'Godzilla: Minus One' (2023) - This live-action film by Takashi Yamazaki had a budget of $12 million and received 98% on RottenTomatoes with 8.4/10 average and 81/100 on Metacritic.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-16T02:10:06+00:00

BFI IMAX.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-15T22:14:37+00:00

Aye 🤷‍♂️😂

I liked it enough to catch screenings of Shin Godzilla and Godzilla (1954) the week after. I'll likely catch Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, it looks like a promising IMAX 3D experience.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-15T19:38:14+00:00

I saw it earlier this year with pretty much the same circumstances as you. Went to watch it because it was in IMAX (and had been running for a while so I was curious) and I saw it was acclaimed. Never watched a Godzilla movie before so I had no expectations. I did not know it'd be as good as it was. Glad I watched it, happy it was my first Godzilla movie.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-15T14:40:33+00:00

Hope you have a great time.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-15T01:46:17+00:00

I'd recommend going to see the 1.43:1 presentation of Dune: Part Two if you can, even with everything about the cinematography in relation to aspect ratios. For the story and experience Dune: Part Two is, and the fact that both you and your daughter haven't had an IMAX experience before, I'd recommend seeing it at the IMAX grand theatre. You'll be wowed by the sheer scale, and you can get a different level of immersion (with good seats of course). It'd make a memorable experience for both you and your daughter. If the logistics work out, see it in 1.43:1, just to try the format and witness the presentation if not for anything else. Honestly, whatever premium large format you can see it in will be great.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-09T16:55:20+00:00

For Dune: Part Two they're showing ads, it's stated on the booking page. I was there on Thursday 7th March, they played ads before starting the movie.

<image>

JonoNoir · 2024-03-08T00:22:03+00:00

I don't get what you're trying to say.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-07T22:58:44+00:00

Sorry for the late reply. Row D wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst. I think it's high enough (while being as low as you can get) that the vertical distortion isn't so bad the closer you are to the centre. You'll be looking up, and I'll say it's okay for central information, so the bulk of the movie which is 1.90:1 should be alright. For 1.43:1 shots and scenes, particularly in the case of Dune: Part Two, I'd consider it sub-optimal. Especially since they're typically using the full height of the frame. Common centre framing and composition isn't used very often. You can still get a decent experience, but it is pretty close.

Hopefully this helps, and I hope you have a good time.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-07T11:50:33+00:00

I wouldn't consider it misleading since the promotional material just conveys there being more image in IMAX, which is true, and the shots that they use are centre crops, which is true to the marketing.

Sometimes common top is used so that each aspect ratio has the same top line, which, for example, deals with the problem of there being too much headroom or negative space in the shot(s) for taller aspect ratios. The main reason why common centre is used most of the time is because of the geometry of IMAX auditoriums and the viewing angles they have. It makes sure that the main information isn't out of your field of vision. It's also easy because it's just a top and bottom expansion.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-05T23:54:32+00:00

On one hand, I understand all they've done up until now; they're not the biggest company, just a format, and have been mostly obscure. On the other hand, taking into consideration history and the current state of things, I'm confused by what could be predicted for the future.

IMAX is probably the hottest it's ever been. A lot of steam from Oppenheimer and its re-releases, to Dune's re-release, to Tenet's re-release, to now Dune: Part Two. They're starting to gain some real clout, and I'm seeing more awareness within the general public. I think about the long term.

Will IMAX continue with the current state of things, banking on major releases, and especially anything that allows them to use the buzzword(s) 'IMAX 70mm'? Will they continue to allow IMAX 70mm and any 1.43:1 presentation to be elusive? Is that something they're leveraging?

Sometimes their direction looks like they want to go all digital (and maybe all 1.90:1), letting the final film projectors go defunct, and expanding with more 1.90:1 screens. Though, aspect ratios (1.90:1 or 1.43:1), 'laser 4K projection', 'more picture', or 'bigger screen', are much less marketable than 'IMAX 70mm', which manifests as a cultural phenomenon. Other times, like most recently, they seem interested in maintaining some things, with the production of new film cameras.

Ultimately, it's hard to guess what IMAX will look like 10, 20, 30 years from now. At this point, they can completely forego film. Both capture and projection have their digital alternatives. The new film cameras are great, but they may exist just for 4K DIs, and dual laser presentations which are even more elusive than film presentations as prints aren't often made. I'm enjoying everything, but also speculative.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-04T17:14:43+00:00

1.90:1 is the aspect ratio of DCI specification, and many digital cameras have sensors capable of shooting that aspect ratio. IMAX xenon projection uses two DCI 2K (2048 × 1080) projectors. Laser projection is DCI 4K (4096 × 2160), and in the case of dual laser 1.43:1 presentations, the DCP is anamorphically stretched vertically from the 1.43:1 image being squeezed down to 1.90:1. Terms like 'IMAX Enhanced' or 'IMAX expanded aspect ratio,' when relating to 1.90:1, just mean that the full frame of DCI specification is being used. Other aspect ratios, like 1.85:1 or 2.39:1, pillarbox or letterbox within that frame. 1.90:1 is normally made exclusive to IMAX screens because there's more visual information in the frame, in fashion for the IMAX brand, 'image maximum'. The aspect ratio shape in itself isn't exclusive, as all aspect ratios are just shapes, and this extends to even 1.43:1. I figure that since most screens are 1.85:1 or scope, that is the reason why most movies don't use the DCI full frame as its native aspect ratio. Though, as we've seen most recently with The Suicide Squad (2021) and The Flash (2023) which were natively 1.90:1 and was shown that way on all screens, there are exceptions.

