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'Save BluRay 3D' is Dead: Welcome to 'Ultimate 3D Fans!'

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Chances are if you are a regular you probably showed up to this blog and was immediately taken back at how...different, the place looks.  There is a reason for that.  Aside from the fact that the old design was simply not very good (we have a LOT more space now) I've been thinking a lot about the future of this blog.  Probably more than I care to admit.  Even though I've heed and hawed for over a year about the future of it, I've finally decided some massive change was need.

Ladies and gentlemen: Save BluRay 3D is dead.

I'm sure some of you are a tad bit disappointed by this news, but are you really that surprised?  The BluRay 3D market is on life support, and there simply isn't much of a reason to talk about it anymore.  Granted, it's not completely gone (we did just get "Dune" not that long ago), however it certainly isn't active enough to have a fully dedicated blog to.  I also don't want to turn this into 'Save Physical Media' (as has been suggested) because I don't believe physical media will completely go away anytime soon.  Really, the strength of this blog was never as a grassroots effort to keep BluRay 3D around; it was about the love of 3D itself.  So, ladies and gentleman, 'Save BluRay 3D' is dead...

...

...to give birth to 'Ultimate 3D Fans!'

Yes, instead of letting the blog die because a physical media format is on life support I'm actually EXPANDING the blog to include topics on ALL things 3D!  This includes 3D in theaters, 3D in video games, 3D in theme parks...if it's a big enough topic concerning 3D, I want to discuss it here.  What's more, I want this to be a safe haven for 3D fans in all walks of life to enjoy.  Therefor I am also opening the blog up to having contributors!  Sadly, this isn't a site that will pay (3D is a niche format for a reason).  But if you can write, have a love of 3D, and want to contribute, I'd love to hear from you!

In the meantime, there is still some work to be done.  The layout isn't QUITE finished yet (and we need to add a few more tabs at the top to help people find certain topics easier), but things are coming along nicely none-the-less!  Also, we have a new domain name: www.ultimate3dfans.com.  We haven't set it up to redirect yet, but feel free to go there and bookmark it for when the switch happens (for some reason the 4th of July feels like a fitting day to make that happen).  Otherwise, enjoy the new look, dust up your resume if you want to contribute, and I need to get back to working on the layout (as well as the list of 3D movies that is WAAAYYYYY overdue for an update)!

Look forward to seeing everyone in the future!

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We Now Know Why 'Doctor Strange 2' is in IMAX 3D (Hint: It Involves 'Avatar 2,' of course!)

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A few weeks ago, when I happily reported that "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" would be the first move in more than two years to get some IMAX 3D releases, I secretly wondered if the upcoming 'Avatar 2' had something to do with it.  I didn't publicly speculate, but now that my suspicions have been confirmed I wish I had.  Right now, we're in the middle of Cinema Con.  While I am not attending (and thus can only do secondhand reporting) James Cameron's world of 'Avatar' got a lot of attention.  First of all, the original "Avatar" (you know, the movie everyone hates that got nominated for Best Picture anyway) will be getting a remastered re-release this September.  The reason is because it has been more than a decade since the film was seen in theaters, and Disney (the studio who now owns 'Avatar') wants there to be a refresher before "Avatar: The Way of Water" is released on December 16th.

Yes, 'Avatar 2' has a title AND a release date!  Been a long time coming!  At Cinema Con a teaser trailer was shown to attendees.  3D glasses were handed out, as Cameron is going to be making it clear that 3D is THE way to see this!  According to Deadline:

Avatar 2 takes place in and around the ocean. Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Saldana) have children. “Wherever we go,” says Sully, “this family is our fortress.” The sequel looks even more jaw dropping in its deep-blue visuals than the 2009 film. All new creatures: We see the Na’vi on flying fish bird creatures, communing with a whale, and yet somehow divided despite their affinity with nature: The alien people are split, battling against each other in a guns vs. arrows fight. It’s truly a whole new world upping the stakes of the previous 3x Oscar winning film.

And yes, this teaser WILL premier before "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness!"

This certainly makes sense why IMAX has dedicated several showtimes to 3D showings of the latest Marvel offering.  Not only does this movie seem like it is going to be a dream in 3D, but if 'Avatar' fans really want to see this teaser the way it is supposed to be seen, it's going to be in an IMAX 3D screen!  Of course, 3D has taken a big enough beating that most IMAX's will only have one 3D screening (two at most).  The good news is most screenings are at 4:30pm or some similar times (MUCH better than the 11:15am and 10:30pm showings I had to attend for "Avengers: Endgame" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home" if I wanted to experience those in the third dimension).

