3D Top 30 Must Own 3D Blu-Ray Releases (1 Viewer)

[Adam Gregorich]

[btw, Disney has beaten everyone here by making their 1950's Donald Duck short "Working for Peanuts" available on a promotional 3d Bluray disc! ]

And it looks fantastic!

I heard a rumor that Ron ended up with a copy of Avatar. I wonder if that means we are going to need to rename the thread to the Top 10 titles and where it will fit?

 

[Phoebus]

I've no doubt that Avatar is the most satisfying 3D movie I've seen of the 21st Century batch. My only 3D criticism, which is so minor as to be petty, is that there was no sense of long distances, far away mountains, dramatic Big scenery and the like that adjusts the focus of the eye to take in a wide and deep landscape. Other than that, it is very assured 3D film making that seems very aware of its cinematic (3D) history.


This Golden Age discussion has led me to check out a number of reports from the 3D Expos in Hollywood in 2003 and 2006.

One element that hasn't really entered much into discussion so far is the ratio. 1953 was a time of revolution in terms of aspect ratio, and in many respects sounded the death knell of the old "4:3" shape and size. Some films were being filmed twice to suit differing shapes, such as seven brides for seven brothers.

There appears to be some flexibility as to whether some of these 3d features were projected at a wider ratio, though the negatives would often conform to the 1:1.37 standard.

So, in terms of 3D HD blurays from a 1950's source, do we automatically go to the academy ratio, or to a wider screen compromise that would propbably have been perfectly acceptable at the time. In the 2006 expo they were showing Kiss Me Kate in "widescreen and stereo".

An interesting and perhaps controversial point for the future as we begin to see the first trickle of Golden Age 3D turn up in HD widescreen.


Of course 2006 was also a time of revolution as the first HD-DVD and Blu Ray players hit the market then. Since that time we've had a couple of generations of new bluray players, incorporating picture-in-picture, and now 3D. All this serves to make 2006 seem a long time ago in terms of our common sense home theatre expectations, and I doubt that many people watching the extraordinarily clarity of many of these features would imagine they'd ever be able to fully recreate the experience at home. Certainly not in their foreseeable future, that's for sure.

 

[DaveF]

I did my system upgrade the year before everything became 3D capable. Since I really enjoy 3D at the theater, there's been a little tinge of regret at getting in just before it was available. If I'd waited six more months, I could have bought everything for 3D. Thankfully, this list cures of me that.

If seven of nine "best 3D" discs are dreck like Monsters v Aliens or IMAX docs, and the powerhouses like Avatar and Coraline cost $2000 (free TV with movie), then I'm missing nothing.

As another said, it's like the studios are trying to kill home 3D.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

The Top 9 list has been expanded to Top 10.

If there are any titles missing from this list that you
want to recommend us to review we will certainly take
it under advisement.

As of this reply I am trying to secure a copy of Resident
Evil Afterlife which Sony only sent out the 2D version of.

Will be posting my review of Coraline on Sunday.

 

[DaveF]

Avatar at home on a 50" to 60" screen and consumer audio is better than Avatar on 60' IMAX screen with visceral audio? Can you expand on that? It seems you've either got terrible theaters or a home system like I've never experienced!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Hi Dave!

I did not have the opportunity to view Avatar on a
60' Imax screen.

The home viewing was far more personable than the
theatrical. I felt more engrossed in the film than I did
in the theater. For me, a 60" screen, with immaculate
HD quality and surrounds that were inches from my seat
made for a more satisfying 3D experience.

The biggest factor for me was the audio. The sound was
far more intricate in the home. I could hear things that
I never noticed in the theater I originally watched the film in.

Let's see if others who have watched this disc in their
home with a similar sound system share the same thoughts.

 

[tbaio]

Originally Posted by DaveF
I did my system upgrade the year before everything became 3D capable. Since I really enjoy 3D at the theater, there's been a little tinge of regret at getting in just before it was available. If I'd waited six more months, I could have bought everything for 3D. Thankfully, this list cures of me that.

If seven of nine "best 3D" discs are dreck like Monsters v Aliens or IMAX docs, and the powerhouses like Avatar and Coraline cost $2000 (free TV with movie), then I'm missing nothing.

As another said, it's like the studios are trying to kill home 3D.

As mentioned in earlier posts, 3-D for the home is still in its early push. Don't condemn it so soon. More films, hopefully to your liking, are on the way.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Coraline streets next week for everyone. I will have
a review up next year (aka Sunday).

 

[tbaio]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
The Top 9 list has been expanded to Top 10.

If there are any titles missing from this list that you
want to recommend us to review we will certainly take
it under advisement.

As of this reply I am trying to secure a copy of Resident
Evil Afterlife which Sony only sent out the 2D version of.

Will be posting my review of Coraline on Sunday.

Ronald,

If the following films can be looked at, it would be greatly appreciated:

Friday the 13th Part 3-D
Monster House
My Bloody Valentine
Resident Evil Afterlife

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Thomas,

Check out our newly created Blu-ray 3D Archive.
You will find a review to Monster House there.

I should hopefully have a copy of Resident Evil
Afterlife once everyone returns to Sony in a week.

