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We're waiting for the re-release of Love, Actually in 3D

Kim Hollis: We readdress this questions a couple of times a year. What are your thoughts on the current state of 3D/IMAX cinema?

Edwin Davies: I think that IMAX is in a pretty healthy state, if only because no one (except Christopher Nolan) has been touting it as the future of cinema. 3D is, I think, in a somewhat sorry state. One of the big stories about attendance this summer has been that a number of high-profile 3D titles (namely Pirates 4 and Kung Fu Panda 2) have seen their share of tickets sold for 3D screenings fall below 50%, which essentially means that people are opting to see these films in 2D, rather than spend the extra money. There have been some notable 3D successes in the last year and a bit, but it's hard to argue that, say, Toy Story 3 wouldn't have been a huge hit if it hadn't been in 3D. Whilst I don't think that 3D is in its death throes, as some articles have said, the perception of it has shifted from being something that can potentially enhance the viewing experience to an expensive, inessential gimmick. Unless something comes along that makes people fall in love with 3D the way that Avatar did, or until Hollywood stops doing rushed conversions of 2D films into 3D, I don't see this trend abating.

Brett Beach: No extensive 3-dimensional bashing from me for once. I think Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams has done fairly well for a documentary 3D specialized subject (over $4 million in its first six weeks) and points to a creative employment of the format (taking the viewers inside a place that none of them has ever been and will most likely never have a chance to see in person.)

This year Michael Bay and then Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg will release pics in the format and I am curious if critical skeptics like myself will be won over by good reviews and if audiences will reverse the trend of the last few months of seeking out 2D options.

I would recommend interested BOPers and column readers check out Roger Ebert's excellent and painfully ironic essay "The Dying of the Light" in which he reports on the observations of others that where once moviegoers might get screwed by projectionists/theater owners attempting to save money by turning down the wattage of the bulb in the booth, thus rendering many scenes darker than intended (esp night sequences), now state of the art equipment is in the hands of minimum wage workers who are not properly trained on how to use it resulting in 3D filters and lens being left on in theaters even when a 2D film is being shown, thus undercutting what should be a premium experience with images that are (yup) too dark. This is why I am finally realizing I have no choice but to invest in a home theater package to give me ideal viewing circumstances.

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