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What's the best screen in town to catch Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY?
Tuesdays with Alexa.
After Monday night’s 70mm screening of Christopher Nolan’s spectacular The Odyssey, I turned to Alexa to ask a few questions, the answers to which were both artificial and lacking in intelligence.
Me: Will The Odyssey be presented in 70mm IMAX at the Edwards Mira Mesa in San Diego?
Alexa: No, The Odyssey will not be presented in 70mm IMAX at the Regal Edwards Mira Mesa. The nearest location confirmed to screen the film in the highly-anticipated, true 15-perf IMAX 70mm format is the AMC Mission Valley 20 in San Diego.
While you won't get the physical 70mm film format at Mira Mesa, there are a few important details to keep in mind regarding your options:
Mira Mesa Screenings: The Edwards Mira Mesa will show The Odyssey in IMAX, but it will be presented via digital laser projection (which still provides a massive 1.90:1 aspect ratio) rather than on traditional 70mm film stock.
True 70mm Locations: For the full 15-perf 70mm IMAX experience (which gives you the towering 1.43:1 aspect ratio), the closest theaters to San Diego are AMC Mission Valley 20 in San Diego and Reading Grossmont 10 in La Mesa.
Me: You're wrong, sister. Mission Valley is not showing it in 70mm IMAX and the Reading Grossmont in La Mesa is closed.
Alexa: You are completely correct, and I apologize for providing inaccurate information. You are absolutely right that Reading Cinemas Grossmont in La Mesa is permanently closed and AMC Mission Valley 20 does not have a 70mm IMAX projector.
To give you the accurate facts for San Diego county: there are zero theaters screening The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm.
Because Christopher Nolan's film was shot entirely on IMAX film cameras, the 15-perf 70mm IMAX format is highly sought after, but it is incredibly limited.
If you want the true IMAX 70mm (1.43:1 aspect ratio) experience, you will have to travel outside of San Diego County.
Me: What format is playing at Regal Edwards Mira Mesa?
IMAX with Laser: The Regal Edwards Mira Mesa will project The Odyssey digitally. Because this theater features a single-laser system, the film will be capped at a 1.90:1 aspect ratio rather than the full vertical 1.43:1 height offered by a 70mm film print. It will still offer pristine laser clarity, but it is not projected from physical film.
Thank you for catching those mistakes.
Me: Natural intelligence trumps A.I. every time!
There are five IMAX screens in San Diego—Edwards Mira Mesa, Regal Escondido, AMC’s Mission Valley, AMC's Palm Promenade, and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Heikoff IMAX Dome Theater, the latter doesn’t really count as their screenings are primarily limited to educational and science documentaries. Of the four houses equipped to screen large format theatrical releases, none are capable of presenting The Odyssey, in the manner in which Nolan intended it.
Who’d have thought that I would ever turn my nose up at a 70mm presentation? The image in Mission Valley’s auditorium 20 was crisp and the 2.20:1 image was in uniform focus. (If this was projected on film, where were the cue marks?) In this case, size matters. Given Nolan’s penchant for IMAX presentation, the film should have screened at Edwards Mira Mesa, the biggest traditional IMAX screen in town.
My guess is, to accommodate as many members of the press and civilians as possible, Universal’s decision on where to preview the film was likely based more on seating capacity—Edwards Mira Mesa IMAX (185), Mission Valley IMAX (203), Mission Valley 70mm (296)—than format or screen size.
For the purists in the crowd, if you are committed to seeing a proper presentation of Nolan’s visionary masterwork, the closest theatre is in Irvine. Unless you’re a glutton for punishment, or a cheapskate trawling for a bargain show, under no circumstances should you see the film on a non-IMAX screen; it defeats its own purpose.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_bKjZeJBBI
Here's something you might be interested in.
What's the best screen in town to catch Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY?
What's the best screen in town to catch Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY?
Tuesdays with Alexa.
After Monday night’s 70mm screening of Christopher Nolan’s spectacular The Odyssey, I turned to Alexa to ask a few questions, the answers to which were both artificial and lacking in intelligence.
Me: Will The Odyssey be presented in 70mm IMAX at the Edwards Mira Mesa in San Diego?
Alexa: No, The Odyssey will not be presented in 70mm IMAX at the Regal Edwards Mira Mesa. The nearest location confirmed to screen the film in the highly-anticipated, true 15-perf IMAX 70mm format is the AMC Mission Valley 20 in San Diego.
While you won't get the physical 70mm film format at Mira Mesa, there are a few important details to keep in mind regarding your options:
Mira Mesa Screenings: The Edwards Mira Mesa will show The Odyssey in IMAX, but it will be presented via digital laser projection (which still provides a massive 1.90:1 aspect ratio) rather than on traditional 70mm film stock.
True 70mm Locations: For the full 15-perf 70mm IMAX experience (which gives you the towering 1.43:1 aspect ratio), the closest theaters to San Diego are AMC Mission Valley 20 in San Diego and Reading Grossmont 10 in La Mesa.
Me: You're wrong, sister. Mission Valley is not showing it in 70mm IMAX and the Reading Grossmont in La Mesa is closed.
Alexa: You are completely correct, and I apologize for providing inaccurate information. You are absolutely right that Reading Cinemas Grossmont in La Mesa is permanently closed and AMC Mission Valley 20 does not have a 70mm IMAX projector.
To give you the accurate facts for San Diego county: there are zero theaters screening The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm.
Because Christopher Nolan's film was shot entirely on IMAX film cameras, the 15-perf 70mm IMAX format is highly sought after, but it is incredibly limited.
If you want the true IMAX 70mm (1.43:1 aspect ratio) experience, you will have to travel outside of San Diego County.
Me: What format is playing at Regal Edwards Mira Mesa?
IMAX with Laser: The Regal Edwards Mira Mesa will project The Odyssey digitally. Because this theater features a single-laser system, the film will be capped at a 1.90:1 aspect ratio rather than the full vertical 1.43:1 height offered by a 70mm film print. It will still offer pristine laser clarity, but it is not projected from physical film.
Thank you for catching those mistakes.
Me: Natural intelligence trumps A.I. every time!
There are five IMAX screens in San Diego—Edwards Mira Mesa, Regal Escondido, AMC’s Mission Valley, AMC's Palm Promenade, and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Heikoff IMAX Dome Theater, the latter doesn’t really count as their screenings are primarily limited to educational and science documentaries. Of the four houses equipped to screen large format theatrical releases, none are capable of presenting The Odyssey, in the manner in which Nolan intended it.
Who’d have thought that I would ever turn my nose up at a 70mm presentation? The image in Mission Valley’s auditorium 20 was crisp and the 2.20:1 image was in uniform focus. (If this was projected on film, where were the cue marks?) In this case, size matters. Given Nolan’s penchant for IMAX presentation, the film should have screened at Edwards Mira Mesa, the biggest traditional IMAX screen in town.
My guess is, to accommodate as many members of the press and civilians as possible, Universal’s decision on where to preview the film was likely based more on seating capacity—Edwards Mira Mesa IMAX (185), Mission Valley IMAX (203), Mission Valley 70mm (296)—than format or screen size.
For the purists in the crowd, if you are committed to seeing a proper presentation of Nolan’s visionary masterwork, the closest theatre is in Irvine. Unless you’re a glutton for punishment, or a cheapskate trawling for a bargain show, under no circumstances should you see the film on a non-IMAX screen; it defeats its own purpose.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_bKjZeJBBI