Currently voyaging back to Orlando after a mind blowing IMAX 70mm presentation at MOS Ft. Lauderdale. Definitely worth the 6 hours round trip. The COVID procedure felt much safer than Regal. Upon arrival, they took a look at our tickets and wrote down our names next to the ticket number. You were then asked to read a COVID checklist, no contact with known COVID carriers, no cough or fever, no diarrhea in the last 24 hours. Temperature was checked. This was before you even got inside. Then you’re allowed to wait outside until the doors to the building open 30 minutes before showtime. Priority seating tickets are seated first. Then you are called by group to enter the theater. You are given a seat assignment. We arrived an hour ahead of time to pick good seats and they assigned us to the middle of the 2nd row anyway. Thankfully, the seats reclined slightly so I could actually see the height of the 1.43 picture without killing my neck. Every other row is blocked off, pairs of two seats are open with a seat in between. The three early access screenings are all sold out. There were about 100 or so of us. Because of the seating procedure, the trailers and movie didn’t start until about 7:15 when it was scheduled for 7:00. They could’ve started the process 15-20 minutes earlier.
Trailers for WW1984 and Black Widow played on their dual laser system. No Dune.
I have tickets for Pointe Orlando already tomorrow (today, September 1st actually) so hopefully I see it then.
A pure analog process looks very different after your brain has adjusted to digital presentations, it takes a little while to feel normal, as does the shutter flicker. Awesome resolution, great colors, surprisingly good contrast. The AR switching has returned to TDKR levels of rapid. There were like 3 second or shorter IMAX shots in the middle of 65mm scenes. I really don’t mind much though.
Near the end, the projector goes out cold. I thought the movie had ended very abruptly, like how Dunkirk ended with that seemingly random shot of Tommy, so you never know. We sat in total pitch black darkness for 15 very confusing seconds before the house lights come on. Since there are no credits, we all collectively conclude that the 70mm projector crapped out. There was a power surge apparently. They will play the remaining 7 minutes on the laser system. The picture comes up frozen a few times before disappearing, like they were fast forwarding trying to figure out where to resume the movie from, like the good old VHS days lol. The movie eventually resumes right where it left off. The dual laser system also looks very great, even if we only got to see the epilogue with it. I am happy the vast majority of the movie was seen on 70mm though. I really hope the projector and print are ok after that and they can continue showings as normal.
