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Four Imax cinemas will carry Nolan's 70mm restoration for a one-week exclusive engagement in late August, while more than 350 other Imax locations will show a 4K restoration.
The 50th anniversary celebration of director Stanley Kubrick's cinematic masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey continues.

Warner Bros. announced Wednesday that a 70mm unrestored version of the 1968 film film — a process overseen by filmmaker Christopher Nolan — will be shown in four Imax theaters. Additionally, more than 350 Imax theaters will show a new 4K restoration of the film.

Nolan's unrestored 70mm restoration was first screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May, followed by a limited release in theaters that earned $1.2 million earlier this summer.

The exclusive one-week Imax run begins Aug. 24. The four Imax theaters playing the film in 70mm are in Burbank, New York City, San Francisco and Toronto. Warner Bros. domestic distribution chief Jeff Goldstein announced the news.

The Imax 70mm film print was created from the recently "unrestored" 70mm print of A Space Odyssey that was struck from new printing elements made from the original camera negative, without any digital tricks, remastered effects or revisionist edits. Nolan oversaw the process.

Tickets go on sale Aug. 3.

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This seems....goofy at best. Let's take a 50 year old movie,shot on 50 year old 5/65mm stock, and blow it up to 15/65mm for IMAX. And of course, its not even from the OCN, its sourced from an unrestored interpositive from the late 90s.

I'm all for new 15/70 prints to keep these IMAX projectors in working shape, but I feel like this might not be the way. The 5/65 footage in Dunkirk did not look all that great in the 15/70 print and that was shot on new Vision stock. Call me skeptical.

Also, like The Dark Knight, its only playing in 4 theaters. Lame.
 

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Posted by Aron Toplitsky (Member # 6950) on 08-03-2018, 11:21 AM:
 
I agree this makes no sense at all. I got excited for a minute thinking they were going to use elements from the new 4K version. Although, is the new 4K Blu-Ray going to be from the Nolan print or a newly scanned source?
 

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Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 7758) on 08-03-2018, 08:56 PM:
 
Tickets are now for sale for the Universal City Screen. So you have two daytime shows of 2001 and a 9PM show of Dark Knight running concurrently. On the AMC website there is no mention of format, as stupidly usual. On Fandango "Dark Knight" is clearly labelled 70mm, but not "2001." So I wonder if the booth can have two features plattered simultaneously, or if "2001" will be laser-projected? (We know they can mix between the two in the same show, having seen a perfect changeover from previews in laser to a Star Wars sequel in 70mm.)
 

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Posted by Chris Haller (Member # 9206) on 08-03-2018, 09:36 PM:
 
You know, IMAX houses that showed documentaries used to have multiple shows plattered for their daily schedule. I'm not sure if it works the same way with the larger platters, but it could probably play out the same way if they have a 4 platter deck.

None of the IMAX houses I've been up to the booths for have had more than 2 platter decks setup, but these have been for runs of Dunkirk, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight Rises. All of the houses were using single projectors in either 2 projector SR configs, or 1 eye of a GT 3D setup. So in theory, those 3D houses have at least 4 platter decks somewhere....
 

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Posted by Robert Harris (Member # 1712) on 08-19-2018, 08:18 PM:
 
If what I’m reading is correct, the new 65/15 printing negative is derived from a 1999 65/5 IP, containing dupes going back to damage in early 1968.

Which means that IMAX prints are 4th generation at best, and 6th generation at worst.

Not exactly Kubrickian quality.

But it does sizzle!
 

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Posted by Chris Haller (Member # 9206) on 08-19-2018, 10:53 PM:
 
And there's that step somewhere along the line where they have to transfer it from 5/65 to 15/65.

And then you have to sit that much closer to the screen because of how IMAX theaters are built.

All of this sounds......less than awesome.

On an unrelated note, I'm a huge fan of yours Mr. Harris - your work on Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus, My Fair Lady, Vertigo, and other films is just phenomenal. You're one of the true heroes of film preservation.

Alright. Back to complaining about printing 50 year old films onto 15/70.
 

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Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 08-20-2018, 12:34 AM:
 
"The Imax 70mm film print was created from the recently "unrestored" 70mm print of A Space Odyssey that was struck from new printing elements made from the original camera negative, without any digital tricks, remastered effects or revisionist edits. Nolan oversaw the process."

seriously? no thanks... I've seen 70mm prints in the past that looked far superior to the 'unrestored' print .. and how is the sound repurposed for IMAX? that was the only interesting aspect of the 5/70 print was hearing the original 6-track soundmix which isn't really replicable on IMAX sound systems.
 

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Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 7758) on 08-20-2018, 12:36 AM:
 
Indeed. Mr. Harris, it's an honor to have you here commenting on these discussions, and I know I'm just one of many who are tremendously grateful for that.
 

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Posted by Robert Harris (Member # 1712) on 08-21-2018, 07:52 AM:
 
I consider true projectionists, my people.

I hold this ever more elusive clan in the highest regard.

Everything that those of us in my field do, is totally dependent upon your expertise, professionalism and commitment.

I’ll even admit that some of the best are my friends, but please don’t let that get out...
 

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Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 08-21-2018, 02:37 PM:
 
Mr Harris!
That's awesome to know coming from someone of your stature in the industry! I'll try and keep it on the down low.
 

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Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-22-2018, 09:57 PM:
 
As my AMC Stubs A-List membership apparently includes Navy Pier IMAX in Chicago I suppose I might check out the Laser LIEMAX presentation as it's "free" so to speak.

AMC predecessor Cineplex Odeon once was the contracted operator there* and back in the era before DMR blowups, they had a conventional 70mm projector there, a Century JJ**, which they utilized for special screenings. They ran the print Mark G & I ran at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL in 1997, an event which inspired Ebertfest. That print had mag sound but in a SR-encoded 5.1 configuration.

*IMAX Corp. was the subsequent operator. Now it's AMC.

**The JJ was later relocated to the D150 house at River Oaks, Calumet City, IL, displacing the original DP75. The place was recently razed after being closed for about a dozen years. Projection went down with the building. The Super Curvulon lenses were not there anymore.
 

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Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 7758) on 08-28-2018, 07:09 PM:
 
For the record, the Universal AMC Imax screen is running two shows of 2001 in 15/70 per day and one show of "Dark Knight" in 15/70 for this week only (ends Wednesday night). Then Dark Knight in 15/70 moves to 2 15/70 shows and 2001 just one - and Fandango does NOT list it as 70mm film - through September 4 or 5.
 

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