Lured in by the siren call of Imax 70mm

Turns out, the best way to experience an epic poem might be on an enormous screen with water-cooled xenon bulbs blasting roughly 18K-resolution images onto it.

At least that’s how Christopher Nolan intended for people to watch his new blockbuster The Odyssey, the first feature film shot entirely with Imax 70mm film cameras. And when you get direction from Chris Nolan, you take it, even if it means driving hundreds of miles.

Imax-maxxing: Per the New York Times, Florida resident Zach Weible took a car, bus, and train nearly 300 miles to see The Odyssey as it was made to be watched: on a giant, near-square Imax 70mm theater screen (the massive size varies by theater but adheres to the 1.43:1 aspect ratio to capture the full image). But there are only 25 of those in the US, forcing many epic-curious cinephiles to hit the road. Other screens, even other standard Imax screens, cut the top and bottom of the picture off.

Imax 70mm tickets are 81% more expensive, according to EntTelligence, but they’re still hard to get, even with 3am showings. Sorry, Odysseus, but that’s a tough trip home.

Because of that demand, Imax might need to send Nolan a gift basket:

• Some $140 million of The Odyssey’s global ticket sales have come from Imax theaters (including non-70mm screens) in its first two weekends.
• It has sold 10,000+ Imax-themed popcorn buckets linked to The Odyssey.
• Its stock is up more than 60% in the past year.

Wide shot: After two weekends, The Odyssey has made $639.6 million globally, including $284.4 million at the domestic box office.—BC