3D Blu-ray Review Jivaro 3D Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Malcolm R]

Watched this tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Listening to the commentary, Jack Theakston reveals that the right eye scan came from the original camera negative. Bob, is this the side used when we select the 2D option ? The 2D sure looks good.

That probably explains what I saw when I watched. The image in one eye seemed signicantly clearer and more detailed than the other in some scenes. Almost like I had a smudge on one lens of my glasses. But it was only noticeable in some scenes, and didn't really detract from the overall amazing experience.

 

[Interdimensional]

I had planned to trek into town to check out a current 3D film, but when a certain Treasure from Amazon arrived at work, that plan was instantly put on the backburner.

Jivaro is one of those films I feel like I've been waiting a long time to see. Back when I first became interested in these films, it was a title that jumped out at me. The poster art showed a movie with strong pulp appeal: romance, danger, exotic setting, head-hunting indians, lost ruins. The movie seemed to have everything. I wasn't going to wait any longer. Would it live up to the anticipation?

I was thrilled to find one of the most richly textured, visually dynamic 3-D films I have ever seen. Hats off to Kino Lorber and the 3-D Film Archive crew for bringing this gem back. 1950s audiences were cheated, they really missed out. This is an example where 3-D really elevates a film. Lost Treasure indeed . The crisp, luminous stereography was a pure joy.

For most of the film, we follow around Fernando's character and we get a sense of how he lives his life and who he is as he trades with the indians and the settlers. He is honourable, industrious, amiable and fair in his dealings ... with various cheats and lowlifes, but he doesn't suffer fools. Somehow he gets into a fight just about everywhere he goes, but always comes out on top. When Alice Parker(Fleming) shows up, the two are drawn together as he is compelled to shield her from the unwelcome advances of Tony(Brian Keith). In the absence of her fiancé, they restrain their mutual attraction at every turn, and no one has the nerve to tell her the truth. It is well into the second half of the film before we enter, as Jack Theakston aptly put it 'full Indiana Jones mode'. Of course for Fernando, this necessitates a costume change, complete with fedora, to distinguish from his previous, more laid-back jungle skipper mode earlier in the picture. From this point on, all the promises of that pulp adventure poster will be fulfilled!

The jungle sets are thick and varied, and stand up well to the impressive studio weather effects. This makes for brilliant 3D, filling the screen with movement. There are a number of specific 3D gags throughout the film, mostly well-integrated, and often very effective.

Now, I'm quite aware that actual Amazon scenery has a different look from this studio version, but the lack of true location photography is not to the film's detriment. I fully bought into their vision, being more of a Hollywood fantasy than a realistic depiction. It's possible to deconstruct what we're looking at here in terms of sets used, stock and 2nd unit footage, but in watching the film, I was more than happy to buy into the illusion and suspend disbelief. From my understanding of the commentary, much of this would've been filmed on the same soundstages as Those Redheads, and Sangaree, and while I can see some similarities, I find there's a certain magic in the artifice and how they were able to give it a distinct feel to each film. The work of the set dressers and the production design is to be commended, and it is plain to see that due consideration has been given to the demands of dimensional filming in these regards.

I was impressed with how director Edward Ludvig fills the village sets with a lot of casual activity, and even indoor scenes are full of windows and other openings to show this. The extras all seemed to have their own story, which added a sense of believability to the artifice, but also makes for a very rewatchable film. Looking around the frame, from foreground to background there's a lot of details to take in, and it's not just a busy distraction. On first viewing you only notice the relevent aspects, and the 3-D seems to direct our attention.

It's easily one of the best representations of the classic Technicolor look among vintage 3-D movies on bluray. Very striking colour palette. Greg Kintz and Jack Theakston have done a fine job here. Of course it also makes a big difference that Jivaro doesn't suffer from the lengthy opticals that plagued previous Pine Thomas 3-D productions.

