GoKawiilThe Odyssey has certainly thrust IMAX into the spotlight again, particularly if you've been seeking out one of the few theaters that can screen Christopher Nolan's epic in 70mm IMAX. However, there's a catch behind that blue logo: two theaters that sell you an IMAX ticket can provide noticeably different experiences.
One could be a big 1.43:1 screen with 70mm film or dual-laser projection. Another could be a converted multiplex auditorium with a much wider and smaller screen. That mismatch gave rise to the "LieMAX" nickname.
It's not a formal format and IMAX definitely doesn't market any of its theaters as such. The nickname became popular in 2009 when movie fans griped that the newer IMAX Digital screens installed in multiplexes were not nearly as huge as the giant auditoriums they had come to associate with the brand. At the time, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond acknowledged that the newer screens could be smaller, but said that screen size was just one part of the IMAX experience.