faq

first: I'm getting super lost with all of the terminology, where can I learn about all of this?

great question!  here are a couple of good resources to get you up to speed everything you need to know about IMAX and why cinephiles care this much

• The Revolver Club has an excellent article that really has everything you need to know about all of the formats and its history

• The famous Ryan Coogler Aspect Ratio video that was released in advance of Sinners (this video was actually one of the biggest motivators to get the project started!)

• Prefer a simple visual explainer of the video? Adam Hlaváč made this excellent cheat sheet:

what is the current state of the chicago 1.90 IMAX screens?

lucky for you, I'm ✨ beyond hyperfixating ✨ on this and I like to make these silly goofy spreadsheets.  If you have updates you're aware of, you can let me know via email (see below) or at the Chicago IMAX Campaign twitter account.

why can't IMAX put a 70MM projector in any of those IMAX theaters above?

Sadly, except for the abandoned Lincolnshire and the Cinemark Seven Bridges, the rest of those theaters are not big enough to support it.  The screen basically is not going to be the right size for the aspect ratio, plus the theater itself would need to be big enough for the projector to project it properly (and this is where I tap out because physics and engineering get invovlved, and I went to law school, not math school).

well that's a bummer, so then why won't IMAX build a new GT theater and install a 70MM?

and therein lies what is apparently the billion dollar question my friend!  I'll start with the 70MM issue: they don't manufacture them anymore.  It's currently the main hurdle that's on eveyone's minds.  It's very old technology that was falling out of fashion over the last couple decades with the rise of 4K tech and digital projectors that are a lot easier to maintain.   However, there certain filmmakers (Nolan, Coogler, Peele, Jenkins) who have filmed their most recent blockbuster films partially on these IMAX cameras.  For some of these filmmakers (such as Nolan and Coogler), significant portions of their latest releases were shot on IMAX film, and had huge special 70MM IMAX releases, and then it very quickly has re-popularized it.  Now there is a sudden influx of demand for a relatively dying and niche format that IMAX wasn't necessarily prepared to keep up with.  They have indicated that they are interested in investing, but it's definitely not cheap (especially because it's old, and it takes a lot to train people on these, since these film releases are also sporadic). 

ok, I'm willing to accept that we can't have the 15/70 projectors anymore.  What about a new GT theater with a dual laser projector, like Navy Pier had?

(This is where we get into a lot of hearsay territory and my only sources are conjecture of people on the internet, which I personally don't love to base my action plans on.)

The vibe seems to be that IMAX is shifting away from this due to expense of building and maintenance and instead are focused on manufacturing improvements for the single laser projection systems in those 1:90 theaters (which is good news for those! some of those need that pretty badly).   Aside from that, everything else is unclear.  Why they wouldn't still decide to invest in the 3rd biggest city in the U.S. by standing up a Lincoln Square-level state-of-the-art GT is beyond me.  It's possible that they're working on a "rumored single laser 1:43 projection system" and maybe that's the hold up.  No one really knows for sure other than it's "expensive."

Also, to note, it requires buy in from a theater chain as well, and many of them (especially one like AMC) is still trying to make a turn around post-COVID and post-strike. So if the startup costs are really of concern, then this is likely why we've seen no movement here.

I heard AMC Roosevelt was going to be a 15/70MM IMAX? Is it not?

Sadly, it is not.  It was unfortunately misunderstood and misreported by someone that it would be.  It sounds like they might have some operable 5/70MM projectors from the previous theater that they can run, however like the other IMAXs in the city, this was not a GT setup and could not be converted up to one with the space they have.

The good news is, they're supposed to be getting a single laser system! So A-Listers can be excited whenever that IMAX eventually opens.

Why can't you just go to Indiana or Grand Rapids? What's the big deal about driving 3 hours?

I implore you to remember that many Chicagoans do not own cars (the person running this campaign didn't have a car her first 5 years in the city) because our public transit system is (for the most part... we can talk about some of that separately 😉 ) quite excellent.

Aside from that "3 hours" is really a 6 hour+ drive depending on where you live in the area.  And that's the drive on it's own.  That doesn't take into consideration the 3+ hour movie experience that there will be (and times for eating and resting and whatnot).  It essentially becomes an entire trip to see a movie, when we not too long ago, had the capability to see it in a very, very nice theater here. 

I'm also thinking of a lot more people beyond just Chicago natives that could use this reprieve.  Anyone west of us (Wisconsin, Iowa, etc.) who deserve an operating 70MM/GT system too, don't get me wrong, could also come here and travel a bit less further (plus we have a central hub for the trains if they wanted to do transit that way), since we are the next most populous area. 

Does IMAX provide the only option to watch on 70MM or other film prints?

Not at all and I'm glad you asked! Some theaters offer 70MM prints of the films you want to see on 70MM IMAX, just without the aspect ratio.  

• Music Box Theatre in Chicago (this author's personal favorite place in the entire city and the place that made her passionate about all of this stuff) regularly brings 70MM prints to the city, as well as films on 35MM (the classic film projection style before we had digital).  The host a 70MM festival every year (the 2025 festival is bringing Sinners on 70MM to Chicago for the first time!)

• AMC River East receives 70MM prints for event releases still (e.g., they received one for Oppenheimer as I recall).

Dolby is superior; they have recliner and better sound.  IMAX is just a gimmick. 

I'm of the belief that we can exist with multiple PLF formats! Chicago has plenty of Dolby screens that are operating super well (though if AMC wanted to fix those recliners at Village Crossing, I wouldn't complain).   What Chicago doesn't have is a true IMAX, and that's what this is for.  😄