project86

Anybody been to a Imax dome? I went to one a looong time ago and had a huge deal with the image stretching on the left and right sides, but it was ok in the center.

You think it was just the idiots who set up the projector? Or is that just the genius of a dome screen.

Let me know!

NitroJMS

The dome version of Imax can be difficult to watch for a traditional movie. It's designed to have a more expansive experience for documentaries so it can be hard to constantly move back and forth such a giant screen. I had this problem with Harry Potter 4 and I was sitting in the middle of the theater.

The flat Imax seems to work better as its easier to view the entire image at once.

The only one I enjoyed on the domed version was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory since it was such a trippy film by nature.

Mabuse

I've been to the IMAX dome in Tiajuana, Mexico (no that's not a joke they actually have one). It's not a good experience. The dome concept was a failed concept and they haven't built one in 20+ years. The only ones in existance are dinosaur theaters.

RichC2

I saw 300 on Dome, it sucked because you had to turn your head, and for what? more mostly naked men.

Dome is awesome for the movies specifically made for it, not so great for movie movies.

AndyCleveland

up until i saw "i am legend" in imax in columbus (specifically drove 2 hrs south from cleveland to catch the batman trailer) i thought all Imax's were domes. Yes, i was expecting a dome when seeing I Am Legend. I was surprised- it was pretty much like a regular screen, just with higher resolution and much better sound.

it still seems odd that cleveland, oh does not have an imax that shows regular movies

davidh777

I saw Sea Monsters at the Portland OMSI and didn't like it as well as normal IMAX. Not only the stretchiness, but the seams as well.

Shannon Nutt

I like the dome if it's a movie completely filmed for IMAX. Not so much for feature-length movies when only some or none of the scenes are filmed for Imax.

Boba Fett

The local museum has an IMAX dome and it's great for IMAX documentaries, but Attack of the Clones was a blurry mess, when I saw it.

shaun3000

The coolest thing I've ever seen on an IMAX dome screen was a NASA IMAX film back when I was a kid. We took a field trip to the Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History, which has an Omnimax theater. (I emailed them about the name, they said IMAX used to sell their equipment so Ft. Worth bought theirs and called it Omnimax. Now they only lease them and you have to call it IMAX) When they first stepped out of the Shuttle cargo bay with the camera in the astronaut's POV... HOLY CRAP, I could have sworn we were floating there in space with him. The initial sense of falling, then floating and weightlessness, SOO COOL!!!

Giles

I saw 'Polar Express' at the IMAX dome in Syracuse New York, and I have to say - it looked awful.

CKMorpheus

I saw the same thing when I was a kid at the Omnimax theater in New Jersey at the Liberty Science Center. Blew my mind. I wouldn't watch a regular movie on it though.

Jason

The first IMAX film I saw was Space Station, on a proper IMAX screen. If you haven't seen it, the first shot after the credits (black field with small titles) is the ISS floating above the earth. Talk about immersive! They could have shown us that for five minutes, turned on the lights and said get out, and it would have been worth the ticket price.

And the IMAX dome sucks. Only saw a regular movie on it (Superman Returns) but it was a waste of time. The picture was washed out, and it was impossible to follow the action. Got a few vertigo moments like we were flying, but not enough to make it interesting.

Indy Jones Fan

I thought "domes" were technically called Omnimax theaters and the flat screens were Imax. That's the way it was explained to me when I took a "behind the scenes tour" of the Omnimax theater in Cincinnati. Both use the identical projector and 70mm print but the domed screens require a curved lens on the projector.

Geddlo

We drove out of our way to see I Am Legend as well for the Batman scene too.
I had never been to an Imax before, this one was in an airplane museum in Nassau County on Long Island (damned if I can think of the town right now), but anway, this one was a dome.

We had to get seats all the way in the front which kinda really sucked. The back seems to be the best place to view these movies on a domed screen.

So yeah, I'm not a big fan of the domed screen for imax.

shaun3000

Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAX#IMAX_Dome.2FOMNIMAX

I didn't realize there were cameras designed and films shot specifically for dome screens. It makes me wonder why they show normal films on those screens or if they format those films for the dome screens.

Mabuse

That is correct.

Mabuse

They shouldn't show regular films on domed Omnimax screens, if you pay money for that you are being ripped off. There is nothing improved about watching a film that way.

Steve Phillips

I hate the Omnimax domes; but I've only seen documentaries on them. I can imagine a theatrical film would be awful. Are they even building these anymore, now that most IMAX documentaries are 3-D anyway?

Hulkabrgr

I remember back in 96 for an IMAX documentary that I beleive was called speical effects, they recreated the opening of ANH for the domed IMAX expierence. It was great having the rebel cruiser start behind you- and so forth. That being said, I can't imagine that a regular movie would look good on the dome screen.

BBEANLPHIE

Dam I got tickets for the dome IMAX in NY long island. Even though it says no refunds I will call tomorrow and try anyway. I might as well watch it in a regular theater if its really that bad to watch it on a dome screen.