3D films back in cinema, but porn will lead

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Horror, animation and concert movies are out or on the way, but adult entertainment will push boundaries with the new technology

This is the year Hollywood’s billion-dollar 3D movie gamble will be played out on the big screen, with dozens of 3D films, across all genres, set for release in the coming months. You can already watch the horror movie My Bloody Valentine in 3D; and Coraline, a stop-action 3D animated feature based on a story by Neil Gaiman, opens in May. Even the Jonas Brothers, a boyband, are jumping on the bandwagon with a 3D concert movie. More than 30 3D films are in production, including Avatar, the first feature directed by James Cameron since Titanic, due at the end of the year.

Betting that the format will offer something consumers can’t get on their new HDTV screens at home, Hollywood is quickly converting cinemas and heavily promoting forthcoming 3D films such as the blockbuster Monsters vs Aliens. Its producer, DreamWorks, handed out 150m sets of special glasses so American viewers could get a taste of the experience by watching a 3D trailer at half-time during the recent Super Bowl.

As heavily as Hollywood is boosting the theatrical experience, however, it is at home that most people will experience the coming revolution. Companies such as Mitsubishi, Panasonic and Samsung are busily developing 3D TV systems. The market is expected to be worth $16 billion in the next decade. Most of the new Hollywood 3D films, though, won’t be available for home viewing until next year at the earliest. And there aren’t enough of them to fill more than a couple of days’ viewing. So where will the product come from for this new kind of television-watching?

Within the industry, the dirty secret is that 3D will be carried into the homes of consumers not by mainstream Hollywood, nor even by satellite providers such as Sky, but on the back of the apparently insatiable desire for new ways of watching pornography.

“3D TV will be taken to the next level as the adult entertainment industry once again pushes the boundaries with new tech,” says the online technology site T3.com. “The porn industry is going nuts for it now, and that’s traditionally where all the innovation is — multiangle DVDs came about thanks to porn, after all.”

That should not be a surprise. Pornography has been the driving force behind every significant new entertainment delivery system in the past few decades — the VHS home-video revolution of the 1980s, the satellite TV boom of the 1990s, the internet today. Right now, porn distributors are at the forefront of developing the technology to stream and download video on the internet, and to find ways to make people pay for it.

The porn industry is actually banking on the revolution even more than mainstream Hollywood, because it’s flagging. Thanks to the ease with which porn can be accessed for free on the internet, legally and illegally, the industry’s DVD sales have gone decidedly limp, dropping by as much as 50%, according to some estimates. So, at the recent Adult Entertainment Expo, producers were almost ecstatic at the opportunities offered by 3D systems, whose booths attracted bigger crowds than the nude porn stars nearby.

“Once film-makers get the hang of it, feet will be hanging out of the screen and you’ll be dodging the money shot,” said Tony Ross, president of Glacier Media Systems, which makes the new IceBerg entertainment system and is happy to promote the porno possibilities of its technology. The Iceberg can convert standard DVDs to 3D, which can then be watched with special glasses, made by Nvidia.

Although the Iceberg currently costs just under $2,000, the price is expected to drop fast, and less sophisticated 3D TV systems are already available, costing just a few hundred dollars. “With the glasses on, things just pop out at you... sometimes in pairs,” said Charlie Demerjian, writing about the porn experience for a technology magazine. “You almost have to duck to avoid getting hit with large silicone objects.”

What’s funny is that 3D porn is nothing new, for all the media brouhaha recently when a Hong Kong producer announced that he was going to be making the “first” 3D porn film, 3D Sex and Zen, a $4m remake of an erotic classic, Sex and Zen. “Just imagine you’ll be watching it as if you were sitting beside the bed,” said Stephen Shiu Jr. “There will be many close-ups. It will look as if the actresses are only a few centimetres from the audience.”

That was all marketing hype. A number of striptease shorts were made in 3D in the early 1950s and shown in cinemas. In 1954, the movie French Line was released, starring the Hollywood siren Jane Russell. It wasn’t porn, but the ad copy hyped up the sexual excitement of seeing the busty Ms Russell in the new format: “JR in 3D! It’ll knock both your eyes out!”

The first known hardcore 3D porn film was The Starlets, made in 1976. In fact, the film was marketed as a “4D” film, the fourth dimension being the ability to arouse the viewer. The Stewardesses, made in 1971, showed the potential of 3D pornography by taking an astonishing $27m, making it the most successful 3D film of all time. The distributor had 10 technicians flying to cities all over America to set up the projection systems and screens needed to show the film. To modern eyes, The Stewardesses is unbelievably cheesy and inadvertently hilarious, but in the era before hardcore porn became widely available, it delivered a real thrill.

“Think of it as the Titanic of 3D boobie movies,” said the 3D movie buff Dion Conflict in an essay titled Why They Call It the Cockpit. The Stewardesses is being remade and should be released next year, just in time for your new 3D TV.

