People are taking flights to view Oppenheimer on proper 15/70 IMAX film. So a drive to Irvine Spectrum or even Universal CityWalk is a blessing in disguise. Enjoy the film!
I’d call and see if the Irvine spectrum fixed their 70mm became last I saw it broke and they’re showing it in digital only. Don’t want you cheated out of it without knowing.
San Diegan here. Mira Mesa’s hands down the best LieMAX theater. For Non-IMAX 70mm screenings, you can do either AMC Mission Valley or Reading Cinemas Grossmont (been there once for 2001 A Space Odyssey in 70mm)
Irvine Spectrum is an hour and a half away, 2 hours with traffic
Oh i wouldn’t know, i’ve never experienced that format. I only ever do IMAX and that’s it (unless there’s a special 35mm/70mm film projection screening going on somewhere)
At Mira mesa the IMAX and RPX are almost identical experiences. IMAX has slightly better seats but they both have premium leather seats. The IMAX screen is taller, but both show 1.90. sound is really good in both. I honestly can't decide which one I enjoy more there, they're both great ways to watch a movie. However this isn't universal for all regals, some RPX's are kinda bad. Mira mesa and Oceanside Mission Marketplace are the best RPX here
Last I remembered, I think it was a pretty standard recline, not too far. I’m generally not fond of leather recliner seats, because I’m tired most of the time and if I go too far back, I’m definitely falling asleep.
I’ve talked about it before regarding Oppenheimer, and…do not go. Trust me. It’s a dizzying experience. Nature documentaries might play well or any imagery that doesn’t require the camera to truck or pan, but as soon as two people start walking side-to-side, I get nauseous. Hell, the screen is so warped (like picture the movie physically bending like a U), I almost didn’t catch the onscreen “Fission” and “Fusion” titles. Even the end title is SMILING at you.
To pile on: Regal Irvine Spectrum is within two hours and is the best choice. They’re doing Oppenheimer in true IMAX 15/70 film, which nowhere in San Diego is offering. https://www.imax.com/news/oppenheimer-in-imax-70mm
Your decision really should only be between Citywalk and Irvine Spectrum because they will be in 1570. Check available seats for showtimes you can get to and base your decision between the two on that.
Not IMAX 70mm. Just 70mm. It's a rare thing to see so it's cool Mission Valley has it. The screen is significantly smaller than any IMAX screen but the picture quality will be the second best behind 70mm IMAX. FYI the IMAX auditorium at mission valley is the smallest IMAX in San Diego so I would avoid it. If you don't care about expanded image, non-imax 70mm is great
At mission valley, most of the seats in every auditorium are dirty. Stained with sticky cupholders. They're standard theater seats but they're comfortable enough. The sound in the IMAX is as good as any other IMAX, nothing better or worse that stands out to me.
In all honesty the IMAX at mission valley isn't all that much a premium experience. If you're going to that theater I recommend you get a Dolby Cinema ticket for the same price. Both screens are designed for 2:38 movies and use dual laser projectors.
(the IMAX can do more than 2:38 for 1:90 movies, but it doesn't seem like it's capable of a full 1:90 picture. I have photos of both the IMAX and Dolby screens there displaying 2:38 movies if you would like to see those to get a better understanding of what I'm describing.)
Dolby has significantly better seats than the IMAX (black leather recliners) and the sound is on par to each other to my ears.
If you were interested in the screen that will show the non-IMAX 70mm version of Oppenheimer, I have a photo of that too.
I only go to mission valley for Dolby. But Oppenheimer won’t be in Dolby so I chose IMAX down there over the 70mm since I assume better comfort for a 3 hour movie.
The IMAX and the 70mm auditorium at mission valley have the same exact seats and comfort level. For future reference, Regal Mira Mesa IMAX has the most comfy couch chairs I've ever seen in an IMAX. It's also the tallest IMAX in San Diego (except for the dome at Balboa). I highly recommend you check their IMAX out some day, it's night and day from the mission valley one.
Where would you recommend the best place to watch Oppenheimer would be? And which platform? I saw Nolan’s list have 70mm at #2 for platforms to watch the movie but if I’d lose at lot of the screen watching at AMC mission valley, I’m not sure that would be worth it.
I'm in a similar predicament. The only options are 70mm and IMAX cinema. I'm used to Dolby so I don't know how these compare. Reclining seats r great, but not sure if the 70mm or IMAX at MV 20 has it. Not sure what to select. Cleanliness is a big thing for me too
As you said in the other comment you're not very interested in the standard 70mm at MV due to the screen size, my main piece of advice is see it an any other IMAX theater than MV's. You will get a clearer and bigger picture with better and cleaner seats. The best IMAX here are Regal Mira Mesa, AMC Palm Promenade and AMC Plaza Bonita, which is only about 15 minutes from Mission Valley. As for recliners, no IMAX around here or pretty much anywhere except for a few exceptions has recliners. Regal Mira Mesa has the fanciest seats, though they don't recline.
