posted 05-12-2009 08:48 PM                    

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REBLOG THE FUCK OUT OF THIS. WARNING: AMC theaters are running FAKE IMAX's and charging $5 extra for a slightly bigger screen. Boycott IMAX, AMC, and Regal. Don't let them fool you.
I went with a friend of mine to see Star Trek: The IMAX Experience at the AMC Theatre in Burbank today. I drove out of my way to see the film on the large IMAX screen and paid an extra $5 for the ticket, which felt worth it at the time.

HOWEVER, we get in the theatre and its just a slightly bigger than normal screen and NOT the usual standard huge 72 ft IMAX screen. I was very upset and apparently this problem is happening all over at Regal and AMC theatres. Here’s a graphic representation of what’s happening at these “FAKE IMAX” screens:



If you don’t want the whole long story, I did some research online and found this article that explains it. Basically IMAX is whoring out their brand name and trying to trick people. These new “IMAX” theatres are really just nice digital screens with good sound, but they ARE NOT IMAX, in that they don’t have the huge 72 ft gigantic screen which people would expect. However, they still charge $5 more for tickets as they would for the regular IMAX.

REGAL, AMC, AND IMAX - YOU ARE LIARS!

Boycott them. Fuck them for taking advantage of people and charging them $5 extra. If you’re in LA, go to the Arclight from now on, and fuck the IMAX screens (fake and real).

Some people at Regal and AMC both wanted to call these screens IMAX Digital so as to differentiate it somehow from the giant IMAX screens people are used to associating with the name IMAX. Apparently IMAX doesn’t see anything wrong with duping customers like this and insisted on simply keeping it as IMAX. Well, I have a better term how about - “BULLSHIT IMAX.” Cause that’s what it is.

According to this piece, IMAX CEO, Richard Gelfond said the company only puts IMAX digital systems into multiplex auditoriums that meet certain criteria. He jokingly said, “It’s a very scientific test. It’s called the ‘wow’ factor. So if you don’t go in and go ‘wow,’ we won’t do it.” HAHAHA! REALLY FUNNY RICHARD!!!! What happens if I go in the theatre and go “This isn’t a fucking IMAX screen, I just got ripped off for $5!!” Do I get my money back?

At the AMC theatre this was my experience at guest services:

Aziz: Yes, I’d like my $5 back. I paid $5 extra for an IMAX screen and that’s not nearly as big as what I have known IMAX to be.
Guest Services: I can’t sir. Its IMAX quality picture and sound.
Aziz: But the screen isn’t big, that’s the whole reason I pay $5 more for IMAX.
Guest Services: Well sir, you watched the whole movie, you could have come out and we could have given you tickets to a different one.
Aziz: Why would I do that? I’d leave Star Trek, the movie I wanted to see and you’d give me a ticket for Ghosts of Girlfriends Past? Oh yeah that’s fair! No, you need to give me the $5 back, its the principle of it. Can I see a manager?

Manager: Sir, we can’t refund the money, you saw the whole film.
Aziz: I don’t want $15, I just want $5 cause AMC lied about IMAX.
Manager: Sir, I can give you popcorn and a drink.
Aziz: I don’t want to go home and drink a nasty soda and eat nasty ass popcorn. I want my $5 back. Its not about the money, its the principle of the matter, ITS NOT IMAX.
Manager: Sorry, I can’t do anything.
Aziz: You know what Twitter is? I have 25,000 followers, I’m tell 25,000 people you run fake IMAX’s and that they should boycott AMC.
Manager: I don’t really care sir.
Aziz: Yeah, I wouldn’t care either if I worked here, but you know you are in the wrong! You should give me $5!!
Manager: SIR, I CAN GIVE YOU POPCORN AND A SODA.
Aziz: I DON’T LIKE POPCORN AND I DON’T LIKE SODA, I WANT MY $5!!!
Manager: Ok here’s two free passes.

UPDATE: In addition to this terrible tragedy, there are also terrible things going on in Darfur. Please Google around for more info on how to help there.

