3D An Advance Look at "3-D Rarities" from the 3-D Film Archive and Flicker Alley (1 Viewer)

[Charles Smith]

Good one!

 

[Charles Smith]

And: well said, above, Mr. Grele, sir. Right on.

 

[Dick]

Bob,


Don't let a few 1 star reviews get you down.


I've been buying on Amazon for many years. I almost always read the reviews of products that I'm unsure of. After a while, it's fairly easy for me to tell which reviews are made by honest, intelligent people who know what they're talking about, and which ones are from idiots with no clue, have an axe to grind, or competitors.


In the end, the truth will out.

Plus, these reviews are coming from vacuous snobs looking for their fifteen minutes of fame, as they become self-appointed flavor-of-the-day movie reviewers. There isn't an ounce of technical knowledge or research or critical thinking among them. As Reed said, don't let it discourage you...we at HTF will continue to promote your product as those who understand what went into it, and have the proper equipment to display it.

 

[GregK]

When Mike pointed out that he was (most likely) watching with a 3-D Wizard converter, my jaw dropped.


Someone just observed that our other one-star review is from a person that has left a whopping 13 reviews in the past 6 years - and 11 are negative.


Sigh...

The 3-D Wizard's quasi-colorcode anaglyh encoding is such a major step in the wrong direction. There is good reasoning why the original bluray steering committee did not include on-the-fly anaglyphic playback option of 3-D blurays, nor has that feature ever been included in any of the 3-D bluray players, past or present. Anaglyph 3-D is a step backwards, and that (rightfully so) was not the goal of the new 3-D bluray standards.

 

[Mike Ballew]

I will cheerfully admit, my private reaction to the three-word review at Amazon was identical to a certain reaction by Miss Sadie Thompson herself, with a cyclone-powered aspirated "wh":


"I'm talking about why you had to leave Honolulu-- you're a prostitute!"


"WHat?!?!?!"


"A super ripoff."


"WHat?!?!?!"

 

[Bob Furmanek]

3-D RARITIES returns to the big screen in Los Angeles on July 19! Thank you very much to Eric Kurland and the LA 3-D Club, LA Filmforum and 3-D Space.


http://la3dclub.com/3-d-rarities-screening-with-bob-furmanek/

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I have no problem with a negative review that offers some kind of constructive criticism, but this one is ridiculous.


Apparently, he is watching 3-D RARITIES converted to anaglyphic with a "3-D Video Wizard."


If you don't mind, can you please take a moment to vote/respond to the one-star ripoff "review" from June 25: http://www.amazon.com/3-D-Rarities-Blu-ray-Macdonald-Carey/product-reviews/B00VGXABLI/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt_rgt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=recent&reviewerType=all_reviews&formatType=all_formats&filterByStar=critical&pageNumber=1#RIUSY4LWSUCFB


Thank you very much!

I also reported him as abusive.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Bob Furmanek, on 27 Jun 2015 - 5:21 PM, said:

I have no problem with a negative review that offers some kind of constructive criticism, but this one is ridiculous.


Apparently, he is watching 3-D RARITIES converted to anaglyphic with a "3-D Video Wizard."


If you don't mind, can you please take a moment to vote/respond to the one-star ripoff "review" from June 25:http://www.amazon.co...1#RIUSY4LWSUCFB


Thank you very much!

Hi Bob!


I'm afraid that the "A super ripoff" Reviewer is on an entirely different plane if you catch my drift? I sincerely have my doubts that he would!


My suggestion is to not feed the Troll any further. In my opinion, it is simply not worth the effort, and likely only serves to legitimize his own "Review" in his eyes! That's just the way I see it.


That said, I loved Ron Epstein's comment, though my guess is the wry sarcasm behind this likely sailed over the "Ripoff" Reviewer's Head!


CHEERS!


Tony

 

[Douglas R]

Still waiting for this to wing it's way to the UK.

 

[Reed Grele]

I also reported him as abusive.

+1.


I wonder how many times this person needs to be reported before Amazon will take action?