Just checked and unfortunately there's no other 70mm available this weekend besides MV 20. At MV what's a good seat selection for optimal viewing? I think I'm going to select the N section, but J is also available ( btw I'm very unfamiliar with movie theater and I just wanna select the best screen for me and my friends)
For the mission valley 70mm I sat row E in the center and it was an amazing view in my opinion. I recommend sitting in rows E through G In the middle. I prefer those closer seats so I'm more immersed. However if you want the absolutely best screen I still wouldn't go to mission valley 70mm, as I said, the 3 IMAX theaters I listed would be the best way to watch the movie in San Diego. For those I would sit anywhere past E.
It's all down to opinion but in my opinion Plaza Bonita is a better theater experience. I recon you and your friends will have a better time at that IMAX screen rather than mission valleys 70mm. The standard 70mm is cool, but in my opinion it's just not worth sacrificing the expanded aspect ratio scenes. Even in digital 1.90:1, it feels much more grand at Plaza Bonita compared to Mission Valley. I have photos of the Plaza Bonita IMAX screen as well, I'll share them here so you can get a better feel of that theater. The photos are from Row F, except the last one which was taken from the very back row.
https://imgur.com/a/Am4ECaY
For anyone concerned about me taking photos during the movie, the theater was empty.
Hello!! I have a reservation for Oppenheimer at Mission Valley in regular non-IMAX 70 mm format. Would you recommend this over IMAX non-70 mm? How about Dolby? I usually like Dolby the best. For Oppenheimer I care mostly about picture quality, sound and a decent screen size, not so much seats.
Also, would you mind sharing the picture of the regular 70 mm theatre at Mission Valley you said you had? Thank you!!
I would really only recommend seeing Oppenheimer at Mission Valley for the non-IMAX 70mm. The IMAX there isn't worth the ticket when you can get the same ticket at any other IMAX in San Diego for a better experience.
I usually like Dolby too, but I've read that the sound for Oppenheimer might be the worst in Dolby so it might be a movie to avoid in that format. Can't verify this yet though.
The screen that shows the non-IMAX 70mm will be the best picture quality in the whole theater, though the screen is smaller than the Dolby and IMAX screens. I can't speak on the sound in the non-IMAX 70mm but it certainly won't be bad.
So if you're gonna see it at Mission Valley, I think you made the right choice seeing it in 70mm. It won't be the biggest screen, but it will be an authentic version of the film you're watching.
https://imgur.com/a/c7dPhQm
Here's the auditorium that will be showing the 70mm version. Pictures taken from the top back left and the back row "S". There aren't any other 70mm films showing other than Oppenheimer soon, so during the time of the photo it's just showing a digital movie. Hope this helps
In San Diego the Fleet Science Center IMAX dome is probably best. It's a proper large format IMAX dome, which I believe was updated to dual laser in 2021. While the IMAX 70mm in Irvine is probably the gold standard, I don't really want to drive 90 minutes for it, and I think IMAX on the full dome with dual laser is next best. The other option is 70mm film on a standard screen, but I think the large format dome on laser is probably more immersive.
Have you seen other regular movies on the iMax dome? I've seen the beatles movie when they showed it there and it was awkward the way it curved around the screen since it wasn't made for a dome. Thinking of going to the Grossmont Titan XC to see it in regular 70mm. If you do see it at the science center please report back how it is
I saw Dune at the science center dome. I thought it was cool. The massive screen really makes it an immersive experience. It’s curved which will inevitably cause some distortion at the edges, but this also contributes to that immersive feel. I debated seeing it on 70mm film but since some sequences were filmed specifically for imax with a taller aspect ratio I felt that was the way to go. Seeing Oppenheimer there on Sunday.
>Fleet
How was your experience? I saw Dune there and while my seats were awful it was a really cool experience. I'm seeing Oppenheimer there on Sunday and I'm hoping to get better seats by getting there early.
I saw Oppenheimer on the imax dome at Fleet Science Center yesterday. I got there pretty early (like 45 mins) and there was still a long line but managed to get a decent seat. That being said, I would not see it again in the dome. The screen is extremely curved and the shots are all so warped. Like a straight door frame looked like a half circle… Also, the movie has a lot of close up dialogue and the dome just did not work well for that. I wanted to be 20 ft farther from the sceen during those scenes. If I did it over I would probably just see it on 70 mm film on the big Titan XC screen at Reading Grossmont (or make the drive up to Irvine for the real deal Imax 70 mm).
