Star Wars: Episode III

[Woochifer]

I also saw the LOTR (TT/ROTK) in IMAX there. Sometimes I wonder abut IMAX. If you're up to close, then it's not really a good experience. My first experience there, though, was the director's hall as they call it and it was awesome: assigned seating, precisely the oversize leather chairs you mention.

I think projecting 35mm onto an IMAX screen just doesn't look right if the projection uses the full width of the screen. It's too close to the audience, unless you sit in the back couple of rows. Plus, with the big screen and closeup viewing, the image looks very grainy. IMAX is supposed to envelop your entire peripheral vision, and the IMAX movies are framed to take advantage of that, and the theaters are designed to put the audience "into" the movie. Plus, the film format is large enough to not look grainy on an IMAX screen.

As a sidenote, I also saw the IMAX version of Episode II, and it was a mixed bag. By transferring the movie onto the large print format IMAX projector, the image quality was stunning. I was actually shocked at how good the images looked considering that the movie was made using digital camcorders. The only image flaw that I could pick up on was that the live action images looked two-dimensional and lacked depth.

But, the main drawback of seeing Episode II in IMAX is that the aspect ratio got truncated. The IMAX version used the full IMAX screen, which unfortunately chops off the image on the sides. This made the IMAX experience more like the "pan and scan" experience. A lot of the action scenes were very hard to follow because so much of it was in the peripheral vision, which just exacerbated the narrow image frame. Still, it made for some interesting viewing, and apparently the IMAX version benefited from some extra editing -- a lot of the scenes with Padme and Anakin were mercifully cut out.

[eisforelectronic]

I think projecting 35mm onto an IMAX screen just doesn't look right if the projection uses the full width of the screen. It's too close to the audience, unless you sit in the back couple of rows. Plus, with the big screen and closeup viewing, the image looks very grainy. IMAX is supposed to envelop your entire peripheral vision, and the IMAX movies are framed to take advantage of that, and the theaters are designed to put the audience "into" the movie. Plus, the film format is large enough to not look grainy on an IMAX screen.

As a sidenote, I also saw the IMAX version of Episode II, and it was a mixed bag. By transferring the movie onto the large print format IMAX projector, the image quality was stunning. I was actually shocked at how good the images looked considering that the movie was made using digital camcorders. The only image flaw that I could pick up on was that the live action images looked two-dimensional and lacked depth.

But, the main drawback of seeing Episode II in IMAX is that the aspect ratio got truncated. The IMAX version used the full IMAX screen, which unfortunately chops off the image on the sides. This made the IMAX experience more like the "pan and scan" experience. A lot of the action scenes were very hard to follow because so much of it was in the peripheral vision, which just exacerbated the narrow image frame. Still, it made for some interesting viewing, and apparently the IMAX version benefited from some extra editing -- a lot of the scenes with Padme and Anakin were mercifully cut out.

I liked the IMAX cut of Episode II better than the original release!

[Kam]

As a sidenote, I also saw the IMAX version of Episode II, and it was a mixed bag. By transferring the movie onto the large print format IMAX projector, the image quality was stunning. I was actually shocked at how good the images looked considering that the movie was made using digital camcorders. The only image flaw that I could pick up on was that the live action images looked two-dimensional and lacked depth.
D

I saw the imax version of Spidey2 and the image quality was incredible on that too. Imax is pushing a new agenda now, where they are going to simultaneously release films in the regular theaters and Imax as well, rather than wait a few months. They're also pushing their 3D technology for mainstream movies, converting many films. not exactly sure how. but also read that lucas is interested in re-re-re-re-releasing the original trilogy in Imax 3D. Just in the rumour mill now, but who knows, might happen.

peace
k2

[Woochifer]

I saw the imax version of Spidey2 and the image quality was incredible on that too. Imax is pushing a new agenda now, where they are going to simultaneously release films in the regular theaters and Imax as well, rather than wait a few months. They're also pushing their 3D technology for mainstream movies, converting many films. not exactly sure how. but also read that lucas is interested in re-re-re-re-releasing the original trilogy in Imax 3D. Just in the rumour mill now, but who knows, might happen.

peace
k2

As much as I love the stunning image clarity on IMAX prints, I do have a problem with the way that the IMAX versions trunate the sides on widescreen movies. Most of us on this forum are all for widescreen DVDs and don't care much for pan & scan versions. But, with an IMAX version of a widescreen movie, it's really the same thing as pan & scan.

I guess if an IMAX version of a movie gets released, I would prefer that they either extend the image frame further at the top and bottom, or "letterbox" the image so that you still get the image clarity of the IMAX print without truncating the action on the sides. Either that or just film the movie on IMAX film and frame off the top and bottom of the image for the 35mm prints. Or maybe even show the movie only at IMAX theaters.

I've heard about the 3D rumors as well. That could be a very new experience! I've seen IMAX 3D movies before, and it's quite a trip how convincing that 3D effect is.