It’s official: movie studios think so little about audiences they’re willing to make you spend extra dollars on a semi-fraudulent product.
Louis Leterrier’s “Clash of The Titans” remake starring go-to-guy Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and a bunch of Greek mythology monsters, minotaurs, Medusas, Kraken’s etc, was not shot in 3D. Repeat: not shot in 3D.
But Warner Bros. has seen the books, looked at the numbers, assessed the extra costs and offically said, “fuck it, let’s do it.” As discussed WB was recently doing last minute tests to see if they could do the 3D transfer/awesome-ifying in time and have now decided to release the 2D shot film in 3D on April 2, one week after it’s originally scheduled release date (the last “Harry Potter” installments are officially being 3D-ized as well)
Will rubric audiences fall for this ruse? Do they care they’re being visually hosed and not in a good way? Isn’t this like being sold a ’72 pinto with a new paint job? Like being sold tickets to Radiohead, but only Muse ends up onstage in the end? Gip! Or do audiences not really give a shit if their eyes are remotely dazzled? (you’d be surprised, people) Is anyone even listening?!
Will this cause a traffic jam at 3D theaters in late March/early April with Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” and a potential Oscar bump from “Avatar” if it wins Best Picture? To deal with that influx of patently false 3D films, exhibitors are evidently installing 3D technology at a “holy shit, let’s hurry up and cash in” pace, hoping to increase the number of stereoscopisc screens from 3,000 to close to 4,000 by the end of March. God, and you wanna know just how ghey the 3D craze has gotten? The new “We Are The World” video redone for Haiti relief was shot in 3D and directed by Paul Haggis, no joke.
Watch out for more weaksauce fraudulence (fatulence?) from WB later this year, apart from ‘Deathly Hallows’ being re-upped to 3D, evidently the same will follow suit for “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore” (July), and “Guardians of Ga’Hoole” (September). Sounds pretty weeny to us. Btw, here’s a new international trailer, no, not in 3D. [Image borrowed from Movieline, clever stuff]
Love the Radiohead/Muse bit.
And, if I do go see this (I have a little brother) it won't be in 3D. That's just throwing more money away (emphasis on more: paying to see this at all is throwing it away).
Will audiences even have the option of viewing the movie on a regular screen or 3D screen? I can't see a theatre devoting two screens to Clash of the Titans but it would make sense if some theatres have another film on their lone 3D screen (let's say) and Titans on a non-3D screen.
So is Warner Bros releasing this only in 3D or in both?
It'll probably take a few movies before audiences even decide if it's worth it. And that could maybe take a couple years?
Just read on comingsoon that Rupert Murdoch said Avatar would be released on Bluray/DVD by the end of Fox's fiscal year, which is June 30th (not in 3D)…so Fox might pull it from theatres before late March anyway.
What exactly do you know about the difference between elements captured in 3D and those 3D-itized from 2D elements? It sounds like you've seen it and there's a huge difference between the two, which is surprising to me.
Everyone else who's seen both types of 3D says they look pretty good.
The majority of blockbuster movie-goers will not know the difference between "shot in 3D" and "tweaked for 3D in post-production software," so the only deciding factor will be, "Do I have an extra ten bucks on me?!?"
And those that dish out that extra ten bucks will enjoy the extra spectacle of the fake 3D. They may complain that there weren't enough spears thrown directly into the camera, but hey… they can only do so much in post.
The biggest price hike I've seen for a 3D movie is $2, and that's at the big theater on the Strip here in Las Vegas, where it'd be the most expensive.
This is why I don't get people bitching about 3D ticket prices being almost twice as much as 2D tickets when it's just not true. At least from my periphery.