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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Film Handlers' Movie Reviews   » Interstellar (Page 4)

 
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Author Topic: Interstellar
Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

- posted 12-02-2014 12:27 PM      Profile for Bobby Henderson   Email Bobby Henderson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Bill Brandenstein
That would be a good question for someone who works in a facility with Imax digital to answer - is it typical to run both projectors for a 2D presentation for extra brightness? Some of the first scenes in Interstellar are dim enough that I thought running both would've looked better, but later on didn't think so.
In an IMAX Digital house both projectors are supposed to be running regardless if it's a 2D or 3D show. The 2nd projector in a 2D show is supposed to improve image brightness. It's also aligned so the 2nd projected image can try to hide any visible jaggies from the pixel grid.

Obviously the projectors have to be properly focused for the pixel grid to be visible anyway. I've only seen big yet somewhat soft and slightly out of focus images in the IMAX Digital shows I've seen.

Regarding the cornfield imagery in Interstellar, some of the shots were sharp and highly detailed. But it really depended on the shot. A lot of that stuff was filmed in IMAX, but the depth of field varied from deep to very narrow.

IMHO, IMAX Digital theaters in their current 2K configuration aren't capable of showing tack sharp imagery. They just don't have enough pixels to manage it. 2K can look tack sharp on a small to modest sized theater screen, along with a significant viewing distance. 2K will never look sharp on a giant sized screen, at least not without making the pixel grid highly visible and creating an arguably worse problem.

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Bill Brandenstein
Master Film Handler

Posts: 413
From: Santa Clarita, CA
Registered: Jul 2013

- posted 12-02-2014 03:12 PM      Profile for Bill Brandenstein   Email Bill Brandenstein   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
This is the only Imax 2D-digital screening I've been to, thus no point of comparison. So thank you, Bobby, for confirming that.

In this case the pixel grid was noticeable - obvious to me, perceivable to my relatives when pointing it out to them during the credits - so the image was focused very well. I looked at the booth window a few times later in the show and always saw just one projector on.

Also, while I have only agreement with Bobby's observations on clarity, it was surprising to me that the scope-ratio wide shots (made in 35) never seemed to have the sharpness that full-image wide shots (made in 15/70) had, even with only 2K pixels on hand.

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Terry Lynn-Stevens
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1081
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2012

- posted 12-02-2014 03:15 PM      Profile for Terry Lynn-Stevens   Email Terry Lynn-Stevens   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Bill, how exactly did you determine that the screening you saw was digital? Other than some manger telling you he was frustrated with IMAX corp.

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Bill Brandenstein
Master Film Handler

Posts: 413
From: Santa Clarita, CA
Registered: Jul 2013

- posted 12-02-2014 11:55 PM      Profile for Bill Brandenstein   Email Bill Brandenstein   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Digital projectors obviously visible through booth glass, video calibration pattern flashing on screen as we walked in, and it went downhill from there. Had I not seen either of those things, once the movie got underway the coarse presence of the pixel grid and lack of shutter would've confirmed it.

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Terry Lynn-Stevens
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1081
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2012

- posted 12-03-2014 01:14 AM      Profile for Terry Lynn-Stevens   Email Terry Lynn-Stevens   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks Bill.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

- posted 12-03-2014 02:08 PM      Profile for Joe Redifer   Author's Homepage   Email Joe Redifer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hey Bill, so are they charging IMAX 70mm film prices and showing Imax Digital at the Regal Colorado Center 9? This is what I gathered from your post. I noticed the price at the Regal Colorado Center 9 70mm IMAX was higher than, say the Regal Colorado Mills Digital IMAX when the movie opened.

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

- posted 12-04-2014 03:05 AM      Profile for Marcel Birgelen   Email Marcel Birgelen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It's rather hard NOT to spot the difference between Digital IMAX and IMAX film... Even a layman will instantly notice it, when he/she's made aware of the differences.

Everywhere you read and hear about broken down 15/70 shows... So, this is it then? The end of IMAX film?

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Bill Brandenstein
Master Film Handler

Posts: 413
From: Santa Clarita, CA
Registered: Jul 2013

- posted 12-04-2014 12:25 PM      Profile for Bill Brandenstein   Email Bill Brandenstein   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Joe, yes, that appears to be correct. We paid $18 per ticket. My guess is that each theater sets its own pricing, and even now our local digital Liemaxes are more expensive than say, Universal Citywalk AMC Imax 70mm, which offers a $14 first show of the day. Have a look at Fandango's Imax thater list and it's easy to see that Liemax is often more expensive than film, as disgusting as that is.

Marcel, we all know that Imax is doing everything it can to get away from film, but let's not assume Interstellar is its death knell. Bear in mind that for every film breakdown reported here and elsewhere, there are many successful film showings where everything worked.

