The siren song of Christopher Nolan is calling audiences to theaters.

“The Odyssey” (now in theaters) has become an all-out cultural phenomenon, sparking a mainstream frenzy around Greek mythology and Robert Pattinson’s impeccable line delivery. But the sweeping, sword-and-sandals epic has also sparked widespread conversation about film versus digital projection, with even the most casual of moviegoers debating what’s the best format to experience “The Odyssey.”

“It makes me so excited, because I care so deeply about film and how it’s projected,” says Leah Saint Marie, a filmmaker and former projectionist. “Nobody notices a projectionist unless something goes wrong and then you have somebody to blame. If everything is perfect, then it’s an invisible hand making your entertainment happen for you.”

With “The Odyssey” continuing to pull in boffo box office in multiple formats, we called up Saint Marie and cinema engineer Justin Dennis to share their thoughts on how to get the best bang for your buck at the theater this summer.

What’s the difference between ‘The Odyssey’ movie premium formats?

IMAX 70mm. “The Odyssey” is the first Hollywood blockbuster shot entirely using 65mm IMAX film cameras. Not only is this the highest resolution presentation, but the theater screens themselves are also massive, curved and somewhat square-shaped, allowing the audience to feel enveloped by the movie.

IMAX. This is your standard digital IMAX presentation that you’ll find at most U.S. theater chains. Although the screens are still quite large, they are also wider and more rectangular than a “true” IMAX theater, meaning the top and bottom parts of the original image are chopped off. As a result, these screens have been dubbed “LieMAX” by cinephiles and projectionists alike.

70mm and 35mm. Like the standard IMAX presentation, you won’t be getting the full image that Nolan intended. But the picture itself is much richer all around: In layman’s terms, 35mm is grainier and more textured, akin to the classic movie theater experience you probably had growing up. Meanwhile, 70mm offers a sharper, more luminous image.

Dolby Vision and 4DX. Dolby Vision uses laser projection to create vivid, high-contrast pictures, while in 4DX, the theater is equipped with rumbling seats and spraying water that allow you to feel fully immersed in the movie’s high-seas drama.

What’s your next best option after ‘The Odyssey’ in IMAX 70mm?

Countless IMAX 70mm screenings around the country are sold out for the next month, meaning many filmgoers are looking for the next best way to go see “The Odyssey.”

“Personally, I would wait until the audiences fall off a little bit and then see it in the best possible format that I can,” Dennis says. “So long as the studio is selling tickets like this, they’re not going to take it off screen.”

But if he had to choose an alternative to IMAX 70mm, “I would take the first ticket I could get to a 70mm presentation over any other.”

Saint Marie would similarly vote for a standard 70mm showing as a worthy substitute.

Compared to digital, “there’s this breath of life in actual film,” Saint Marie says. “You get better depth, you get better brightness – you get everything that you want from an experience. If you want something flat, stay home and watch TV. If you’re going to spend money on parking and food and a babysitter and whatnot, go see it on film the way that the director wanted you to see it.”

But hundreds of theaters outside major U.S. cities don’t offer premium formats, meaning that your local cinema may only have a standard digital presentation. Both Dennis and Saint Marie agree that shouldn’t deter you from going to see “The Odyssey” at all.

“Accessibility is a big part of it,” says Dennis, noting how most movie theaters transitioned to digital projection in the early 2000s as a cost-cutting measure. “In terms of the visual experience, digital cinema never takes my breath away. But it’s perfectly capable of telling a story.”

“I just want people to see movies in a theater,” Saint Marie adds. “If you have the ability to go see it on film, see it on film. But don’t negate the experience that you want to have by your geographic limitations. Go see it anyway.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The 2 best ways to watch ‘The Odyssey,’ according to projectionists