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Man i thought the screen stuff was blown out of proportion but damn i love 70mm imax bc of Sinners! Really makes a huge difference in viewing this film specifically. Saw it in AMC dolby the day after 70mm and sure i still love the movie (check my letterboxd if you want/care!) but the use of the extra space really makes dealing with the amc city walk seats worth it!
Wish i had waited to get the 70mm promotional strip theyre doing this weekend but cant win them all.
1d ago
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Buckle up, kkelmyss.
There are two film formats still projected in theaters today: 35mm and 70mm (aka 65mm).
35mm was repurposed from Kodak's 135 photographic film standard. Instead of running the film horizontally behind the lens, it was run vertically. This enabled more exposures per foot of film at less resolution. But as cinema grew in popularity, the desire for cleaner images and higher resolutions also grew. Larger exposure area was necessary to achieve this.
Cinerama was a cumbersome, yet impressive, short-lived solution. This standard required three synchronized 35mm cinema cameras to record the movie and three synchronized 35mm projectors to display the three separate film reels as one large-format ultra-wide image. Insane and beautiful.
VistaVision was a simpler solution. It simply rotated the 35mm film 90 degrees and ran it horizontally behind the lens like still cameras. This significantly increased the exposure area and thus the resolution. VistaVison was only relevant for about 10 years but laid the groundwork for future innovation. The format was famously used by ILM for its renowned special effects, starting with Star Wars. And was resurrected last year to film The Brutalist.
70mm was the straight forward answer to increasing exposure area—just make the film bigger. This standard was run vertically past the lens like standard 35mm and offered nearly double the resolution. 65mm film is actually used for shooting and the finished movie is transferred to 70mm film for projecting. The terms are used interchangeably because they both contribute the finished product. Lawrence of Arabia is a notable film shot using 70mm to accommodate its ultra-wide vistas.
IMAX 70mm took inspiration from VistaVision. It rotates 70mm film 90 degrees and runs it horizontally behind the lens further increasing the exposure area and putting it within spitting distance of medium format photography. These are big-ass exposures. It's dramatically more expensive to shoot and project movies in this format. But it produces a gorgeous high-resolution image. And gives Christopher Nolan a huge hardon.
Acquisition formats vary for movies. But when it comes to projection, there are predominantly only two film formats today. You're most likely to find a standard 35mm projector at your local independent theater. IMAX 70mm is the other and it's even rarer. Standard 70mm projection rarer still.
Feb 11, 2025
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if you are trying to get tickets for imax 70mm showing of dune part two at lincoln square amc in nyc (they just went on sale) i recommend using "Atom" as your ticket broker thing because it seems to have the fastest/easiest way to switch between seatmaps of different time/dates. so if you're looking for a screening with centered seats in the back row then you will appreciate the UI for Atom. although also it is a bit slow and site maybe crashing since everyone wants that worm and im not talking about timothee chalamets pecker
edit: and if im wrong abuot this then let me know
Jan 26, 2024
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sshe took the torch when moviepass couldn’t. 3 movies a month, cut-to-the-front concession lanes, and free rewards on loop. i love it. last weekend i caught a sofia coppola q&a for priscilla at no extra charge. plus access to the largest IMAX screen in north america? we need that, all of us.
Nov 3, 2023
Top Recs from @gab
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On letterboxd. Like how do you rate the Virgin Suicides or Killer of the Flower Moon?! So heavy and devastating!
Fully sticking to just saying whether i like a movie or not going forward!
Feb 21, 2024
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Trying out new stuff and getting really into it is tight! Go to a pottery class, teach yourself how to draw, sign up for a race, mod an old ipod!
Jan 25, 2024