By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

As nearly two hundred movie goers flooded from the Monday afternoon showing of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” at the IMAX theater at Cinemagic in Saco, their consensus was “that was awesome.”

Mike Batchelder, of Sanford, said he enjoyed the movie a lot better on the wide, state-of-the-art screen.

“The overall experience. It’s better quality and better sound,” said Batchelder, who added he’d definitely return for another IMAX movie.

Moviegoers from across the state have traveled to Saco to see IMAX viewing technology since the theater opened in May to sold-out shows, said Bob Collins, director of Zyacorp Companies, which owns the theater.

The 70-foot-wide by 45-foot-tall movie screen is more than double the size of standard screens in Maine and is the largest in the country to date. 

 “The IMAX experience is total immersion,” Collins said. “In every seat if you focus on the center, the edges of the screen are beyond your peripheral vision, so you feel like you are in the movie.”

Cinemagic employee Austin Gregory said one family has returned from New Hampshire three times to see a movie in the Imax. He said “Star Trek: the IMAX Experience” was much more engaging than the same film on a standard screen, and one of the biggest differences is the quality of sound.

Sound is just as important as the images in an IMAX theatre. Collins said the audio system delivers laser-aligned digital sound that envelops each audience member. With the digital re-mastering technology, Collins said most any conventional motion picture can be digitally transformed and enhanced to the level of clarity and sharpness of an IMAX film. 

Collins said the company decided to locate its second IMAX screen north of Boston and accessible to the majority of people in southern Maine. The company also operates another IMAX screen in Hooksett, N.H. 

Tickets for IMAX movies are $14 in comparison to $7 matinees and $9 evening shows on other screens at Cinemagic in Saco.

“It’s been busy. The first two weeks it was sold-out performances. ‘Transformers’ has been literally sold out since it opened (June 24),” Collins said.

“Star Trek: the IMAX Experience” opened the theater with a two-week run, followed by “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.” “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” is scheduled to premiere July 17 and expected to run through September. 

In addition to the new state-of-the-art theater, Collins said the theater complex was renovated to include new seating in all 13 theaters, new carpeting, a larger lobby area and a restaurant, Previews Grill and Bar. 

“We are trying to make a trip to the theater a whole night out,” Collins said. “Movies can be a respite for people. For two to three hours, they can go away and not think about their troubles.”

Staff writer Emma Bouthillette can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 237.