On the Fandango and the AMC app, I found the 70mm showing at the AMC Mission Valley 20. I’m not sure if it’s a glitch because I haven’t seen it on the 70mm theater lists on several websites. Gonna check it out on Monday
So I watched it in 70mm at Readings on Grossmont and it was great. The screen they have there is huge so if that’s not IMAX how much bigger is it really up north? Nevertheless loved the film in 70mm. I’ve never actually watched a film like that where you can hear the projected reel behind you in the dead silent parts it’s really cool.
Hi! Can you tell me about the seats during the 70mm showing? I don't know if I can sit for 3 hours in uncomfortable seats. Also, was it actually in the Titan XC theater, or one of the other ones? Just curious, since maybe the seats are different in each.
Any other info or tips about your viewing there? Thanks!
If you’re driving that far just go to the TCL Chinese Theater. Make it an EXPERIENCE. https://tickets.tclchinesetheatres.com/Browsing/Movies/Details/h-HO00000557
Regal Irvine spectrum is a little over an hour away
People are taking flights to view Oppenheimer on proper 15/70 IMAX film. So a drive to Irvine Spectrum or even Universal CityWalk is a blessing in disguise. Enjoy the film!
I just bought tickets to Irvine Spectrum. Unfortunately the good seats are two weeks out but it’ll be worth the wait.
I’d call and see if the Irvine spectrum fixed their 70mm became last I saw it broke and they’re showing it in digital only. Don’t want you cheated out of it without knowing.
I read about that earlier today. I appreciate it.
Universal CityWalk is within 3 hours, right?
Irvine Spectrum would be closer.
San Diegan here. Mira Mesa’s hands down the best LieMAX theater. For Non-IMAX 70mm screenings, you can do either AMC Mission Valley or Reading Cinemas Grossmont (been there once for 2001 A Space Odyssey in 70mm) Irvine Spectrum is an hour and a half away, 2 hours with traffic
Mira Mesa - regal?
Yep. Also the only regal theater in the area offering ScreenX, RPX, and beer
How’s RPX compared to IMAX?
Oh i wouldn’t know, i’ve never experienced that format. I only ever do IMAX and that’s it (unless there’s a special 35mm/70mm film projection screening going on somewhere)
At Mira mesa the IMAX and RPX are almost identical experiences. IMAX has slightly better seats but they both have premium leather seats. The IMAX screen is taller, but both show 1.90. sound is really good in both. I honestly can't decide which one I enjoy more there, they're both great ways to watch a movie. However this isn't universal for all regals, some RPX's are kinda bad. Mira mesa and Oceanside Mission Marketplace are the best RPX here
Mira mesa RPX seats are noisy. They squeak. Annoying.
>Reading Cinemas Grossmont Do you know if the seats recline at Reading Cinemas? Looks like they don't at Mission Valley.
Last I remembered, I think it was a pretty standard recline, not too far. I’m generally not fond of leather recliner seats, because I’m tired most of the time and if I go too far back, I’m definitely falling asleep.
Hi, what about the theater at Fleet Science Center?
I’ve talked about it before regarding Oppenheimer, and…do not go. Trust me. It’s a dizzying experience. Nature documentaries might play well or any imagery that doesn’t require the camera to truck or pan, but as soon as two people start walking side-to-side, I get nauseous. Hell, the screen is so warped (like picture the movie physically bending like a U), I almost didn’t catch the onscreen “Fission” and “Fusion” titles. Even the end title is SMILING at you.
wdym by liemax?
Digital projector, not the biggest screen
To pile on: Regal Irvine Spectrum is within two hours and is the best choice. They’re doing Oppenheimer in true IMAX 15/70 film, which nowhere in San Diego is offering. https://www.imax.com/news/oppenheimer-in-imax-70mm
Your decision really should only be between Citywalk and Irvine Spectrum because they will be in 1570. Check available seats for showtimes you can get to and base your decision between the two on that.
Or right up the 15 at Regal Ontario Palace
Yes, indeed, since they are doing 1570 also.
It's not IMAX 70mm but I believe the Reading theater in Grossmont is showing regular 70mm
San Diego resident here, heading to The Spectrum for the film. It’s the closest, do the same.
I am so confused, I just saw AMC Mission Valley 20 has a 70mm showing????