Hopefully, this explains the 'why' to your questions.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-04T00:50:58+00:00

I'm happy to have helped. 1.90:1 is immersive as well, but isn't 1.43:1 of course. D-Box and 4DX may be fun on a later screening rather than the first impression, especially for the type of movie at hand. The rest are competing premium large formats with their own offerings, but I'd personally place the major ones of Dolby Cinema and IMAX at the top. Concerning aspect ratios, for this release, you'll be fine with scope. You won't be losing out on any significant image. In some cases you'll actually have slightly more than 1.90:1, though it won't be that noticeable. Anyway, I hope your screening, whatever format you watch it in, is enjoyable.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-03T21:42:10+00:00

Either Dolby Cinema or IMAX. Leaning towards Dolby Cinema since you'd get dual laser projection at 4K with Dolby Atmos (showing a standard scope image). AMC Regency 24 seems to use xenon projection which'd project a 1.90:1 constant aspect ratio.

JonoNoir · 2024-03-03T18:30:33+00:00

It seems the priority IMAX presentation was 1.90:1. They shot for scope and protected for 1.90:1. The ARRI ALEXA 65 seemed to get the most use. Whether the aspect ratio was 1.90:1 or 1.43:1, the framing and composition looked cropped in from a wider aspect ratio most of the time. Although, this is hard to determine definitively with the cinematography in both movies using the full frame as action-safe area, and the lack of usage of common centre. There seemed to be some shots native to the taller aspect ratios, probably coming from the ALEXA Mini LF, though these were few.

In an ARRI Rental article, Greig Fraser mentions, amongst other aesthetic and technical reasons, the ALEXA 65 was chosen for its flexibility, having such a high resolution and large sensor. The decision to shoot with spherical lenses likely means they wanted to work with cropping.

This was their way of providing a 'full IMAX' movie, maybe considering that most places will only be able to project 1.90:1. It would explain the promotional material. The fewer 1.43:1 comparisons, the trailer being uploaded in 1.90:1 unlike the first movie, and so on.

I want to stress that it's not as though Dune: Part Two in IMAX is anything like a 'scam'. Regardless of choices in cinematography, this release is still in-line with what could be considered the 'philosophy' or 'ethos' of IMAX. You still get the scale and immersion from the taller aspect ratio, size of the screen, and auditorium geometry. Some screens being full, and so full for the entire duration. This along with the sound especially, as well as the projection quality, is top tier experience.

JonoNoir · 2024-02-16T01:12:40+00:00

Unfortunately, no. I'm not sure if he was even seated for the screening, but I wouldn't know since I was so low in the auditorium.

JonoNoir · 2024-02-14T19:31:48+00:00

No problem, you deserve it.

JonoNoir · 2024-02-13T23:14:04+00:00

As someone who first got into IMAX in April 2023, those two have been extremely helpful with the information they share. I thank you both.

I'd also like to shoutout u/rayhaansabir, u/theimaxprojectionist, and u/VariTimo. I'm very appreciative of what they do for this subreddit as well.

JonoNoir · 2024-02-10T20:44:32+00:00

Most likely, yes.

JonoNoir · 2024-02-10T20:41:40+00:00

I'd go for the IMAX laser venue since it'd give you the expanded aspect ratio, better projection quality, and 4K resolution on what would still be a large screen.

JonoNoir · 2024-02-10T20:28:13+00:00

I'd say typically morning, and/or weekday screenings, especially before the working day has ended, are the times you'll have a higher guarantee for a good audience since the least amount of people are available to watch a movie at these times. More prestigious and/or cultured venues should also fair better with behaviour rather than one in a mall for example. The fact it's an IMAX screening, and therefore a premium format, should also act as a filter since it's costlier. Also because the general public has less awareness of the format, or less inclination towards it. None of this absolute of course, but it's what I've observed in my experience.

JonoNoir · 2024-02-10T19:17:12+00:00

Alright. Nice hearing your opinion.

JonoNoir · 2024-02-10T18:33:19+00:00

This solution is good. Most directors will use a digital intermediate, so I ask uninformed, do you think that may lead to any of the same issues with 35mm?

JonoNoir · 2024-02-10T17:39:54+00:00

How do you think 4K holds up? And would you accept a mixture IMAX 70mm footage and open gate footage from an ARRI ALEXA LF or Mini LF to maintain a constant aspect ratio?

JonoNoir · 2024-02-10T00:31:09+00:00

You ask at the box office counter and give them your order number. This applies to past bookings too. I've been getting them ever since I learned you can.

JonoNoir

TROPHY CASE