 

[Bogframe]

I have no problem with a negative review that offers some kind of constructive criticism, but this one is ridiculous.


Apparently, he is watching 3-D RARITIES converted to anaglyphic with a "3-D Video Wizard."


If you don't mind, can you please take a moment to vote/respond to the one-star ripoff "review" from June 25: http://www.amazon.com/3-D-Rarities-Blu-ray-Macdonald-Carey/product-reviews/B00VGXABLI/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt_rgt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=recent&reviewerType=all_reviews&formatType=all_formats&filterByStar=critical&pageNumber=1#RIUSY4LWSUCFB


Thank you very much!

Done, and with pleasure! BTW, I've given almost as many one-star reviews as five star, so I consider myself to be fair and unbiased. If you get five stars from me, you've earned them.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of reviews (and all the professional ones) have been VERY positive.

 

[RJ992]

Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of reviews (and all the professional ones) have been VERY positive.

OF COURSE they are! Sure, not every item here is going to have the same "pure entertainment" value for all viewers. SOme will like 40% of it, some 90%, some 20%. But this is more than just a 3D release. The range of material here is almost a microcosm...a moving snapshot of our culture over decades past. Our morays, how we looked at things, what we enjoyed/liked...and we get to see it better than audiences of the time ever did. This is a time capsule in exceptionally-produced 3D. Heck, even a sort-of primer for film students/buffs or anyone interested in the history of cinema, growing pains and all. (Hopefully a copy finds its way into Martin Scorsese's hands. He'd love it!)


The work here truly deserves the nomenclature "Rarity." In addition to being a great 3D showcase, it's also a cultural touchstone the likes of which we never see. While it's no surprise that it played at MoMA, its historical relevance should rightly earn it a place at the Smithsonian. And I don't mean to make this sound like a studious textbook disc...it's also damn entertaining...never thought I'd see Casper again! Honestly, I find this disc to be an exceptional achievement. I'd definitely go for a "Volume 2" (Did Bob just faint?)

 

[Bob Furmanek]

I didn't faint but had to read it twice.


Thank you!


I'm very glad that most people get the concept and understand what we tried to achieve with this release.

 

[Reed Grele]

I'd definitely go for a "Volume 2" (Did Bob just faint?)

+1

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Hi Bob and Greg, I posted the following to Amazon today:


""3-D Rarities" is a wonderful collection of short films and other rarities dating from the 1920s through the 1950s. Whether you're a fan of old school 3D, classic movies, Hollywood nostalgia, this disc features an amazing wealth of 3D content presented in perfect quality.

Though there's something here for everyone, my favorite bits ended up being the Norman McLaren shorts (entitled "Now is the Time," "Around is Around," "O Canada" and "Twirligig") - think of the more abstract segments in the original "Fantasia," but in 3D. They are a delight from start to finish.

The newsreel and documentary shorts are equally compelling - whether it's the stop-motion animated demonstration of how a car is built from "New Dimensions," or the "Thrills For You" short documenting the Pennsylvania Railroad, or the horrors of atomic testing as seen in "Doom Town," each of the non-fiction pieces presents a window into the past that makes this essential viewing for any history fans.

Love trailers? This release has a few 3D trailers for some 1950s films like "It Came From Outer Space" and "The Maze". Love cartoons? You can't beat "Boo Moon" with Casper the Friendly Ghost, or "The Adventures of Sam Space" which has the wonderful naivety of a classic Gumby along with some of the wit and charm of a newer "Wallace And Gromit" cartoon. There are also a series of camera tests and early true life footage from the 1920s, including some amazing views of Washington DC.

The technical quality of this disc is outstanding. Each of the shorts has been lovingly restored, with perfect 3D alignment. No ghosting or eyestrain here. The type of 3D varies from short to short; some are all about the depth, others have a ton of pop-out, but regardless of the shooting style, each is gripping in its own way. The disc comes packaged with a wonderfully detailed booklet with information about each and every short contained within that places the films in their proper historical context.

I give this disc my highest recommendation. Hopefully there will be a Volume 2 someday!"

