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LOS ANGELES — No one pushes the technological envelope in Hollywood quite like Ang Lee, the Oscar-winning director of 3D marvel Life of Pi. With his new movie Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Lee embarked on another ambitious challenge, shooting the film at 120 frames per second -- five times higher than the normal frame rate.
While Billy Lynnhas received mixed reviews, critics have admired Lee's bold decision to make movie history. The extra frames create a smooth, crystalline hyper-reality and depth of field that some people love and others loathe -- much like 4K and UHD television. (Peter Jackson doubled the frame rate to 48 fps for The Hobbit, but this ... this is next-level).
SEE ALSO:Seeing 'The Hobbit' at 48 frames per second has improved a lot over 3 filmsSo how can you see this cinematic achievement? Well, unless you live in New York or Los Angeles -- or Taipei, Shanghai or Beijing -- you can't. But there are plenty of other ways to get a taste of Lee's latest boundary breaker.
Many U.S. cities will still be able to screen the film at 120 fps, it'll just be in plain old 2D instead of 3D with 4K resolution, like those aforementioned five cities. Meanwhile, a single Dallas theater is offering the film in 120 fps, Dolby Vision 3D and 2K resolution, while all other theaters will present a regular 2D version at 24 fps.
SEE ALSO:'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk' review: Get outside and take a walk insteadBilly Lynnisn't getting an IMAX release because the large-screen exhibitor had previous commitments to Disney/Marvel's Doctor Strangeand Warner Bros.' Harry Potterspinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Though the 120 fps presentation won't be to everyone's liking, Lee is ready to defend his vision for the film. He'll appear in person at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood on Friday for the 7 p.m. showing, which is currently sold out, as is the 11:15 p.m. showing. Tickets reportedly cost $20.75 at the ArcLight, but isn't it worth it to see Kristen Stewart and newcomer Joe Alwyn with crystal-clear clarity?
The film's distributor, Sony Pictures, said in a statement to Mashable:
"Shooting Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walkin an ultra-high frame rate was a filmmaking tool that allowed the flexibility to create an enhanced, immersive cinematic experience, even in traditional exhibition formats. The experimental exhibition of 120fps/4K/3D, being shown in NY and LA this weekend, is a glimpse of the future, which is not yet widely available (there are only 5 theaters in the world equipped for this format). We’re confident that whichever format the film is viewed in, the result is a very new and exciting cinematic experience."
The 4 ways you can see Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
The film opens in New York and Los Angeles this weekend before expanding next weekend to 800+ screens, in descending order of enhancement:
1.120 fps, 3D, 4K resolution-- This is Lee's preferred version of the film, with all the bells and whistles. Unfortunately, it's only available in two theaters -- the ArcLight Hollywood's Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, and the AMC Loews Lincoln Square in New York.
2.120 fps, Dolby Vision 3D, 2K resolution-- This version is as close as people outside of New York and Los Angeles will get to seeing the film as Lee intended. Unfortunately (again), it's only screening at one theater, the AMC Village on The Parkway in Dallas.
3.120 fps, 2D-- Select theaters nationwide will screen this version, including those in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
4.24 fps, 2D-- This version is how Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walkwill be presented on all other screens.
The 5 Movie Theaters That Can Screen Billy Lynn as Intended
1. Arclight Hollywood's Cinerama Dome, Los Angeles-- To accommodate the Billy Lynnscreenings, this theater has added Christie's Mirage 4KLH 120Hz technology and TruLife electronics platform, which can process up to 1.2 gigapixels per second.
2. AMC Loews Lincoln Square, New York City-- This is where Billy Lynnhad its world premiere last month as part of the New York Film Festival.
3. Vieshow Cinemas Qsquare in Central Taipei, Taiwan-- This is the only exhibitor in Taiwan (where Lee was born) to screen Billy Lynnin peak form using the Christie Mirage 4KLH RGB laser projection system.
4. Beijing Bona Youtang International Cineplex, China-- The film opened here on Nov. 6 courtesy of China’s Shanghai Film Group and Bona Film Group.
5. Shanghai Film Art Center, China-- The film opened here on Nov. 8 here thanks to China’s Shanghai Film Group and Bona Film Group.