The Hollywood Theatre Is Screening “Titanic” on 35 mm on the Day the Titanic Sank

A captain always goes down with his ship...and if he’s lucky, he does so on glorious celluloid.

On Sunday, April 14, 2024—the 112th anniversary of the day the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean—the Hollywood Theatre will screen James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster Titanic on 35 mm film. In the spirit of the occasion, the theater is encouraging audiences to “dress in your best—and prepare to go down like gentlemen.”

Winner of 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, Titanic is a ubiquitous part of popular culture. But the Hollywood’s upcoming screening is unique, not only as a morbid commemoration of the loss of 1,503 lives, but as a rare chance to see one of Cameron’s movies projected on film.

Typically rereleased in digital 3D, Cameron’s preferred format, Titanic is almost never seen on celluloid. Translation: The screening on the 14th will be a rare opportunity to watch the movie without the sleek sheen of a digital remaster or 3D oars poking you in the eye.

Doubling down on film projection has helped the theater burnish its cinephile-skewing brand. With the (not very notable) exception of Regal Bridgeport, the Hollywood is the only theater in the state that can project 70 mm, the supersized format associated with epics like Oppenheimer and The Hateful Eight.

One can imagine Cameron chuckling at the quaintness of moviegoers seeking out his films on celluloid. The director recently gave 4K makeovers to two of his movies, True Lies and The Abyss, leaving audiences quibbling over alterations in the vein of the special edition of the original Star Wars trilogy. The results may have been a downgrade, but try telling that to the king of the world.

Admission to Titanic is $10-$12. Tickets are available at hollywoodtheatre.org.