Rhonda Fleming really lives up to her reputation as one of the great Technicolor queens, and I felt among her 3-D titles, she makes her strongest impression here, both in the nuances of her performance and sheer visual impact. Her immaculate complexion and flaming red locks burst right out of the screen! Indeed it appears to have posed a real challenge in panel matching these tones left to right, which gives her hair even more of an incandescent quality, which is more than any 2d film can offer! Both leads are in top form. Fernando Lamas strikes the right balance between forcefulness and restraint. He exudes natural charisma, with a melodic, rhythmic quality to his accent and pronunciation, and is a magnetic presence. It's not hard to see why he became a star. Brian Keith gives a suitably menacing performance, and is especially good in some vigorous fight scenes. Look out for the scene in which he's clocked in the head with a pot; he gives a perfectly timed reaction before lunging forward, switchblade in hand.

I ended up rewatching Jivaro multiple times, and it's become a new favourite. It can be bittersweet when you find a movie that really showcases the potential of 3-D, because it's lamentable just how brief the Golden Age was. I came away wishing I could find more films like this. Alas they don't exist, at least not in 3-D. With all the different genres and types of movie that classic Hollywood did so well, in many cases there were only one or two examples given the 3-D treatment, really just scratching the surface of what might have been. They should all be preserved and made available like this.

 

[Dick]

Well, we now have roughly 40% of the Golden Age 3D classics available on Blu-ray. That's pretty phenomenal when you think about it. Mr. Furmanek has said that more are on the way. If my 65" OLED 3D display goes bad on me, I'm in deep shit!

 

[RolandL]

Well, we now have roughly 40% of the Golden Age 3D classics available on Blu-ray. That's pretty phenomenal when you think about it. Mr. Furmanek has said that more are on the way. If my 65" OLED 3D display goes bad on me, I'm in deep shit!

So no one repairs them? Can't get parts for 3D TV's?

 

[Dick]

So no one repairs them? Can't get parts for 3D TV's?

After warranty expires, I don't know. I've got a year left on mine. Full warranty means someone would come to my home and, if necessary, remove the t.v. to a repair venue and then return it. Beyond the warranty period, the cost to me would be phenominal, if such repairs are even still available.

 

[John Hermes]

Well, we now have roughly 40% of the Golden Age 3D classics available on Blu-ray. That's pretty phenomenal when you think about it. Mr. Furmanek has said that more are on the way. If my 65" OLED 3D display goes bad on me, I'm in deep shit!

Time for a projector.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Ed, I just want to thank you for the great review and astute comments on JIVARO. It's a film that deserves attention.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think some other forum members have reported unfortunate experiences where, when their in-warranty 3D sets malfunctioned, the manufacturer was only able to replace with a 2D set.

 

[Matt Hough]

I think some other forum members have reported unfortunate experiences where, when their in-warranty 3D sets malfunctioned, the manufacturer was only able to replace with a 2D set.

Unquestionably my biggest fear. Though my back-up plasma is a 3D TV, I have begun thinking about how I could transition to a projector should the need arise.

 

[Dick]

Time for a projector.

I would not be adverse to this except I would lose those incredible deep blacks, which to me make watching outer space movies a new and richer experience.

 

[John Hermes]

I would not be adverse to this except I would lose those incredible deep blacks, which to me make watching outer space movies a new and richer experience.

You will gain a giant screen. Mine is a dinky 106" diagonal for 1.78 and I have a 110" wide 2.35 wall screen behind it for scope. Wish they were even larger! You can always get a JVC projector. They are known for their blacks and contrast and you can have a much bigger screen. I am a DLP man myself (best 3-D around) since my favorite movies are from the 1950s and 1960s when movies were more fully-lit. In any event, the projectors have not abandoned 3-D.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Unquestionably my biggest fear. Though my back-up plasma is a 3D TV, I have begun thinking about how I could transition to a projector should the need arise.

At the time that the 2016 OLED LGs were vanishing and were known as the best passive 3D sets around, I was extremely tempted to buy one, despite the fact that I watch movies on my projector and almost never on the TV. I didn’t get it, and felt bad about that decision when my 3D-capable plasma died, leaving me only with a projector for 3D content.

But then I thought about the flip side to that, which is, how awful I would have felt if I had spent $3000 on a TV just for it’s 3D capability that I had no plans to ever use, and then had that die on me anyway.

If you need to go PJ one day, I’ve been a big fan of Epson’s gear in part because their PJs offer much more placement flexibility than everyone else’s, which is incredibly useful for those of us that don’t have perfectly ideal projection spaces.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

Judging from that Gold Records photograph, no prizes if Bob can guess one of my wife Robyn's very favourite singers!

