell-imax/comment-page-1/#comment-259811 Widge Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:39:00 +0000 http://www.needcoffee.com/?p=15015#comment-259811 I think one of the IMAX docus is indeed the way to go...and non-3D. If somebody wanted to project, say, Blue Planet onto a screen that size I think I'd be all over it. :-) I think one of the IMAX docus is indeed the way to go...and non-3D. If somebody wanted to project, say, Blue Planet onto a screen that size I think I'd be all over it. :-)

]]> By: James Hyder http://www.needcoffee.com/2010/01/31/farewell-imax/comment-page-1/#comment-259802 James Hyder Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:23:11 +0000 http://www.needcoffee.com/?p=15015#comment-259802 One thing you should know about "Avatar" is that Cameron decided to shrink the image on IMAX film prints. Hollywood films never fill the full height of a classic IMAX screen like the one at the Mall of Georgia, but instead of filling the full width and about 75% of the height the frame, "Avatar" was shrunk to about 80% of the width and 60% of the height. So the image takes up less than half the full area of that giant screen. This may have been partly responsible for your disappointment with the experience. Also, people who start out with the IMAX Dome experience often feel the standard flat-screen IMAX experience is not as impressive. Personally, I prefer the flat screens, but it's a matter of taste. I suggest going to see a film shot in the IMAX format at the Fernbank Museum of Natural Science, like "Forces of Nature" or "Wild Ocean," which are playing now. Both are very good, and I think they'll remind you of the good old days in Huntsville. Or wait for "Hubble 3D," which is coming in March. It may show at the Mall of Georgia, too. (I mistakenly mentioned Fernbank Science Center in my first post. Different Place. FMNS has the IMAX theater; FSC has a planetarium. Sorry.) One thing you should know about "Avatar" is that Cameron decided to shrink the image on IMAX film prints. Hollywood films never fill the full height of a classic IMAX screen like the one at the Mall of Georgia, but instead of filling the full width and about 75% of the height the frame, "Avatar" was shrunk to about 80% of the width and 60% of the height. So the image takes up less than half the full area of that giant screen.

This may have been partly responsible for your disappointment with the experience. Also, people who start out with the IMAX Dome experience often feel the standard flat-screen IMAX experience is not as impressive. Personally, I prefer the flat screens, but it's a matter of taste.

I suggest going to see a film shot in the IMAX format at the Fernbank Museum of Natural Science, like "Forces of Nature" or "Wild Ocean," which are playing now. Both are very good, and I think they'll remind you of the good old days in Huntsville. Or wait for "Hubble 3D," which is coming in March. It may show at the Mall of Georgia, too.

(I mistakenly mentioned Fernbank Science Center in my first post. Different Place. FMNS has the IMAX theater; FSC has a planetarium. Sorry.)

]]> By: Widge http://www.needcoffee.com/2010/01/31/farewell-imax/comment-page-1/#comment-259792 Widge Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:47:27 +0000 http://www.needcoffee.com/?p=15015#comment-259792 Hey James, thanks for the comment. I went to Mall of GA and yes, it was a real big classic IMAX screen. Hey James, thanks for the comment. I went to Mall of GA and yes, it was a real big classic IMAX screen.

]]> By: James Hyder http://www.needcoffee.com/2010/01/31/farewell-imax/comment-page-1/#comment-259790 James Hyder Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:34:09 +0000 http://www.needcoffee.com/?p=15015#comment-259790 Forgot to sign up to get e-mail notification. Forgot to sign up to get e-mail notification.

]]> By: James Hyder http://www.needcoffee.com/2010/01/31/farewell-imax/comment-page-1/#comment-259789 James Hyder Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:50:46 +0000 http://www.needcoffee.com/?p=15015#comment-259789 Go to LFexaminer.com's Maps page (http://www.lfexaminer.com/ImaxMapUS.htm) and click on any marker. Where we have the information, we show the screen size. (If you have Google Earth software, you can download a worldwide map that's even better.) Unfortunately, Imax Corporation and the theater chains are not providing screen data for the new digital screens, so we have to go and measure them ourselves, which is why we don't have every theater yet. Widge: which IMAX theater did you go to? The ones at the Fernbank Science Center, the Regal Mall of Georgia in Buford, and the new one at the Infantry Museum in Columbus are real giant-screen theaters (about 60x80 feet). The AMC screens at Kennesaw and Morrow, and the Regal at Augusta, are digital, and their screens are probably 50-60 feet wide. Go to LFexaminer.com's Maps page (http://www.lfexaminer.com/ImaxMapUS.htm) and click on any marker. Where we have the information, we show the screen size. (If you have Google Earth software, you can download a worldwide map that's even better.)

