By Josh Stern
There are few, if any, film directors in the world currently as hot as Christopher Nolan. His last film “Oppenheimer” grossed over $976 million (at the time, the highest grossing biopic ever) and earned seven Oscars in 2024. It followed a long line of critically acclaimed films that includes “Memento,” “The Dark Knight,” “Inception,” “Interstellar,” “Dunkirk” and more. Nolan returns to theaters this week with his newest effort, a nearly three-hour-long epic adaptation of “The Odyssey.”
And the best place to watch it in the Northern Hemisphere? Right here on the Upper West Side.
Hidden within the AMC Lincoln Square multiplex at West 68th Street and Broadway sits the second-largest IMAX 70mm movie theater in the world, and it is becoming a mecca for film buffs. The only larger IMAX theater is in Melbourne, Australia, 10,000 miles away.
IMAX 70mm’s fandom has exploded in popularity in recent years, expanding from only the nerdiest of cinephiles to mainstream moviegoers.
So what exactly makes it special? IMAX 70mm is an analog film format with the highest picture resolution ever devised. Unlike digital projection where images are condensed or standard projection where film runs vertically through the projector, IMAX 70mm is run horizontally on a film reel where each frame measures precisely 15 perforations. This results in unprecedented clarity and, when projected on screen, measures in at a whopping 18K resolution, a massive amount of visual detail.
IMAX 70mm theaters are also known for their gargantuan size, with the average screen sitting at 52 feet high by 73 feet wide. AMC Lincoln Square’s screen is 75.6 feet high by 101 feet wide. That is as high as a seven-story building and as wide as a Boeing 737-500.
Despite their growing popularity, true IMAX 70mm theaters are exceedingly rare. Because of the steep construction and maintenance costs accompanying them, only about 30 IMAX 70mm theaters exist in the world, and New York’s is the largest this side of the Equator.
AMC Lincoln Square isn’t just patronized by Upper West Side locals. Logan Algood, a 30-year-old movie theater employee from St. Louis, is planning an odyssey of his own to New York to see the film in all of its IMAX 70mm glory.
“I started planning probably three-four months ago,” he told the Rag. “The film to me really feels like a monumental achievement, especially being the first ever entirely shot on IMAX cameras. Nolan’s craft feels like it necessitates being seen in the most immersive experience possible.”
While St. Louis has premium formats, it has nothing comparable to the IMAX 70mm theater on the Upper West Side, he said.
“Several people have asked why I’d waste my time and money going to New York just to watch a movie. It is a movie, yes, but to me, it’s much more of an experience. Why shouldn’t I travel to see one of my favorite director’s new films in the format that he intended for it to be seen?”
Logan isn’t alone. “IMAX tourism” has become a phenomenon in recent years.
“I’m from Mexico and I’m going to NYC in July [for the movie]. I bought a ticket for the front row just to see a real IMAX 70mm, which in Mexico doesn’t exist. Imagine how many like me will do something like that,” one social media user posted.
Even Matt Damon, who stars in the blockbuster as Odysseus, is a fan of the theater; in an interview with Collider, he revealed that he has already seen the film at the Upper West Side theater and called the experience “overwhelming in the best possible way,” adding that “I wish it just played there in perpetuity so everyone could go.”
Not everyone is happy about the rise in the format’s popularity, however. John, an Upper West Side resident since 1998 who asked that his last name not be used, is frustrated with the influx of theatergoers. “I’ve been going to Lincoln Square’s IMAX for 20 years and have never seen a movie sold out like this.”
“We’ve had pretty much a sellout for the entire month that we currently have [tickets] on sale,” said Cory, an employee at AMC Lincoln Square. “The day that tickets released, we had people lined up out the door, as well as our phone ringing off the hook. It got to the point that our systems crashed for a bit.”
He understands the demand though. “This has actually been a dream job of mine since I was a kid growing up in Florida, to work at this theater. When you have something like our IMAX theater, it almost feels closer to a theme park than a movie,” he said. “It’s the biggest screen in the country,” he added with a smile. “Of course people are gonna want to come.”
The Odyssey at AMC Lincoln Square opens Thursday. For now, there is limited ticket availability, but would-be patrons should check for late cancellations in the hours leading up to a showtime.
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