If the past is anything to go by, as well as mainstream Hollywood movies and cheesy porn in three dimensions, we can, thankfully, expect the new technology to attract a highly esoteric range of film-makers and artists keen to experiment with its possibilities. Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein (also known as Flesh for Frankenstein) — actually directed by Paul Morrissey and filmed at the Cinecitta studios, in Rome — was originally released in what was known as Space-Vision 3D. Frankenstein remains an innovative and unique 3D pleasure, if perhaps overindulging in gore, as disembowelled viscera fly towards the viewer. Then again, sex and violence have always been big sellers, in 2D, 3D or 4D.

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3-D films growing in popularity on area IMAX, cineplex screens

Watch TV on PC - 12,000 TV Channels and Movies Like many in a preview audience for the movie “Under the Sea 3D” at the Putnam Museum’s IMAX Theatre last week, Caelei Kurylo dodged sharks, sidestepped water snakes and was showered by a sea full of shrimp.

The 8-year-old Davenport girl was among the first audience members for the three-dimensional movie, which opened nationally on Friday.

Caelei is already a fan of 3-D movies, having seen “Hannah Montana in Concert: Best of Both Worlds Tour” last year in theaters.

“It’s kind of cool that it pops out,” she said of the three-dimensional effects.

Movies in 3-D have been a staple at the Putnam since the Davenport museum’s IMAX theater opened almost seven years ago. Putnam President and CEO Kim Findlay said the theater is the only 3-D facility from St. Paul, Minn., to St. Louis and Chicago to Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Dean Fick, the Putnam’s director of theater operations, said 3-D movies consistently outsell their two-dimensional counterparts, most of which are documentaries at the museum.

Several years ago, though, mainstream theaters began getting in on the 3-D bandwagon. The animated children’s tale “Coraline” and the horror movie “My Bloody Valentine” are current 3-D offerings, with at least a dozen more scheduled before the end of the year, including a 3-D concert by pop stars The Jonas Brothers that opens later this month.

Fick said the rush to three dimensions mirrors the first 3-D boom in the 1950s, when the advent of television was seen as a threat to the movies.

Now, the competition comes from computers and state-of-the-art home entertainment systems.

“It’s a threat from people staying home and not coming out anymore that’s leading the charge in the industry at this time,” Fick said.

Both Showcase Cinemas 53 in Davenport and Great Escape Theatres in Moline have 3-D capability, including the digital projection equipment needed for the effect.

Patrick Corcoran, the director of media and research for the National Association of Theatre Owners, said about 1,700 of 38,000 movie screens nationwide have 3D capability.

That number is expected to reach 2,000 by the time “Monsters vs. Aliens,” a 3-D animated movie that was previewed during the Super Bowl, opens late next month. More screens — almost 3,000 — originally were planned for that opening, he said, but the economy is forcing some theaters nationwide to cut back.

Showcase, which showed its first 3-D movie, Disney’s “Chicken Little,” in 2005, now has 3-D capability on three of its 18 screens. Great Escape has 3-D for one of its 14 screens.

Wanda Whitson, the director of corporate communications for National Amusements, which operates Showcase, reports that box office receipts for the 3-D “Coraline” and “My Bloody Valentine” are about six times more than the same titles in 2-D.

Those who recall the original incarnation of 3-D movies, in which audience members viewed the screen through oversized cardboard glasses with one red lens and one blue one, are finding major changes as well.

“This is not your mother’s 3-D,” Whitson said. “It has changed drastically and is a completely new technology from that of the early films of the ’50s like ‘House of Wax’ with Vincent Price. The technology was more complicated, and the glasses and film image on the screen often caused headaches. Today’s technology simplifies the process — and no more headaches.”

The appearance is different as well.

“They kind of look like Ray-Bans,” Corcoran said of the glasses.

Some theaters have a surcharge for 3-D movies and let their patrons keep the glasses. The Putnam, Fick said, has sturdier, reusable glasses that are cleaned between performances. The IMAX glasses have a vertical and horizontal polarization, he said, while some other theaters have a circular polarization in their lenses.

The movie industry is embracing 3-D as well, everyone interviewed for this article said. The Walt Disney Co. has said all of its future animated releases will be in 3-D — including re-releasing “Toy Story” in that format during October. Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron (“Titanic”), who has created two 3-D IMAX documentaries, is preparing a 3-D feature film, “Avatar,” to be released in December.

“He didn’t want to put it in theaters until he felt he could do it right,” Corcoran said.

Jessie Jimenez of Davenport, who brought 8-year-old niece Caelei to see the “Under the Sea 3D” preview at the Putnam, said she was impressed upon seeing her first 3-D movie — and also was impressed by the depth shown on the 3-D screen.

“We wish we had a lot more,” she said. “It’s like you’re living it, like it’s real.”

