CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

Star Trek opens later in the week the nearest IMax theater is about 65 miles away in Portage Indiana...Is it worth the drive?....BTW I haven't been to a commercial theater in about 15 years Embarassed

, have they changed much?

http://www.imax.com

http://www.startrekmovie.com/

Mike

betel · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 2:58 am Post subject:

The theaters where I live have gone DLP. They push it as higher quality but imo the image quality isn't as good as my HT. The most obvious problem is black level sucks. I do like IMAX theaters though. I may have to check out ST there.

Jimmy

**kal** · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 3:59 am Post subject:

When I go out to see a movie in a commercial theater (which is pretty damned rare), it's IMAX only. For me it's not worth it otherwise. Of course, I have on about 10 mins from my house...

Kal

overclkr · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4227

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 3:42 pm Post subject:

I haVE 3 imax theaters near by. ( IMAX is a Toronto company Razz

) I've seen lot's of stuff in IMAX, and some in 70mm as well. It all looks great. I agree with Kal, most of the time it's IMAX of nuttin'

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

ecrabb · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 5:27 pm Post subject:

I'm surprised you guys are as excited about IMAX as you are. The last time I went to see a "normal" film on an IMAX screen, it was Kung Fu Panda and I thought it genuinely sucked ass. Geometry sucks, the picture is soft, and it's just goofy having "regular" material wrapped around a giant dome screen. I just didn't enjoy it any more than I would have at home in my own theater. For me, the most exciting and impressive part of the whole presentation was when they do the IMAX "trailer" and talk about the lights and speakers and light up the screen from behind so you can see the screen structure and speakers. The AV geek in me LOVED that. The movie was a disappointment by comparison.

IMHO, IMAX dome screens should be limited to the first-person POV type stuff it was originally designed for... For that, IMAX is amazing. Aerials in 70mm are breathtaking.

For feature films that weren't shot specifically for screening in IMAX theaters... I'll pass.

SC

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

I've never seen an IMAX dome screen, nor have I seen a "regular" movie at an IMAX theater. But the IMAX films I've seen were disappointing. The update rate is too slow so it seems flickery to me, and motion shots (which they do all the time in many IMAX films) are really jerky. Image didn't seem bright enough either. I was underwhelmed. Not worth driving an hour down to Denver.

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

I've never been to an IMAX... i dont know. I was gonna try it for the kids.

akajester · Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 934 Location: Wisconsin

I saw some ocean documentary in a local imax and it was great, and I agree the beginning where they step through lights and screen and speakers was awesome. Other than that, I don't think I'd like a regular movie on it. The "ultrascreen" in our area is huge and has a giant hotspot in the center. Not to mention the other junk, like gum people toss onto the screen, etc. I've heard they got their first digital pj and that sounds like a step backwards to me.

betel · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 9:50 pm Post subject:

The latest Batman movie was filmed in IMAX if I remember correctly. There was an extra on the disc that went into great detail about it. Did anyone catch that movie in an IMAX theater. I wonder if ST is fimed in IMAX as well.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 10:26 pm Post subject:

Some of Dark Knight's action and aerial sequences were filmed with IMAX cameras, but the bulk of it was shot in scope. In theaters (and on IMAX, I presume), the AR changes between the short scope shots and the tall IMAX shots. The guys with scope setups were all up-in-arms about it. Smile

It is amazing, but even after the movie was transferred to BD, you can really see the difference in resolution and film grain between the scope shots and the IMAX shots. The IMAX shots are SO sharp and SO clean.

There are a couple of other movies with the technique on the way, but I can't remember if J.J. Abrams did it on the new ST movie or not. I'll find out - I'm going to see it with some friends Thursday night.

SC

betel · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 10:50 pm Post subject:

Just purchased tickets for the 7:00 show on Thursday.

Ridebreck · Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 4:19 am Post subject:

I saw Dark Knight at the Air & Space museum's IMAX theater while on a business trip. I thought it was very, very good. The IMAX scenes had an awesome impact.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 5:05 am Post subject:

Too bad they trashed one of only 4 IMAX cameras while filming the chase sequence in Dark Knight. I guess that mean's the other cameras are no longer worth $2.3 million each. Now I would guess $3mil +

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 5:07 am Post subject:

Oh yeah, the best movie I ever saw in 70mm at IMAX was Return of the Jedi. It didn't have any damned digital effects and there was grain in the film transfer. Just as it's suposed to be.

schmoe · Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 374 Location: Seattle, WA

Saw Dark Knight at the IMAX in Seattle. I went in with low expectations thinking the HUGE screen would make the movie hard to enjoy, but was actually very impressed. I'd do it again for sure, though it's hard to justify paying for movie tickets when I have a nice, paid for, movie theater at home to enjoy.

overclkr · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4227

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana