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Topic: Regal's Amy Miles thinks short windows might be okey-dokey...
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Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 03-10-2017 06:08 PM
Will this save the industry?
Midwest's first 4DX movie theater makes dramatic debut in Gurnee
4DX movie theater
“The Midwest’s first 4DX location” is at Marcus Gurnee Cinema. (Courtesy of CJ 4DPlex)
Dan MoranDan MoranContact ReporterNews-Sun
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If you've been holding on to your last $19.75 to watch a movie while being sprayed in the face with water and sitting in a chair that not only pitches but also rolls and heaves, you no longer have to travel to Cinemaximum Marmara Forum in Turkey or the Cinema City Langham Place in Hong Kong to live your dream.
Humble Gurnee, known as recently as the early 1970s for its obscurity, has been tapped to host "the Midwest's first 4DX location" — and only the second such cinematic venue in America, behind another village you might have heard of called Los Angeles.
What exactly is this "4DX," you might ask?
Short answer: Much like 3D, only with an additional D. And also with an X, which is young-people talk for "extreme."
The longer answer is that you, the more demanding moviegoer, sit in a densely padded seat that can be fairly described as a cross between a barber's chair and Capt. Kirk's command chair. When you watch a movie presented in three-dimensional format, this seat will bounce along with the proceedings, reacting to everything from violent actions to sudden outbreaks of noise to the low rumble of the Lucasfilm logo arriving on screen.
Off to the side, a rack of fans mounted on the walls will toss your hair should a windstorm sweep in. Lights will flash if the weather turns even more foul. And, yes, in front of you, nozzles embedded in the back of your fellow moviegoer's chair will release bursts of mist — sometimes scented — as the narrative might demand.
4DX movie seats
Seats in the new 4DX screening room at the Marcus Gurnee Cinema not only pitch but also roll and heave in concert with actions during a 3D movie. (Dan Moran / Lake County News-Sun)
As described by the official literature from CJ 4DPLEX, the international company behind this latest wave, 4DX is "advancing the moviegoing experience from watching a movie to almost living it."
Another description of this 4DX might be drawn from Nigel Tufnel when he so famously described his speakers that go to 11 in "This Is Spinal Tap."
"Well, it's one louder, isn't it?" Tufnel said.
If you've been to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, you might have taken in the 4D experience of "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure" or "Spongebob Squarepants." If you've been to Disneyworld's Hollywood Studios, you've felt Darth Vader force-pull your chair during "Star Tours." Even here at home, Six Flags Great America had the old Space Shuttle America motion-simulator ride before it was mothballed in 2007.
At a media screening this week at the Marcus Gurnee Cinema, CJ 4DPLEX chief content officer Sang Cho was asked how those theme-park attractions differ from seeing, say, "San Andreas" or "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" or any of the 78 films released this year alone in 4DX.
"It's similar, I would say, in that the principles are the same," he said. "You're immersing yourself into five different senses — not only what's on the screen, but also in motion and environmental effects that you get in the movie itself.
"The big difference is that we still make sure that the movie itself is the featured player, and all the environmental and motion effects work in concert with it to give you the immersiveness. It doesn't take away from the moviegoing experience."
The experience provided on Thursday in Gurnee was "In the Heart of the Sea," the new Ron Howard more-or-less fact-based seafaring adventure starring Thor, a.k.a. Chris or possibly Liam Hemsworth.
You're immersing yourself into five different senses -- not only what's on the screen, but also in motion and environmental effects that you get in the movie itself. — Sang Cho
What was it like to chase after whales and be attacked by them in 4DX?
Often stunning.
What was it like to roll with the waves at all times, including when idling in a lifeboat?
Occasionally distracting, or at least enough to welcome the frequent returns to Nantucket.
It is fair to say that 4DX delivers its goods enough to become an option for event-style movies, like a certain little film coming up next week called "Star Wars" or something. But will the masses line up to pay concert-level prices to see something like "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Trip" on a regular basis?
As with anything else in America, you'll get what you pay for, in more ways than one. Four-dimensional ways, in this case.
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Ron Curran
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 504
From: Springwood NSW Australia
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 03-10-2017 06:42 PM
The industry has accepted the digital revolution without capitalising on one of its prime benefits: the print does not have to stay in a cinema for its entire run.
A big problem with theatrical exhibition is that many cinemas do not show the best movies, despite the fact that they have plenty of screen space. Prequels, sequels and remakes can become pretty tiresome. In many territories, this is the only choice. Often, the public thinks that they have already seen the movies on offer.
There are excellent US independent movies and the rest of the world produces interesting movies. Because they get limited theatrical release, they are usually not generally available in the after- market.
Many cinemas can not take a financial risk on any of these movies and their distributors act as if they are still sending film prints.
Imagine our industry making a concerted effort to release some of the better movies in a novel way.
The distributor sends a release plan to the nation’s exhibitors, asking them to set aside 2 or 3 sessions (not 3 or 4 weeks) for an upcoming release. With a critical mass in place, the distributor can organise publicity. The DCPs are sent as soon as the first acceptances are received, with the instruction to ingest immediately and forward to the next exhibitor (so that there is not too much investment in physical media).
Initially, these movies will not make exhibitors rich but their risk will not be great. In some markets, many of these would work, requiring repeat screenings.
The trick is that audiences will be exposed to interesting movies and cinemas can boast a wider audience, which has growth potential. Major studios could try this plan with some of their good product that only ever gets capital city release.
Worth a try.
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