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Why aren’t there more IMAX screens? (Variety article)
Posted on 7/21/26 at 8:07 am
Posted on 7/21/26 at 8:07 am
Thought this was interesting going along with Nolan’s affinity for the 70mm IMAX productions. Building the projectors for IMAX has become a lost art.
Variety article
quote:
Sources at Imax confirmed to Variety that many of the parts needed to build these specialized film projectors “simply no longer exist.” The original design files were created roughly half a century ago, but as Gelfond alludes to, they were never properly maintained. As a result, Imax no longer has a complete manufacturing blueprint — and much like the lost tribal knowledge of the Apollo-era spacecraft, very few engineers working today fully understand the systems.
quote:
The loss of institutional knowledge can also be traced to Hollywood’s transition from film to digital projection that began in the late 2000s. As theaters began converting to digital projectors, which are cheaper and easier to maintain, manufacturers stopped producing film projectors and the replacement parts that go with them. Only in recent years, thanks to auteurs like Nolan and Denis Villeneuve, has interest in the format begun to rebound, even if the format remains a niche experience.
Variety article
6
Posted on 7/21/26 at 8:10 am to BluegrassBelle
It’s cost. The answer is cost.
Show business.
Show business.
Posted on 7/21/26 at 9:19 am to BluegrassBelle
The IMAX at my local theater - AMC Clearview - is terrible.
I'd never been in that IMAX before, but I figured I'd pay a little more for Dune 2. The theater is the old school seating. As in no luxury recliners. No little table to put my food and drink on. Just theater seating from the 90s. I was more than a little annoyed by that.
It didn't help that a person 3 rows down kept playing on their phone the whole movie, and since it was regular seating, I couldn't just recline my seat to let the row in front of me block the light from the phone.
I'd never been in that IMAX before, but I figured I'd pay a little more for Dune 2. The theater is the old school seating. As in no luxury recliners. No little table to put my food and drink on. Just theater seating from the 90s. I was more than a little annoyed by that.
It didn't help that a person 3 rows down kept playing on their phone the whole movie, and since it was regular seating, I couldn't just recline my seat to let the row in front of me block the light from the phone.
Posted on 7/21/26 at 9:34 am to boxcarbarney
quote:
The IMAX at my local theater - AMC Clearview - is terrible.
Go to Elmwood
Posted on 7/21/26 at 9:43 am to BluegrassBelle
And many IMAX "screens", particularly at AMC theaters, aren't true IMAX screens. They're literally less than half the size of an actual IMAX screen (probably not less than half but they appear so).
This post was edited on 7/21/26 at 9:45 am
Posted on 7/21/26 at 9:46 am to PuertoRicanBlaze
Well there’s a difference between IMAX and 70 mm imax
There’s a bunch of imax theaters, while I think there’s like 25 70 mm imax screens across the entire US
And the ones in Texas are both running on empty. They’ve had a few burnout instances this week (especially Dallas which is showing this 24/7)
There’s a bunch of imax theaters, while I think there’s like 25 70 mm imax screens across the entire US
And the ones in Texas are both running on empty. They’ve had a few burnout instances this week (especially Dallas which is showing this 24/7)
Posted on 7/21/26 at 9:47 am to BluegrassBelle
R.I.P. New Orleans Aquarium IMAX (2015)
It was mind-blowing (as a kid) seeing how big that screen was and the HD clarity of the water movies they showed.
It was mind-blowing (as a kid) seeing how big that screen was and the HD clarity of the water movies they showed.
Posted on 7/21/26 at 9:52 am to BluegrassBelle
Just googled from Alexandria it says closest IMAX is in Bossier CIty. I think I can make it to BR quicker.
Posted on 7/21/26 at 9:53 am to Jebadeb
The closest 70mm IMAX to here (Louisville) is Indy at the Science Center. AMC’s local IMAX isn’t 70mm.
Posted on 7/21/26 at 9:55 am to PuertoRicanBlaze
quote:
And many IMAX "screens", particularly at AMC theaters, aren't true IMAX screens.
AKA Liemax. FTR most Imax theaters are Liemax, they are primarily retrofit theaters not designed initially as an IMAX.
An actaul IMAX theater will have a 70+ foot high screen and will be able to project 1.43:1 on the full width. There are only a handful of those in the world. There are just 25 in the US.
This is the US list, everything else is not "really" IMAX
Arizona
Harkins Arizona Mills & IMAX – Tempe
California
Regal Hacienda Crossings & IMAX – Dublin
TCL Chinese Theater IMAX – Hollywood
Regal Irvine Spectrum + IMAX – Irvine
Regal LA Live & IMAX – Los Angeles
Regal Edwards Ontario Palace & IMAX – Ontario
Esquire IMAX – Sacramento
AMC Metreon 16 & IMAX - San Francisco
Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood & IMAX - Universal City
Colorado
Cinemark Carefree Circle & IMAX – Colorado Springs
Regal Colorado Center 9 & IMAX – Denver
Florida
AutoNation IMAX, Museum of Discovery & Science - Fort Lauderdale
Georgia
Regal Mall of Georgia & IMAX - Buford
Illinois
Cinemark Seven Bridges & IMAX – Woodridge
Indiana
IMAX Theatre at Indiana State Museum - Indianapolis
Michigan
Celebration! Cinema Grand Rapids North & IMAX - Grand Rapids
Nevada
Brenden Palms 14 & IMAX – Las Vegas
New York
AMC Lincoln Square 13 & IMAX - New York
Cinemark Tinseltown Rochester & IMAX – Rochester
Pennsylvania
Regal UA King of Prussia & IMAX - King of Prussia
Rhode Island
Apple Cinemas Providence Place & IMAX – Providence
Tennessee
IMAX, Tennessee Aquarium – Chattanooga
Regal Opry Mills & IMAX – Nashville
Texas
Cinemark Dallas & IMAX – Dallas
AMC Rivercenter 11 & IMAX - San Antonio
Posted on 7/21/26 at 10:24 am to Jay Are
quote:
Go to Elmwood
I haven't been to Elmwood since it was called The Palace. Is it better than Clearview? Looking at the website, it looks like the IMAX theater is just old school theater seating just like Clearview.
Posted on 7/21/26 at 10:38 am to BluegrassBelle
You can see a digital representation of the full IMAX screen. It’s a step below 70mm imax. You need the dual 4k lasers. There aren’t many of those either.
Almost all IMAX screens outside of like 60 or so in the country if that are just slightly larger and are not true imax.
ETA: source I saw it this weekend at the Smithsonian out by Dulles Airport in Virginia. It’s the only theater in the entire commonwealth of Virginia that can do this. Our nearest 70mm analog IMAX is in Philadelphia.
What’s a shame is just 15 or so years ago many many more theaters had these projectors and I assume basically scrapped them.
Almost all IMAX screens outside of like 60 or so in the country if that are just slightly larger and are not true imax.
ETA: source I saw it this weekend at the Smithsonian out by Dulles Airport in Virginia. It’s the only theater in the entire commonwealth of Virginia that can do this. Our nearest 70mm analog IMAX is in Philadelphia.
What’s a shame is just 15 or so years ago many many more theaters had these projectors and I assume basically scrapped them.
This post was edited on 7/21/26 at 10:41 am
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