WASHINGTON — Director Christopher Nolan has some instructions for moviegoers who want to experience "Oppenheimer" in the best way possible: Go see it in the IMAX 70-millimeter film format.
So what's the problem with that? There are only 30 theaters worldwide, including 19 in the U.S., screening Oppenheimer in that format and none of them are in Washington state. The closest theater that can play movies in the IMAX 70mm format is the Cineplex Cinemas Langley & IMAX in Langley, British Columbia – just over a two-hour drive from Seattle.
So what's the difference? Most theaters crop the IMAX aspect ratio horizontally, which means you may miss out on what Nolan described as "3D without the glasses" since IMAX screens are intended to use the viewer's entire peripheral vision. The IMAX prints are so extreme that they weigh about 600 pounds and are 11 miles long, according to the Associated Press.
“The sharpness and the clarity and the depth of the image is unparalleled,” Nolan said. “The headline, for me, is by shooting on IMAX 70mm film, you’re really letting the screen disappear. You’re getting a feeling of 3D without the glasses. You’ve got a huge screen and you’re filling the peripheral vision of the audience. You’re immersing them in the world of the film.”
It's why movie buffs on social media are warning about "Croppenheimer."
There will also be over one hundred 70mm prints (“a fabulous presentation,” Nolan said) sent to theaters around the world, at major chains and many independent locations like the Music Box in Chicago and the AFI Silver in Washington D.C.