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Movie
theaters - the great American outlet for young couples,
senile old men, and the moving picture enthusiasts who
congregate to experience a reality beyond their own. With
IMAX screens opening at an increasing pace, even the random
Joe on the street can let magnified reality soak through
their bones at the local overpriced popcorn entertainment
center. What the Image Maximum Corporation doesn’t inform
the consumers of giant film screens is the different
classification of screens able to use the IMAX name.
15/70
was the originally developed format and is nine times larger
than the conventional 35mm frame. 10/70 is the format used
in planetariums, optimized for projection onto a dome. The
8/70 is roughly half the size of 15/70. IMAX released a
digital projection system in 2008 that were meant to be
installed in existing theaters on screens less than 70 feet
wide. The IMAX digital screens are less than a quarter of
real IMAX (15/70) but command the same premium. While IMAX
digital uses dual projectors to produce bright images, good
contrast, and slightly better resolution than the
conventional screen it replaced, it is not worth the same
price. At the cost of putting higher resolutions into a
regular sized multiplex, there can be a visible grid pattern
separating the pixels. This experience is comparable to
sitting up close to a high definition television set.
Now that
the IMAX brand is being diluted by subpar digital screens,
where can the average consumer know how to get the real
thing and how to get it cheaply?
First, go to Ebay and buy Fandango vouchers for roughly $5-7
(larger orders result in lower prices off each ticket).
While there is a one dollar convenience fee charged for
online tickets which may or may not be covered by the gift
code, the maximum value of the voucher is $13.50. There are
also Fandango Bucks that typically run for 50 cents for each
dollar of credit, but are sold in $100 denominations.
Now, using my advice to get cheap tickets, go forth and
watch real IMAX with a group of friends.
http://www.lfexaminer.com/index.htm is an excellent
resource to find the specifications of IMAX equipped
theaters to make sure you are getting the real thing. |