COMING SOON

There are plenty more 3-D movies coming before the end of the year, according to 3DMovieList.com, a Web site that also provides tentative release dates:

“Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience,” Feb. 27

“Monsters vs. Aliens,” March 27

“Battle For Terra,” May 1

“Up,” May 29

“Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” July 4

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” July 17

“G-Force,” July 24

“Final Destination: Death Trip 3D,” Aug. 21

“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” Sept. 18

“Toy Story in 3D,” Oct. 2

“Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” Nov. 6

“Avatar,” Dec. 18.

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High-tech 3-D system debuts at Movieplex in Oneida

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ONEIDA —Several new pieces of state-of-the-art technology are making their debut at the Movieplex Cinema in Glenwood Plaza this weekend.

In one auditorium, a new system will allow for digital and 3-D films to be shown at the Zurich Cinemas-owned theater. Being able to show digital films means a new level of quality and adding 3-D capabilities is a necessary step to take in order to prepare for the future of movies and other entertainment, said Zurich Cinemas Director of Operations Jamison Mills.

Already, there is a list of 3-D movies that Movieplex will now be able to show with a projector add-on from a company called RealD. On Friday, the PG-rated 3-D feature “Coraline” began its run.

There’s something special about being able to have 3-D at the theater, Mills said.

“The 3-D, as it stands right now, is something that people can’t get at home at this point and to see it on the big screen is incredible,” he said.

The effect is similar to what one would see at Disney World, said Mills, and there is a buzz in the industry about 3-D becoming the next big thing at the movies.

“There are some people out there who have some extremely high hopes for it,” he said, as some predict that in coming years, a majority of the movies released will be in 3-D.

It also seems evident that live concerts and sporting events will be coming to movie theaters on a regular basis in the future. Having this kind of system is a good way to get ready for that, Mills said.

When it comes to the digital component, there are a number of new benefits and many serve the movie goer. For one, sound quality goes up, as does the visual part of the experience.

“The quality stands up to time,” Mills said. “Running the film over and over and over again, you don’t have any deterioration of the picture on the screen with digital. It’s just a far superior format.”

There are benefits for people who work at the theater too. Oneida Movieplex Cinema General Manager Melinda Keil said that there are a few things that make dealing with digital much easier, especially the setup.

“It’s a matter of going over to a computer and pressing play on a screen,” she said.

With a Dolby-made server and Christie projector, the new digital movie system looks very different than all of the theater’s other projectors, which still use the 35 millimeter film reels. Mills said that film stock will become obsolete in the future as more theaters switch to the digital systems. Zurich company heads plan to put digital systems into all auditoriums in their six theaters in the future.

Using a computer server system, Keil is able to download a movie and related components from a disk drive that is sent to the theater. Once it’s in the system, she uses a rather simple interface to program the presentation. This will make life easier for projectionists, as with the older systems, they have to deal with about 5 to 7 reels per movie. Now all they’ll have to work with is a disk drive and computer.

“It’s just so much simpler,” she said.

It is also anticipated that there will be fewer chances for technology to fail using this system, Keil said.

To set up for the system, a new 15-foot by 36-foot screen was added to the second-largest auditorium in the Oneida theater, Mills said. An appropriate sound system was already in place, though when current projection systems are replaced with digital systems, there will need to be some speaker work done in other auditoriums.

The cost to see a movie in the auditorium that uses the digital system will be the same as seeing it in any other auditorium should it be a non-3-D feature. When 3-D features come to the theater, patrons will have to pay $2 extra to see these films.

Mills said that this covers several additional costs that the company incurs in showing the films and the glasses cost.

Instead of the mostly cardboard red and blue plastic lensed glasses that used to be associated with 3-D films, now the glasses are more similar to a plastic pair of sunglasses. They’re a novelty that is also produced by RealD and something that movie goers are welcome to keep after a movie.

But Mills suspects that not everyone will want to every single time and in those cases, there will be an alternative.

“If they aren’t going to do anything with them and would probably just throw them away, they can put them in a recycling bin and we’ll take care of them,” Mills said.

This way, the glasses can be sanitized and used for future showings.

Mills said that he’d rather not say how much was paid for the digital system and the 3-D component, but did say that it was “a significant investment per screen,” as one system has been added to one auditorium per Zurich Cinemas-owned theater.

Beyond “Coraline,” there are plenty of other 3-D releases that will be screened at Oneida Movieplex Cinema this year. These films include Disney’s “Jonas Brothers: 3D Concert Experience” starting on Feb. 27, Dreamworks Animation’s “Monsters vs. Aliens” starting on March 27, Disney-Pixar’s “Up” on May 29 and Fox’s “Avatar” by James Cameron on Dec. 18.

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Mattel To Make Toys For James Cameron's "Avatar"

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Anne Lu - Celebrity News Service News Writer

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - Mattel, the makers of the iconic Barbie dolls, has been tasked to create a toy line for James Cameron's upcoming 3-D sci-fi flick, "Avatar," 20th Century Fox announces.

