3D films
There seems to be a huge buzz around 3-D cinema at the moment. New films like ‘Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs’ (what a stupid title!), and ‘The Final Destination’ are getting advertised all over the place, and there’s even a 3D re-release of Toy Story coming out pretty soon.
The thing that I don’t get is; why are they only doing this now? 3D technology has been around for years. I remember going to Disneyland when I was about 5, and watching ‘Honey I Shrunk the Audience’ in 3D. It was great, and thinking about it makes me wonder why we’ve seen so little 3D action outside of theme parks until now.
I did a bit of research, and it turns out that 3D cinema was actually quite popular in the past, although not for very long! Turns out the ‘Golden era’ for 3D was from 1952 to 1955, when films like ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’, and ‘Dial M for Murder’ (directed by Alfred Hitchcock) was released. This age of popularity for 3D ended because of problems with the technology; it needed two film reels to be played simultaneously, and so 2 projectionists (the guys who run the film reels) were needed. There were also problems with viewing angle; the 3D effect didn’t really work that well when viewed from the side.
I was surprised to see Hitchcock’s name linked with 3D films, because he’s obviously considered as one of the great directors, and I’ve always thought of 3D as a bit of a novelty. I guess this shows that 3D can be part of serious films, without being a gimmick.
So why the return to popularity?
Maybe it’s because new technology has improved the 3D experience, with IMAX cinemas being set up especially for 3D, and polarised lenses replacing the red and green lenses familiar to theme park visitors. I don’t really think this is the reason though. I think that the big movie studios are trying to force a new ‘golden era’ for 3D cinema, because it means more money for them.
I’ve blogged before about people illegally downloading movies instead of paying £10 to see them in the cinema, and I think the massive amounts of 3D movies being released are because of this.
Firstly; by offering 3D movies, cinemas are genuinely offering a product that we can’t get at home at the moment (although various companies are working on 3D products for the home – awesome). Secondly, the success of 3D releases like Polar Express and Beowulf has shown the studios that there is big money to be made from 3D, and they’re trying to get their hands on as much of it as possible. Unfortunately this means more expensive ticket prices for us – Toy Story’s getting released in 3D tomorrow, and the tickets are £17.50.
This is way too much to pay, especially for a film I’ve already got on video!
I think I’m gonna have to wait and see if the ticket prices come down in the future.
What do you think? Have you seen any 3D films? Was it worth the extra money?
Plum
I’m looking forward to 3D TV! Sony did a cool demonstration this week too.
Nice post
I think the reason we’re seeing a revival of 3-D animation is because the studios are again trying gimmicks to bring people back into the theater again. Economic shortcomings, piracy, earlier DVD release dates and a host of other factors are making it difficult for studios to sell their movies on the big screen. This mirrors the movement toward early 3-D cinema during the aftermath of WWII, when similar issues were then detrimental to attendance as well. This trend of 3-D cinema, I am convinced, is just that – a trend. We’ll see it pass when our economic woes turn around.
Long Days and Pleasant Nights
Rollie
I just watched ‘Up’ a couple of weeks ago. After fifteen minutes, I took off the glasses and watched it all in blur. I enjoyed it more then(In fact, I cried during the climax even though it had many long shots, and objects in the distance are the ones that are the most blurry).
At one point, There’s people on the edge of a cliff, with the shot from above, somewhat off the cliff. Till that moment, the scene was working for me, but at that moment I saw that the fall had depth and my attention came off the scene and I was a bit angry for the rest of the scene. This in the twenty or so minutes I kept the glasses on(I periodically put them on).
You have made valid points in your post and I agree with you!
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