WHALE-WATCHING MADE EASY WITH IMAX EXPERIENCE.Byline: Amy Dawes Daily News Film Critic There are now two ways to go whale-watching this season in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, : Get on a boat and try your luck scanning the open ocean, or get over to the IMAX IMAX Noun a film projection process that produces an image ten times larger than standard theater in Exposition Park Exposition Park is the name of more than one place:
These mysterious marine mammals marine mammals mammals inhabiting the sea; generally taken to include the cetaceans (whales, porpoise, dolphin), the sirenians (sea-cows, including manatees and dugong) and the pinnipeds (the carnivores of the group, seals, sealions, walruses). , the biggest creatures ever to live on earth, make an excellent subject for the giant-screen film format, and this crew, which includes cinematographer Al Giddings (``The Abyss,'' ``The Deep,'' and TV's ``OceanQuest'' series) had a remarkable success rate in coaxing these elusive actors into the spotlight. In 30 days of filming, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Giddings, they encountered whales 107 times in an odyssey that took them from Hawaii to Alaska as they followed the feeding and mating patterns of the humpback whales, and to Newfoundland, Patagonia and Columbia. Viewers will see humpback whales, orca (or ``killer'') whales, right whales and most remarkably, blue whales, which are the rarest kind and grow to twice the size of the largest known dinosaur. The crew, which included Dr. Roger Payne, president of the Whale Conservation Institute, and producer Christopher Palmer, president of National Wildlife Prods., a subsidiary of the National Wildlife Federation, does an excellent job of bringing drama and delight to the subject. The astonishing a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. size and strength of the whales is brought home as a female researcher swims among them, checking their health by testing their skin condition; it often looks as though the camera will be knocked away by their enormous, lashing tails. The film also shows how right whales sail on ocean breezes by holding their tails upright in the wind; and how humpback whales feed by herding together and blowing ``nets'' out of bubbles to capture fish. Giddings does remarkable work with the 250-pound IMAX camera, getting as close to the whales as imaginable, so that you're even staring into their dark, inscrutable eyes at times. Narrated by Patrick Stewart This article is about the actor. For the American soldier, see Patrick Stewart (soldier). For the actor who is sometimes credited as "Patrick Stuart", see James Patrick Stuart. Patrick Stewart and featuring music by Yanni, the movie also captures the poignant, powerful sounds, or ``songs'' that whales make to guide each other in their migrations, attract mates or challenge competitors. Beautifully shot and skillfully edited for maximum interest and entertainment value, ``Whales'' offers an amazing encounter with creatures very few people have access to. Finished in September, it opened in November in Boston and is currently playing in 33 cities, including L.A. THE FACTS The film: ``Whales'' (unrated). The stars: Blue, humpback humpback: see hunchback. , orca and right whales. Behind the scenes: Directed by David Clark, Al Giddings and Dr. Roger Payne. Screenplay by Payne, Mose Richards and Dr. Leighton Taylor. Produced by Christopher Palmer and Clark. Running time: 43 minutes. Playing: IMAX theater at the California Museum of Science & Industry in Exposition Park, across from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum For board track racing circuit, see . Present use The Coliseum is now primarily the home of the USC Trojan football team. During the recent stretch of its success in football, most of USC's regular home games, especially the alternating games with rivals UCLA and Notre . Screening daily at 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5 and 8 p.m. Our rating: Three Stars. |
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