Unfortunately, Imax Corporation and the theater chains are not providing screen data for the new digital screens, so we have to go and measure them ourselves, which is why we don't have every theater yet.

Widge: which IMAX theater did you go to? The ones at the Fernbank Science Center, the Regal Mall of Georgia in Buford, and the new one at the Infantry Museum in Columbus are real giant-screen theaters (about 60x80 feet). The AMC screens at Kennesaw and Morrow, and the Regal at Augusta, are digital, and their screens are probably 50-60 feet wide.

]]> By: Justy http://www.needcoffee.com/2010/01/31/farewell-imax/comment-page-1/#comment-259692 Justy Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:58:30 +0000 http://www.needcoffee.com/?p=15015#comment-259692 I saw Avatar in Digital 3D at the best cinema in town on an imax sized screen. It was pretty. I never saw multiple images. I was also very pleased that I could see the colors properly with the polarized lenses (I still see in two colors with the new magenta/green at-home lenses, bah!). That said, I miss the IMAX 3D films I used to go see as a kid. Like the one about fish. And the one about Everest. And the one that made me feel like I was flying. Those were the days. I saw Avatar in Digital 3D at the best cinema in town on an imax sized screen. It was pretty. I never saw multiple images. I was also very pleased that I could see the colors properly with the polarized lenses (I still see in two colors with the new magenta/green at-home lenses, bah!).

That said, I miss the IMAX 3D films I used to go see as a kid. Like the one about fish. And the one about Everest. And the one that made me feel like I was flying. Those were the days.

]]> By: Widge http://www.needcoffee.com/2010/01/31/farewell-imax/comment-page-1/#comment-259632 Widge Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:01:06 +0000 http://www.needcoffee.com/?p=15015#comment-259632 Phan: Yeah, that site has a format but not an actual size. And it at least gives you more info, i.e. flat vs. dome. But still no actual "How big is the fricking screen?" But yeah, you're not alone. Phan: Yeah, that site has a format but not an actual size. And it at least gives you more info, i.e. flat vs. dome. But still no actual "How big is the fricking screen?" But yeah, you're not alone.

]]> By: PhantomV48 http://www.needcoffee.com/2010/01/31/farewell-imax/comment-page-1/#comment-259627 PhantomV48 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:06:59 +0000 http://www.needcoffee.com/?p=15015#comment-259627 http://www.lfexaminer.com has maps that show (in theory) all IMAX screens, and what size and type they are. Having said that, I though I was the only one in the world that thought IMAX, even real IMAX, isn't really worth the extra money. There are way more factors involved with the movie-going experience that weigh heavier than the size of the screen. Audience, seating, atmosphere, even (crazy I know) the quality of the movie itself. If those other things aren't up to par, it won't matter if the movie is projected directly on your optical nerves. http://www.lfexaminer.com has maps that show (in theory) all IMAX screens, and what size and type they are.
Having said that, I though I was the only one in the world that thought IMAX, even real IMAX, isn't really worth the extra money. There are way more factors involved with the movie-going experience that weigh heavier than the size of the screen. Audience, seating, atmosphere, even (crazy I know) the quality of the movie itself. If those other things aren't up to par, it won't matter if the movie is projected directly on your optical nerves.

]]> By: LeighBC http://www.needcoffee.com/2010/01/31/farewell-imax/comment-page-1/#comment-259624 LeighBC Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:34:10 +0000 http://www.needcoffee.com/?p=15015#comment-259624 I think that IMAX 3D really depends on the movie. I have yet to see a movie in IMAX 3D that just made me go "WHOA" like those that I saw as a kid (and adult) at the Space Center 3D (there's one in FL too!). I saw Avatar in 3D in a regular theater and thought it was fine. I don't think seeing it on an IMAX "MEGA-SCREEN" would do anything better. That being said - seeing (reboot) ST on the IMAX "MEGA-SCREEN" was awesome and there was no big screen. And yes, we try to sit in the middle too - the only time we ever do that! :) I think that IMAX 3D really depends on the movie. I have yet to see a movie in IMAX 3D that just made me go "WHOA" like those that I saw as a kid (and adult) at the Space Center 3D (there's one in FL too!).

I saw Avatar in 3D in a regular theater and thought it was fine. I don't think seeing it on an IMAX "MEGA-SCREEN" would do anything better.

That being said - seeing (reboot) ST on the IMAX "MEGA-SCREEN" was awesome and there was no big screen.

And yes, we try to sit in the middle too - the only time we ever do that! :)

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