I also suspect that this is a test to see if there is an appetite for 3D movies again.  I have no doubt that "Avatar: The Way of Water" will only be seen in IMAX 3D when it is released.  Cameron is a powerful man and he will insist that 3D is the way to view this movie.  If the newest Doctor Strange overperforms, it may convince IMAX to dedicate more 3D showings to movies in-between.  Could the success of "Avatar: The Way of Water" inspire a resurgence in 3D?

Well...I have thoughts on that, and I have a LOT to say!  So, keep this blog bookmarked; there is suddenly a LOT we have to talk about!

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There is NO 3D Release of "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore!"

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Although I promised I wouldn't write too many blog posts like this anymore, I got enough e-mails from people yesterday asking what happened to the IMAX 3D version of "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," and why I failed to mention that as the first IMAX 3D release in more than two years in my blog post yesterday (this morning...?).  Well, I didn't mention it because there is no IMAX 3D version...or any 3D version of this movie!  I can't even find evidence of a 3D release in China.  It seems that for whatever reason, "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" will be forgoing a 3D release altogether.  No, I don't know why this is the case, but then, Harry Potter movies have not been very consistent when it comes to being presented in 3D.  For the first four movies Harry Potter was a strictly 2D affair.  "Avatar" hadn't come out yet and 3D was largely limited to IMAX films.

With "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" the films dipped their toe into 3D effects by having the climax be presented in 3D exclusively at IMAX locations.  "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" continued that format by having the opening sequence in IMAX 3D (while normal theaters got the film fully in 2D).  These 3D sequences were praised by fans and critics alike, and once James Cameron made 3D cool again for theaters, Warner Bros. committed to ending the series in 3D.  That said, while "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1" was advertised as being in 3D, the film makers decided that the 3D wasn't of the quality they wanted it to be.  Not wanting to be responsible for another "Clash of Titans," 'Deathly Hallows - Part 1' was released in 2D only (it would eventually get a BluRay 3D releases, where the results were praised as...fine).

Harry Potter finally made the leap to full 3D everywhere with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2," and the movies have been in 3D ever since.  It has become so expected for Harry Potter to be in 3D that a Chinese re-release...

...presented audiences with a brand-new IMAX 3D remaster.  Oh, and to get ahead so that I don't have to write another post on this: No, I am not aware of this version being available to purchase on BluRay 3D (but if I'm wrong please point me in the right direction).  Aside from this, the first two 'Fantastic Beasts' movies were also released in 3D (though they were released at a time when IMAX was starting to phase out 3D showings).  

This means that Harry Potter movies have been released either partly or fully in 3D since 2007!

For reasons I am not clear on, a fifteen YEAR tradition has come to an end!  Why?  I have no idea.  I suppose Warner Bros. must have felt on some level a 3D conversion wasn't worth the money.  If there is a fourth 'Fantastic Beasts' movie it will likely also be 2D only.  I know this is going to be a bit of a disappointment, but what are you going to do at this point?  If you want to see it you'll just have to see it in the 2D format or not at all.  Course, this DOES mean you don't have to choose between IMAX/Dolby Cinema or a standard 3D screen, so that's kind of nice!  But, yeah, it appears there will be no more 3D Harry Potter projects in the near future.  It was fun while it lasted (even if it seems odd to end the tradition now).

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'Doctor Strange 2' is First Movie to Get IMAX 3D Release in Over 2 YEARS!!!

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I'm obviously in a good mood today!

Even though I am getting a bit burnt out on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Netflix's "The Power of the Dog" made for a much more captivating cinema experience than "Black Widow" for my money), I have been very open that not only was "Doctor Strange" one of the more creative endeavors of the MCU, but it is also one of the shining examples of just how good 3D can be when used properly!  From my perspective if you haven't seen "Doctor Strange" in 3D...you technically haven't seen it.  While I can't say "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness" is something I'm salivating at the mouth to see (I'm more excited about "The Bad Guys" if I'm being completely honest), there was a moment when I felt that an IMAX 3D experience would raise my excitement level considerably if it was half the experience that the last film was!  In that circumstance - having remembered how great the experience was the first time around - I might be able to muster up some excitement to see the sequel.

If only there was a possibility of that becoming a reality...but alas, we are living in a post-pandemic life, and movies themselves are on life support (never mind 3D movies).  Anyway, I forgot the tickets went on sale a few days ago, so I went to AMC to get my tickets and...

