Without these ancient projectors, ‘The Odyssey’ could not be shown in 70mm IMAX. Here’s what it takes to keep them going

Lately, it’s becoming easier to keep those processes active thanks to films like Nolan’s oppenheimer And odyssey-All tickets are currently sold out at IMAX Melbourne until September 6 – but to capitalize on audience interest, a number of IMAX 70mm films have also been released recently. split the dune, sinners, one fight after anotherAnd project hail mary All played to packed crowds for IMAX 70mm, even when the film was shot digitally (the less said about it, the more). Joker: Folie A Deux The more the better). dune part threeIncluding footage shot on IMAX film cameras, there’s no doubt that this trend will continue later this year. And audiences aren’t just nostalgic for the film days. “Some people have never seen a film projection,” Ford says, noting that many young film fans grew up after film projections were gone in the early ’10s. “I think it’s curious to see what it’s like.” Ford also recorded complaints from some of those patrons, particularly regarding the flicker produced by the shutters. But there are very few complaints.

“There’s something really magical about its movement,” says Dobrik. “It’s not so perfect, it’s not so flawless. And I think especially in this day and age, when everything is so clear and obvious, and we’re all sitting at our phones, and technology is reaching such an ideal peak, you say, ‘Okay, something is lost with this.’ Particularly with Christopher Nolan’s films, which are still produced photochemically, with film prints made directly from the original negative, film projection also creates a more tangible connection with the work of art. Dobrik points to a scene between Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and Telemachus (Tom Holland) odyssey In which he saw a black horizontal line at the bottom of the screen. It turns out that every other projectionist they’ve talked to around the world has noticed the same thing, meaning it was probably a scratch on the negative. A trace of the production, visible on the giant screen.

“When you see something like that, knowing that there’s a little scratch on the film, or maybe a little bit of dust flying across the screen, and knowing that there’s someone up there, and you’re all sitting there, not on your phones, in a theater with 500 people, having that shared experience, seeing something real and raw that’s just lit by a giant lamp while celluloid flies across the screen, is really magical,” Dobrik says. “You can’t really capture that.” Ford agrees. “There’s definitely interest in the movie,” he says. “And part of me thinks people didn’t know what they had. I guess it’s like steam engines, right? They’re not practical, but everyone loves to see them go.”