3D I, MONSTER 3-D DVD (1 Viewer)

[John Sparks]

Just bought the "Christopher Lee Collection" from Retromedia. It contains "I, Monster (variation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) 3-D and 2-D, Secret of the Red Orchid and Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace."


The last two are in B&W and are between VHS and DVD quality. This is probably the best we're going to see them and a must have for your sci-fi/horror collection.


"I, Monster" runs 80 minutes, is 1.85:1 (box says 1.66:1/1.85:1) but IMDB says 75 minutes and 1.85:1. Comes with 2 pairs of cardboard glasses, L clear and R slightly darkened.


This is the quote from the disc:


PULFRICH 3-D effect creates a unique optical illusion of three dimensional depth achieved by horizontal camera movement coupled with delaying one image from reaching the viewers brain a fraction of a second late using a single dark tinted lens in the glasses.


I, MONSTER was photographed with the intention of displaying the film using the PULFRICH METHOD, but ultimately, plans of a 3-D release were scrapped before the film went into distribution. The effects work best during scenes where the camera or characters are moving back and forth.


In my den I have a Mit 65738 3-D TV and a Panny 3-D BD player, but no glasses. I own three 3-D movies but can't see the expense of buying glasses for just 3 movies...and, 3-D, to me, should be on a larger screen to get the true effect.


My HT has a non-3-D PJ and BD player. So, today I sat down in the HT and watched the movie in 3-D...my first on either equipment.


The movie has pretty good color and was quite clear with good shadowing with no blossoming in the dark scenes. The 3-D was in effect throughout the movie with a very few scenes better than others. It was a tad less bright with the glasses on then off, which is to be expected.


There were a few scenes that something was thrust at you, but it didn't come out of the screen.


All in all, it was quite an enjoyable movie and the subtle 3-D effect was really good throughout the movie. It's been an hour since I watched it and my slight eye strain is finally going away!


If I had the money, I'd get a Epson 6030, switch the BD player from the den and purchase a new screen and I would start buying 3-D movies.


Maybe Bob would like to shed some light on this movie and it's use of 3-D.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Here's some more info:


http://theblackboxclub.blogspot.com/2011/10/peter-cushing-christopher-lee-strange.html

 

[StephenDH]

I once met someone who'd worked with Milton Subotsky on "The Monster Club" who said that when it came to selling ice cream to Eskimos, MS was your man.

He was such a great salesman that he could make you believe even something as dire as "I. Monster" was the greatest show on Earth.

 

[Bob Cashill]

The movie's ok, with Lee giving both parts his all, but the 3D did nothing for me.

 

[gazadams]

could this film be converted to real 3d ?

 

[Bob Cashill]

Possible or not, there's no compelling reason to do it.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Conversion rates start at $25K per minute...

 

[gazadams]

wow, i wonder if New Line will ever see fit to do Freddy's Dead

 

[Interdimensional]

could this film be converted to real 3d ?

Conversion rates start at $25K per minute...

Given the nature of the Pulfrich technique, it would be possible to offset the playback by a few frames to generate an artificial second eyeview. According to the description, the right eye lens in this set is darkened, so what that eye is intended to see is essentially a delayed version of the same video that plays the left eye a frame or two earlier.

Someone took the old 'Dr Who' Pulfrich 3-D show and used this technique to upload it with youtube 3-D options. You can now watch it in anaglyph, or play it side-by-side and have your 3dtv split and stretch that into 3-D.

Watching Pulfrich created 3-D in this manner with polarized 3-D glasses, it's a bit more unforgiving. You can see what works quite clearly and satisfyingly, but you also see what doesn't, with all the natural artifacts of the technique all the more obvious.

But for me, the magic of the Pulfrich effect, is that it can be created and viewed on standard equipment, and it actually kinda works, and can be surprisingly effective at times. I think I'd rather watch it in that form.

- Reading the theory of how it's supposed to work, I didn't see how it could work at all, or provide anything close to actual 3-D. On that basis, it really impressed me. It sounded like such nonsense... but it wasn't !! Of course it's a very limited and inherently flawed version of 3-D, but I enjoy it as a neat little bit of trickery, and find the creative limitations it imposes would be an interesting challenge to anyone attempting to tell a narrative. It makes unique demands that require creative solutions.

If this film ever gets released on blu-ray, I think it'd be interesting to do a feature on the 3-D. Since the director abandoned the 3-D partway through filming, maybe cut a 'sizzle reel' with some of the sequences that employed the Pulfrich technique most effectively. This could then be 'converted' as described above, as a 3-D extra for those with 3dtvs.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

TV producers have experimented with Pulfrich 3D on a few occasions. 3rd Rock From the Sun did a Pulfrich episode, and Discovery Channel used Pulfrich on a couple of occasions in Shark Week programming. It works best when the photography is very well lit.