Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Opening 11/19/10)

[kdsjjb]

Saw the last one in IMAX and it was amazing.

[CanadianWDWFan]

Saw it on IMAX and while it did add something to the movie, I feel that spending the extra money on IMAX is just not worth it.

I really did enjoy the movie and it did end at an appropriate point. If the book was made into a single movie so much would have been left out. It left me wanting to see more! Now we have to wait until next year.

[NotaGeek]

From everything I have read the film was not shot in 3D, it was added post-production, so I will skip the 3D version. I really think that unless the 3D is used as part of the depth and feel of the film (think Avatar) then it's just not worth it.

[Mufasa]

I despise IMAX Digital- it is a poor viewing experience.

The traditional film based IMAX process can be incredible (as Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight proved it could be).

However, IMAX Digital is a rip-off and an inferior process. They use the IMAX name and what people have come to expect with the larger than life experience where they retrofit an existing theater in a local multiplex and boast a larger screen when what they've done is remove a few rows out of the front of the theater and thus move the screen closer to the audience (the end effect is like sitting too close to your TV screen- sure it looks bigger, but is not a better experience).

If it were true IMAX, just how could they fit those multi story screens we've come to expect into your local megaplex?

And it's not just limited to IMAX. For instance, AMC Pleasure Island offers what they call ETX or the Enhanced Theater Experience which boasts a 20% larger screen but it's the same basic idea as IMAX Digital (again they removed the front few rows, put in a floor to ceiling screen and move it closer to the audience)- and for that you pay an enhanced ticket price. Is it worth it? NO!

From a technical perspective, IMAX Digital uses a pair of Christie 2K digital projectors which they overlap and to boost the projected screen brightness. They say it can offer increased resolution, but it is no match for a true 4K projection system.

Quick note about digital projection formats- 2K is the industry standard right now. That means 2048x1080 resolution (or 2.2 megapixels). For comparison sake, HD as used with TV broadcasts maxes out at 1920x1080.

4K represents 4 times the resolution (4096x2160 or 8.85 megapixels). A 35mm traditional film print scanned with 4K equipment comes in at around the equivalent of 3.2K measured resolution (for 100 ASA film).

For comparison IMAX 15/70mm film has an estimated resolution somewhere in the neighborhood of 18K so a pair of 2K projectors no matter how they're configured won't come close to matching that.

However, there aren't many theaters even those that advertise 4K projection equipment that actually might show a 4K formatted movie.

The studios like Warner Bros. offer films in 4K format, but while a theater might use 4K projectors, they choose not to use the 4k format because it uses a larger file that requires more storage space and there is the argument that the increased resolution is difficult to notice (although I don't buy that argument- it is more challenging to properly present a clear, sharp image at 4K resolution where most theater operators won't go to that trouble and a lot of that comes down to the choice of the projection lens itself- but there is a noticeable difference).

A theater might advertise that it has 4K projectors, but they're upconverting 2K films (and granted, they look pretty good).

However, even existing 4K equipment has some drawbacks (the Sony 4K projectors don't have as good a black level as the DLP based projectors and is enough to be distracting when compared to an original film print, and I haven't yet seen the 4K DLP equipment hit the market for comparison).

The only time I know for a fact that I've seen a film in true 4K resolution has been in a studio screening theater.

The argument that 2K is good enough mirrors a lot of the 35mm versus 70mm debate in film projection and the cost/benefit ROI for theater operators.

For me, what is more important is the attention of the theater that is presenting the film. Out here in LA there's the benefit of having some good theaters (like the Arclight) if you really want the best viewing experience and where it might be worth it to pay more.

[NotaGeek]

Thanks for that info!

[Jeff]

I saw it at IMAX last night.
I liked the movie and thought it was very true to the book.
A couple of shots, both "chase" or running scenes, felt like I was watching the "Blaire Witch Project". The movie was very very jerky to the point I had to look away cause It was bothering my head.

I wouldn't spend the cash on IMAX again but I did enjoy the movie.

[Mickey'sGirl]

We saw it in IMAX on Friday .... and I'm not all savvy about the ins and outs of IMAX, but I am pretty sure that I would pay to see it in IMAX again. Whether it's an illusion or not, I felt a part of the action quite often. We do not do 3D (it makes me ill), so we enjoy the IMAX experience.

[NotaGeek]

I saw it on Saturday -- for $6 A.M. cinema at my local AMC -- and it was worth $6. I feel like I was left out of something because I didn't read the book though.

[KylesMom]

I feel like I was left out of something because I didn't read the book though.

Michael, DS and I both thought that for Half-Blood Prince, so we decided to do something we'd never done before . . . we both read Deathly Hallows on two separate occasions several months apart prior to seeing the movie yesterday. I must confess that it didn't "ruin" the experience as we feared - in fact, reading the book first actually enhanced our movie experience yesterday. I can very much see how you'd feel that way . . .

As an added note, I don't see how they could have ever made this into one movie and had it make any sense at all.

[alphamommy]

Thanks for all the IMAX opinions/info!

We ended up opting for regular, and it was great! We ended up a little closer to the screen than I would have liked, but the theater was packed when we got there.

They did pretty good sticking to the book. Most of the things that were left out weren't all that important to the overall story. Can't wait for next July!