The toy company giant will develop a toy line inspired by the film, including action figures and vehicles. Each toy will come with a 3D web tag, which will allow interactivity to the line.

Using a computer's webcam, consumers can "scan" the 3D web tag to unlock special content unique to the product. The toys will hit shelves in October.

Fox Licensing and Merchandising executive VP, Elie Dekel said in a statement, "Avatar is one of the biggest and most anticipated films of 2009. The new universe created in the film is everything one would expect coming from the mind of James Cameron, one of the most accomplished creators and filmmakers of our time."

"In bringing this fantastic new universe to life in toys, it was essential that we partner with the world's biggest and best, Mattel. Mattel's abilities to continually innovate and strategically grow a toy brand over many years will be core to our long-term strategies."

"Avatar" tells the story of ex-marine Jake Sully, who finds himself caught in a battle between Earth's most powerful star-faring consortium and an exotic, noble alien race whose entire world is threatened by human invaders.

The film stars Sam Worthington as Jake, with Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver. It is scheduled to premiere on December 18.

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Back to the future

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2009 movie lineup offers sequels, remakes, 3D and more

The film industry is about to honor its best movies of 2008, but we're ready to turn attention to some of the flicks that will make their way to Pueblo screens this year.

There's no dearth of budget-busting exhibitions: "Star Trek," "Harry Potter" and the "Transformers" sequel, among them. Summer will be big.

An interesting - and overdue - development is the slate of kid/family movies due to come out this year - many of which look like they might even be worth the rising admission prices. (Get used to that supersized 3D ticket price, mom and dad; it's quickly becoming the norm for animated features.)

Among the actors who could have big years are Dwayne "no longer The Rock" Johnson, who has two live action movies coming out, as well as an animated one. Robert Downey Jr. will start the year with "The Soloist" and end it with "Sherlock Holmes." Christian Bale has two high-profile gigs, aside from his recent f-bomb spectacle: "Public Enemies" with Johnny Depp and "Terminator: Salvation." Hollywood still can't lay off the remakes. For 2009, we'll be treated - we hope - to "The Taking of Pelham 123," "Disney's A Christmas Carol" and "Fame," to name several.

Here we've included many of the big films scheduled for the year. Release dates are subject to change, however, as those awaiting "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" know all too well. That movie was bumped from last November to July 17.

If a trailer was available to view, I watched, and include my impressions here. You can check out the trailers at www.apple.com/trailers and www.comingsoon.net .

FEBRUARY-APRIL

"Duplicity" (March 20): Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, intrigue and sexy banter. Trailer: Interesting, although it's not really clear what the plot is. It might not matter with these two.

"Hannah Montana: The Movie" (April 10): Her TV domination complete, Miley Cyrus turns to the giant screen.

"Monsters vs. Aliens" (March 27): DreamWorks has the first big animated movie of the year, featuring the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Kiefer Sutherland, Jimmy Kimmel and others. The title tells the story: Monsters must save Earth from invading aliens. Trailer: Great animation, excellent voices, fun story.

"Race to Witch Mountain" (March 13): In this remake of "Escape to Witch Mountain," Dwayne Johnson plays a cabbie helping two kids - aliens - return to their spaceship. Trailer: Lots of action, but little else.

“17 Again" (April 17): Matthew Perry wishes he could go back in time to his successful high school years. Be careful what you wish for. Trailer: Entertaining, despite the worn-out plot. Zac Efron, as the 17-year-old Perry, is particularly good, and Leslie Mann ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up”) is funny as always.

"The Soloist" (April 24): Based on a true story, Robert Downey Jr. plays a journalist who befriends a homeless musician (Jamie Foxx). Trailer: Bring tissues. You probably won't escape this one without tears.

"State of Play" (April 17): An impressive cast - Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams - in a thriller about a political murder. Trailer: Intense, but it's difficult to see how the film will improve on the excellent BBC miniseries on which it's based.

"Watchmen" (March 6): The world's not looking too good, especially for ex-superheroes. Trailer: Dark. Vivid. Menacing.

MAY-AUGUST

"Angels & Demons" (May 15): Tom Hanks is back as Robert Langdon, this time trying to prevent terrorism against the Vatican. Trailer: Tells viewers next to nothing, except that there's a lot of action.

"Bruno" (July 10): Sacha Baron Cohen in his first starring role since "Borat." Bruno is an Austrian fashion fiend.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (July 17): The penultimate chapter in the Potter series gets a lot more serious as Harry and his friends get closer to a confrontation with evil Voldemort. Trailer: The darker the books get, the better the movies. "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (July 1): Diego, Manny, Sid and Scrat (with his acorn) return for more prehistoric adventure.

