Spring Break
Coming at you: 3D movies like 'Coraline,' 'Jonas Brothers' flood the silver screen
Natalie Abreu
Issue date: 4/7/09 Section: Focus
One might remember the red and blue cardboard glasses or the cheestastic sense of having a face come right out of the screen, inches away from your seat, but the 3D film-going experience nowadays is far from the fodder of yesteryear. Like a phoenix from the ashes, the use of 3D in film has gone from a gimmick to the forefront of new film technologies, sure to drive droves of movie-goers to theaters in this dismal economy.
The first three months of this year alone have spawned four films offering an engaging 3D experience, including the horror film "My Bloody Valentine," the stop-motion animated "Coraline," "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" and most recently the family film "Monsters vs. Aliens." All of these films encompass the trends of 3D films of yester year.
As far back as 1922, 3D films have been enjoyed by audiences, The first was a simple series of 3D films called "Movies of the Future." However it wasn't until the 1950s that 3D elements made their way into mainstream films such as Vincent Price's "House of Wax" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder" as well as B sci-fi films. The first 3D film was a safari thriller called "Bwana Devil" in 1952. However, the use of 3D elements was trivial at best when used in these thrillers/ horror films, with a hand coming out to grab filmgoers at one point and a deadly weapon at another - the same type of effect that seems to be emulated in "My Bloody Valentine."
The trend now doesn't merely lie in gimmicks. Of course, filmmakers are attempting to create a unique experience that cannot be recaptured with just a surround sound system at home, but 3D is used to enhance the story - The difference lies in the fact that everything is going digital these days, even 3D. After all, suspending our disbelief is what the movies are all about.
Competing markets have even been created in the past few years to catch up with the trend, including Real D 3D and Disney Digital 3D. New technologies are also being developed to try to have movie-goers see 3D film without the trademark blue and red glasses or even the newer, hipper glasses with polarized lenses. But, this requires new and expensive digital screens that most movie theaters simply cannot shell out money for in the present economy.
The future seems bright for 3D films, with an array of films in different genres being released this year in 3D, including Pixar's "Up," James Cameron's sci-fi flick "Avatar" and Dreamworks' "Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."
Studios have seen the recent success of 3D films as an excuse to throw open their film vaults and release past box office hits as 3D extravaganzas. This includes some of the biggest film franchises of all time, such as "Titanic" and "Star Wars," as well as Disney films like "Beauty and the Beast," "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2."
It is clear that this period in filmmaking is turning out to be the new 3D renaissance, similar to what happened briefly in the 1980s with such over-stretched franchise films like "Jaws 3-D" and "Amityville 3D," but does the 3D trend have true lasting power? We'll just have to wait and see for ourselves on the silver screen.
The first three months of this year alone have spawned four films offering an engaging 3D experience, including the horror film "My Bloody Valentine," the stop-motion animated "Coraline," "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" and most recently the family film "Monsters vs. Aliens." All of these films encompass the trends of 3D films of yester year.
As far back as 1922, 3D films have been enjoyed by audiences, The first was a simple series of 3D films called "Movies of the Future." However it wasn't until the 1950s that 3D elements made their way into mainstream films such as Vincent Price's "House of Wax" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder" as well as B sci-fi films. The first 3D film was a safari thriller called "Bwana Devil" in 1952. However, the use of 3D elements was trivial at best when used in these thrillers/ horror films, with a hand coming out to grab filmgoers at one point and a deadly weapon at another - the same type of effect that seems to be emulated in "My Bloody Valentine."
The trend now doesn't merely lie in gimmicks. Of course, filmmakers are attempting to create a unique experience that cannot be recaptured with just a surround sound system at home, but 3D is used to enhance the story - The difference lies in the fact that everything is going digital these days, even 3D. After all, suspending our disbelief is what the movies are all about.
Competing markets have even been created in the past few years to catch up with the trend, including Real D 3D and Disney Digital 3D. New technologies are also being developed to try to have movie-goers see 3D film without the trademark blue and red glasses or even the newer, hipper glasses with polarized lenses. But, this requires new and expensive digital screens that most movie theaters simply cannot shell out money for in the present economy.
The future seems bright for 3D films, with an array of films in different genres being released this year in 3D, including Pixar's "Up," James Cameron's sci-fi flick "Avatar" and Dreamworks' "Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."
Studios have seen the recent success of 3D films as an excuse to throw open their film vaults and release past box office hits as 3D extravaganzas. This includes some of the biggest film franchises of all time, such as "Titanic" and "Star Wars," as well as Disney films like "Beauty and the Beast," "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2."
It is clear that this period in filmmaking is turning out to be the new 3D renaissance, similar to what happened briefly in the 1980s with such over-stretched franchise films like "Jaws 3-D" and "Amityville 3D," but does the 3D trend have true lasting power? We'll just have to wait and see for ourselves on the silver screen.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Dean
posted 4/26/09 @ 8:29 AM EST
I love 3d Movies!
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