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Terminator Salvation to Get IMAX Release

Posted on Sunday, January 18th, 2009 by Brendon Connelly

The Terminator Salvation news keeps coming, and if you trace the threads back, almost all of it is rooted in that big press event from Wednesday past. This bulletin tells us that the film is being released in the IMAX format, lately something of a box-office draw as well as some kind of badge of honor for a big budget action film. Most interesting factoid, however, is not that the film will be released upscaled and on the big-big screen, but that McG apparently would have had the movie filmed in the format, all but for one key creative decision.

Apparently, McG wanted the very fabric of the film to embody the distressed, post-apocalyptic aesthetic, so he and cinematographer Shane Hurlbut decided to use dead stock. I’m not sure there’s much dead IMAX stock lying about and, even if there were, I don’t personally think the IMAX folks would be too keen about Hurlbut running anything but the best of the best through their precious cameras, however little they’d actually have to worry about.

I can’t detect much of this beaten-down grain and “colour fail” look in the trailers so far, even in their most HD formats, but that could be down to my display or even the way the footage was digitized and treated in the preparation of the promos.

Either way, I’ll deliberately be skipping this film in IMAX and settling for a standard presentation, though - of course - on a decent sized screen. I’m not convinced by IMAX presentation at all. I don’t like the 1.44:1 aspect ratio nearly as much as 1.78:1, 1.85:1 or 2.35:1; I don’t want any of the screen to be outside of my field of vision at any time during the film; I don’t want to pay the premium; and I’ve seen some pathetically puny IMAX screens, anyway.

I appreciate the PT Barnum side of cinema, I really do, but I just can’t get it up for the IMAX sideshow at all. It does nothing for me.

Comments

Mr_Freeze

Alhow me to breahk da ahice!

bittentonuge

As a head's up, Hollywood pictures that upconvert to IMAX do not change their aspect ratio to 1.44. They letterbox the image, taking advantage of the width of the screen. Also, the upconverting process renders a better image, not just a larger one, with a better sound mix. Not that I necessarily disagree with you in your feelings towards seeing something in IMAX and something in regular 35MM, but I wanted to make sure you did not misrepresent the process to readers.

Thankyoufor

This new guy definitely needs to get his stuff straight if he is going to be making claims like this. bittentonuge is absolutely right. They never change the aspect ratio for the conversion to IMAX. This whole article is just wrong and the shot that he takes at the end is stupid and has no merit. Ignorant AND arrogant writing. I'm sorry that you seem to think a better quality product is a gimmick. If it bothers you that much THAN DON'T SIT THAT CLOSE TO THE SCREEN. It's not that hard.

Thankyoufor

THEN*

BrendonConnelly

Sorry, I was aware of both of those ideas but maybe didn't spell them out in detail in the post.

I know the AR of the film wouldn't be altered in this case - but it isn't true that it never changes (The Dark Knight being a special case).

As for "better" - well, in so much as an upscaling DVD player gives a better image than a normal DVD player. It's a sort of fake quality - approximated extra pixels. A purist would not see this as improved quality at all.

Mr_Freeze

Let me spell something out: C-O-L-D!!!!!

XavierLloyd

I saw 300 in IMAX and it was so disappointing (the format, and the film somewhat). I'd much rather watch a movie in a standard theater, unless it's something like Planet Earth. Then I'd watch it in IMAX.

REAL6

Amen to that!!!

NickN328

It's really only worth it if it was filmed in IMAX, like a documentary or those scenes in The Dark Knight, because it's much more natural looking, or sometimes an animated movie, because that looks somewhat more serviceable, but otherwise just stick to the regular theaters.

Phil

Too much talking on Imax makes me wanna vomit when I see 10ft nostrils conversing on screen. Stick to the regular theaters, please........

Landfill

I've watched a few movies in Imax and I thought they looked great. I do see where most people are coming from if they show up late and have to sit very close to the screen though.

Mr_Freeze

I am too big for da imax.

Vlatka

Agreed. However Chicago's Imax on Navy pier can not be beat. I think its certified by Nasa.

FreedomPopular

The only film I plan on seeing in IMAX this year is Avatar... and really the only stuff worth seeing on an IMAX screen is footage shot with an IMAX camera.

The Dark Knight was the first hollywood film I paid to see in IMAX due to those scenes, hopefully more directors will start doing this. Then it will be worth the extra dough.

Joe

Wait, wait, wait.

Night at the Museum 2 and Terminator 4 will both be released in IMAX on the same day? How will this work?

