Article by Marcus Siu
“IMAX film brings images to life. From resolution and color to sharpness and overall quality, there is nothing compared to using IMAX film cameras. The IMAX film format is the Gold Standard of motion picture photography. – Christopher Nolan
If you just saw “Oppenheimer” during it’s opening weekend, but haven’t seen “Oppenheimer” in one of the thirty theaters in the world equipped to play IMAX 70mm, then you haven’t seen “Oppenheimer” the way it was meant to be seen.
Director, Christopher Nolan, first started utilizing IMAX 70mm film cameras with his 2008 blockbuster film, “Batman – The Dark Knight”. It was the first major motion picture to utilize this technology. There was an additional 28 minutes of IMAX footage beginning with the intense opening bank robbery scene that wowed movie audiences. The movie went on to break box-office records, including sold out IMAX screenings many weeks in advance.
Since then, he has continued to favor IMAX cameras and went on to shoot “Batman – The Dark Night Rises”, “Interstellar”, “Dunkirk”, “Tenet”, and his latest, “Oppenheimer”, which also led to the development of the first ever black and white IMAX film stock, which Kodak made and Fotokem developed.
Nolan has become IMAX’s auteur director and ambassador for the technology, pushing boundaries of movie going experiences to brand new levels. He has redefined the word, “immersion” for moviegoers everywhere.
WHAT IS IMAX 70mm?
IMAX 70mm is basically a large format film used in 65mm film cameras, with its extra 5mm allocated to the soundtrack. 70mm film was popular back in the day with epic movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Lawrence of Arabia. The only difference is that the celluloid has been turned sideways. While typical 70mm motion picture film runs vertically and takes up 5 perforations on the film strip, IMAX runs horizontally and takes up 15 perforations. Which means IMAX 70mm standard is three times bigger than normal 70mm and nine times bigger than 35mm film.
The film reel for the three hour “Oppenheimer”, film is massive. It is over 11 miles long and weighs 600 pounds, which is near the maximum capacity an IMAX 70mm projector could possibly hold. These projectors have what’s referred to as a platter, which is the mechanism used in projectors to hold and feed the large-format film reels during projection. It consists of a circular plate that holds the film reel securely and rotates it as the film is projected onto the screen.
“It’s the highest-quality of imaging format ever devised. It gives you an incredible sense of immersion in the image. The clarity, the crispness…it is the gold standard”, Nolan continued, “It’s the closest reproduction of the world the way that your eye sees it”.
In IMAX theaters, for example, you will probably notice at any time there are no black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. More than likely, that will be an IMAX scene that was shot with an IMAX film camera which will expand vertically filling the screen with more information on a massive square screen with the screen disappearing right in front of you. The ratio changes to 1.43:1, which is just a little wider than an old fashioned TV set before widescreen TV’s were around.
Nowadays, when we visit the multiplex, we have the option of seeing the latest blockbuster film in an IMAX auditorium. As for the movie going public, many don’t really know what IMAX is, but they assume that by paying for very expensive premium ticket prices and the larger theater auditoriums, they figure they are getting the best possible presentation possible. However, many of the Hollywood movies that play in IMAX venues doesn’t even come close to what the IMAX experience should be about, since no IMAX cameras or film stock was even used.
Even Tom Cruise’s latest “Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part One“, that played nine days on IMAX screens prior to the “Oppenheimer” opening, used no IMAX film or cameras at all during the production, just a Sony certified IMAX camera for some of the action sequences. In addition, the entire film is framed in a 2:39:1 ratio, which means the IMAX screen never is fully utilized.
It’s arguable that some the studio films that play in IMAX theaters shouldn’t even play there, even if they transferred the film onto an IMAX format. It’s even arguable that some of the reformatted IMAX theaters should even exist.
However, with the release of any Christopher Nolan movie, it is pretty much guaranteed that they will get the best possible presentation that you can possibly offer.
“Oppenheimer” playing on IMAX 70mm, will be da bomb.
Below is a listing of all the U.S. theatres with the IMAX 70mm format. If you have one in your state, consider yourself very lucky, but good luck getting a good seat, as most of these screenings are just about sold out.
US theatres:
- Harkins Arizona Mills 25 & IMAX – Tempe, AZ
- AMC Metreon 16 & IMAX – San Francisco, CA
- Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood & IMAX – Universal City, CA
- TCL Chinese Theater IMAX – Hollywood CA
- Regal Edwards Ontario Palace & IMAX – Ontario, CA
- Regal Irvine Spectrum 21 + IMAX – Irvine CA
- Esquire IMAX – Sacramento, CA
- Regal Hacienda Crossings & IMAX – Dublin, CA
- AutoNation IMAX, Museum of Discovery & Science – Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Regal Mall of Georgia & IMAX – Buford, GA
- IMAX Theatre at Indiana State Museum – Indianapolis, IN
- Chrysler IMAX Dome Theatre, Michigan Science Center – Detroit, MI
- Celebration! Cinema Grand Rapids North & IMAX – Grand Rapids, MI
- AMC Lincoln Square 13 & IMAX – New York, NY
- Regal UA King of Prussia & IMAX – King of Prussia, PA
- Providence Place Cinemas 16 and IMAX – Providence, RI
- AMC Rivercenter 11 & IMAX – San Antonio, TX
- Cinemark 17 & IMAX – Dallas, TX
- Regal Opry Mills & IMAX – Nashville, TN
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