The premiere of "The Odyssey." Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures.
The purest form ofChristopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" can only be seen in 25 U.S. theaters — including Tempe's Harkins Arizona Mills.
The (really) big picture: Nolan's preferred presentation format can only be shown on 70mm IMAX screens, which offer the highest-quality image and sound from the original film.
Context: Not every IMAX theater is outfitted with that type of screen. The Arizona Mills theater is the only one in Arizona that is.
The intrigue: Nolan previously showed some of his films in 70mm — like "Oppenheimer" — but "Odyssey" was the first narrative film to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras, according to IMAX.
"IMAX is the best film format that was ever invented. It's the gold standard and what any other technology has to match up to, but none have," Nolan said in a press release.
Nolan fans are going bonkers over it. Some fans bought tickets a year ago, others delayed their pregnancies or went on cross-country road trips to see the film in its proper format, Variety reports.
How it works: A standard film strips is 35mm. A 70mm print is physically larger, allowing for higher image resolution.
IMAX screens also display a taller image, letting audiences see more of the frame.
Normally, filmmakers will only film parts of their movie on IMAX since the cameras for it are bulky and expensive.
If you go: Get your tickets soon. Most showtimes have some availability, but the remaining seats are almost all in the first few rows, which is not ideal.
Showings are scheduled multiple times per day through Aug. 12.
👀 Worthy of your time: Watch this awesome video of technicians installing the 70mm film at Arizona Mills.
