Nov
30
By Doreen Marion Gee
Movies have always been a major avenue of escape for me. Some of the happiest moments of my life have been in dark theatres, spellbound by a story played out on a huge screen. The IMAX Theatre just makes the joy bigger and better. Watching an IMAX movie is the ultimate high for me. It seems so real that I have to remind myself that I am not falling off the edge of a cliff or dropping out of an airplane over the Serengeti Desert. The IMAX films cover a wonderfully eclectic array of topics from surfing and flying to eccentric artists. Two new films at the IMAX in the Royal BC Museum will definitely stretch your mind and imagination.
VAN GOGH : Brush with Genius is a visually stunning homage to one of the most gifted artists of all time. A definite Van Gogh fan, I was awestruck to see his masterpieces in all their glory on a massive screen. Van Gogh was an artistic giant. As someone who only sold one painting in his short life, Van Gogh must be dancing in the afterlife at this IMAX honour. The film takes the audience on a time capsule through nine years of his life during which he paints 900 pictures. It follows his interesting but troubled life from the Netherlands to Paris. The movie reveals a complex man - the artist, the idealist, the romantic and the tragic figure. Van Gogh was not the deranged and violent person sensationalized in popular lore. He was actually a gentle, sensitive person deeply concerned about the poor and unfortunate. But his artwork was his shining legacy. The IMAX film shows the majesty and brilliance of his brush strokes. His beautiful paintings are now as big as his talent.
The newest addition to the IMAX line-up is all about the fascinating history of aviation. Legends of Flight - A New Generation is definitely one of the most educational and informative IMAX movies that I have ever seen. For instance, now I know that the Boeing plant in Everett is the largest building in the world with 30,000 employees (that's about three times the population of Parksville). The film tells the intriguing story of a hundred years of man-made flight up to the revolutionary Boeing 787 Dreamliner, superstar of the skies. Dreamliner is the first airplane to be made of carbon fibre and it performed a perfect maiden flight in 2009. It was exciting to learn how carbon is the supreme material for planes, stronger than steel and lighter than a feather. Boeing based the Dreamliner design on the albatross, the ultimate flying machine.
As always, it is the jaw-dropping visual effects that define the IMAX experience. Seeing the spectacular flights of all the different legendary airplanes is worth the price of admission. The photography and aerial views of sweeping oceans, mountains and fields will thrill any age. My favorite scene was watching a glider soar like an eagle over canyons and hills, riding on the wind across the sky. The only one having more fun was the pilot.
Reminder: Annual passes on sale for a limited time.