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posted 05-12-2009 10:34 PM                    

quote: Mike Blakesley

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Guy actually got a pretty good deal in the end -- two free passes, worth at least $17 or more

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A good deal...unless they are valid 'only for IMAX presentations'

posted 05-13-2009 09:40 AM                       

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Aziz: You know what Twitter is? I have 25,000 followers, I’m tell 25,000 people you run fake IMAX’s and that they should boycott AMC.

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posted 05-13-2009 09:58 AM                    

quote: Martin McCaffery

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"IMAX" is the new "THX", just a meaningless bunch of letters that are supposed to fool the public into thinking they are getting something better.

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posted 05-13-2009 01:21 PM                    

quote: Richard Gelfond, IMAX CEO

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It’s a very scientific test. It’s called the ‘wow’ factor.

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Some wow factor. It's more like, "wow, I can't believe I paid $5 more for this crap!"

quote: Louis Bornwasser

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Actually this is more like 70mm in little multiplexes. Big film on small screen. Not quite the same as the road show houses with 125 ft screens.

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posted 05-13-2009 02:24 PM                    

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Are Smaller IMAX Screens Worth the Price?
By Stephen Dalton

The lure of watching Star Trek in IMAX has moviegoers shelling out as much as seven extra bucks at the theater with the expectation of getting more screen space.

But most of the company's new digital screens, specifically those built in the past six years, are significantly less than half the screen size of what many consider the traditional 60 foot by 80 foot IMAX (Stock Quote: IMAX). The size of these smaller screens varies, but one set of dimensions is 25 feet by 58 feet (see the graph, below). These surprisingly inconsistent dimensional requirements for IMAX screens (despite a ticket premium of as much as 40%) are making some moviegoers madder than a Klingon.

Recently actor and comedian Aziz Ansari unleashed a profanity-ridden yet honest rant on his personal blog after feeling duped into paying an extra $5 for what he deemed a not-large-enough IMAX experience. Most new IMAX digital screens, which are not differentiated by name from their behemoth science center-sized forebears, are only slightly larger in size than traditional movie theater screens.

It may not be an out and out scam, but the lack of specifics in terms of what size screen qualifies as "IMAX" is confusing consumers.

Industry Pro: IMAX "Brand Dilution" Exists
James Hyder, editor and publisher of LF Examiner, the self-proclaimed "independent journal of the large format motion picture industry," is surprised IMAX has gotten away for so long with what he calls “brand dilution."

“The size of the screen is much smaller than the older IMAX, and the digital quality is only slightly better than conventional digital," says Hyder. "Most of the people who go to the new digital theaters must not have been to a real IMAX theater ever.” According to IMAX, 72 of its 138 screens are the smaller size, or just more than half.

IMAX Responds: More than Size Matters
MainStreet spoke to Richard Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, who defended IMAX against Ansari's rant and other blogs covering the issue.

Gelfond says more modest IMAX screens in local multiplexes have been around for at least six years. Despite Ansari’s outrage, Gelfond says the positive feedback from consumer testing and ticket sales at these IMAX theaters is significant.

“IMAX did 15% of Star Trek’s total domestic box office in the whole country on only 138 screens," which is less than 2% of all movie theatres, says Gelfond. "This is compared to the earlier releases of Watchmen, where we did 12% of the box office and Monsters and Aliens, where we did around 10%. Clearly a lot of people are going back to IMAX theaters.”

Gelfond also points out that not everyone shares Ansari’s views. “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.”

Movie Lovers: What You Need to Know
For those confused by the differences between IMAX and traditional screens, Gelfond says the pricier IMAX experience is more than just screen size.

The version of the film projected on IMAX is different from that shown in traditional movie theaters, he says. The resolution is increased using a process called Digital Remastering, the sound quality is enhanced, and several front rows of seating are removed to improve the viewer’s experience (read: prevent neck cramps).

Budget-minded Star Trek fans should familiarize themselves with the details of the new projection system on IMAX’s web site and should check for the details at your local IMAX theater before purchasing tickets. Don't boldly go where you might be surprised by the lack of screen space.

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posted 05-13-2009 02:59 PM                       

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Gelfond says more modest IMAX screens in local multiplexes have been around for at least six years.

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