To screen Christopher Nolan's 70mm 'Odyssey,' L.A. theaters raced to resurrect a nearly lost craft

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Set us as preferred One year ago, when tickets first went on sale for “The Odyssey” in Imax 70mm, nearly every screening sold out instantly.The unprecedented ticket mayhem built hype — not just for the film, but for the format.By the time a second round of tickets were made available last month, buyers swarmed with such frenzy that they crashed the AMC Theatres app.In Los Angeles, home base for cinephiles of every stripe, scoring one of these coveted opening weekend tickets was particularly challenging.

Much of the excitement revolved around the fact that “The Odyssey” was the first feature shot entirely on Imax 70mm film, a technical achievement that involved the invention of a new camera.For 28-year-old Van Nuys resident Chase Stanley, who tried and failed to secure a ticket, that milestone was top of mind.“Ultimately, I’m just jealous that I’m not included,” he said.

“Since it’s the first movie to capture the whole thing in 70mm Imax, it’s my due diligence to see it like that.”Despite the enthusiasm from moviegoers, film projection has been considered a dying art since most movie theaters worldwide switched to digital projection in the early 2010s.More than a marketing tactic, the scarcity of tickets for Imax 70mm screenings underscored both the dearth of theaters capable of projecting films in the premium large format — only 41 — and projectionists with the requisite skills.A number of renowned directors, including “The Odyssey’s” Christopher Nolan, prefer to shoot on film and strongly encourage analog viewing.But because few theaters own the necessary equipment or employ full-time projectionists, coordinating a release as massive as “The Odyssey” is its own arduous journey.

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