 

[Interdimensional]

Well, we now have roughly 40% of the Golden Age 3D classics available on Blu-ray. That's pretty phenomenal when you think about it. Mr. Furmanek has said that more are on the way. If my 65" OLED 3D display goes bad on me, I'm in deep shit!

... absolutely, progress has been great, although naturally I wish WB and Sony were still in the game.

I remember first reading about House of Wax years ago, and the description said something like "originally a 3D film". It was like when you read about the wonders of the ancient world. Somehow I never thought I'd actually get to see these . So it's been wonderful to see the fruit of the past few years.

Even if my technology dies on me tomorrow, having the opportunity to see these has been a privilege ( - not that I'd be one bit happy about that loss!). But the more I see of these, the more it's not enough! The more it starts to seem like a grave injustice if films like Charge at Feather River, Money from Home, Bwana Devil and Phantom of the Rue Morgue never make it out of the vault.

And in watching Jivaro, I just feel like why did they ever stop. The things they might've done. Not that I don't understand the reasons, but getting a taste for it, leaves you hungry for more. I'm just sitting there marveling at every terrific minute of it. I could've watched another 20 films just with 1950s adventurers cutting trails through 3-D Hollywood jungles and it wouldn't get old. Had a similar thought after watching The Maze. Where were all the other 3-D gothic melodramas and old dark house movies?

There's a finite amount of these, and every one of them has brought something unique and different. It's probably as good a cross section as you'd find through the many kinds of movie being produced and what was popular at the time. Certain studios and rights holders controlling remaining titles have seemed largely indifferent and disinterested, and I wish I knew what it'd take for them to appreciate that they have something extra special on their hands.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Judging from that Gold Records photograph, no prizes if Bob can guess one of my wife Robyn's very favourite singers!

Duke Mitchell?

 

[RolandL]

After warranty expires, I don't know. I've got a year left on mine. Full warranty means someone would come to my home and, if necessary, remove the t.v. to a repair venue and then return it. Beyond the warranty period, the cost to me would be phenominal, if such repairs are even still available.

I did a search on the internet and found a few places that specifically repair 3D TV'S. I have no idea what the cost is and if the 3D screens are still available. I have a 3D projector so no big deal for me. Except I'm thinking of retiring to Florida and all the homes have such small rooms.

 

[David Norman]

Well -- it seems room size is something you have complete control over unless you are being sent to a non-voluntary living environment.

Anyway -- the only 'new' 3D Flatscreen still somewhat available is the 2016 model Sony ZD9 though I think only in the 65 and up size

I'm sure there are used sets out there. Who knows, in Florida there are always estate sales and surely at least some of those folks have E6 and g6's that need to find a new owner.

I've actually always wondered what amount of engineering would take to turn a great 4K 2019 OLED into a 3D capable set. What is the actual physical differences between a 3D capable set and non-3D set?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

For an active set, it’s software plus a radio signal of some sort to keep the glasses in sync.

For a passive set, there’s a layer of polarization built into the screen itself.

I’m thinking that a non-3D set with a high refresh rate could be jury rigged into an active set, but that a passive set would need to be manufactured as such from the start.

 

[disctrip]

Just watched it and it was "O.K." It was way too "Stage-bound" for me. If you are going to shoot in Florida, shoot on location somewhere.
Don't think I would watch it a second time.

 

[Interdimensional]

For an active set, it’s software plus a radio signal of some sort to keep the glasses in sync.

For a passive set, there’s a layer of polarization built into the screen itself.

I’m thinking that a non-3D set with a high refresh rate could be jury rigged into an active set, but that a passive set would need to be manufactured as such from the start.

I would think that a lot of modern TVs currently in homes and on the market have all the physical technology neccesary for active 3D. That was apparently the case with many Samsungs the year after they stopped offering 3D tvs. There were reports of people who'd been able to install the previous firmware on 2d-only models. You'd have to supply your own active glasses, but 3D options were in the menu and they worked.

Since the lack of 3D was essentially a software issue, I had thought it could be offered as a downloadable app.