Why IMAX 70mm in Los Angeles Is the Ultimate Movie Experience (And Where to Find It)
Imagine watching a movie so crisp, so violently immersive, that you can count the pores on Godzilla’s chin or spot the existential dread in a CGI alien’s eyes. That’s IMAX 70mm. It’s like regular cinema, but if regular cinema were a tricycle and IMAX 70mm was a rocket-powered T-rex wearing laser goggles. The format uses film strips so large (we’re talking 15-perf, 70mm horizontal) that each frame could double as a placemat for a very fancy brunch. Los Angeles, home to more screen legends than a vampire’s film club, is one of the few places left where you can experience this analog glory.
Where the Magic (and Mild Back Pain) Happens
- TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX: The historic spot where Hollywood’s golden age ghosts probably gather to judge your popcorn-eating skills. It’s one of the only theaters in LA equipped for 70mm IMAX. Pro tip: Sit in row G. You’ll feel like you’re inside the movie, or possibly in a medically unapproved centrifuge.
- AMC Universal CityWalk IMAX: A pilgrimage site for film nerds, located next to a theme park where you can scream on roller coasters before you scream at Christopher Nolan’s latest time-bending chaos. The screen here is taller than your life decisions.
Why bother? Because streaming a movie on your phone is like microwaving a steak. IMAX 70mm delivers 18K resolution (yes, that’s a real number) with a sound system that doesn’t just surround you—it adopts you. The bass alone will vibrate your fillings into a new time signature. Plus, only 30 theaters worldwide still project this format, and two are in LA. That’s rarer than a sober screening of The Room.
But Seriously, Why Is the Film So Heavy?
Each IMAX 70mm reel weighs as much as a baby giraffe (approx. 600 lbs) and requires a projector so loud it could double as a rock band’s pyrotechnics rig. Theaters need actual training to run these things. It’s the cinematic equivalent of taming a woolly mammoth, but with more existential close-ups of Cillian Murphy. When the lights dim, and that film starts rolling, you’re not just watching a movie—you’re mainlining pure, unfiltered spectacle. And honestly, where else in LA can you legally do that?
Top Los Angeles Theaters Showing IMAX 70mm Films: Complete 2024 Guide
Where to Bask in the Glorious, Uncompressed Glory of 70mm IMAX (and Maybe Spot Christopher Nolan Lurking)
Los Angeles isn’t just a city—it’s a 70mm IMAX scavenger hunt disguised as an urban sprawl. If you’re ready to trade streaming pixels for film grain so crisp you can count the nose hairs of your favorite actor, here’s where to park your eyeballs in 2024:
AMC Universal CityWalk IMAX – The Ferrari of Projectors lives here. This 79-foot screen is the closest thing to “IMAX church,” complete with pews (erm, seats) that tilt your head upward in reverence. Pro tip: Sit in row 10. It’s the Goldilocks zone—close enough to feel the T. rex’s breath in Jurassic Park, far enough to avoid existential vertigo.
- TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX – Where classic Hollywood glamour meets “why is this screen the size of a small moon?” Fun fact: The ghost of Charlie Chaplin allegedly haunts the projection booth, muttering, “Talkies are a fad.”
- Regal Edwards Irvine Spectrum – Yes, it’s technically OC, but Angelenos will drive 90 minutes for a film strip the length of a blue whale. Worth it? Only if you enjoy having your retinas gently assaulted by Dune: Part Two sandworms.
The Underdog Hero You Didn’t See Coming
AMC Burbank 16 IMAX – The humble workhorse of LA’s 70mm scene. No frills, no ghosts, just a screen that’s 20% bigger than your existential dread. Bonus: The seats here have actual cushioning—a miracle in the world of “butt-numb cinema.”
Meanwhile, the California Science Center IMAX doubles as a time machine. One minute you’re watching Oppenheimer’s explosion in unsettling detail, the next you’re learning about… actual science. (Don’t touch the exhibits. They’re sticky.)
Remember: These theaters are like unicorns with projectors. Check showtimes twice, bring a sweater (IMAX AC is frostier than a studio exec’s heart), and whisper “film is dead” at your own risk.
