Some time ago, I waxed poetic about 3D in the cinemas. I want to revisit the topic because over the Labor Day Weekend, while walking around the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, I entered the Panasonic 3D Experience. Me and a friend saw a clip of Avatar, looked at home videos shot with 3D cameras and even got to experience watching ourselves swinging a tennis racket in three dimensions.
The verdict? Well the exhibit was a sight to behold – we had a blast. Bear in mind, this “Experience” was in the realm of The exhibit was centered on home entertainment.
But the question remains if I think that this is the wave of the future in the cinemas. One of my earlier complaints about the 3D technology was the headache that it produced. In this exhibit, the problem is solved by a pair of $150 3D specs that “do the adjustments” for you. Hence, no headache. I assume that you will be able to use the specs in a theater displaying a 3D film.
With this in mind, I am giving 3D another chance. After much, much delay, I am finally breaking down and going to see Avatar in IMAX 3D. Wish me luck!
*Special thanks to my friend QTS for giving me the idea of this post.
m00ch says
Got to admit I’m a bit of a closet fan of 3D, providing it isn’t done just “for the sake of it”. Avatar was a good example of using the tech correctly imo (film itself was decidedly average yet the experience itself was great fun)
Plus, the more that 3D takes off, the more likely we will see Hitchcock’s “dial M for murder” as intended!
iluvcinema says
Happy Friday m00ch!
So you are not in the Kermode camp with this one I see … I have a feeling that if (when) the technology advances to a certain state more people will be accepting of it. My main gripes are that I do think there is gimmickry involved in pushing it into the cinemas and (more personally) the headache factor I experienced watching my first IMAX 3D film (HP 6).
It would be real cool to see Dial M for Murder in 3D. Great film.
m00ch says
I agree with the gimmick point. Especially with retro-fit post-production 3D conversions, which invariably yield terrible results. For me though, as much as love film, I’m not a fan of the modern cinema experience, and 3D has given me a bit of a reason to start attending again, because it’s something that as yet I can’t replicate in my own home.
I think the best use of 3D is when it is used to create a “stage” effect, a deep field rather than gimmicky things flying out of the screen at you. This is why Dial M for Murder was allegedly so great in 3D, Hitch created a virtual stage. Apparently Toy Story 3D was created with Hitch’s composition in mind and is one of the best examples of this type of 3D so far. As you no doubt saw it even made Dr Kermode’s opinion waver a little 😉
3D is essentially an unnecessary tech and I can understand people’s aversion to it. I wouldn’t want dramas and thrillers etc.. to use the tech pointlessly, but I do appreciate the extra *something* it gives to the mindless summer blockbusters and CGI movies at present – this feeling will probably fade though.
Would love to hear your opinions on Avatar when you watch it. I am sure you will find the film itself a neatly packaged bundle of every movie cliche going, but I hope the 3D instils a bit of cinema magic in you like it did with me. I had good fun watching it even though I can see its not exactly an example of the seventh art of cinema 🙂