Dark and Light Side versions of 'The Last Jedi' are a thing -- but not in the U.S.
You may be a Last Jedi superfan. You may have seen Rian Johnson's galaxy-sized hit five, 10, 15 times. But will you ever truly see it unless you've chosen to be on the Light Side or the Dark Side -- with special effects to match?
Light Side and Dark Side versions of Last Jedi are a thing in Japan. In the rest of the world, FOMO is a thing.
The special screenings, first reported by THR, come courtesy of 4DX, which describes itself as "the world's first 4D cinema company." Launched in South Korea, 4DX seems the epitome of gimmicky -- it tilts and rumbles the seats, it sprays smells and fog, it adds wind and strobe and lightning effects. It can even blow bubble into the theater.
Gimmicks they may be, but they're also increasingly popular. There are 4DX theaters in 51 countries now, and their average occupancy -- roughly 40% full -- is above the movie industry average.
"Laser blasts and lightsaber strikes shown on screen are accompanied in the auditorium by seat vibrations that help fans feel like they are in the middle of the most dramatic battles," reads the 4DX press release on The Last Jedi.
You also get a blast of air with every blaster fired, and presumably strobe lightning when -- spoiler alert -- the ghost of Yoda destroys the Jedi temple.
The experience isn't completely immersive. With apologies to Rian Johnson, shown in this exclusive 4DX interview, there's no smell linked to the Porgs' appearance:
However, only in Japan -- probably the most Star Wars crazy country on the planet, where The Last Jedi still reigns supreme at the box office a month after its release -- have the special light and dark versions of the movie been released.
Theatergoers are asked to choose which side they prefer going in; their experience will be slightly different depending on their side. What those differences are, no viewer has yet reported back. THR claims audiences are split 50-50 on which side they choose, which sounds about right for all things Star Wars.
It may be a novelty with only minor changes, but the concept is fascinating. A Choose Your Own Adventure style of moviegoing could reinvigorate an industry that is having trouble competing with the Golden Age of TV.
We look forward to seeing 4DX screenings of Jurassic World 2 where you get to choose between human and dinosaur -- or maybe a re-release of Captain America: Civil War where Cap fans and Iron Man maniacs get a different screen experience.
Topics Star Wars
Chris is a veteran tech, entertainment and culture journalist, author of 'How Star Wars Conquered the Universe,' and co-host of the Doctor Who podcast 'Pull to Open.' Hailing from the U.K., Chris got his start as a sub editor on national newspapers. He moved to the U.S. in 1996, and became senior news writer for Time.com a year later. In 2000, he was named San Francisco bureau chief for Time magazine. He has served as senior editor for Business 2.0, and West Coast editor for Fortune Small Business and Fast Company. Chris is a graduate of Merton College, Oxford and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a long-time volunteer at 826 Valencia, the nationwide after-school program co-founded by author Dave Eggers. His book on the history of Star Wars is an international bestseller and has been translated into 11 languages.