"Inglourious Basterds" (Aug. 21): It's the Quentin Tarantino version of World War II. A group of Jewish-American soldiers is chosen to go behind enemy lines and kill as many Nazis as possible, in as brutal a manner as possible. Trailer: So this is why Brad Pitt has been sporting that disconcerting moustache. This is unquestionably a Tarantino film, with plenty of gore, banter and imaginative camera work.

MAY-AUGUST

"Julie & Julia" (Aug. 7): Amy Adams portrays Julie Powell, a woman who decided that in a one-year span, she would make every recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Meryl Streep plays Child.

"Land of the Lost" (June 5): Complete with sleestaks and Chaka, it's a big-screen version of the old Saturday-morning series, starring Will Ferrell. Trailer: OK - doesn't give away much but doesn't bring much excitement, either.

"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" (May 22): Ben Stiller returns; now he's guarding the country's biggest museum with his old friends in tow. Trailer: Lots of museum characters combined with the big exhibits, plus a talking Lincoln. Fluffy fun.

"The Proposal" (June 12): Sandra Bullock is a beast of a boss; Ryan Reynolds is her assistant. To keep her from being deported, they pretend to be engaged. Trailer: The only one that made me laugh out loud. Good chemistry between Reynolds and Bullock, and Betty White as grandma!

"Public Enemies" (July 1): Johnny Depp plays bank robber John Dillinger. Christian Bale is the agent trying to capture him.

"Star Trek" (May 8): Nothing else really needs to be said. Trailer: The gang's all here, even though many of the actors portraying them aren't well known. Loads of action and lots of details on Capt. Kirk's early years.

"The Taking of Pelham 123” (June 12): John Travolta and Denzel Washington star in this remake of a man who takes hostages in a New York subway train. Trailer: Decent - Travolta is reliably good when playing bad guys. "Terminator: Salvation" (May 21): Bale as grown-up John Connor, trying to save the world. Trailer: Sketchy, but ominous.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (June 24): More children's toys back to wreak havoc. Trailer: Loud and busy.

"Up" (May 29): Pixar's newest, about a cranky old man who takes to the sky - in his house, aided by hundreds of balloons. Trailer: Literally uplifting, and funny. No one beats Pixar when it comes to trailers.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (May 1): The history of Hugh Jackman's hairy superhero. Trailer: What a summer movie should look like - action-packed, but with a brain.

"Year One" (June 19): Jack Black and Michael Cera as cavemen. Trailer: Boring and not funny.

FALL/HOLIDAYS

“9” (Sept. 9): In this Tim Burton-produced animated movie, a group of bizarre dolls must save the future, because the present is toast. Trailer: Mystifying and gorgeous.

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel" (Dec. 25): More singing chipmunks.

"Avatar" (Dec. 18): A new James Cameron-directed sci-fi blockbuster about a distant planet, its people and the Earthlings who defend them.

"Disney's A Christmas Carol" (Nov. 6): Jim Carrey stars as most of the characters in this animated version of Scrooge's story.

"Fame" (Sept. 25): Love and dreams at a performing arts high school.

"The Lovely Bones" (Dec. 11): An adaptation of Alice Sebold's heartbreaking novel, starring Rachel Weisz and Mark Wahlberg. Peter Jackson (“Lord of the Rings”) directs.

"New Moon" (Nov. 20): Part two of the "Twilight" series.

"Sherlock Holmes" (Nov. 13): Robert Downey Jr. again, this time as the legendary detective.

"Tooth Fairy" (Nov. 13): Dwayne Johnson as a hockey player who has to be the tooth fairy for a week.

"Where the Wild Things Are" (Oct. 16): A live-action adaptation of the children's book.

"The Wolfman" (Nov. 6): Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins star in this version of the classic tale.

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3-D’s popping off the screens again

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On TV and in movie theaters, the film technique is back and looking better than ever. But is its return to popularity a fad?

Are 3-D movies here to stay this time, or is the latest revival doomed to the same fate as the brief ’80s resurgence that brought us such timeless classics as Comin’ at Ya! and Friday the 13th Part 3-D?

There’s no question that 3-D is hot right now. Arriving in theaters Friday is Coraline, the first-ever stop-motion animated feature to be photographed in 3-D, even as My Bloody Valentine 3D is still riding high at the box office. This is coming within the same week as a 3-D version of an episode of the NBC series Chuck and a couple of 3-D commercials.

The coming year will see more than a dozen more feature films projected in either the RealD or IMAX 3D format (or in some cases both), including DreamWorks Animation’s Monsters vs. Aliens, James Cameron’s highly anticipated Avatar and the self-explanatory Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.

"Three-D films look better than they ever did before," says Ray Zone, author of the book Stereoscopic Cinema and the Origins of 3-D Film, 1838-1952.