...well, the first thing that stood out was that there were two separate sections for IMAX.  Take a closer look at that sole showtime though and you can see "IMAX with Laser 3D" in small print!  Now, first of all, I do need to express SOME disappointment that AMC isn't making this clear that this is an IMAX 3D showing with a bold logo.  They USED to do this...but having not used the logo in a long time, maybe it got misplaced on their hard drive?!  I don't know, they had a pretty hectic two years in case you didn't know.  Ignoring that though, the key thing here is that IMAX is showing their first movie in 3D in over two years!!!  I mean, I can't even remember the last time I saw an IMAX 3D movie?!  It must have been...

...oh...yeah, THAT movie!  Didn't a John Campea episode inspire a blog post here...never mind, getting off track.  Anyway, the point is it's been a LOONNNGGG time since IMAX has given people the option to see an IMAX 3D film!  There are several reasons for this of course: A deadly pandemic that forced the world to shut down, lack of content, the fact that reusable glasses was likely going to change people's perceptions of 3D movies and thus putting the format in real long term jeopardy...you know, all that jazz!  The fact that "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness" is getting some IMAX 3D screenings at most locations says a few things:

  1. The movie has 3D that is good enough that IMAX executives are convinced it's worth seeing.
  2. Marvel movies still have the power to charge a few dollars more for this format.
  3. IMAX feels that the world is in a good enough place that people will not fear putting on glasses that were previously worn by someone else.
However you want to look at it, this is very, very exciting news for 3D fans and now is your opportunity to buy tickets to see the movie in this format and send IMAX a message that projecting 3D movies is still a worthwhile endeavor!  What's even better is that (at least in my area) many of the showtimes are at reasonable times, so 3D fans mostly will not need to worry about taking time off work see an odd showing at 1:35pm.  If you're buying the tickets through AMC, just look a little closer to make sure you are getting the format you want.  Now if you're buying your tickets from Regal...


...thankfully, they're making the difference much more obvious.  Either way, thank you to the folks at IMAX for doing this and I hope I can write more articles like this in the near future!  Oh, and I am VERY excited to see "Doctor Strange In the Multiverse!"

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Two 3D Films Win Big at the 94th Annual Academy Awards

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Two 3D films won big at the 94th Annual Academy Awards that were held last Sunday.  I know, I'm a bit late writing about this but I was busy (like the rest of the world) obsessing about "The Slap" that occurred during the presentation.  This post is not about that incident though, as (like Daniel Radcliffe) I am starting to get bored of the conversation, and thus feel we should start talking about the movies again until the inevitable response from the Academy comes down in regard to said incident.

The first major win for 3D is that "Encanto" easily won Best Animated Feature.  While there was some hope "Flee" would sneak in and take the award, the blatant belittling of the award (which was basically used as an advertisement to promote Disney's terrible live action remakes [because, you know...why watch that old kids stuff when you can watch the "mature" live action remake]) was all the confirmation I needed to know that "Encanto" would be the winner before the envelope was opened.  Still, Best Animated Feature is technically a "major" award still, and a 3D film won it.  You can't watch it in 3D anymore, but it did win.

The big winner of the night in general was "Dune" though.  Not only was it the sole 3D nominee amongst the Best Picture lineup, it managed to win an impressive 6 Academy Awards (including Best Visual Effects).  Not only was that more Oscars than any other film that won that night, it was also a record breaker for a film that won the most Oscars without being nominated for Best Director.  Ironically, Jane Campion did win Best Director for "The Power of the Dog," but though she was the favorite to win that award her film won none of the other 11 Oscars it was nominated for.  

To my recollection, no film has only won Best Director since Mike Nichols pulled off the feat with "The Graduate."  It not only highlights why Dennis Villanueva getting snubbed for Best Director was such a head scratcher, but it makes you wonder if the Academy really thought Jane Campion was the best director of the year, or if they just wanted to check off a diversity quota by being able to say that two women won Best Director two years in a row (which, sadly, is a new record even though there have been plenty of female directors who deserved nominations in the past).

Thankfully, you CAN buy "Dune" on BluRay 3D (and in America no less), so you can enjoy the Oscar-winning cinematography in three dimensions from the comfort of your own home!  And with that another Oscar year has come to an end.  I'll be back sooner or later with a blog post of some sort (maybe discussing if the 3D version of 'The Secrets of Dumbledore' is worth going out of your way to see?).

Oh, also, if you want to know who the winner for Best 3D was for our yearly hypothetical Oscars show...