An Imax ripoff?

There’s a pretty serious issue going on with Imax theaters and it’s been brought to the public’s attention by none other than actor/comedian Aziz Ansari. The star of NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” and this summer’s FUNNY PEOPLE went to go see STAR TREK in Imax but was a little pissed when he realized the screen he was watching, which he paid an extra $5 to watch, was barely larger than an average screen. To wit:

What you’re getting is a slightly larger, digital screen with some quality sound but certainly not the Imax screen that we’re accustomed to. As Ansari found out, Imax is pimping its name out to Regal and AMC theaters that meet specific criteria. Imax CEO Richard Gelfond says they don’t think of Imax as the giant screen, they think of it as an experience. Well the problem is that everyone else on the fucking planet thinks of it as a giant screen.

While it might be easy to blame AMC or Regal theaters and complain to their managers, it’s hardly their fault. They, in fact, wanted these new screens branded as “Imax Digital” to differentiate them from the 70mm screens. Imax said no and insisted they all be referred to as Imax.

You can find out more about this issue here and how to inform yourself not to be duped out of $5 for something that is clearly not Imax. You can also read about Ansari’s experiences here and what happened when he demanded his $5 back (hint: he didn’t get it).