By the way, a week later both Regal's and Fandango's websites still show UA Colorado Center 9's Imax screenings of Interstellar as digital. Too bad.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

- posted 12-04-2014 01:06 PM      Profile for Bobby Henderson   Email Bobby Henderson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Bill Brandenstein
Joe, yes, that appears to be correct. We paid $18 per ticket. My guess is that each theater sets its own pricing, and even now our local digital Liemaxes are more expensive than say, Universal Citywalk AMC Imax 70mm, which offers a $14 first show of the day. Have a look at Fandango's Imax thater list and it's easy to see that Liemax is often more expensive than film, as disgusting as that is.
I paid only $5 per ticket to see Interstellar in 5-perf 70mm at LOOK Cinemas in Dallas (early show special).
[Razz] [evil]

Down in Austin the tickets for the 15/70mm IMAX show were around $13 each.

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Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

- posted 12-04-2014 04:15 PM      Profile for Michael Coate   Email Michael Coate   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
An adult ticket at the TCL Chinese IMAX in L.A. goes for $19.95. ($19.00 for seniors and $18.00 for children.)

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Terry Lynn-Stevens
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1081
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2012

- posted 12-05-2014 12:54 PM      Profile for Terry Lynn-Stevens   Email Terry Lynn-Stevens   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
IMAX 15/70 is $19.99 around here, digital IMAX is a little less.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

- posted 12-05-2014 06:10 PM      Profile for Joe Redifer   Author's Homepage   Email Joe Redifer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Who prices tickets at .95 and .99 increments? I have two theories for this. Nobody wants to be the first place to charge $20 proper for a ticket and figure that people are too stupid to think that they're actually only saving 5 cents. The other theory is that the Chinese desperately needs the extra 95 cents per-person since most people hang out by the handprints instead of actually going inside to see a movie. Is it still the world's worst-sounding auditorium? Does it still have that ridiculous center aisle? Also sad to hear that The Learning Channel now owns the Chinese.

quote: Bill Brandenstein
By the way, a week later both Regal's and Fandango's websites still show UA Colorado Center 9's Imax screenings of Interstellar as digital. Too bad.
Well at least they're not advertising it as film.

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Bill Brandenstein
Master Film Handler

Posts: 413
From: Santa Clarita, CA
Registered: Jul 2013

- posted 12-13-2014 11:15 PM      Profile for Bill Brandenstein   Email Bill Brandenstein   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Interstellar screening 12/13/2014, 3:15pm
Location: Universal CityWalk Imax, North Hollywood, CA
Screening format: 15/70 Imax
Seats: row G, center
Audience about 1/4 full
Auditorium grade: A
Audio grade: A- (room should be deader, EQ could be smoother, but is decent)
Picture grade: A+

Today may be the second-to-last day film is ever seen in that theater. Let's hope not, but the staff thinks so. Hats off to Keith in the booth and any others involved for a visually stunning and nearly flawless presentation on a print run about 200 times. Just wow. Bright, huge contrast, clean, better color, steady, and sharp (except, as noted, when it's not. [Wink] )

If you haven't seen Interstellar in 15/70, you haven't SEEN it (although I'd love to compare it in 5/70). The visuals make so much more sense. Some of them are so beautiful or arresting I wanted to hit pause or reverse! And my son and I were very pleased at how well the movie played for us the second time, thinking we enjoyed it all the more. There was increased intrigue to the plot because so many more details fell in place. Visually it was an absolute treat, and we do wish some of the non-15/70 scenes had been shot in Imax.

This is a movie that has stuck with us in the form of things to think about and parts of the experience played over and over in the mind in the intervening weeks. On first viewing I wasn't sure just how much I liked it, but there is greatness in anything that sticks with you in this manner. After today's viewing I'm now convinced this is a 4/4 star movie. Stop comparing it to "2001" - they work in very different ways with a different purpose, in spite of some similarities. It definitely makes some intellectual as well as emotional demands, which explains why Americans, accustomed as we are to checking the brains at the door when we want entertainment, didn't make a massive hit out of it. There's just way too much to keep track of and ponder. The scientific knowledge behind it runs deeper than first expected also. Perhaps "Interstellar" is the biggest 2D import in history to China and South Korea because of a higher national average IQ in those countries?

If this is the end of the film era, it's a very sad thing indeed. That the public doesn't know the difference is sadder yet. It was great ride. We'll miss you, film! Thanks for the memories.

I hesitated to take my 11-year-old youngest child to this movie, but she's glad she went, and my fears of her emotional trauma seem unrealized. So as we left, we stuck our head into the adjacent digital shoebox screen (#18) showing "Interstellar." She walked out soon, saying, "That looks AWFUL."

That's my girl! [Wink]

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Paul Mayer
Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under!

Posts: 3836
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Feb 2000

- posted 12-14-2014 04:10 PM      Profile for Paul Mayer   Author's Homepage   Email Paul Mayer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
If you can make it over to the Egyptian in Hollywood, they'll be running a 570 print shortly...

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Victor Liorentas
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 800
From: london ontario canada
Registered: May 2009

- posted 12-14-2014 08:15 PM      Profile for Victor Liorentas   Email Victor Liorentas   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I love your review Bill! and I agree. [Smile]

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