What is IMAX? The “fake IMAX” controversy and boycott. IMAX facts on retrofit for theaters. How big is the screen? The sound?

It’s a huge Twitter trend as I write this. Comedian Aziz Ansari (from NBC’s Parks and Recreation) published this tirade about paying an extra $5 to see and IMAX showing of “Star Trek” (which shattered box office IMAX records) that wasn’t much bigger than a normal screen. By the end of the day, he had caused such a stink that IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond responded on MainStreet.com:

“The overwhelming majority of comments on that guy’s blog this morning, more than 90% of them, are vehemently disagreeing with him. And consumers are confirming this with their continued purchases of tickets.”

Aziz says this is not true on a post later that day.

Why is this a big deal and what are the facts?

I guess I’m just used to seeing IMAX in local movie theaters on screens that are not as big as the ones I saw at the zoo when I was younger. And I also know that most Hollywood movies are upconverted, rather than filmed in the actual IMAX format or a hybrid of both (like “The Dark Knight” which had about 20 minutes actually filmed in IMAX during production*), so I’ve come to accept it and just enjoy that it’s a little bigger and a lot louder. Aziz feels gypped because this is the first time he’s gone to one and he didn’t appreciate the extra charge.

Gizmodo says: “IMAX used to build their own massive theaters in their own buildings. But now, in order to expand, the company has made a deals with major theater chains like AMC in which they’ll provide and install their proprietary mix of projectors, screens, speakers and hardware if the theater will foot the bill for the necessary structural renovations.”

Wikipedia says: “The resolution of the picture is much lower than normal IMAX. The screens used by digital IMAX installations are also much smaller (28×58 feet) than those found in traditional IMAX cinemas. Despite these facts, the digital installations are marketed simply as IMAX, drawing no distinction to the traditional 15/70 IMAX – much to the dismay of 15/70 IMAX cinema owners.”

A digital version of IMAX started rolling out in 2008. The new system is a projection standard only. About this new system, IMAX mentions no size standards or picture standards, just generalizations: “With crystal clear images, laser-aligned digital sound and maximized field of view, IMAX provides the world’s most immersive movie experience.”

What is the difference in this digital IMAX retrofit?

1. The screen is bigger (although sometimes as little as 10 ft.).

2. The seats are closer, making the screen more imposing.

3. Acoustic paneling to absorb sound and remove echo.

4. A specifically non-THX-certified sound system featuring uncompressed digital sound without distortion that removes the center-only “sweet spot” and improves the surround experience.

5. Two digital 2K Christie projectors that work together.

Here’s the bottom line: Theaters just don’t have the room or the money to build standalone houses just for IMAX purposes. If you sit 30 ft. closer and the screen is bigger and the sound is amazing, you’ll notice a difference. You may not feel that the picture is enveloping you like it does at the nature documentaries at theme parks, but you’ll notice a difference. (Besides, with all of the fast Hollywood editing most action pics have these days, true IMAX might create a pretty bad headache.)

If you see a movie filmed with IMAX cameras, you’ll really notice. Unfortunately, not that many movies are filmed that way (”Star Trek” and most everything else was upconverted). With the numbers it posted this weekend though, I’ll bet more will.

It would be nice, however, for theaters to designate an IMAX-D for the digital IMAX retrofits.

Figure it out for yourself: If your multiplex can’t house a 70+ ft. screen, it’s a digital IMAX retrofit.

* “The Dark Knight” used high-res IMAX cameras in the 15/70 film format. When the scenes shot on IMAX cameras were shown in IMAX theatres, the aspect ratio morphed to 1.43 to 1, expanding the image to fill the entire screen and magnifying the overall effect. Regular 35mm upconverts like “Star Trek” have the letterboxed look throughout the entire movie.

Tags: amc, Ansari, Aziz, boycott, controversy, facts, fake, IMAX, regal, retrofit, screen, size, sound, star, theaters, trek, What

Update from Miramax below!!

At least some of the versions of “Adventureland” that are currently in playing in theaters are not the cut that director Greg Mottola thought were out there. Apparently, INXS’s “Don’t Change” is supposed to be on all versions of the film during the closing credits. It’s not. In an exchange earlier this morning that just goes to show the power of Twitter, Mottola called this news “really disturbing.”

