Where I live, we only have one IMAX theater. I say that like there should be an IMAX theater on every corner. But I guess I feel the need to qualify that statement because sometimes it felt like Iowa was the last place on Earth to even get an IMAX. So when we got one, it was a pretty big deal.
Our IMAX is affiliated with our local science center. So I don’t normally keep informed about what movies are playing there unless there is a theatrical release in house. You might remember that we took Henry to his first movie at our IMAX theater when we took him to see The Polar Express.
The problem with that is that it never seems like they get a properly formatted IMAX reel. I always get the sensation that they’re taking a standard movie reel and blowing it up on that concave dome. The image is always stretched out and it’s not a very enjoyable experience.
I’ve seen a few movies this way. Superman Returns, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Polar Express. Only Transformers had a legitimately scoped scene in IMAX (when Devastator is attacking the pyramids) and it was cool. But, otherwise, I find the IMAX feature film experience to be exhausting. Watching Brandon Routh zoom from one side of the screen to the other in Superman Returns gave me a crimp in my neck. Right now, they have Avatar as their featured release. Avatar gave me eye-strain on a NORMAL sized screen. I’d hate to imagine what kind of experience I would have watching it on an IMAX screen.
Anyway, long story short, I don’t normally keep up to date on proper IMAX films unless I happen to go to the science center our IMAX theater is affiliated with. After looking at the exhibits, I might say to myself “Oh, what’s playing on the IMAX?” and then check it out. I don’t usually make a point of seeing an IMAX film just for the sake of it.
But that changed this weekend when Cami and I went to see Hubble IMAX.
I was peripherally aware of Hubble IMAX after reading a few advance notices over at Hollywood Elsewhere, but I didn’t give much thought to seeing it until Cami mentioned it to me early last week. I’m not sure how she caught wind of it, but I took it as a sign that we should probably go. Obscure IMAX movie that neither one of us should have any knowledge of? A sign from the Movie Gods.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that both of us are huge nerds who enjoy things like science, history and space. Hence, the punchline to today’s comic.
But I digress…
Let me say this: If your town has an IMAX theater and they’re showing Hubble IMAX, you NEED to see it. In fact, I command you to see this movie. It is AMAZING – and I can’t stress that enough. I caught myself with my mouth wide open several times. It’s simply astonishing.
From a narrative standpoint, there’s not much to tell. The film tells the story of the Hubbel telescope and recounts a few of the repair missions before actually putting you over the shoulder of the most recent and most important repair that happened in April 2009.
To say the repair was high-stakes is putting it lightly. Basically, it was a last ditch effort to repair the ailing piece of equipment or face scrapping a multi-BILLION dollar project entirely.
Once the repairs sequence is complete, the movie treats you to a series of mind-bending and immersive images captured by Hubble to try and explain the sheer enormity of the universe. When the film uses Hubble’s images to dive into the center of a nebula 900 billion miles wide, it basically crumples up your brain and tosses it into a waste basket.
I mean, I always knew that Earth is a planet in our solar system which is made up of several other solar systems that in turn make up the Milky Way.
But when Hubble expands it’s view to include our nearest neighboring galaxy – Andromeda – before gazing further to view the cluster of roughly 36 other galaxies that make up the celestial “village” we inhabit that you start to get an idea of the impact Hubble has on our understanding of the universe.
Gazing further to reveal a “metropolis” of over 2,000 galaxies, the point is hammered home.
By the end of the movie, Hubble goes so far as to literally show you THE END OF THE KNOWN UNIVERSE as it zooms in on malformed galaxies so far away, the light they are emitting left their tiny corner of space over 10 billion years ago.
Now, considering that scientists think there are 200 to 400 BILLION stars in the Milky Way ALONE… stop and think about our neighboring galaxy. Then the galaxies in our “village.” Then the 2,000 galaxies in the nearest “metropolis” and finally the dying galaxies on the edge of the universe.
Boy, if you didn’t feel small after watching Hubble IMAX, then your ego is ALL out of whack.
Watching this movie and the irrefutable science really puts a lot of things in perspective. I won’t enter into any kind of religious debate… but when you consider the prospect of extra-terrestrial life… Man, how can there NOT be something else going on out there? Surly we can’t be the only life in the universe. And if we are – WOW, what a waste!
I mean, that is unless they have webcomics somewhere in Omega Centauri? Who knows?
I wish I could get most specific about Hubble IMAX but I’m still kind of processing it and it has left me at a loss for words.
Jeffery Wells from Hollywood Elsewhere made an interesting point when he was talking about the profound disconnect from three-time box office champ Alice in Wonderland.
Basically, he was talking about the 3D fantasy environment Alice promotes and how it never really sinks in because we’re aware of the conceit of 3D and CGI as artistic tools. This, in comparison to what Hubble IMAX gives us – which, in Wells words, “provides a feeling of awe that is 100% real.”
I can’t deny feeling nervous for the astronauts who put their lives at risk to fix this piece of equipment. I felt profound sadness that their contribution to the understanding of our role in the universe isn’t acknowledged more than it is.
I think if you ask people about space exploration, the general consensus is that not much has been accomplished since we put a man on the moon in 1969. But putting a man on the moon feels like a publicity stunt in comparison to the raw value and perspective Hubble has given us.
Watching Hubble IMAX, you get the sense that this knowledge will not be fully appreciated or even actualized until several generations later and that’s a shame. Because the tens of thousands of people that have worked on Hubble are true heroes. Hubble IMAX gave me this new perspective and has me thinking twice about the validity of our space program.
If you haven’t seen the movie, see it. If you HAVE seen the movie or are curious about it, please leave your comments below..
Through the power of IMAX, we are enabled to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings!
NERD DATE!