Back to the ’50s

Although stereoscopic cinematography — in which two synchronized cameras film the same material from different angles in order to create the illusion of depth — is nearly as old as motion pictures themselves, the golden age of 3-D dates to the 1952 release of the otherwise undistinguished potboiler Bwana Devil. Although poorly reviewed, Bwana Devil was a smash hit on the strength of its primitive 3-D effects.

In the early ’50s, Hollywood executives were always on the lookout for gimmicks that would lure audiences away from their new TV sets, and the next two years were a boom time for 3-D, spawning such hits as House of Wax, Kiss Me Kate and Creature From the Black Lagoon.

The ’80s revival

The boom went bust in early 1954, and it seemed 3-D was just another ’50s fad like the coonskin cap or the Hula-Hoop. In 1981, however, a terrible low-budget Western called Comin’ at Ya! was released in 3-D, just as the home video revolution was getting under way.

Once again facing a threat from television, as consumer-priced VCRs and neighborhood video stores made it possible for movie fans to watch recent releases and old favorites at their convenience, studios seized on the surprise success of Comin’ at Ya! and the 3-D craze was born again. It was equally short-lived this time around — no surprise given that movies like Jaws 3-D and Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn weren’t much better than BwanaDevil.

New technology

A generation later, with Hollywood facing ever greater challenges in home entertainment, from widescreen hi-def televisions to video games to the Internet, 3-D is back — but is it better than ever? "Digital 3-D cinema is a considerable improvement over 1950s 3-D movies," Zone says. "The 3-D films of the ’50s used synchronized projectors. Today’s digital 3-D movies are shown with a single projector, which eliminates many of the problems of the two-projector system."

For now, at least, audiences are eating it up. "The 3-D version of a movie does nearly three times the box office of the 2-D version when a movie is released in both 2-D and 3-D," says Zone.

In the case of My Bloody Valentine, the 3-D version accounted for 71 percent of the movie’s first-week box-office take. For all the technological advances, however, you still need to wear the special polarized glasses; Zone predicts that glasses-free 3-D is still a decade away.

Even if today’s plastic Blues Brothers-style eyewear is snazzier than the cardboard glasses of yesteryear, reports that they no longer cause headaches or nausea are somewhat exaggerated in my experience. (The oversize IMAX 3-D glasses don’t even have the advantage of being fashionable, unless ski goggles are in style this year.)

Still a gimmick?

Is it worth the trouble? Three-D is perfectly suited to the IMAX format, which is all about spectacle anyway, but let’s be honest: the history of great 3-D movies is basically nonexistent. What classic scene in cinema history would have been improved by 3-D? The shower scene in Psycho? The horse’s head in The Godfather? The first appearance of the shark in the original Jaws? These moments are so visceral, our own imaginations supply the third dimension. They would only be diminished by the artificial depth of 3-D, because the whole process acts to distance us from what we’re seeing on the screen rather than allowing us to immerse ourselves in the story.

That doesn’t matter much when you’re dealing with a film like My Bloody Valentine 3D — you just want to see if the ol’ flying eyeball trick has improved since Friday the 13th Part 3-D (it has) — but does anyone really think SlumdogMillionaire 3D would have scored even more Oscar nominations, or that The Dark Knight Comin’ at Ya! would have raked in another $100 million at the box office?

There’s no denying the superiority of today’s digital 3-D effects, but as always, it’s the quality of the movies that will determine whether this latest revival is more than just a passing fad.

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Movies and more

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Theaters are offering a diversified experience to help convince consumers it's worth leaving home to see a flick

FOXBORO - Oscar night is upon us, and that means stars, move clips, teary eyed actresses, and lame jokes. But as predictable as those Academy Awards show staples are, the movie industry itself has become anything but predictable.

It used to be that going to the movies was a fairly straightforward proposition. You went to the local theater, plopped down a few dollars, got your popcorn and soda, and settled in for an afternoon or evening of entertainment.

Now, of course, everything has changed. Movies tend to spend only a few weeks at the cineplex, if that, and the mantra of a large percentage of movie fans has become "I'll wait for the DVD." Or, possibly, the Blu-ray. Or maybe they'll stream it onto their computer or iPod.

It's all a lot cheaper than going to the movies, and in the dead of winter you can argue there's also a comfort factor involved.

So what's a movie theater owner to do? In a word, diversify. And they're already doing it.

"Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" reflects the resurgent popularity of 3D movies. The film is due out Feb. 27.

In this area, movie theaters are offering patrons table dining and cocktails while they watch their flick.

They've opened separate restaurant/bars and comedy clubs on the premises.

And they've turned themselves into "destinations" with quirky, audience participation spectacles, sporting events, and even celebrity celebrations.

"Like every industry today, the film and exhibition industry is changing because of a variety of influences including technology and peoples interests," said Wanda Whitson, director of corporate communications at National Amusements, which runs Showcase Cinema de Lux at Patriot Place in Foxboro. "Today, consumers have more entertainment options than ever. We are competing for their time and attention."

