May 13 2009 Aziz v. IMAX
When you pay extra for an IMAX screen, you expect it to be ludicrously large--so vast that a six-foot man standing in the way of the screen would go nearly unnoticed--right? Well, I expect that. And so did comedian Aziz Anzari (Human Giant, Parks and Recreation), but when he went to an AMC Theatre in Burbank this weekend, he ended up paying five dollars extra for an IMAX screen only marginally bigger than usual, which the theater justified as being IMAX due to its "IMAX quality picture and sound." He complained, AMC workers refused to give any refund, he blogged about it, and now it's an internet thing.
Adding to the controversy, IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond has now defended the smaller screens, saying, "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."
My take: Shut up, Richard Gelfond. When you started touting your idiotic brand name (Image MAXimum!!!) a few years ago, the before-the-movie commercials I saw bragged, "THIS SCREEN IS SO BIG YOU WILL BE PLAGUED BY FEELINGS OF INADEQUACY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE," or something to that effect. I don't remember anyone adding, "Oh, and also some IMAX screens are normal size and just have a slightly better picture, but still cost a ridiculous amount of money. So watch out for those." That is some B. shit.
So, has this happened to anyone else? And does anyone actually agree with the CEO, that it's fine to advertise a screen as IMAX and then reveal it's not even giant? If so, how is it working in IMAX's fake opinion dissemination department?
Dec 2 2008 UPDATED: That's That for Batman (in Theaters)
I hope you got your watching Batman on a giant screen out of the way this summer: Warner Bros. has dropped plans for its January rerelease of The Dark Knight in IMAX theaters. Worse yet for people who care a bizarre amount about box office profits, the film has earned $996.1 million worldwide, so it looks like, without the rerelease, its gross is going to fall just shy of a billion dollars. Unless their Dark Knight candy drive is incredibly successful.
UPDATE: Never mind. It's still happening. (Thanks, ed)
WB Drops The Dark Knight Rerelease Plans [Superhero Hype]
Sep 30 2008 Everyone is Lovin' IMAX
Good news! My Imax logo tattoo is going to remain relevant for at least a couple more summers! After Christopher Nolan found success shooting key sequence of The Dark Knight in Imax, other directors are planning to follow suit. Michael Bay has said at least three Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen scenes are being shot on the larger format, and Jon Favreau and DJ Caruso have expressed interest in using it on Iron Man 2 and Y: The Last Man, respectively. Everything will be huge!
If only this Imax revolution thing would have happened just a little sooner. Could you imagine seeing the white hot romance of Nights in Rodanthe bursting off that massive screen and scorching our seats (and hearts)? It would be like staring into a beautiful Hell as you watched the flames of passion burning in the depths of every one of Richard Gere's valleys of squint. Oh, to dream.
Tentpole directors see Imax in future [Variety]
Aug 5 2008 New 'Madagascar 2' Poster Somehow Forgets to Mention 'I Like to Move It'
Here's the new poster to promote paying more to see Madagascar 2: Esc2pe 2 2fric2 2 on a larger-than-usual screen. Is anyone else thinking what I'm thinking? That Madagascar 2's laughs are already so huge that blowing them up on an IMAX screen might make people lose their G.D. minds to absolute delight, creating a visible weather pattern composed of pure laughter? Yes, there's a pretty good chance that's happening, but we have to try it.
The Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa IMAX One-Sheet [Coming Soon]
Jan 28 2008 AM Poster Post: 'Dolphins and Whales', Together At Last, in 3D
Sometimes, when the violence and intensity of your Rambos and your Cloverfields get to be too much, it's nice to see someone is making a film about swimming around, having a good time, just being a dolphin or whale. I mean, come on, guys. Dolphins and whales, together? Classic combination.
Oct 9 2007 AM Poster Post: 'Sea Monsters' w/ Liev Shreiber, SEA MONSTERS!!!
I wouldn't normally post a one-sheet for one of these pseudo-educational IMAX movies, but the promise of Peter Gabriel music in Sea Monsters was too enticing, if only because it could mean a scene where one of the sea monsters holds a boom-box outside another sea monster's bedroom window.
Also, come on, they're f***ing sea monsters. Right?
