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Info Wanted: The Force Awakens, Rogue One, The Last Jedi in 35mm

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Hi everybody

Someone told me recently that 35mm prints of these movies were made for Eastern Europe. In fact, I saw pictures of the film cells. But I don’t know more about it. Does someone? Thanks!

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Not sure about Rogue One… but I am pretty sure that some theaters were treated to 70mm prints of The Force Awakens and Last Jedi.

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35mm definitely exists for Force Awakens; I saw it at the Vista here in Los Feliz (apparently having the movie play there on 35 was a personal request by J.J.). The others haven’t screened on 35mm here in LA, but that doesn’t necessarily mean prints don’t exist. 15/70 IMAX prints for all three do exist, but that’s a whole other matter.

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Thx for your answers! I should have elaborated that I know about the Vista screening and the IMAX prints of TFA and Rogue One. Are you sure there were 15/70 prints of TLJ though?

You are so lucky to have been to that screening of TFA. Are you the person that writes “starwarsatthemovies.com” ? Anyway, what did you make of it?

So anyway, we’re not talking about a limited 35mm print to be screened in a single venue as a special request by JJ Abrams himself, we’re talking about multiple prints for regular screenings.

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70mm prints of Rogue One definitely exist. I believe only like 12 to 15 theaters worldwide were given prints to screen. I saw a screening of one at the Franklin Institute in Philly. Horribly uncomfortable seats but the film looked AMAZING!!!

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jrock1185 said:

70mm prints of Rogue One definitely exist. I believe only like 12 to 15 theaters worldwide were given prints to screen. I saw a screening of one at the Franklin Institute in Philly. Horribly uncomfortable seats but the film looked AMAZING!!!

Just to be clear, for the sake of the conversation, that would be 15-perf 70mm IMAX.
The Franklin Institute in Philly is an OMNIMAX, or do they also have a regular flat screen IMAX room too? What’s the deal with screening regular feature films in IMAX domes? I can’t for the life of me grapple with the idea of watching anything in a dome which wasn’t shot specifically for OMNIMAX!!

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Boushh said:

Thx for your answers! I should have elaborated that I know about the Vista screening and the IMAX prints of TFA and Rogue One. Are you sure there were 15/70 prints of TLJ though?

You are so lucky to have been to that screening of TFA. Are you the person that writes “starwarsatthemovies.com” ? Anyway, what did you make of it?

I actually drove all the way up to San Jose to see The Last Jedi on 15/70 at the Tech Museum! Alas, it was on a dome, and so – I believe – were all of the 15/70 screenings of TLJ west of the Mississippi.

And no, I don’t write for them, but the print was spectacular. Saw Force Awakens opening night at the Chinese Theatre (3D IMAX Laser projection) and then that following Sunday on 35 at the Vista. There was a bit more flicker than typical (not sure if it was an issue with the projectionist – I’ve seen other films on 35 at the Vista without such pronounced flicker), but the colors and texture were terrific. It really felt like the best way to see that movie.

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I envy you so much right now!

Yeah, a pristine brand new 35mm print (of anything) with decent screening conditions must be a joy to watch.

How much of the dome’s surface did the screening take in San Jose? I mean cause if it’s only a small segment then the image doesn’t get that distorted. The true OMNIMAX short films i watched took up more than half the dome (i could see the image reaching beyond 180° above my head) but then again I believe they were shot using fish-eye lenses.

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I saw them in San Jose as well. It was like being in the movie, and the best sound system I’ve experienced until I saw 2001 in 70mm in L.A. last summer. Pity Solo didn’t get the IMAX treatment.

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Have any of you watched the Solo home release already? I’m afraid to watch it as having been traumatized at the theater by how ugly the photography looked I’ve been wishfully hoping the home release will have a “normal” color grading in lieu of whatever the fuck they were thinking for the theatrical release. Funny, I’ve never thought one day i’d wish for something to be different to its theatrical release, ha.

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I didn’t see it in theaters, but the Blu-Ray looks washed out and anemic.

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Boushh said:

How much of the dome’s surface did the screening take in San Jose? I mean cause if it’s only a small segment then the image doesn’t get that distorted.

There was obviously some amount of distortion and a small amount of cropping on the corners to account for the round screen, but the aspect ratio was mostly preserved (and did not shift in the way Force Awakens did). All told, a little more than half of the screen real estate was taken up by picture with letterboxing along the top and bottom edges.

The more significant quirk of the dome (or, at least that dome) is every seat is designed to immerse you in the picture so even in the back row it felt a bit like sitting in the front row of any other movie theater. Whether that’s a pro or con I suppose is up to the individual viewer.

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Thx for replying, and for confirming there were 15/70 prints of TLJ.

I’ve been in the middle and all the way back (top) of the Paris OMNIMAX venue - allegedly the biggest in Europe - and the back was definitely the sweet spot for me. I don’t know how big the San Jose dome is, i’m gonna look it up. Was it the first time you were watching the movie? I guess I could watch it in those conditions, but not for the 1st time.

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It was either the fourth or fifth time I saw it. Definitely glad I got to see it on 15/70, but I’m also glad it wasn’t the way I saw it for the first time.

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Agreed!
And yes, the final edit didn’t retain any IMAX expanded aspect ratio, despite IMAX 65mm cameras being used extensively.

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Rogue One and TLJ weren’t released on 35mm according to imdb, and Solo wasn’t released on film at all.

FWIW, Episode IX is already listed as to-be-released on 35mm. But imdb is user-based, so this could just be pure speculation based on nothing but the fact that JJ is directing.

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I keep hoping that Rian Johnson had a personal print struck and that it might show up at one of the repertory houses here in LA, but that’s not going to benefit anyone on here in terms of being able to do a release print preservation.