Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: "STAR WARS:EPISODE 2" in IMAX opens on Friday

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Topic: "STAR WARS:EPISODE 2" in IMAX opens on Friday

Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 10-27-2002 11:48 PM

I wanted to see "APOLLO 13" at our local IMAX theatre here in Hawaii but it was passed over so the Waikiki Imax would be available to play "STAR WARS-EPISODE 2" on Friday along with 70 other large format theatres in the United States and Canada. Since the IMAX process is a film format, I am not expecting very much as far as image quality is concerned. "Episode 2" looked like

in the 35mm film version and I am afraid, it might look like a much larger pile of

in IMAX with the 2.35.1 image recomposed for the square screen. I am planning to see it but I am not expecting too much from this film like I did for "APOLLO 13".

-Claude

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Dennis Benjamin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1445
From: Denton, MD
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 10-28-2002 12:13 AM

I heard that they have cut 28 minutes from the regular 35 MM release AND that it does not look great up there on that huge screen. (Something having to do with the digital conversion?)

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"Running through life at 24 frames per second"

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 10-28-2002 03:19 AM

Dennis,

Cutting twenty eight minutes out of the film might not be a bad idea. Who knows, this might make the movie better and people like myself would enjoy it more because the original film was much too long and very boring.

-Claude

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 10-28-2002 10:38 AM

The film has been trimmed down to about 120 minutes. If the platter for this arrives today, I am planning on screening this tonight.

As far as what I can tell from the trailer, the CGI stuff looks great (since the original source data was re-rezzed) but the very brief shots of live action look blurry. Can't imagine why.

I was spared from watching this in 35mm, so I won't be able to tell you what was cut. (I did see Jar Jar at one reel change, though)

As far as Apollo 13 bookings go, less than 25 theaters in North America were "invited" to show the film. Bookings had nothing to do with the release of Episode II, which was made public after the Apollo contracts were signed. Like my theater, there are many others playing both films.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 10-28-2002 11:22 AM

Adam Martin wrote: "As far as what I can tell from the trailer, the CGI stuff looks great (since the original source data was re-rezzed) but the very brief shots of live action look blurry. Can't imagine why."

The lack of sharpness in the HDCAM material compared to the CGI was obvious in the 35mm release, especially when live action was composited with CGI (e.g., Yoda scenes). IMHO, with necessary Nyquist anti-alias filtration and the HDCAM compression of both luminance and chromiance information, there ain't much detail left to fill a huge screen:
here Digital Subsampling

"Apollo 13" started out with much more information to work with.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: here

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 10-28-2002 11:28 AM

Why is George allowing his movie to be shown on horrible evil film? As George has taught us, digital video is better... not even IMAX can compete. It's film after all, and will get messed up within a week of running over all the wires, etc.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 10-28-2002 12:43 PM

AFAIK, for now at least, filling an 80-foot IMAX screen = toasted DLP.

Size DOES matter, whether it's film or silicon.

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Daryl C. W. O'Shea
Film God

Posts: 3977
From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from)
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 10-28-2002 04:55 PM

IMAX DLP would lead to SWEP2: Attack of the Globs

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Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 10-28-2002 07:22 PM

Will the box office totals for the IMAX release be added to the original movie's gross? After all, if 28 minutes was cut and the frames re-composed for IMAX, then it's not the same movie. (Like the Apollo 13 IMAX totals are not being counted with the original film, AFAIK)

If they are, then Georgie is just trying to bump the total up so it can be comfortable up there with his other precious movies.

=TMP=

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 10-31-2002 04:21 PM

The newspaper ads in New York say it all:

SIZE MATTERS NOT.
Except on an Imax Screen

Yoda and his light saber are prominent in the ad -- the Star Wars logo is not.

The release title is Attack of the Clones: The Imax Experience. Logically that means B.O. will be separate from the 35mm version.

All 3 commercial Imax theaters in the NY area -- Loews Imax, Regal New Roc City Imax, Imax at Palisades Center -- will show the Imax version of Episode 2 at least until Treasure Planet opens 11/27.

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 11-01-2002 06:08 PM

George Lucas and Fox does not appear to have too much faith in the IMAX version of 'STAR WARS- Episode 2, The IMAX Experience", the way they are advertising the movie in Honolulu's two major newspapers. All they have is a tiny advertisment in another part of the weekend tabloid under "EVENTS" and not with the other ads in the movie section.

Except for one daily showing of the "In House" IMAX film "HIDDEN HAWAII" at the Waikiki IMAX during the first hour after they open, the "STAR WARS" film is being shown four times every day until "TREASURE PLANET" open in a few weeks.

-Claude

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 11-01-2002 10:50 PM

Typically, IMAX theatres handle their own advertising individually without the studio's help. It depends on the contract. Disney has contract versions that allow them to deal with the advertising in exchange for a higher film rental. I don't know what was specifically available as terms from Fox, though. Our theater is handling the ads for SW2, just as we did for Apollo 13.

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 11-02-2002 11:21 AM

The ad running in New York is a 20th Century Fox stack ad. It includes the theaters, phone numbers, websites and showtimes.

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William Leland III
Master Film Handler

Posts: 336
From: Charleston, SC,
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 11-02-2002 04:28 PM

We had a projectionist screening at the Charleston I-Max for SWEP:II 70mm. i was not looking forward to see it on 70mm , I think we all can agree it sucked on 35mm. but WOW... it rocked on 70mm format. U could see the detail in the backgrounds and the sound was freaking awesome. When Obi Won and Anakin are in the flying car chasing the bounty hunter girl, we are able to see the car dashboards perfectly. There is a great difference in the movie. What a difference size and no blurry backgrounds can make.
I think projectionist need to see this movie. It will give you a more comforting feeling of digital film. Can anyone compare SWEP:II 70mm to SWEP:II on digital film?

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 11-02-2002 07:13 PM

I am very pleased you had enjoyed the IMAX version of "EPISODE 11". I hope to find the time to see it sometime next week. By the way, forgive me for being technical but the large film format is registered and known as IMAX and not I-Max.

-Claude

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