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It’s time to trade in those Dolce & Gabbana shades for something a little trendier. Head down to Spotlight Cinemas in Orono, and get accustomed to wearing a pair of 3-D glasses, because if the recent Hollywood pattern continues, they’ll be a necessity for future movie-going experiences.
2009 has kicked off with a variety of 3-D spectacles. Bits of shattered jaw-bone flung across the screen, courtesy of “My Bloody Valentine.” “Coraline” featured the first stop-action animation shot in 3-D. “Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience” graced the audience with screaming 3-D preteens gathered around a stage of prepubescent, curly-headed rock stars.
“It definitely seems like 3-D is a novelty or fad,” said Jessica LaMunyon, shift leader at Spotlight Cinemas. “I can remember back when I was a kid, 3-D involved a book and some paper glasses with blue and red lenses.”
With the endorsement of many Hollywood heavyweights, it seems the fad could become more of a lasting reality. James Cameron, director of hit movies and special effects juggernauts “The Terminator” and “Titanic,” has said he plans to film all his future movies in 3-D format. Production has also begun on converting “Titanic” into 3-D.
LaMunyon noted when Spotlight Cinemas first became 3-D capable in December of 2008, admissions sales skyrocketed as people flocked to see Disney’s “Bolt” in 3-D. Spotlight Cinemas is the only Maine theater north of Portland with 3-D capabilities.
“It all has to do with money,” said University of Maine junior, Nik Bennett, who saw “Bolt” in 3-D. “If a movie has the phrase ’3-D’ in the title, than ticket sales will increase.”
In terms of the quality of the films themselves, 3-D has been hit or miss. “Coraline” and “Bolt” received rave reviews, while “Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience” has garnered a whopping 1.3 out of 10 stars on imdb.com, ranking it as the worst movie ever made.
“The quality of the films released so far in 3-D haven’t been all that great,” said sophomore Lucas Newcomb. “Now they’re going back and converting films like ‘Titanic’ and ‘Toy Story’ into 3-D. Why? What’s the point?”
Times have changed since the days of the notorious blue and red lenses. Technology advances allow today’s 3-D experience to differ from the novelty of the past. This is the main reason that Maine independent filmmaker Alec Helm believes 3-D is the future of film.
“To say 3-D a fad is like saying the z-axis doesn’t make a difference in physics,” Helm, a Waterville native, said in an e-mail. “3-D movies now achieve a realism never before seen in movies, and this is why they’re here to stay.”
To date, most theatrical 3-D releases have been animated films or special events. In 2009, movie theaters will be flooded with more live-action 3-D pictures than ever before. One of the most widely anticipated 3-D releases of this year is James Cameron’s “Avatar,” a futuristic thriller.
Helm put it quite simply, “If Cameron, the first guy to believe in the potential of CGI, thinks 3-D is the future, it’s a good bet that it is.”