The other two horror titles I will look to hopefully
purchase in two weeks.

As 2011 progresses I will be doing less and less
3D reviews as I hand over the job to our reviewers
who will have 3D displays of their own. Matt Hough
and Kevin Koster will be the first of the group.
Eventually, I plan to go back to civilian life here on
HTF.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[DaveF]

Ron,

If you have the opportunity, I urge you to see Avatar in IMAX. I saw it twice in IMAX and once in the theater (all 3D). That first viewing in a new, well-maintained IMAX was possibly the best theatrical experience I've had in a decade. I was immersed in the screen and the 3D immaculate. The audio was visceral: it shook the seats and could be felt in my chest during the battle scenes, but was immersive and subtle during the quiet scenes. And it was a true "audience" movie; one of the few times I get to see a grand movie with a full house bringing that extra energy to the experience.

Home viewing of movies is great (and some movies are more comfortable on a couch than in a stadium). But Avatar in IMAX 3D is spectacular.

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
Hi Dave!

I did not have the opportunity to view Avatar on a
60' Imax screen.

 

[Professor Echo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregK


Speaking of depth- "Inferno" is a feature where 3-D's depth enhances the feature far better than when viewed in 2-D. The lead is stranded in the dessert- When viewed in 3-D the isolation becomes much more realistic to the viewer.

Hopefully WB (and Fox for the latter) will eventually do a 3D Blu release of this title.

INFERNO remains my favorite 3D film and I have seen nearly all of the original 50's 3D films under optimum conditions as well as many of the 3D films from earlier and later eras. It was so beautifully photographed and thematically effective, it was the only time I came out wishing EVERY film could be in 3D.

The only 3D experience to ever come near it has been CORALINE, which was stunning. In fact, the "effect" at the conclusion of the end credits has to be the finest 3D effect I have ever seen.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

Ron, though I am not yet 3D capable, I did pick up RE: A in 3D (getting ready for the future), so if you want me to ship it to you for you to review, let me know.

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein

As of this reply I am trying to secure a copy of Resident
Evil Afterlife which Sony only sent out the 2D version of.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Neil, thank you my friend. Let me first
see what happens when everyone from
Sony returns next week.

 

[Professor Echo]

Ron, not to be snarky, but is there a reason why you can't just buy AVATAR? Is it only available with hardware? I'm not up on 3D exclusives or marketing of the format. Enlighten!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

In an effort to sway consumers to certain brands
of 3D displays the manufacturers teamed up with
the studios to make certain titles available only
with the purchase of their product.

Initially (and still) the only way you can obtain
How To Train Your Dragon, Monsters vs. Aliens,
and now Shrek 3D is with the purchase of a
Samsung display.

Sony initially was bundling Bolt and Alice In
Wonderland with their displays exclusively.
Alice in Wonderland recently has become
available to all consumers.

Panasonic made a deal with Fox to offer
Avatar 3D exclusively for the next 2-3 years.
You can't buy that title without purchasing a
Panasonic display.

It's an evil practice for sure, and it has
certainly angered enthusiasts. However,
I fear this practice of holding up prime titles
exclusively bundled with hardware will continue.

 

[Charles Smith]

Are the exclusives only available with each new purchase? In other words, I got Ice Age and Coraline with my Panasonic a few months back. Suppose I wanted Avatar. Is it available to me as a certified Panny 3D owner, or only if I buy another TV? And another TV. And another.

The answer doesn't really matter to me personally. I'm just interested in the extent to which this arrogant, ridiculous scheme goes. I don't understand why the sheep-- I mean the public isn't already collectively throwing eggs and tomatoes at the studios and telling them what they can do with this whole idea of exclusives.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Chas,

You may very well be in luck.

Here is some information to get you started:

[COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 205)]Panasonic Customer Loyalty Program — Panasonic is also offering current owners of 2010 VIERA Full HD 3D Plasma TVs (VT25 Series, GT25 Series, TC-P50VT20, and TC-46PGT24) who purchased their TVs between March 10, 2010 and November 30, 2010 an opportunity to receive a complimentary copy of AVATAR on Blu-ray 3D DiscTM via a mail-in request program. Complete details on the 3D Ultimate Pack, System Solution, and the Customer Loyalty Program are available at www.panasonic.com/avatar.[/COLOR]

 

[DaveF]

Any rumors on how much they paid for those 3D rights? I'd guess sales of Avatar 3D exclusive to a Panasonic TV must be a small percentage of what sales would be sold normally, despite the small number of 3D TV owners. Or, assuming all costs are passed on the the consumer, does that copy of Avatar add $100+ to the cost of the TV?

 

[Professor Echo]

Thanks for the information, Ron. Wow, I wish I could say it's hard to believe, but the studios/manufacturers have been shooting themselves in the foot every chance they get for decades now. Imagine the day when certain channels will only be available exclusively to those who bought certain televisions. What if specific restaurants said you could only eat there if you owned a certain brand of car? The analogies are endless and maddening. For an industry that depends and consistently seems to foster innovation, the electronics industry can be so woefully short sighted at times.