Thursday, Dec. 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
King Kong's fall off the Empire State building is a real screamer when viewed on the seven-story screen at the Luxor's new Imax theater.
The theater is actually a $5.5 million renovation of an existing 312-seat facility and is the first in Nevada and one of 20 in the world that offers three-dimensional Imax films.
It's the Luxor's newest attraction and part of the hotel-casino's nearly completed $240 million expansion project, a joint venture between the Luxor, owned by Circus Circus Enterprises Inc., and Imax Corp. of Toronto.
"We'll be showing some of the biggest movies in the world," said Director of Rides and Attractions Cliff Hay. "And we're expecting that more than 600,000 visitors a year will come to our theater."
And with good reason.
The 68-by-84-foot screen and eight-channel, multidimensional digital sound system, delivered by 15,000 watts of power from 50 speakers in six clusters, is further enhanced by the latest in-your-face 3-D technology.
A lightweight, comfortable, cordless headset with polarized glasses and speakers create 3-D images that you want to reach out and touch, and a "personal sound environment" that's just like the real thing.
Imax Theaters President Greg Breen said that the Luxor theater, which opens to the public Friday at 6 p.m., is a perfect addition to the 144 permanent facilities already operating in 21 countries. More than 40 new theaters are expected to open during the next few years.
Since the Imax premier in 1970, more than 510 million people have visited an Imax theater -- more than 60 million of them in 1995.
"One of the largest tourist attraction towns in the world is Vegas and Imax technology is a natural for it," said Breen. "Plus, we've had an Imax dome in Vegas since 1979 at Casesars Palace. This will provide a whole new experience."
The city's more than 30 million annual visitors will have different shows to see.
Breen said the plans are for a 2-D and 3-D film to run together, with two programming changes a year. Currently, there are 115 films in the Imax library, with 33 more being developed and 19 in production.
"We'll look to a balance between new and old films. And the visitor turnover is great. Once people have gone to an Imax theater, they often bring others who haven't been," Breen said, adding that are no plans for a Las Vegas destination-type film.
The current 3-D film "First City in Space" is a futuristic view of a space colony. The 3D effect creates the feeling of being about 2 feet away from the actors.
Ever wonder what it's like to zoom through space or fly low over a desert planet? Luxor's 3-D creates a stomach-heaving illusion.
Is the Imax 3-D beginning the wave of the future for movies?
"I definitely believe there will be the application to story and drama. I don't believe 3-D will replace conventional films, but story is a transition we're moving to -- although most of the Imax films so far are educational and entertainment," Breen said.
Making Imax films requires specialized Imax cameras and processing. Breen said that Imax invented everything in the early days, but encouraged independent filmmakers.
"We can and do rent them an Imax camera and train them. Today, there three labs equipped for processing the film" he said.
The Luxor Imax Theater's 2-D film is "Special Effects in Imax," a behind-the-scenes look at the effects from such films as "Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition," "Independence Day," "Kazaam" and "Jumanji."
Admission is $7 for Imax features and $8.50 for Imax 3-D. The double feature price for both films is $13.50. The theater is open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with films starting every hour on the hour.