"People are looking to be interactive," said Bill Cunningham, executive director of the Orpheum Theatre in Foxboro, which recently premiered the colorfully quirky, audience participation film "Repo! The Genetic Opera." "Why just go to the movies when you can be part of an experience like this?"

The Lux Level in Showcase Cinema at Patriot Place offers dining service inside the theater. Set back from the regular patrons, it has enormous seats (no bumping elbows) with push buttons that summon waiters and waitresses who deliver your food and drinks. There are also lounge areas and a full service bar. Additionally, Showcase at Patriot Place has a full service restaurant and bar in the lobby.

"We are offering more than just a movie," Whitson said.

Shari Redstone, president of National Amusements, began transforming the movie-going experience after concluding it "had been commoditized, with theaters trying to get people in out and out quickly," Whitson said.

The idea was to bring back the luxury and comfort of movie palaces from the 1920s and '30s, but with more modern offerings and the unique amenities.

This past year Showcase Cinema at Patriot Place screened the new DVD by the band Boys Like Girls, a hot national rock group whose drummer is from Mansfield and bassist from Wrentham.

Showcase Cinemas has converted a theater auditorium in Warwick, R.I. into a live venue for music and comedy.

Earlier this month it hosted Ladies Night Out, which celebrated the release of the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic" with a preview screening and a mini-fashion show featuring Patriot Place merchants.

Last month, Curt and Shonda Schilling were among the celebs who attended a sneak peek-showing of the chick flick "Bride Wars," in which Shonda had a small role.

The cinema is also reaching out to sports fans, only natural given its location in the shadow of Gillette Stadium. Recently it was selected as one of the first locations to screen a live 3-D sports event, a Dec. 4 NFL Network game between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders.

Showcase was also the first theater company to feature live, high-def, in-theater broadcasts of Red Sox games, and worked with the Boston Celtics this spring to produce several games at its theaters, Whitson said.

In Warwick, R.I., Showcase has converted one of its auditoriums into Center Stage, a live entertainment venue that features comedy and music.

Redstone's focus, Whitson said, is to make Showcase Cinema a "community entertainment destination."

The historic Orpheum Theatre on Foxboro Common is decidedly less high-tech than the modern Showcase Cinema on Route 1, but has still answered the call to innovate.

A few times a year it shows "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," and people from all over dress up as their favorite characters and act out the movie on stage.

"Repo! The Genetic opera" launched its national run at the Orpheum in mid-January. Despite bitter cold, more than 350 fans - many in costume - turned out, some traveling from as far away as Pennsylvania.

"We are taking the movies to the kids," Cunningham said. "We are trying to change it to make it more than just a sit-in-the-dark experience. And it will continue to change."

Cunningham pointed out that other theaters are showing musical sing-a-longs as a way to get the movie goer involved. "Mamma Mia" and "Sound of Music" have both been shown with the lyrics displayed on the bottom of the screen.

"These movies are more fun, more interactive," he said. "It gives you an opportunity to express yourself; it's like Halloween 365 days. Whether you wear all black, have facial hair, have tattoos or not, 'Rocky' and 'Repo' give you the chance to express yourself and be part of a special atmosphere."

Whitson said that another recent wrinkle in the movie industry has been the resurrection in popularity of 3D films.

"This year's new 3D releases like James Cameron's 'Avatar' along with DreamWorks 'Monsters vs. Aliens,' a Jonas brothers concert film, 'Up,' 'G-Force' and 'A Christmas Carol' are just the beginning of where this technology can go," she said.

"The industry is just learning and exploring the exciting possibilities that both 2D and 3D will bring to us with the advent of digital projection, and we are finding that this is also an education process for our audience members," Whitson said. "We are getting audiences to our theaters that may not have previously visited stadium-style theaters before."

As for what the more distant future might hold for moviegoers, Whitson said "we can't even begin to imagine how the combination of cutting-edge technology, for example holograms, and creative developers and unique new content will transform the entertainment and moviegoing experience."

But whatever the future may be, movie theater owners believe there will be a place for them, as long as they hustle to keep up with the times.

"(Redstone) believes that the movie-going experience will never go away," Whitson said. "There is nothing like enjoying a great film, on the big screen, with a group of people laughing, crying, or applauding together. There is no other experience like it."

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Odeon prepares itself for 3D movie onslaught

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Odeon, Europe's largest cinema chain, has announced it is to equip the majority of its screens with 3D projectors.

The news comes after a deal was inked with NEC Display Solutions. The company's digital projectors have been extensively trialled for the last two years in Odeon's cinema in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

"3D digital provides the total cinematic experience – you feel the drama literally unfolding all around you," said Drew Kaza, executive vice president of digital development at Odeon, about the news.

