The future of 3D movies could be described with a famous line from the movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” The inimitable actor Gene Wilder, as chocolatier Willy Wonka, told his mesmerized and terrified guests, “You have to go forward to go back.”
So Hollywood is moving ahead with big plans for 3D movies. Ticket sales have shown that 3D has more fans than some critics give them credit for. For example, 3D versions of movies like “Meet the Robinsons” and “Beowulf” sold twice as many tickets as their 2D counterparts. (In the case of “Beowulf,” what red-blooded male could resist the opportunity to see Angelina Jolie’s naked body emerging from a swimming pool? But we digress…)
Another hit was Disney’s 3D movie, “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour.” The film broke records for a limited release film. Again, how much was the 3D format, and how much was the popularity of the actress? Nobody knows for sure, but the combination of the two certainly seems to be a blockbuster.
The great technological advances since the 1950s are bringing more and more producers and directors into the process.
Dream Works, the film company founded in part by acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, has invested heavily in the 3D process. Dream Works CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is a leading high-definition 3D animator, such as that used for his 2008 animated hit “Kung Fu Panda,” starring the voice of comedian Jack Black.
In addition to Katzenberg, Academy Award-winning directors James Cameron (“Titanic”) and Peter Jackson (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”) have embraced the 3D process. Previews of Cameron’s “Avatar” were screened to rave reviews from attendees at the premier sci-fi and fantasy convention of 2009, Comic Con in San Diego. Meanwhile, Jackson is producing another JRR Tolkien classic, “The Hobbit,” with Guillermo del Toro in the director’s chair.
Hollywood heavyweights like Katzenberg and Cameron insist a new golden age of anaglyph 3D filmmaking is underway. However, due to the costs of the process, it seems likely that in these early stages, only big blockbusters like the 2008 Batman movie “The Dark Knight” will benefit from the 3D touch.
Be that as it may, many moviegoers are investing in high-tech plastic-framed anaglyph 3D glasses in the hope that the new techniques will lead to a revival of some classic 3D movies from the golden age of the 1950s. Subsequently released in flat versions that moviegoers would love to see revamped are Columbia Pictures films such as “House on Haunted Hill” and “The Tingler,” both starring the “King of 3D,” Vincent Price.
Some fans are clamoring for John Wayne’s 3D “Hondo” or the MGM musical “Kiss Me, Kate” starring Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson. Others say they’re waiting for remastered HD DVDs of their favorite 3D actresses, redhead Rhonda Fleming and sultry brunette Patricia Medina. Fleming starred in 20th Century Fox’s only 3-D film, “Inferno,” along with “Those Redheads from Seattle” and “Jivaro.” Medina starred in “Sangaree,” “The Ghost of Morgue Street” and “Drums of Tahiti.”
Moving forward with the latest 3D movie technology can be a gateway to the 3D classics of the past. You better get your 3D anaglyph glasses and home theater set up soon!