_Avatar_, directed by James Cameron

Interesting question. From what I've seen Avatar in IMAX is 1.78:1, but the regular 3D screenings are 2.35:1. It was definitely shot in 1.78 so I think the frame is matted for regular 3D.

With that said, my local IMAX is much squarer looking than 1.78, I cannot remember if they projected it "full frame" onto this. I'd say it's worth seeing at a "proper" IMAX screen if only for the sheer size.

probably will go to the Lincoln Square, tipz.

fwiw, my experience of IMAX is that they sound system is also much better than a regular screen, so with all the kaboomings in Avatar it's worth it. Shame there's no facility to mute out Horner's dreadful score though.

I also read in places like the Jeff Wells blog about real vs 'fake' IMAX and have no idea what he means.

my understanding is fake imax is just a really large screen, real imax is a giant screen + an IMAX resolution film projector or digital equivalent.

imax sound is amazing - went the harold sq one - the screen was sorta square and not thaat big

i saw dark knight on the BFI imax. the action scenes there were true imax which is pretty square but they were just big. but there were some cityscapes that were truly breathtaking because of the combination of big and crystal clear.

i guess avatar doesn't do that thing where all the live action dialoge is shot 35mm and widescreen and so it's really obvious when something exciting is going to happen because they fill in the bottom third of the squarish screen?

I only like square screens at old movies.

So do I ask ticketseller "Is this fake IMAX? It's not 1.35, is it?"

the action scenes there were true imax which is pretty square but they were just big. but there were some cityscapes that were truly breathtaking because of the combination of big and crystal clear.

sorry this makes no sense. what i was trying to say is something like transformers would not benefit much from true imax, but stuff with grand vistas would.

lincoln square seems to be legit

http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/5023788/screencompa-main_Full.jpg

well, I can't do that. Missing too much image.

They don't crop it ime. They don't use the full screen if the film is delivered in an aspect ratio that doesn't match the screen.

e.g. at dark knight imax they used the top 2/3 for the bits of the film in traditional widescreen.

if you saw that film in a regular cinema _then_ you got a cropped image (but only in the action scenes shot on 70mm IMAX film).

conclusion: you will see the full image at the lincoln center in the way james cameron intended you to see it, and that is where you should go.

(the 3D is another matter, and is distracting and dulling wherever you see it, but there are no decent screens showing vanilla avatar as far as i can tell.)

-- caek out.

oh OK! thx.

you will seethe for 3 hours during this movie by the way.

man i knew the empire 25 was smaller than lincoln, but not that much. totally should've gone to lincoln square. now i feel gypped.

xpost: there will def. be morbz-seethe. i look forward to the vitriol.

internet saying 34th st screen is bogus too - no sweet 6ft man graphic tho

you can usually google the size of a screen, but a graphic like that really makes the point that twice the length is four times the area

that graphic is making me sad

on the other hand no sure how psyched id be abt a 6ft man standing in front of the screen while im tryina be immersed in sweet avatar imax 3d

I don't think I'm that predictable; I've never hated any of Cameron's other films (except maybe Strange Days, which he only wrote and produced) while recognizing their bogus elements.

no one will care, but i just looked this up so: in the UK, the BFI IMAX is 65'x 85' and Bradford is 48' x 65'. all the others here are modified traditional rooms with correspondingly smaller screens, shallower seat pitches and no IMAX film projector (but double digital projectors for IMAX, so it's not total bullshit).

any particular reason you've waited this long to see it?

@ 34th st they made a big deal abt how THIS IS REAL IMAX - in the previews they were even all FYI THIS IS NOT IMAX YET

xp, OK, that's not true. the manchester and newcastle IMAXes are big screens and proper IMAX rooms:

http://forum.videohelp.com/images/guides/p2035529/imax.jpg

I don't think I'm that predictable; I've never hated any of Cameron's other films

Looking forward to yr viewing anyway.

joe, if you ever want to see imax without a 6ft man in front of the screen then you are welcome to come to england

the biggest screen in the world won't stop this film sucking

you saying over and over that the film sucks won't stop a bazillion other people from enjoying it

any particular reason you've waited this long to see it?

cuz it wasn't going anywhere, it's long, and I was busy doing decade-in-film-review for publication, looking for work, etc.

and I hate crowds.

We do not destroy the heretic because he resists us: so long as he resists us we never destroy him. We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him. We burn all evil and all illusion out of him; we bring him over to our side, not in appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul. We make him one of ourselves before we kill him. [...] we make the brain perfect before we blow it out.

g2k that i saw it on a screen the size of the Odeon Manchester (@ SF Metreon fwiw)

ook forward to the vitriol.

― hellzapoppa (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, February 3, 2010 10:43 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

can't wait tbh

joe, if you ever want to see imax without a 6ft man in front of the screen then you are welcome to come to england

― caek, Wednesday, February 3, 2010 12:03 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

ty!

xp, OK, that's not true. the manchester and newcastle IMAXes are big screens and proper IMAX rooms

yeah, I saw it at M/cr IMAX, I read somewhere else that it's the 3rd biggest in Europe or some such. Whatever, it's fucking enormous. Good cinema in general that Odeon, even the smallest screens are a very decent size and they make at least some attempts to get the more arthouse type films on (saw Fish Tank there and will do same for Ponyo hopefully).

Be interested to know your thoughts once you've seen this, Morbs.

i think the bradford one was the first one in europe. saw some nonsense with sharks or helicopters or something there when i was about 5. good times.

Oh yeah, one other thing for anyone who might ever get to the IMAX in M/cr, there's a cool window on one of the corridors which gives a view into the projection room so you can see the projectors and colossal film reels in use.

Saw it in Atlanta and the first trailer was for Piranha 3D, and it had some spring break bikini babes jumping on trampolines at the very start.

William Castle lives!

So will we be seeing giant sandworms roaming the spice planet Dune (Arrakis) with wild Fremen on their backs in 3D?

"I'd love it to be 3D, of course," he said. "It's the kind of movie that has the scope to be 3D. Will they do it in 3D? I'd push for that, but I don't know. As a viewer, I've just been watching Avatar with my kids twice in the theatre already and had a blast. It's an amazing experience."

http://sffmedia.com/films/science-fiction-films/471-dune-remake-starting-again-giant-sandworms-in-3d.html

baron harkonnen flies around the room...in 3D

http://www.tensegrity.hellblazer.com/media/third-stage-guild-navigator.jpg

IN 3D!

We have just folded space from Ix...many machines on Ix. New machines.

Sold out of IMAX, saw standard 3D.

Sorry to disappoint you guys, but I totally didn't loathe this. (Except for most of everything after the destruction of Onetree or whatever the fuck it was called, which is where I would have ended it.)

Capsule review: It's always about the white folks.

So you loathed like the last 45-60 mins, then?

I wonder if Morbs is slowly becoming Armond White.

about half o' that. xp

Actually surprised the rightwing Klan types havent gone more batshit over this film.

I'd also say, Cameron, put the fucking subtitles in a readable font, but I'm not expecting to see any of the sequels.

Armond White hated this film; I did not.

It makes an alright 3D experience, but no way in hell I will watch this movie in 2D. Not worth it.

Since I saw it, I've felt that I should watch it again in 2D, because I think I might appreciate it more. 3D is kind of balls.