"We wanted the best for our 3D digital projection and so over the last two years we have vigorously put NEC's technology through its paces. It definitely hit the mark with superb image quality and unsurpassed reliability. NEC has equipped Odeon with a ground-breaking digital cinema projection system and we anticipate a resultant jump in per seat revenues."

2009: the year of 3D

The projectors that are being installed are the NEC NC1600C. This is an integrated DLP projector that offers 17,000 Lumens and 2K (2048x1080) resolution.

Simon Jackson, vice president Northern Europe for NEC Display Solutions said about the deal: "This major European deployment with Odeon underpins our core principles of high reliability, performance and outstanding build quality."

2009 will be a busy year for 3D, with movies such as Disney's Bolt, Monsters Vs Aliens and, of course, James Cameron's Avatar due before the year is out.

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Kilmarnock film fans can see movies in 3D

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KILMARNOCK film fans could have characters flying right at them if they head down to the Odeon.

The cinema is one of only 19 Odeons in the UK to be given a 3D projector and is set to show a host of top movies using the technology throughout 2009.

The first film to be screened in 3D at Kilmarnock was horror flick My Bloody Valentine before new Disney offering Bolt was released on Friday.

Cinema manager Lucy Liddell is thankful that Kilmarnock is one of the cinemas chosen to use this technology.

She says: “There are 19 cinemas in the whole of the Odeon chain getting 3D projectors and we were lucky to get one of them.

“Hopefully it should enhance the experience of guests coming in and watching films.

“Throughout the year we have about 15 3D films being released, one of which is Toy Story which is being re-released in 3D and we also have Avatar which is the new James Cameron film.”

Lucy explained how 3D has evolved since disposable, coloured specs were used in the 90s.

She continued: “It’s not the 3D glasses that everyone is used to. It is proper up to date glasses which look a bit like sunglasses and everyone will be wearing them.

“I have seen Bolt in 3D and I can put my personal guarantee on it. It’s absolutely brilliant.

“There are chase scenes in it and people are falling down and you see them falling towards you. It looks really cool.”

The extra cost for the 3D glasses is included in a supplement on the ticket price.

To watch a video report of this story, log onto www.kilmarnockstandard.co.uk

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Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising Taps Mattel as Master Toy Licensee for James Cameron’s “Avatar”

Watch TV on PC - 12,000 TV Channels and Movies CENTURY CITY, Calif. - (Business Wire) Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising (Fox L&M) has selected Mattel, Inc., the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products, to develop a toy line inspired by one of the most anticipated films of the year -- James Cameron’s “Avatar.” Tapped as master toy licensee for the epic sci-fi film property, Mattel will create a line of action figures and vehicles scheduled to hit retail nationwide in October 2009, months in advance of the film’s release in December 2009. The announcement was made today by Elie Dekel, Executive Vice President of Fox Licensing and Merchandising.

Mattel’s “Avatar” toy line will feature heroes, creatures and vehicles straight from the blockbuster film. Each action figure or vehicle will come with a 3D web tag, bringing a new level of interactivity to Mattel’s newest action play line. Utilizing a computer’s webcam, consumers can “scan” the web tag, unlocking special content unique to the product, like bio information on action figures and creatures, virtually on a home computer.

"Avatar is one of the biggest and most anticipated films of 2009", said Dekel. "The new universe created in the film is everything one would expect coming from the mind of James Cameron, one of the most accomplished creators and filmmakers of our time. In bringing this fantastic new universe to life in toys, it was essential that we partner with the world's biggest and best, Mattel. Mattel's abilities to continually innovate and strategically grow a toy brand over many years will be core to our long-term strategies."

“Mattel has a long history of teaming up with some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, and it continues with our partnership with ‘Avatar,’” said Tim Kilpin, GM for Boys, Girls & Games, Mattel, Inc. “Developing toys for a movie as anticipated and innovative as ‘Avatar’ allows us to push the envelope with our own innovation and design to produce an exciting, engaging lineup of products.”

Jon Landau, producer of Avatar added, “I’m a firm believer that a great toy program, done right and with the right creative collaboration can extend the movie experience. Jim and I have been working intimately with both Fox L&M and Mattel to ensure that this will be a top-notch innovative toy line-up. We have seen the products and can’t wait for their release.”

More than 10 years in the making, “Avatar” marks Cameron's return to feature directing since helming 1997's “Titanic,” the highest grossing film of all time and winner of eleven Oscars® including Best Picture. “Avatar” is an epic adventure film where ex-marine Jake Sully is torn between duty and honor when he finds himself caught in a battle between the heavily armed forces of Earth’s most powerful star-faring consortium and an exotic, noble alien race whose entire world is threatened by the human invaders.

The “Avatar” cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver. Academy Award-winning visual effects house, WETA Digital, renowned for its work in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy and “King Kong,” will incorporate new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that will transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters.

ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX LICENSING & MERCHANDISING

A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.

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