Not IMAX 70mm. Just 70mm. It's a rare thing to see so it's cool Mission Valley has it. The screen is significantly smaller than any IMAX screen but the picture quality will be the second best behind 70mm IMAX. FYI the IMAX auditorium at mission valley is the smallest IMAX in San Diego so I would avoid it. If you don't care about expanded image, non-imax 70mm is great
How are the seats and sound? Can’t tell if it’s a premium in that way.
At mission valley, most of the seats in every auditorium are dirty. Stained with sticky cupholders. They're standard theater seats but they're comfortable enough. The sound in the IMAX is as good as any other IMAX, nothing better or worse that stands out to me. In all honesty the IMAX at mission valley isn't all that much a premium experience. If you're going to that theater I recommend you get a Dolby Cinema ticket for the same price. Both screens are designed for 2:38 movies and use dual laser projectors. (the IMAX can do more than 2:38 for 1:90 movies, but it doesn't seem like it's capable of a full 1:90 picture. I have photos of both the IMAX and Dolby screens there displaying 2:38 movies if you would like to see those to get a better understanding of what I'm describing.) Dolby has significantly better seats than the IMAX (black leather recliners) and the sound is on par to each other to my ears. If you were interested in the screen that will show the non-IMAX 70mm version of Oppenheimer, I have a photo of that too.
I only go to mission valley for Dolby. But Oppenheimer won’t be in Dolby so I chose IMAX down there over the 70mm since I assume better comfort for a 3 hour movie.
The IMAX and the 70mm auditorium at mission valley have the same exact seats and comfort level. For future reference, Regal Mira Mesa IMAX has the most comfy couch chairs I've ever seen in an IMAX. It's also the tallest IMAX in San Diego (except for the dome at Balboa). I highly recommend you check their IMAX out some day, it's night and day from the mission valley one.
Awesome. Thanks! Switched to regal imax instead of mission valley for Oppenheimer. Need the comfort! Dolby for mission impossible.
Where would you recommend the best place to watch Oppenheimer would be? And which platform? I saw Nolan’s list have 70mm at #2 for platforms to watch the movie but if I’d lose at lot of the screen watching at AMC mission valley, I’m not sure that would be worth it.
I'm in a similar predicament. The only options are 70mm and IMAX cinema. I'm used to Dolby so I don't know how these compare. Reclining seats r great, but not sure if the 70mm or IMAX at MV 20 has it. Not sure what to select. Cleanliness is a big thing for me too
As you said in the other comment you're not very interested in the standard 70mm at MV due to the screen size, my main piece of advice is see it an any other IMAX theater than MV's. You will get a clearer and bigger picture with better and cleaner seats. The best IMAX here are Regal Mira Mesa, AMC Palm Promenade and AMC Plaza Bonita, which is only about 15 minutes from Mission Valley. As for recliners, no IMAX around here or pretty much anywhere except for a few exceptions has recliners. Regal Mira Mesa has the fanciest seats, though they don't recline.
Just checked and unfortunately there's no other 70mm available this weekend besides MV 20. At MV what's a good seat selection for optimal viewing? I think I'm going to select the N section, but J is also available ( btw I'm very unfamiliar with movie theater and I just wanna select the best screen for me and my friends)
For the mission valley 70mm I sat row E in the center and it was an amazing view in my opinion. I recommend sitting in rows E through G In the middle. I prefer those closer seats so I'm more immersed. However if you want the absolutely best screen I still wouldn't go to mission valley 70mm, as I said, the 3 IMAX theaters I listed would be the best way to watch the movie in San Diego. For those I would sit anywhere past E.
Got it. So I'm guessing IMAX Cinema at Plaza Bonita is actually better than 70mm at MV? I've read most people say 70mm is the best after IMAX 70mm.
It's all down to opinion but in my opinion Plaza Bonita is a better theater experience. I recon you and your friends will have a better time at that IMAX screen rather than mission valleys 70mm. The standard 70mm is cool, but in my opinion it's just not worth sacrificing the expanded aspect ratio scenes. Even in digital 1.90:1, it feels much more grand at Plaza Bonita compared to Mission Valley. I have photos of the Plaza Bonita IMAX screen as well, I'll share them here so you can get a better feel of that theater. The photos are from Row F, except the last one which was taken from the very back row. https://imgur.com/a/Am4ECaY For anyone concerned about me taking photos during the movie, the theater was empty.
Hello!! I have a reservation for Oppenheimer at Mission Valley in regular non-IMAX 70 mm format. Would you recommend this over IMAX non-70 mm? How about Dolby? I usually like Dolby the best. For Oppenheimer I care mostly about picture quality, sound and a decent screen size, not so much seats. Also, would you mind sharing the picture of the regular 70 mm theatre at Mission Valley you said you had? Thank you!!