I saw the movie on March 5 in Kansas City advance of my coverage of the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, where “Adventureland” was showing later that month. As the movie ended, the familiar strains of “Don’t Change” began and I stayed through the entire credits just to hear this song (which I had kind of forgotten even existed) because it brought back so many memories of high school. I even commented to the publicity crew outside of the theater how much I loved the movie ending with that song.

Fast forward to Tuesday March 31. I saw “Adventureland” again in Kansas City (at the Legends Theater) at the official local advance screening, and was really disappointed to hear that the upbeat INXS song has been replaced by the decidedly more downbeat instrumental Yo La Tengo music from the score. I stayed through the closing credits and noticed that “Don’t Change” was still listed, but it was never heard, even though it also appears on the soundtrack.

After the following opening weekend, a friend of mine saw the film in Lawrence, KS (at the Southwind 12) and said, sure enough, he heard Yo La Lengo as well and no INXS. This past weekend, another friend saw the movie at a different theater than I saw it at in Kansas City (AMC Barrywoods), and said the same thing. Yo La Tengo, but no INXS.

Last night I tweeted @MiramaxFilms:

@MiramaxFilms INXS - Don’t Change was on Adventureland’s credits at advance screening, but not now! Anyone know what happened?

I got the reply through a direct message: “That little gem of info will probably come out in @gregmottola’s DVD commentary :-)”

and replied with this: @MiramaxFilms that makes me sad becuz it means the DVD version won’t have it either, huh? such a great way to end the movie….

Not satisifed, I this morning I tweeted to Greg Mottola. Our conversation, starting with my post to Mottola:

@gregmottola In Feb: INXS. Preview screening on opening week & 3 different KC theaters currently showing it: Yo La Tengo’s mellow score

@SceneStealrEric INXS IS on the theatrical cut … unless they showed the wrong print! what music ended the version you saw?!

@gregmottola In Feb: INXS. Preview screening on opening week & 3 different KC theaters currently showing it: Yo La Tengo’s mellow score

@gregmottola I’ve had all my friends reporting to me after they see it. 1 screen in Lawrence, 2 in KC, plus preview screening: all Yo La

@SceneStealrEric that is really disturbing. I have no idea how that happened … i’m going off to explore. thanks, eric

Five minutes later (presumably after seeing my tweets to Mottola), Miramax replied to me again in another direct message:

“Hi Eric - the INXS version of the song is on the DVD/Blu-Ray and theatrical as @gregmottola mentioned. thx for letting us know re: Yo La”

Fifteen minutes later, Mottola decided to do some investigating for himself. On Twitter. He tweeted this:

Twitterers: did anyone else see a version of Adventureland with instrumental music in the credits instead of INXS? If so, where?

theheroworkshop tweeted this response: @gregmottola I saw an advance screening and don’t remember any INXS. I’m Australian - so usually take note of Aussie music.

Mottola again:@theheroworkshop where did you see the screening?

theheroworkshop’s response: @gregmottola Birmingham, Michigan

A response from another Twitterer yielded the opposite result.

From shivvy, in Florence, KY: @gregmottola Weird! Nope, saw it twice and both times “Don’t Change” blasted through the speakers.

Wow. The power of Twitter. Mottola’s fact-finding mission via Twitter is happening right now.

from moviesponge: @gregmottola -there was no sign of INXS during the credits at the Regal in Brea, CA. BTW, LOVED the movie.

I, for one, am glad to know that the DVD will contain the INXS song, since I thought it was the perfect way to end the movie. I also hope Mottola gets some answers, since the movie’s been out now for two weeks. He can’t be happy.

What about you? Where did you see “Adventureland” and what song was on the closing credits?

Update: It looks like Miramax is taking steps to rectify the problem after diagnosing it. Nicolette Aizenberg from Miramax says: “INXS cue is on all 35mm prints and Digital-Cinema masters. Issue is it was left off DTS, which is a sound format that comes separately on a DVD. So theaters that utilize DTS as their exclusive sound format (small number relative to release) will not have the INXS song until this weekend when replacement discs are sent out.”

Tags: adventureland, controversy, credits, cut, different, don't change, greg, inxs, miramax, mottola, twitter, version