"The Odyssey" is still drawing crowds to Cinemark Dallas

Vibe check: The theater has shown several films on 70mm IMAX, including "Oppenheimer."

• The shows begin with a Cinemark employee explaining how film projection works and sharing fun facts about the theater. The screen, for example, is five stories tall. The reel for "The Odyssey" weighs 800 pounds.
• "It's a masterwork of engineering," general manager Howard Hoermann told Monday afternoon's crowd.

The intrigue: The 70mm film's picture quality is delightfully crisp, and the IMAX format adds gravitas to Odysseus' long journey home.

Yes, but: Director Christopher Nolan's preferred format comes with trade-offs.

• Forget about reclining seats, elbow room and matinee discounts — tickets cost $25.

What they're saying: Oak Cliff resident Elliot Argenbright bought tickets a month ago for his first-ever 70mm IMAX experience on Monday. He said while leaving the theater that the experience was worth the wait and the hype.

• "I'm definitely a bigger Nolan fan after having seen this. The colors are like nothing I've seen in a movie before," Argenbright said.

What's next: "Dune: Part Three" comes out in December. Tickets to the special format are already on sale.