'Titanic' Fans Get to Go Down with the Ship in '4DX'

10:16 PM PDT 4/4/2012 by Todd Gilchrist

0
0
0
0
0
Email
Print
Comments

A South Korean company has created an interactive viewing experience that simulates a film’s environment in films like Cameron's, as well as recent blockbusters like "The Hunger Games."

James Cameron’s Titanic was re-released in 3D this week, inviting critics to trot out familiar arguments about the pointlessness of the technology except as a means to jack up ticket prices and wring a few extra dollars out of devoted fans. But a South Korean company is already anticipating the next cinematic accoutrement for moviegoers to complain about: 4DX, an interactive experience which simulates the conditions of a film’s environment.

Box Office Report: 'Titanic 3D' Opens Neck and Neck With 'Hunger Games'

Titanic: The Real Story Behind the Infamous 'Glub, Glub, Glub' Headline

Box Office Preview: 'Titanic' Sails Again in 3D

PHOTOS: 'Titanic 3D' London Premiere: Kate Winslet, James Cameron Hit the Red Carpet

Not unlike D-Box Technologies’ motion-simulation seats, 4DX features chairs that pitch and roll according to the motion of the action within the film. But it also includes such features as “short bursts of sharp air” and “face water” to put the viewer in the middle of the on screen environment. Presumably the volume of these atmospheric flourishes is modulated – or else Titanic fans may find themselves struggling to see the film during the ship’s climactic descent into the ocean.

CJ 4DPlex Co. launched 4DX in 2009, and is using the technology to enhance the viewing experience of The Hunger Games, John Carter and The Avengers in addition to Titanic. The company hopes to reach more than 800 auditoriums by 2016.