You may be the 2nd to last state to get IMAX, here in Delaware we travel to King of Prussia, PA 90 min drive to see IMAX
@Mark, then I must live in the last state… Alaska. We still don’t have one, and rumor has been flying lately that one is coming soon. But, I think it’s the new Olive Garden, which means anytime someone in this town sees any sizable construction project, rumor starts flying “there’s going to be an Olive Garden there!” Yea… we still don’t have one of those either.
Not going to happen no matter how much I’d love to. $25 to get into the space science center & then another $19 on top for an IMAX ticket. Hell’s Bells, it’s be cheaper to see it at the IMAX at the Mall, ‘cept that one only runs cinematic movies. There’s $15 (plus $3 if it’s IMAX 3D).
Wow. So your science center won’t let you in to their IMAX theater without paying an admission fee on top of the ticket price? That’s lame.
Our IMAX charges $8 for 45 minute movies and I think $11 or $12 for theatrical runs. You get a DISCOUNT if you also buy a ticket to the science center.
Tom, between the comic and the blog post, you have “Hubble” spelled 3 different ways.
At least you got the one in the comic correct.
Ugh. Sorry about that. I was up late when I wrote the blog. Gonna go back and fix those typos now.
I was about to point that out, too. Spelling nazis for teh win!
But hey, at least your site gets almost highscore when googling for “hubbell imax”. Gotta enjoy the little things..!
One nice thing about living in the DC area? Three, count ’em, three IMAX theatres. And I’m counting the real ones here, we have a few of the IMAX-lite theatres as well at AMC ‘plexes.
And I am planning to see the Hubble film soon but I’m waiting for a bit. Seeing an IMAX film at the Air & Space Museum on the weekend is adventure most of the time, but when a new film comes out…ack!
I would go and see it if I knew of a closer IMAX theater than the one at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It kind of sucks living in the middle of Northern Illinois. No IMAX, no jobs, etc. etc.
It does sound like an awesome movie. I know that the last mission was to make a final repair on it, because if it breaks again isn’t it going to be allowed to burn up on re-entry? Because isn’t the whole mission technically “over”? I thought I read that the mission was supposed to end something like 10 years ago wasn’t it? Or am I wrong?
@WG,
Yup. It was the last hurrah for Hubble. If they weren’t able to make the repairs, the gyroscopes would have failed and it would have plummeted to Earth.
I don’t know if it was a 10 year mission or not. But considering that Hubble only really worked for a handful of years after it was deployed, it made sense that they extended it.
Also, I don’t think scientists were expecting the treasure trove of information Hubble has provided them with.
We are fortunate in the “metropolis” of Dayton to have an IMAX theater and we are unfortunate in that it is in the National Museum of the US Air Force. They refuse to show anything except flight & space films so only tourists go & it closes at 5 PM. The current line up includes: ‘The Magic of Flight’, ‘Space Station’, & ‘Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag’. Honestly, I think these are the same 3 movies that have played since the IMAX theater was open at the museum! Since Hubble is space oriented it does look like we are did get it soon (checked the web site). At least it is cheap to get in, only $6.75.
Dome? Sounds like OmniMax at the St. Louis Science Center. Yeah, the format needs to be specific to that theater. IMAX is just freakin’ huge, whereas OmniMax uses the dome. I saw the Special Effects movie, and most of the shots form films were distorted, but Lucas had let them re-flim the opening to Star Wars with the Tantive IV above Tatooine and it was awesome on the dome.
Man I remember when IMAX was doing testing at the theatre I worked at. I became friends with the people running the tests which meant watching movies in IMAX for free, good times.
Man, I have to see this movie. Astronomy class and looking up the telescope pictures online really make my mind blow, so to see it in three D and detail… *awed sigh*
And yeah, I definitely think there is life out there, somewhere. (Ironically, I am one of the few -name religion here, since I want to respect your idea of not starting debates- I know who honestly believes this. In my mind, God or deities don’t just focus on one nation, they focus on our whole world. So why would they just focus on our planet? And in a evolutionary standpoint, can we really be the only planet so lucky?)
Now, if the aliens ever make it to earth is a totally other matter. I’m guessing ‘no where close to my lifetime’. I’m just hoping when I die and get to the after-life I will be able to sit and chat with someone from three galaxies over.
…er, why did I write three D and not 3D? Ignore my spaciness, sorry.
The nearest IMAX is four hours away. Ish. I want a nerd date.. *pouts*
I saw Hubble at the Oregon OmniMax theater last Friday. I was slightly let down. I found the Nova episode, “Hubble’s Amazing Rescue” to be far better in regard to the story of the repair. Having said that, seeing Hubble in IMAX is worth it for the images. I kept wondering if we were seeing computer generated sequences when we dove down into the stellar nursery of the Orion Nebula. My understanding is “no”, which only takes my breath away even more.
I’d rather they spent more time with the actual images to be honest, as they were inspiring and as you noted, really made me think about the space program. Seems like we as the human race could benefit form pouring more money into space exploration and less into warring. Who knows what we could discover?? Blows my mind just thinking…
I think my favorite part of this strip is that Cami is primarily the one nerding it up. We usually get to see Tom’s nerd side, and it’s good to see Cami getting in on (even initiating!) the nerdity.
The funky green lighting in panel 2 is a nice touch as well.
Heck yeah, nerd date rocks!
I did see Avatar at that very Imax (Des Moines resident, here) and it wasn’t really that bad, though really not my preferred way of seeing a movie. When the shape of the screen and the shape of the film clash, it really kills the effect. Though my biggest problem with the theater is the awful lack of leg room. It was almost painful. If you’ve already seen Avatar in a regular theater, you’re not missing much by skipping it in Imax.
Man, if only my wife was a nerd. I’ve been dying to see this hubble imax thing.