IMAX warning.

[Maisie2014]

Since my heart attack in 2019 I have been unable to go to events where there is loud music. However I attended an event a few weeks ago and found I was ok so when my husband was given cinema tickets for his birthday he decided to upgrade them to the IMAX to see the Oppenheimer movie. He loved the experience. It was like the old IMAX with the old Sensurround times 10! Apparently the cinema want you to “feel” the film. I felt it all right like a million knives stabbing my chest. I had a massive panic attack within the first five minutes and had the leave immediately. There were no warnings in the cinema and it was taken for granted that we would love the experience. The staff were wonderful in looking after me and ensuring I was ok. I told my husband to stay there and watch the film and I waited outside for the three hours.

[JeremiahObadiah]

Oh no. Major sympathy.

A boring wait for you.

Did he enjoy it nonetheless?

[Maisie2014 in reply to JeremiahObadiah]

Yes he thought it was brilliant but he was the eldest in there. These youngsters are going to grow up deaf! Luckily he already is so it wasn’t that loud for him. I rang my sister who lives nearby and she came and had a coffee and we went shopping instead lol. Luckily the cinema is in our local shopping complex.

[10gingercats]

I have suffered from hyeracusis for many years,probably since childhood, so know how you feel.There is no real treatment for it so I need to endure a lot of the noise and avoid it where I can. Not always easy in a modern world.

[Wingnutty]

I suffer from mild tinnitus which is a legacy of chemotherapy I had 23 years ago. I now find really loud noises annoying and take ear plugs with me if I go to a cinema or music event which makes everything relatively ok for me. There is a bit of fiddling with the ear plugs to just get them to the right place so I can hear everything without being deafened and causing the tinnitus to get worse. I saw Oppenheimer in a conventional cinema and took my ear plugs mainly to protect from the adverts at the beginning of the film which they seem to play at maximum volume as if they are trying to cram the products into your brain via your ears. I found I needed them for the film though as well. I was a bit disappointed in the film though because I assumed it was going to be all about the Manhattan Project, when in fact that was only about a quarter of the film and the rest was about Oppenheimers love life and persecution and corruption of people in charge of him.

[Smitty1956]

Hi, Maisie2014,

I used to love going to the IMAX movies! What an experience for the senses! I can understand why your husband thought that that would be a good date event for you both.

I had never considered what seeing an IMAX movie might be like now for any of us with various heart conditions. I am so sorry that you ended up feeling so horrible just from going to see a new movie. Perhaps you and your husband could go to see the movie again at a regular theater so that you could both enjoy seeing it or a different movie of your choice.

Your “warning” may help others avoid having a similar experience at an IMAX showing. Best wishes to you! 😊

[DiggyDoggy]

Hi,

My experience is similar but not the same. I went to see the latest John Wicke movie at an IMAX. In the first few minutes there must have been 500 extremely loud pinging gunshots. Each one made a lower stomach side muscle spasm in exactly the same way my ICD/pacemaker did before it was set correctly.

It was extremely worrying. I left the cinema for a few minutes and returned. Luckily the sensations did not come back.

Regardless, I don't think I'll risk an IMAX again!