AMC recently announced that they would be installing 100 IMAX screens at AMC theatre locations in 33 major US markets over the next three years. Cleveland is not on the current list and the closest IMAX to here is Columbus. There used to be an IMAX screen at Cedar Point, but that’s no longer operational.

The IMAX screens should not be confused with the OmniMax theater at the Great Lakes Science Center. The OmniMax screen is a dome and while it does a good job of filling your peripharial vision, the screen format makes it difficult to view standard movies.

The IMAX screen is large, but mostly flat. The new screens will be digital and capable of doing amazing 3D. Popular titles such as Beowulf (in 3D), I Am Legend and The Dark Knight (the next Batman movie) have been made for this large screen format.

People will drive a good distance to come see a movie on an IMAX screen and it would be a great addition to downtown Cleveland, but where would we put it?

There is a plan to build a 10 screen movie theater complex in Scott Wolstein’s East Bank of the Flats project. Most discussions have said this would be more of an independent theater like Cedar Lee in Cleveland Heights. But it would be hard to fill 10 screens with only indie movies. And another independent movie theater is going up in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, not too far away. I think an IMAX theatre could work in the Flats. It wouldn’t be all 10 screens — just one or two of them would be the oversized IMAX screens.

Downtown needs more unique entertainment options like this or an ESPN Zone or something of that nature. Hopefully someone out there has the ability and willingness to make it happen.