# 'In Theater' Effects



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

There is some talk on the Poll thread about surrounds and loudness, etc.

Other than Sensurround in flicks like 'Earthquake!' and 'Midway' and Cinerama, what else did they try in the theaters and did you ever go during any of those experiments? I seem to remember something about Smellavision, but I can't imagine that working out very well.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

I attended a viewing of "How the West Was Won" in Cinerama when it was released. Very Impressive. I also attended a viewing of "Midway" in Sensurround when it was released. I remember experiencing the scene where the B-25's were taking off from the aircraft carrier and saying to myself, wow! It's like really being on the deck of the carrier.


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## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

I think the OP is thinking of Odorama. It was a John Waters idea in Polyester.


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

MysteryMan said:


> I attended a viewing of "How the West Was Won" in Cinerama when it was released. Very Impressive. I also attended a viewing of "Midway" in Sensurround when it was released. I remember experiencing the scene where the B-25's were taking off from the aircraft carrier and saying to myself, wow! It's like really being on the deck of the carrier.


I also saw "How The West Was Won" in Cinerama. The one thing I remember the neck creak I got from swing my head back and forth being seated so close to the screen.


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## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

Jaws 3D back in the 80s was my first experience with polarized glasses for the 3D instead of the nasty red/blue glasses that never worked for me.

The movie wasn't so good, but the 3D was amazing.


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## elaclair (Jun 18, 2004)

Although one-off type things, there have several theme park attempts (some successful, others not so much) of theatre-based effects. Such as Captain Eo at Disney. The movie was in 3D, but there were also local synchronized light/laser effects that went along with the movie. Or Shrek 4-d at Universal, they included air and water effects, and the seats themselves had movement that was synchronized to the movie.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

I saw a few movies by William Castle that had hokey effects, vibrating buzzers in the seats, skeletons on wires going overhead, ghosts glasses, and other types of in theater effects.


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## jerry downing (Mar 7, 2004)

Disney did a show about bugs at Animal Kingdom in Disney World that had everything. It included smells, seat motion, water spray, etc. It was great.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

"Smellovision" rings a bell—heard the expression in the 50's. Dunno if it was a joke, a concept or an experiment.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

IMAX would be an experiment that succeeded for sound and full field of vision immersion. The theater rattling sound of Dolby in smaller theaters can provide some immersion ... although hearing the rumble from the next theater over is a distraction.

The theme park addition of strobes, smoke and lasers is an interesting addition - but it is limited to specialized theaters. Not quite as mainstream as IMAX has become.


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

IMAX and 3D are all I've seen, except for theme-park attractions since "Earthquake" and "Battlestar Galactica" (the movie edit) in Sensoround.


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

I saw Earthquake waaaay back when it came out. It was...interesting. I'm not sure what they used to vibrate the seats.

I saw How the West Was Won in Cinemascope with the 3 separate screens. It was very cool for its day.

Disney's California Adventure has A Bug's Life show which has everything from water squirts to moving floor (like lots of bugs). Very cool.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

I saw a few movies by William Castle that had hokey effects, vibrating buzzers in the seats, skeletons on wires going overhead, ghosts glasses, and other types of in theater effects.


The Tingler may have been hokey, but probably effective when the theater goes completely dark, you hear Vincent Price warn that it's loose in the theater and there are people fainting and screaming being carried out on gurneys.

Of course I think some of the buzzers either didn't work, or too powerful.


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## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

When I saw Slithis, they had Slithis (or at least a man in the rubber Slithis costume) in the lobby. Not sure if it made the movie any better.

Also, when I saw Beneath the Planet of the Apes, they passed out souvenir newspapers, one side was the issue for ape city, the other was for mutant city.

I haven't seen it for years, I suppose I lost it. it was a pretty cool item.



Supposedly, there were some cast members in the theater when I saw Supercop, not really sure if it was some of the cast or not, the movie is not very memorable for me in any regard.

I've been to Rocky Horror with audience participation a few times, that would be about the best.

A showing of The Omen I attended had some one make an evil moaning sound in the back row at a crucial point in the movie, scared the crap out of the audience.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

I accidentally saw one of the original Star Trek movies on opening night with my wife. We happened to be driving past the theater, saw Star Trek on the marque and decided to watch. We didn't even know the film was scheduled to be released.

It was the first "first night" movie I attended. The rest of the crowd had come prepared, many in costume (including aliens) with a local Star Trek club running a pre-show trivia game and handing out prizes. A little too interactive for my tastes but no one ruined the movie.

Unless I'm forewarned I really don't want an interactive movie.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Probably the best "effect" I've ever heard of, and could be an urban legend, is the story of two girls in the theater watching the original release of House of Wax, then after the movie hearing Vincent Price's voice right behind them saying "Did you like it?"

It seems to match his sense of humor, but doesn't mean it happened unfortunately.


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

I used to go to a lot of 70mm screenings back in the late 80's in Portland, OR


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

I remember a scene set in the future. If memory serves, it was on the short-lived "SeaQuest DSV" show.

While on shore leave, one of the officers is coming out of a movie theater with his date.. They're soaking wet and look like they've been through a hurricane (obvious in-theater effects). The officer says (as best I remember) "I remember when the movie studious invited you to enjoy their latest stories - now they dare you to survive them!"


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