I worked for 37 years in the IMAX business, and expressed my considered opinion in several posts in that other thread. Other people had different opinions.
If you are near any of the theaters on the list at this link , I urge you to try to see it in IMAX 70mm film, because it is the first feature film that has been shot 100% on IMAX film. (I’m going on Aug. 1 in Providence, RI.)
There are only 41 theaters worldwide, 25 in the US, nine in Canada, three in the UK, and one each in Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, and France.
If you can go, buy your tickets soon, because many shows are already sold out.
If you can’t get to IMAX 70mm film, look for…
If by smaller you mean standard 70mm, yes, the screen will be shorter because of the aspect ratio, and probably narrower, unless your local 70mm theater is a former palace with a 60-foot or wider screen. But despite that, 70mm film has higher resolution than any digital IMAX system. And IMO, the film experience is better. Nolan shot the film with all formats in mind, especially standard 70mm, so it won’t be framed “wrong” in the 2.20 ratio, just different.
The third-best experience the dual-la…
Yeah, in Nolan’s first IMAX film, he didn’t quite realize how obvious makeup would look on the giant screen.
[image]
But seriously, I think even a non-film buff can tell the difference between IMAX film, which has a resolution estimated at between 16 and 18K, and IMAX GT Laser, which is maybe a little better than 4K.
If you have the opportunity, I recommend IMAX film.
Nolan knows better than any fillmaker living how his images will appear on sc…
Okay, I think I see our confusion. Much depends on the specific theater in question, of course, but IME most theaters equipped with a standard (non-IMAX) 70mm projector are not the usual small multiplex screens. Many, if not most, are in older classic cinemas like the late, great Uptown in Washington, DC (1936-2020), which had a deeply curved screen 70 by 40 feet (21 by 12 m). It was the largest in the DC metro area, except for the Smithsonian’s IMAX theaters.
In more modern theaters, the 70mm…
I think you’ll be happy with that. You might also look for a Dolby Cinema screen. It may not be quite as large as the IMAX with Laser, but the dynamic range is much better.
It’s very likely that many theaters will extend the run of the film, if they haven’t already, so more screenings may open up later into August.