What was the first-ever 4D movie?
The evolution of cinema has always amazed with its leaps and bounds. From the flickering, silent black-and-white films to the vivid and encompassing world of IMAX, there’s always been a yearning to reach new horizons. And just when audiences thought the transition from 2D to 3D was the pinnacle, the world of cinema offered something more – a promise of not just watching but living the movie, an experience to stir not just the eyes and ears but all the senses.
As this innovation bubbled under the surface, whispers spread about an experience that could make viewers feel the wind, smell the scenes, and be fully transported into the story. The rumblings of this innovation pointed towards a nexus between technological marvel and storytelling – a full-bodied experience, if you will. However, the specific details, the name, and the masterminds behind it remained veiled in anticipation until 1984, when a new dawn of cinema was heralded.
The Sensorium, the supposedly-groundbreaking movie experience that would change the face of movies, launched in 1984 at a Six Flags theme park in Baltimore. Part narrative, part immersive experience, this commercial venture from Landmark Entertainment was toted as “cinema with a new dimension”. They need a central hook, however – a vehicle to channel all this marvellous new technology.
As the lights dimmed, audiences were introduced to Phineas Flagg, a whimsical inventor modelled after Phileas Fogg, the famous character from Jules Verne’s Around The World in Eighty Days. Narrating tales of American activities from the turn of the twentieth century and painting a vivid and comprehensive picture of the broad spectrum of their country’s culture, Flagg became the gateway to this multi-dimensional experience.
So what exactly was the experience? Audiences were treated to a discrete sound system, ‘body sonic’ seats which would shake and tremble, and then, of course, the innovative ‘Scent-a-Vision’, which would release a medley of scents in perfect harmony with the story unfolding on the screen – images projected by an ArriVision over/under 3D film system which brought the story to life. 25 years after being hypnotised with ‘HypnoVista’, it seemed like the horizons of immersive viewing had been broadened further.
However, considering that Scent-a-Vision probably isn’t available in your local theatres and that The Sensorium hasn’t enjoyed a decades-long run in cinemas, you’ve probably guessed how successful the film actually was. Ultimately, like the 3D glasses, most audiences and filmmakers alike can discern between genuine cinematic innovation and what constitutes little more than a technological gimmick.
Nevertheless, there’s a place for gimmicks in our entertainment landscape. While Landmark Entertainment’s experiment had died before 1984 was over, other variations have come and gone, and some still exist today. 4DX is the prevailing system, developed by a cinema chain in South Korea. As of August 4th, 2023, audiences were granted the opportunity to watch The Meg 2: The Trench in all four glorious dimensions. One can only assume that it would have been a wetter screening than most.
