To 3D Or Not To 3D??

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So as many of you have might have noticed there has been a TON of the new Real D 3D movies coming out in the past few months.  And although it seems like this started with the release of Avatar, there had been a few rather forgettable movies before this... anybody remember Beowulf??   That being said...this year has been slated as the year of the 3D movie, with more than 20 new major motion pictures scheduled to be released in that format.   After reading up on the subject and on the advice of a good friend... I am going to weigh in and give my two cents worth.  :-)

So to start off with, in my mind there are basically two distinct approaches to making a 3D movie.  The first and best way is to set out to MAKE a 3D movie in the first place.  Using specially designed 3D camera's to capture the live action scenes, and computers to render the animated scenes in 3D.  As you are filming in 3D the director is keeping this in mind when designing his shots so as to take advantage of the depth he is going to get from the effect.   The best example of this of course is Avatar..  which I truly believe set the bar for 3D movies in general.  Say what you want about Cameron's epic... like it or hate it..  the 3D is spectacular

The second approach is to convert a standard 2D movie into a 3D movie in post production.  This approach I feel is where its possible to get into trouble.  On one end if you have a fully animated movie then you still can get a great 3D movie... as the 3D is handled completely through computer rendering.  An example of this would be How To Train Your Dragon.  Which is also a fantastic 3D movie.

On the other hand, where you have a movie that is a mix of live action and animated shots you will almost inevitably get mixed results, depending on the amount of animated shots you have.  Alice In Wonderland for instance was largely done with animated shots, with the actors filming against green screens... and in the end the 3D was decent and enjoyable.  (Although some may have noticed that the early scenes with Alice in the real world looked rather flat in comparison to when she was in Wonderland itself)  

Finally on the opposite end of the spectrum you have Clash Of The Titans...  (awesome 2D movie BTW) which was converted, only, to try to cash in on the 3D phenomenon... looks downright awful, in my opinion.   The 3D, what there was of it... was too little to be compelling and in fact became distracting. 

So in the end, I think that this year we are most likely going to be seeing a wide range of quality and as these movies COST more to see it makes sense to be wise in picking which ones we decide to fork over the extra dough.  To me movies shot in 3D or fully animated movies are the best bets...   anything else is not worth the money.  And really what's WRONG with 2D...  some of the best movies to date have been filmed in that manner and will continue to be so for some time to come.   Anyways that is my opinion...  and I would LOVE to hear yours.. Talk soon.. Dave.

Please Don't Feed The Trolls

I am sure many of you already know what I am talking about but for those of you who don't: "a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. [1]"  I am also sure that you have ALL run into one at least once.  These people seem to strive on annoying the heck out of others, going on fan communities and the like to write their verbal graffiti.  I know maybe I shouldn't let them bother me as much as they do.  I should ignore them, as they are getting out of me EXACTLY what they intended... a reaction.  The thing is, it seems like lately they are becoming more and more prevalent.  I am seeing their signs in more places. I just wonder what is driving this phenomenon.

For an example on a thread concerning the movie Alice In Wonderland, someone posted up, "That movie sucked".   That's it.  Now I am all for people expressing there likes/dislikes about movies.  I believe you have a right to your opinion and can state that... but... you should also post up the WHY you feel a certain way.  Otherwise you are just saying it for no reason.   Other than, of course, to annoy the rest of us.  So how do we get rid of these bottom feeders..  I guess ignoring them is the best policy..  The theory being if they don't get any attention perhaps they will go else where.   Not very satisfying though.. :-)  It's too bad it's not possible to swat people long side the head.. virtually speaking of course.  Anyways that's just me...  thoughts??

Great Sense Of Humor

I must say I love a good sense of humor.  Especially when it comes to sarcasm and politics.   I was out for supper this weekend at Jack Astors and upon receiving the bill I was tickled to see the labels on the tax section of the bill.  The Dalton Food and Liquor taxes and the Harper tax had me rolling in my seat.   Anyways maybe some people don't find this as funny as I do.. but to me its a riot.

OH Canada...

So driving in this morning, I heard on the news that once again our politicians are thinking of changing the wording of our national anthem to make it more "Gender Neutral"  Their complaint is in the stanza: "For thine sons command".   GRRR..  Sometimes I feel that people have WAY too much time on their hands now days.  It is ONE word in a song that has been around for centuries.  Okay so when the song was first created women weren't allowed in the military so the line made more sense.   Does that mean we NEED to change it to fit with our modern times OR do we just leave it as it is as part of our heritage.   People are intelligent enough to realize that things are different now in the modern age... without having to be reminded by our national song.   In other words, just because we sing "For thine SONS command" doesn't mean we think that ONLY the male gender is appreciated by our country.. FAR from it.   You only need to look at the Olympics this year where are women KICKED BUTT to see how great Canadian females are...   and THEY sang the anthem as is..  Just my two cents.. :-)

Common Sense

I found this essay on the web and found it rather interesting and profound. It has many truths though in it that I agree with. I truly believe that Political Correctness is going to be the death of society if we aren't careful. People will not be able to get ANYTHING accomplished without offending somebody and being sued.

If you are wondering, I don't know who wrote it as the author was listed as "unknown"

R I P Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, as his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not join the majority and do nothing