 

[Bob Furmanek]

That's wonderful, Josh. I'm so happy that you enjoyed it.


Thank you very much!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

That's wonderful, Josh. I'm so happy that you enjoyed it.


Thank you very much!

You're welcome!


I expected to like the disc before I even watched it, but I was really surprised by just how much I liked it. It's not everyday that a release where I've read every single bit of pre-release press can still surprise me, but that's exactly what happened here.


I think the big surprise for me were those Canadian animated shorts - just fantastic stuff. I wasn't expecting anything like that when I had been reading about the disc, and it really reminded me of the more abstract parts of "Fantasia" (which I love), those were just magical to me. When I put the disc on, I didn't have the booklet right in front of me, so each new thing was its own surprise.


The early stuff from the 20s, I just sat there picking my jaw up from the floor, it was really amazing to see Washington DC in 3D nearly 100 years ago. The fictional pieces like the cartoons were so much fun. The restoration work all around was just beautiful. I know that the very earliest stuff had some baked in crosstalk, but it really wasn't obvious - I had to look for it to find it, and once I stopped looking it disappeared instantly. And the short about the train - that was great, until fairly recently I had to commute on the LIRR almost two hours each way, and just watching that luxury train ride just made me think, "Now that's the way to travel!"


You did a tremendous job curating this material. Every detail is perfect, right down to the sequencing of the shorts - I watched it over two nights, stopping at the intermission point, but I didn't skip around within those halves. I was expecting the second half to be my favorite part of the presentation, but I think the first half ended up being the bigger surprise to me.


I hope there's enough material in the vault, and good enough sales, for a Volume 2. I'd buy another collection like this in a heartbeat!


Do you have any personal favorites out of the bunch?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Wow, that's a GREAT post and I truly appreciate it - more than you know.


This project was in the works for a little more than three years, although we began transferring material five years ago - and I began collecting it more than thirty years ago!


To pick a favorite is difficult because different films have different meanings to me. I suppose the one that is most special is NEW DIMENSIONS, and it was also the most difficult to restore. The original 35mm safety prints from 1940 are VERY badly shrunken and curled with vinegar syndrome. That was especially hard as Greg Kintz had to pull many rabbits out of his hat to restore it. Needless to say, his work is outstanding and we will ultimately output the digital files back to 35mm film for long-term preservation.


I really do appreciate the positive reviews on Amazon, especially since we've gotten some negative ones from people that are bored with the content.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

To pick a favorite is difficult because different films have different meanings to me. I suppose the one that is most special is NEW DIMENSIONS, and it was also the most difficult to restore. The original 35mm safety prints from 1940 are VERY badly shrunken and curled with vinegar syndrome. That was especially hard as Greg Kintz had to pull many rabbits out of his hat to restore it. Needless to say, his work is outstanding and we will ultimately output the digital files back to 35mm film for long-term preservation.


I really do appreciate the positive reviews on Amazon, especially since we've gotten some negative ones from people that are bored with the content.

New Dimensions was pretty special, and I think it's a testament to the quality of Greg's work that I had no idea the elements were in such bad shape watching it. There are times when I've watched a disc, not any of yours specifically but just in general, where it's like grading on a curve, where the disc isn't perfect but it's pretty good considering the shape of things. Whatever torture Greg had to endure working on that one, it paid off bigtime - watching it, I'd easily believe that it was transferred from a newly discovered near-pristine element and not from a source that was falling apart. I'm not hugely into cars, but I truly loved the look and feel of that piece.


I'm sorry that some people on Amazon are giving negative reviews, and I guess I could see how the content might not appeal to everyone, but I think people bored with the content are going to remain a small minority out of total viewers. I really had no idea that there was so much vintage 3D material out there, and of so many different varieties. Now that I've seen it all in proper order, it's going to be fun to start pairing some of the pieces individually with different vintage movies and television shows from the same era. "Kelley's Plasticon Pictures" will go well with "Hugo", I think.


It's truly great work and I'm happy to continue to shout that from the rooftops! I hope the theatrical screenings keep selling out and that business for the disc exceeds expectations.