Have a news tip for us?
Just email . Ideas for stories, links to interesting articles, and press releases are welcome.
Enjoy ‘Iron Man 2’ on May 7 by avoiding “Fake IMAX”
posted by
Michael Zoldessy
on
May 4, 2010 at 9:45 am
Echoing the complaints heard far and wide last year when “Star Trek” was released, don’t forget to do your homework before seeing a movie in IMAX these days.
And friends, ain’t nothin' you have access to, save for looking out your own two eyes, that’s more high-definition than IMAX, but do not — let me repeat — DO NOT see ‘Iron Man 2’ (or any film for that matter) in a fake IMAX theatre. To be blunt: it looks horrible, and you’re wasting your hard-earned cash for a non-upgrade.
What you want, what you NEED, is to either find a real IMAX, or the largest, high-quality DLP or 35mm screen in your area.
Read more in High Def Digest.
Comments (15)
I agree with the comment that the new digital Imax theatres share the Imax trademark and little else. On the other hand, even so-called “fake” Imax is preferable to seeing the same movie projected in 35mm.
Film projection is simply not as good. After a few runs, dust settles on the print and there may be splices and scratches. Not to mention that the image is not rock steady and that it’s virtually impossible to achieve perfect focus across the entire width of the screen. Believe me I know. I spent 8 years of my life running a repertory cinema and even with a well maintained booth we couldn’t achieve the remarkable looking image that I see at my local AMC multiplex equipped with 4K digital projectors.
It depends on the print quality and make of projectors!The lenses also come into it and how good the techs are who maintain alignment!
Filmgaurd cleaners eliminate the dust problem.
If the will existed to have 35mm projection be perfect then it would be no contest but because the industry wants to eliminate all these variables and go digital at GREAT $cost,it is easy to make DLP appear better than film done wrong.
Film can be far better than most have seen it but everything works against that happening so shoot me now!
I will be seeing it at Rave 18 (formerly The Bridge Cinema de Lux) in Los Angeles – one of the only 2 built from the ground up IMAX theatres in LA County that show mainstream Hollywood films. The other true IMAX theatre in LA is AMC Citywalk 19.
I didn’t like the first IRON MAN, so I won’t be be seeing the sequel.
By the way, has anyone else noticed that’s it’s been two years since IRON MAN and INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL was released and neither of them have been broadcasted on a pay-tv channel yet. Anybody know what’s up with that? Traditionally, SHOWTIME has shown the movies released by Paramount Pictures.
I think Epix has the rights to show Indy 4 and Iron Man and its sequels…here’s the link to the channel’s wiki page…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epix_%28TV_network%29
BTW, I’m avoiding seeing Iron Man 2 in Fake Imax and seeing it in digital and or/ 35mm film, even though Iron Man 2 wasn’t shot in 4k.
At least they won’t be doing Iron#2 in 2-D then go to phony 3-D like Warners did with ‘Clash’ to make extra 3-D money. I’ll be seeing it soon on the large CinemaScope screen at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, but I think they will show it on a digital video projector not 35mm film. I always see a movie like this one twice once in digital video then at another cinema in 35mm scope film. The stereo surround sound is way different at the Castro compared to the film version at another theatre. Almost sounds like a new mix when you see it on 35mm film with Dolby 5.1 or the Sony system. I don’t like the DTS stereo at the Castro, you never hear split surround or they don’t have the surrounds up enough. At least the super wide screen at the Castro Theatre looks good and they have curtains that open & close. Some projectionists at the Castro open the curtains on a blank white screen, this I here from the curtain people is wrong, they like to project the open start of the film on the curtains then open up. I will not go to any Imax screen unless it’s the old large big square style. AMC has a few of the small Imax Experience screens in some of there cinemas in the Bay Area. AMC Theatres has stoped doing any advertising in the San Francisco papers. I just take my movie business to Century/Cinemark Theatres or Cinelux. At least with Century you don’t have to go on the phone and press a ton of numbers to find out the show times at AMC.
I would see it in full 70MM-6 Track Dobly Stereo….One theatre in North Carolina will show it Thursday at Midnight with DLP Digital in the greater Raleigh-Durham area. Probably better go to Mission Valley to see it since it has the huge auditorium and super widescreen for this movie too.
I wouldn’t see it in IMAX….and pay $13.00???? that’s whack!!!
Epix does indeed hold the rights to Iron Man and Indiana Jones. In fact, those were two of the three movies that aired at launch point (the other one was Cloverfield).
A list of 2010 wide release titles that will appear on Epix:
Daybreakers
The Spy Next Door
From Paris With Love
Shutter Island
She’s Out Of My League
Hot Tub Time Machine
Why Did I Get Married Too
Kick-Ass
Iron Man 2
Killers
The Last Airbender
Middle Men
The Expendables
The Last Exorcism
Warrior
Buried
Alpha and Omega
Jackass 3-D
Paranormal Activity 2
Saw VII
Morning Glory
The Next Three Days
Red Dawn
True Grit
I never heard of EPIX until today. Just what we need, ANOTHER pay cable channel in the days of affordable DVDs.
Paramount is one of EPIX’s co-founders along with Liongate and (the soon to be put out of their misery for good) MGM.
Hahahaha…..MGM used to be a big studio back when studios were king. Now’s it’s a former shell of itself. If it doesn’t find a hit soon, then the lion will die and go up to hollywood heaven much like Miramax, Orion, RKO, and a few others. Viacom (Paramount’s owner) used to own Showtime until it broke up into Viacom and its former sub, CBS, which now owns Showtime and its own film unit, which isn’t doing too well as of late. FYI, both Viacom and CBS are controlled by Sumner Redstone’s National Amusements chain.
Showtime did just get airing rights to DreamWorks films (which Starz turned down as they didn’t have enough money to get Disney and DreamWorks together) so it’s not all bad.
Um, Justin. Miramax is not dead. In fact, the Weinsteins are currently in fierce negotiations to buy it back from Disney.
So DreamWorks films are no longer to be shown on HBO and Cinemax?
DreamWorks has signed on a distribution deal with Disney which allows them to handle theatrical, DVD and cable rights on most films (DreamWorks Animation will remain distributed by Paramount and keep its pay cable deal with HBO though since it is treated as a separate entity). When Disney extended their deal with Starz through 2015, DreamWorks titles were offered separately or together. Starz passed on the DreamWorks titles and DreamWorks instead signed with Showtime (their HBO deal ends when Paramount releases the last of the titles from that deal). In short, Disney will be splitting its output between Starz and Showtime. Showtime will get the DreamWorks titles (such as I Am Number Four, War Horse and Real Steel) while Starz will run the Disney, Pixar and Touchstone titles.