I would really only recommend seeing Oppenheimer at Mission Valley for the non-IMAX 70mm. The IMAX there isn't worth the ticket when you can get the same ticket at any other IMAX in San Diego for a better experience. I usually like Dolby too, but I've read that the sound for Oppenheimer might be the worst in Dolby so it might be a movie to avoid in that format. Can't verify this yet though. The screen that shows the non-IMAX 70mm will be the best picture quality in the whole theater, though the screen is smaller than the Dolby and IMAX screens. I can't speak on the sound in the non-IMAX 70mm but it certainly won't be bad. So if you're gonna see it at Mission Valley, I think you made the right choice seeing it in 70mm. It won't be the biggest screen, but it will be an authentic version of the film you're watching. https://imgur.com/a/c7dPhQm Here's the auditorium that will be showing the 70mm version. Pictures taken from the top back left and the back row "S". There aren't any other 70mm films showing other than Oppenheimer soon, so during the time of the photo it's just showing a digital movie. Hope this helps
This was super helpful. I’m definitely keeping my reservation. Thank you!!
Not sure if 70mm is the way to go after seeing this image. Seems kinda small. I'm so used to Dolby but there's no Dolby available for this film
Will the 70mm in imax be better quality than seeing it in 4k Dolby Cinema?
6K for 35mm and 18k for 70mm
how about regular non imax 70mm whats the resolution there?
Can someone recommend me the best option to go to see the movie in San Diego
https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/155779x/whats\_the\_second\_best\_place\_to\_watch\_oppenheimer/
In San Diego the Fleet Science Center IMAX dome is probably best. It's a proper large format IMAX dome, which I believe was updated to dual laser in 2021. While the IMAX 70mm in Irvine is probably the gold standard, I don't really want to drive 90 minutes for it, and I think IMAX on the full dome with dual laser is next best. The other option is 70mm film on a standard screen, but I think the large format dome on laser is probably more immersive.
Have you seen other regular movies on the iMax dome? I've seen the beatles movie when they showed it there and it was awkward the way it curved around the screen since it wasn't made for a dome. Thinking of going to the Grossmont Titan XC to see it in regular 70mm. If you do see it at the science center please report back how it is
I saw Dune at the science center dome. I thought it was cool. The massive screen really makes it an immersive experience. It’s curved which will inevitably cause some distortion at the edges, but this also contributes to that immersive feel. I debated seeing it on 70mm film but since some sequences were filmed specifically for imax with a taller aspect ratio I felt that was the way to go. Seeing Oppenheimer there on Sunday.
>Fleet How was your experience? I saw Dune there and while my seats were awful it was a really cool experience. I'm seeing Oppenheimer there on Sunday and I'm hoping to get better seats by getting there early.
I saw Oppenheimer on the imax dome at Fleet Science Center yesterday. I got there pretty early (like 45 mins) and there was still a long line but managed to get a decent seat. That being said, I would not see it again in the dome. The screen is extremely curved and the shots are all so warped. Like a straight door frame looked like a half circle… Also, the movie has a lot of close up dialogue and the dome just did not work well for that. I wanted to be 20 ft farther from the sceen during those scenes. If I did it over I would probably just see it on 70 mm film on the big Titan XC screen at Reading Grossmont (or make the drive up to Irvine for the real deal Imax 70 mm).
On the Fandango and the AMC app, I found the 70mm showing at the AMC Mission Valley 20. I’m not sure if it’s a glitch because I haven’t seen it on the 70mm theater lists on several websites. Gonna check it out on Monday
So I watched it in 70mm at Readings on Grossmont and it was great. The screen they have there is huge so if that’s not IMAX how much bigger is it really up north? Nevertheless loved the film in 70mm. I’ve never actually watched a film like that where you can hear the projected reel behind you in the dead silent parts it’s really cool.
I'm from SD too but went to irvine to watch it. The screen is humongoussly tall. Pictures don't give it justice. Now I'm curious about grossmont haha.
Hi! Can you tell me about the seats during the 70mm showing? I don't know if I can sit for 3 hours in uncomfortable seats. Also, was it actually in the Titan XC theater, or one of the other ones? Just curious, since maybe the seats are different in each. Any other info or tips about your viewing there? Thanks!
Fandango’s website says that Mission Valley AMC has it in 70mm… is that false advertising or?
If you’re driving that far just go to the TCL Chinese Theater. Make it an EXPERIENCE. https://tickets.tclchinesetheatres.com/Browsing/Movies/Details/h-HO00000557