Tuttleman IMAX Theater

222 N 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA

Related:	imax king of prussia
Related:	massillon movie theater
Address:	222 N 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
Phone:	+1 215-448-1200
Site:	fi.edu
Rating:	3.6

Location

Photos 24

Reviews 6

Robert Peters

BLUF: -Save your money seeing cinema movies and go else where -Bad screen with defects and distortion -Projector problems focusing on fast motion scenes -Dirt on film being projected I went to see Star Wars The Force Awakens in 70mm IMAX at the Tuttleman IMAX Theater (Franklin Institute) in Philadelphia, PA. I have been patiently waiting to see this film and hand-picked this showing to be the first time I’ve seen this film. As you can imagine my expectation to see Star Wars in it’s superior format was quite high. As soon as we walked into the theater first noticed how curved the screen was around the edges. We initially thought this would help to make a for an immersive movie experience. During the film this actually made the film worse. This was very noticeable in the scenes where the actors are placed on either the left or right side of the screen. Everything looked stretched and dis-proportioned. We were seated towards the back in the middle of the row and close to the projector. I’ve been to many other IMAX theaters in the past in different areas and never have I seen screen curvature so awful, it became annoying. On the same topic of the screen, the screen itself had many patches, bubbling and off-color sections. During the film the off-color and bubbled sections were very noticeable during the bright scenes. These too were very distracting. Also, on multiple occasions the projector had significant issues focusing. This was extremely troubling during the battle scenes. Combined with the distorted screen and the artifacts, it was almost unwatchable. Lastly, all throughout the film we noticed pieces of hair and lint projected onto the screen. This really brought the quality of the film down. Overall, I was very disappointed in the showing of Star Wars in 70mm IMAX. It’s very troubling because this theater is carrying the IMAX label and many people such as myself would have expected higher standards of quality going to a theater selling as an IMAX theater. Bottomline, this hurts the IMAX brand.

Bill Timmons

I would not recommend seeing a movie in the IMAX format due to poor picture quality and an ill fitted theater that makes it physically uncomfortable. (Reference movie: Rogue One) The IMAX screen is not not good. The screen shape distorts images, you are so close to the screen it is impossible for a human to focus properly and the resolution is not better than a regular theater. For example, the dome shape of the screen distorts images. The mast of a ship appears bent and a Star Destroyer ends up looking like an elf shoe with a curled up front. Another example is that the screen is so close and big that it is not possible to really focus on a scene in a meaningful way. An actors face appears so big on the screen that you can basically only focus in on their nose, rending the entirety of the screen a total blur, especially in action scenes. While the Franklin Inst. is a great facility and the Tuttleman IMAX appears to be nice I would say it has many design flaws. The seats are arranged just like any other theater as if you are meant to be looking forward at a regular screen. However the IMAX screen is located higher above your head. You need to slump down in your seat and look up over your head the entire time. I overheard many people comment on this negatively in the theater. Also, the construction of the screen really takes away from the picture quality. Because of the shape of the domed screen it is constructed of many panels, which resemble a beach ball of sorts. While this isnt a problem for the most part it completely ruins any light colored scenes such as those that show a bright blue sky, beach, winter scene, etc.

Jason Joseph

I had an amazing experience here. And I want to thank them. I arrived on a snowy winter evening in 2014 for the showing of INTERSTELLAR. There were only 4 other people in the theater besides me. The film started.. Then it stopped... A moment later the projectionist came in.. And apologized. He said hed been left alone and wasnt able to tell if he was correct or not as normally there was someone else there to help ensure things are running correctly.. But he suspected there was no sound. He said hed have to cancel the sowing as the film would have to be respooled. I spoke up and said.. Im sorry but why? He explained itd take some time... I said hey its snowing.. I came out in the snow.. Ill wait.. The others agreed.. And he apologized and said no sweat. Ten mins go by and he comes out and says he could use a hand and would I mind.. No.. Id love to... So next thing you know.. Im back in the projection room. Long story short it was a truly great human experience.. He did however say his supervisor who he spoke to would email me some passes for a free show.. for my patience and assistance...But I never received an email.. Oh Well. Either way the venue is nice.. Its in need of some updates on their equipment.. But itll do in a pinch. id see IMAX films here.. Btu not movies.. As its a dome... And the viewing experience is better on a flat screen IMAX than the dome. But all in all I was so glad I went. Enjoy the iPhone pics I snapped while there.. And wave to the projectionist if you see him.. Hes a great guy!

Calvin Ni

I recently watched Dunkirk in IMAX 70mm here because it was one of the two locations in PA to screen the movie in that particular format. It was my first time being there and it was a disaster. Watching movies here is literally a pain. The movie was projected on the entire dome and you would have to look up and side to side to get the action. Seats were very uncomfortable. There were really small and the seats made me feel like I was sitting on concrete for 2 hours. The picture quality was poor. Most of the movie was flat in terms of saturation and the brightness was very low (darker scenes were difficult to focus on.) The film was majorly shot in 70mm and in digital. A lot of the image was cut off during the scenes that were shot in 70mm because of the domes circular shape and it was almost like watching it out of a fish eye lens. Not much of the film was shown properly and it was a shame. The only positive thing I can say about watching it here was the sound quality. I went to see Dunkirk again at UA King of Prussia in IMAX 70mm and all of my problems I had with this theater were non-existent there. STAY CLEAR FROM HERE. YOU WILL REGRET IT.

TJ Lewis

By far the largest movie screen I have ever seen. Its so large that it has multiple sections. While this larger size is amazing, its also partially a downside as depending on the lighting in the scene of the movie, you can see the seems between the sections of the screen. The seats are good in that each level of seating is raised far enough above the section in front of it that you can still see without other peoples heads being in your way (big benefit for short people). However the seats are a little uncomfortable after you have been sitting in them a while. Overall a great experience though.

Michael Dennery Jr

DO NOT SEE THE NEW STAR WARS MOVIE HERE!!!!! Youll thank me later. Absolutely worst movie experience of my life. Watching a regular movie here is awful. The display is warped and makes it impossible to enjoy 95% of the shots of the film. You have to turn your neck to see someone in a long shot. The seats are terrible and will most likely hurt your neck. And I was in the middle of the theatre! Imagine what is what like for the people at the bottom.. Im actually upset that they would even allow people to see it from that angle. Shame on them.