Over the last several years, as Hollywood has attempted to deal with, and recover from, a global pandemic that, among many other things, closed movie theaters for several months, there has been a lot of talk about the importance, or lack thereof, of the theatrical experience. Christopher Nolan has been one of the most vocal proponents of theaters, and much has been made of his dedication to providing viewers with a special theatrical experience. It’s one thing to talk about it, but it’s quite another to actually see it.
I don’t mean see Nolan's new movie Oppenheimer, I mean see the film, the actual literal physical 70mm IMAX film that Oppenheimer can be viewed on. I’m lucky enough to live not far from one of the few places in the country where theatergoers will be able to experience Oppenheimer in 70mm on an IMAX screen, and during a recent press screening at the Esquire IMAX theater in Sacramento, I saw what three hours of 70mm film looks like. As a film nerd, it was pretty incredible.
