Avatar available to watch in 4D, but only in Korea
By Vlad Savov 
posted February 11th 2010 10:53AM
posted February 11th 2010 10:53AM
Yo Carl Sagan, we found the fourth dimension! It was hiding in a South Korean movie theater all this time, and you can go try it out for the eminently affordable $15.80 a pop. CJ-CGV, an enterprising Korean cinema operator, has been offering its 4D experience for a year now, but Avatar's sellout success has led it to open three more "4D plexes." The way the company finally cornered that elusive fourth dimension is by engaging all five senses: moving seats, wind, water sprinkling, lasers, and synthetic smells are all used in time with the movie. Sure, it's a gimmick and takes a loose interpretation of what the word dimension means, but at least it's unlikely you'll fall asleep during the movie, as some of us may or may not have done while watching the 3D screening.
Sorry the Muppets at Disney Studios beat them to it. Expect to be sued by Kermit.
This is pretty cool imho...Maybe if the movie theaters and production companies came up with more stuff like this it would give people more of an incentive to visit the theater and spend money instead of downloading pirated movies, or even just waiting for it to come out on VOD or optical media. I'm all for this.
I thought the fourth dimension was time. Essentially 3d movies are 4d, since we see motion.
I tried Googling for 5 mins, anyone have a website with the names of the locations?
@juanvaldez Found out they are all in Seoul, still looking for locations but not as important since I wont be taking the train there just to see it with some shakes.
And I thought they were randomly pausing the movie to simulate time.
'3D' movies are already a loose interpretation of what 3D means. They're not true 3D like holograms are.
@Timmmmmm so you have seen a hologram
Heh. This has nothing on "Feel Around". Anyone remember that from - what was it - Kentucky Fried Movie. Every audience member has person behind them doing the wind and rain stuff. What got really funny was during the romantic scenes.
That sensory enhancing person would be something like an inverse "avatar". Maybe we should call them "ratava"s.
@scobb
The cigarette was rough. Plus the slaps :P
@scobb
Feel-O-rama. First thing I thought of as well.
http://www.garagetv.be/video-galerij/ghostwriter/category1616/Film_in_Feel_o_rama.aspx
Does this mean that the geniuses behind this wizardry are going to bring us Kitty Cat Man, starring Gord and Kelston Sandalwood?
They aren't the only ones advertising with this, in the Netherlands some movie theatres and theme parks advertise with it too. (Watch Shrek in 4D! For the Dutchies among us)
But yeah, the fourth dimension is time, and no, we can't actually see time, we can only see part of it when it intersects with the dimensions we can see. To be able to actually "see" time, you'd have to be able to see both the present, past and future. (So if this movie would truly be in 4D, you'd be able to see the entire movie, from beginning to end, in one instant)
It shows in 4D in Hong Kong too...
@SNP Shut up! Don't talk about things engadget didn't report on! Lmao
I saw a planet earth david attenborough documentary in 4D at the sea life centre in birmingham uk.
It was pretty crazy especially when the bastard dolphins get you all wet. :P
In Soviet Russia, 4D watches you.
I'm not sure about the water, but I'm thinking the smell of burning wood would be integral to the Avatar 4D experience.
Will the extra resolution make the story less boring?
Honestly, who fell asleep during the 3D screening?
Sucks to be those minimum-wage ushers cleaning up the 4d residual of popcorn crumbs and spilled pop.
Besides there was already a fourth dimension - The loudmouth-talking jackhole who's doesn't turn off his/her cellphone.
I have enjoyed the moving seat and mist types of films or rides in the past, so having that in all theaters would be pretty cool. You need a "granny button" to turn off the seats, though. Don't want your elderly relatives shaking their bones apart, but I'm sure they'd like the mist. Reminds them of their humidifier at home.
Universal Studio in California is one place I know that has a Shrek 4D theatre. The seats vibrate and you get a little water sprayed on you and air squirted at you, like when somebody sneezes. Pretty fun, especially because their film had a good script to go with it.
Just an idea of mine... maybe when the scene is in space, they can drop the whole cinema down a huge tunnel shaft to let the audience experience weightlessness ;-) They'll come out feeling like they just watched it in 3D anyway.
Not sure if anyone mentioned it (it's not on the 1st page of comments), but the way to pronounce the title the way the Korean letters are spelled, it's "AH BA TAH". They could've made it "AH BA TAR" but I'm no expert at Korean spelling, just a reader.
so basically you give them extra money for an extra dimension.
We have 4D in the states too but mainly in amusement parks. There is one at disneyland, one at universal studios, etc. They are pretty interesting for a short ride like thing but it seems like it would get annoying quickly on a movie that is 2 hours and 40 mins long.
Avatar 4D is available in Hong Kong too (have been shown for couple months). Check this out:
http://mclcinema.com/visMovieSelect.aspx?visSearchBy=cin&visCinID=003&visLang=2
"＜AVATAR 3D＞ now showing at 4D Extreme Screen offer special effects such as wind, fog and bubbles synchronized to particular movie scenes (need to wear 3D glasses)."
When I visited Seoul last year, I was astounded at how clean and modern it was. I'll bet that unlike just about every domestic movie theater I've been to lately that this 4D experience is also sparkling clean. I'll even bet that Korean movie theaters have attendants who admonish those who disturb the experience for other viewers by gabbing on a cell phone or with each other.
IMO, American movie theaters could use a little water sprinkling every decade or so in order to wash down the sugar-laden soda residue that makes my feet stick to the floor. They could also use cell-phone jammers.
College Humor did it!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO2aCVlnLow
Love it!
How is this news?! The Exxon exhibit at Epcot center has had an experience like this for more than 30 years and thousands of other venues do as well. Also, it's not unlike flight simulators or any other similar simulator. All the guys in Korea have done is adapt the existing technologies to their theatres and specific movies. NOT NEWS GUYS, at least, not new news!
Not big deal in Israel there is for along time already a 4d theter
Da*n Koreans
i hope they dont show a space mission movie where the guys helmet cracks cause i dont want that being simulated to me lol
Now that 3D is entering homes, the cinemas will look for another gimmick to one-up the home theater.
Busch Gardens (Both Africa in Orlando and Europe in Williamsburg) has had this forever.
I had a tough time figuring out exactly what 4d means here, especially the 'smell' aspect...what? the tree of life sex scene has eau de ne'ru poontang and jiz scent, combined with rocking the seats... Porn tech certainly has "come a long way"
Shrek 4D.. been there, done that.
mmmmm smell of synthetic alien coochie
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_dimension
Avatar available to watch in 4D, but NOT only in Korea! My cousin watched it in 4D a month ago in Hong Kong.
It's like that ride at Disney. Glide or something.
actually you can watch the 4D version in hk too... but that "4th" dimension suck like hell~
Having the ability to read in Korean is truly amazing.
Looking at that poster, I just can't stop thinking "AH-BAH-TAAAH"
LOL... Koreans will get it..
All I know is that I'm NOT going to watch "Deliverance" there.
This is too funny for me to lol. 3D hasn't even hit homes yet, but some South Koreans decided to go for 4D for Avatar? WTF are they on?
Man i want to go to Korea just to watch the 4d avatar!!! lol
www.taurosmedia.com/magento