Anticipation still building to see Oppenheimer at IMAX despite projection failure

The Kramer IMAX theatre in Regina has drawn crowds from near and far to see the new Christopher Nolan film about the development of the atomic bomb.

Oppenheimer is made up of 11 miles of film, shipped in nine boxes, and weighs in at over 1,000 pounds. Once on the platter, Chief projectionist Trevor Ewen tediously splices it all together, so that audiences can experience the film in its full glory.

“It’s a slow, steady process,” Ewen said, noting it takes about 17 hours to assemble it.

“I start with reel one and start loading it on to the platter, and then after I do that, its just repetition, repetition, repetition,” he explained.

However, the anticipation to see the story on 70-millimetre film will have to build a little while longer. Before Thursday’s first showing, a projection failure meant that the film version was not available.

While the 70-millimetre film projection is currently under maintenance, the theatre is still offering showings on the new enhanced IMAX laser projector.

Sandy Baumgartner, CEO of the Saskatchewan Science Centre, said they’re hoping to have it on film very soon.

“It is amazing in either format for film fans that want to see it in film,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can to reschedule people to next weekend.”

One audience member expressed some disappointment in not seeing the film version.

“That was a shock almost, how we’re not going to get the full meal deal,” he said.

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However, when asked to describe his viewing experience, he still had positive things to say.

“Cool. The only one word you can use … that was cool,” he said.

The theatre is optimistic to have the film version available very soon, which will make it one of only 30 theatres in the world showing the movie on 70 millimetre film.

“The IMAX has been around for decades at this point, and there’s only a few in the country so being able to see a feature film like Oppenheimer in IMAX, where it was meant to be seen is honestly such an amazing one time experience” said Hunter Mohr, who works in visitor services at the theatre.

For Ewen, who has been working in the industry for 52 years, he still described the movie as a career highlight.

“If I plan on retiring soon, this will be the cherry on top of the cake,” he said.