A new generation of 3-D movies lands in theaters, in your lap
Just when you thought it was safe to forget about goofy 3-D flicks like the third "Jaws," the gimmick is back.
But this time, it's digital.
Dozens of new 3-D movies are in the pipeline for this year and beyond, including big-budget works helmed by some of Hollywood's top directors.
Unlike the schlocky, headache-inducing 3-D flicks of old, the new generation utilizes digital technology to create a clean three-dimensional picture. And the glasses look way cooler than the old red-and-blue cardboard specs.
"There's really no comparison - today's 3-D is nothing like the stuff you saw years ago," said Chris Johnson, co-owner of Classic Cinemas, a theater chain based in Downers Grove. Classic Cinemas has equipped seven of its 13 theaters with the technology needed to show films in digital 3-D. Suburban locations include the Elk Grove Theatre, the Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles, the Fox Lake Theatre and the Tivoli in Downers Grove.
Other chains are on the bandwagon, as well. Locally, Milwaukee-based Marcus Theaters offers digital 3-D at Gurnee Cinemas, while Kansas City-based AMC offers it at the Cantera 30 in Winfield, the South Barrington 30, the Streets of Woodfield 20 in Schaumburg and the Yorktown 17 in Lombard.
The new technology is expensive, so tickets to a 3-D presentation can cost more. Classic Cinemas charges $2 more per ticket, for example.
Johnson believes audiences won't mind a bit, especially when they experience the effect in films like Robert Zemeckis' upcoming "A Christmas Carol" and the animated "Monsters vs. Aliens."
"In the new films, the 3-D effect is a much bigger part of the storytelling," he said. "In the '80s, it was little more than an occasional gimmick, where you'd see a knife coming right at you, or something."
Not that such thrills won't be available in the new films. This week's "My Bloody Valentine: 3-D," a remake of an '80s slasher film, is the first 3-D film to open in 2009.
Is digital 3-D the future of cinema, as Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg has predicted? Johnson isn't so sure.
"I'm bullish on 3-D, but I don't think it will completely take over," he said. "The week after this past Christmas was the best week in the history of our company, and none of those films were 3-D. Ultimately, it's good stories that keep the business alive."