4DX - The Absolute Goofiest Crap Ever
But, dang, did I love it!
I went to a 10:10 PM screening of TWISTERS last Wednesday night. It wasn’t because I was particularly champing at the bit to see the film. I was excited to see what MINARI director Lee Isaac Chung did next, but I was never a massive fan of the original TWISTER. No, I drove into real-life Houston thunderstorms to see the Glen Powell-staring weather apocalypse redux because I had been caught up in the viral fever taking the theatrical exhibition world by storm. Pun, unfortunately, intended.
4DX was introduced in 2009 by the South Korean cinema chain CJ CGV. The experience sees each theater seat hooked up to a massive electrical rig that allows three-axis rotation for the seat (you can spin, jerk, and tilt) and brings in the kind of old-school gimmickry that would make William Castle proud. I’m talking leg ticklers, vibration, water and scent cannons, fog, wind, strobe, and even bubble effects.
In the wake of AVATAR’s success, immersive cinema was big again among audiences, and - thanks to the Cinépolis international brand - the format was spread across the globe. The first US 4DX screen opened in 2014 at a Regal location, but soon, multiple theater exhibitors were going into business with 4DX, installing the equipment in screens worldwide.
While 4DX is nothing new in Houston, I had no strong urge to check out the format. In my foolish naivete, I didn’t think I wanted water cannons shot at me while I was trying to watch a movie. Oh, how foolish I was…
TWISTERS was the perfect way to break my 4DX cherry. The film - which utilizes the full buffet of weather patterns to wreak havoc on the life of two storm chasers - made full use of 4DX’s library of effects. Within five minutes of the movie starting, I could feel my dinner starting to climb back out of my lower intestine. I had experienced the gentle vibrations of DBOX in the past, but 4DX is not just content to shake your seat a bit - the rigs your chair is attached to practically throw you across the room. I’m surprised the theater seats didn’t come with a seatbelt.
I love the theatrical experience, and 4DX is - while goofy as all get out - a full-tilt experience. Audiences would break out into applause after big set pieces. There’d be nervous giggling as dark clouds rolled in on-screen - we were fully aware that these cinematic omens foretold an imminent real-life roller coaster ride. Did 4DX make TWISTERS a better movie? No, but it sure made it a better experience.
I don’t know how many more 4DX shows I’ll actually go for - tickets are hella expensive, and, honestly, I’m not sure how much long-term wear and tear I want to put on my back - but TWISTERS was definitely not the last 4DX experience I have. It really is the perfect way to experience middle-of-the-road Hollywood blockbusters. And the best part? Absolutely nobody had their cell phone out in the theater - presumably for fear of it getting dropped or sprayed with a water cannon.
My favorite part about TWISTERS is the “based on characters created by” credit. Are they talking about the twisters…?
Me to my partner: I promise the next thing I write will be something more commercial, maybe even something that I can use to get an agent.
Also, me: Good news, babe! I just hit a thousand words on a completely unpublishable epic poem!
I don’t know what to do with this poem when I’m done, but it feels good to write something that makes me smile.
Here’s a look at an in-progress page of WHERE WOLF 2 by Debora Lancianese. This slice of the story is inspired by one of my favorite memories of working for a movie theater. If you know, you know. Remember, you can request a copy of WHERE WOLF from your local library or buy a personal copy directly from the publisher, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Brazos Bookstore in Houston, Ghoulish Books in San Antonio, or Whose Books in Dallas. If you've read WHERE WOLF, please consider leaving a rating or review on Amazon, Goodreads, The StoryGraph, or wherever you discover new books.
This weekend, KNEECAP will be released in theaters. Rich Peppiatt directs this musical biopic about the real-life rap group Kneecap. The film stars the three members of the band, who play themselves as the Irish-language hip-hop group, which rose to fame in 2019 in West Belfast. The accents are thick, but the movie is incredibly funny. More so, the music is just unbelievable. It’s a great feeling when a movie introduces you to a new song - but when a movie introduces you to a whole new band? That’s the best. KNEECAP is awesome, Kneecap is awesome. See this movie!
August is my final month hosting events at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Join me this Wednesday for a screening of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s EVIL DOES NOT EXIST. The film is a slow-burn drama about a small Japanese community trying to push back against an opulent glamping site nearby. Solid performances and a fascinating perspective make this another winner from the director of DRIVE MY CAR. Buy tickets here.
I’m hosting Pedro Almodóvar’s THE SKIN I LIVE IN on Friday. Almodóvar’s film is a clever twist on EYES WITHOUT A FACE, as only the filmmaker could conjure. A scientist working on revolutionary new skin grafting technology seeks to kill two birds with one stone when he picks a guinea pig as an unwilling test subject. Buy tickets here.