BrendonConnelly

Very good point. Perhaps one of them will be stalled, and given a second wave release on IMAX?

caroline101

excuse my ignorance, but can anyone explain 'dead' film? thanks

BrendonConnelly

Typically it just means a discontinued line of stock, but that's not how McG was using the term. He was talking about aged stock that has "distorted" to some extent.

caroline101

thanks for the explanation BrenonConnelly-I really didn't think he could be using out of date film for a multi million dollar movie- it's just aged.

Chris

The only possible way I can see IMAX being disappointing is if you're in a crappy theater. On all of the 5 screens I've seen in NY, the experience has been incredible. It even makes crap like The Day The Earth Stood Still bearable. But movies like Spider-man 3, The Dark Knight, and (especially) Speed Racer were awesome in the format. The only people I know that don't like it are those that get easily sick.

jonleehk

i agree. i don't think i've seen many movies that i thought was bad in imax. unless i am mistaken, there aren't many movies in imax. order of the phoenix was brilliant on imax so it could and should work, if not it'd be interesting.

Pill

I actually prefer the standard theater experience to Imax, actually if anything I like the older theaters that have slightly smaller screens. For myself, the "Imax Experience" has usually involved motion sickness and a less then desirable glimpse inside the pore's of actor's faces. Everyone gushed about how amazing The Dark Knight was in Imax, but I'm fairly certain I'd probably vomit during the choppy and incomprehensible fight sequences.

I just really don't need to have a film I'm watching take up the entirerty of my visual scope.

Captain_Howdy

I'm yet to experience IMAX as an IMAX cinema only just opened in my city at the turn of the new year. As soon as a decent title screens on it, I will buy a ticket. I am reluctant, however. I still see it as a gimmick. I love the original cinema experience. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it. That's always been the strange thing about Hollywood and their gimmicks like 3D, IMAX etc... if it 'aint broke, don't fix it.

SkyyBluu

Im with you on this one! yet to experience IMAX and waiting for a good flick to loose my "I"s to!

I daresay go anywhere near that keaunu flick thats currently playing...

Kyle

I just go for the sound, honestly. I find it to be far superior.

SkyyBluu

Woah Woah Woah trying to convince me to go see it on IMAX...not convinced to go see it on Cinema screen yet!
Not a fan of MCG at all!!

BrendonConnelly

I am.

Aqualeo

I feel that Imax has become a fad. I agree with Peter about the format. I really couldn't stand the Batman sequences. It was kin of hard to see all the frame at one time. I'm partial to the 2.35:1 ratio. It makes everything so epic.

JordanFRAV

It's always nice to see a big-budget-bonanza such as 'Dark Knight' or 'Terminator: Salvation' in IMAX, the only problem for me will be finding the time to travel 50 miles to my nearest IMAX screen inbetween University and work when the film is released!

StarkIndustries

IMAX always makes the movie experience more enjoyable, especially on opening night.

perf

Try again - this won't see an imax release. There's less than 300 IMAX screens worldwide and there's no way that IMAX will release two films on the same day and have their theater network choose between releases. It doesn't make any financial sense becomes the conversion process is expensive.

tdm

Re-processing of any kind even if it be up-scaling, cannot improve quality. It can give the illusion by scaling differently with dummy filler pixels but it is still processed.

I'm not sure where you got your tech knowledge from but it is like trying to improve the quality of a photo by increasing the size and scale of it. It cannot be done. It will not improve the quality but in fact decrease the quality.

To make up for the quality loss with DMR IMAX scale conversions, they use different techniques to try and make the up-scaled image look better by cleaning up the imperfections from the ups-scaling process but it is still processed and suffers because of it.

The author is also correct when he states that only IMAX shot film is a quality that is technically superior because of its true resolution. DMR conversions on the other hand are technically limited. There is no way to increase the quality by up-scaling. Only techniques to make it not look as bad as up-scaling alone. Techniques that fill in pixel space, smooth jagged edges, etc

So if your claim is that you personally prefer IMAX DMR converted films, that is you opinion. But your claim that the picture is superior technically, that is wrong.

Oh, and your claim that they "never" change the aspect ration... "Never" is incorrect. They did it with Star Wars: Episode II for one, and it was a horrible pan-and-scan nightmare.

So your name calling... in the end it is just silly name calling and totally unfounded and uncalled for.

tdm

You will not get me to disagree about the audio, though. Most IMAX theatres have superior audio equipment.

The sound is from the same source whether it be IMAX or not. But the speakers and equipment in most IMAX theatres is generally far and away ahead of most standard theatres.

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