Posts Tagged ‘film transfer’

Do You Remember Captain EO?

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Disney And Michael Jackson – In 3D

1986 3D Musical ‘Captain EO’ Draws New Audiences At Disney Parks

Way back in 1986, Michael Jackson teamed up with George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, and Disney to create a groundbreaking 3D musical film experience called Captain EO, which fans could experience only inside the purpose-built 3D theater located in Disneyland. The film, which utilized cutting-edge 3D film transfer technology, was a huge success, and was later brought to Walt Disney World in Florida, as well as Disneyland Paris and Disneyland Tokyo. In the 1990s the show was quietly retired, and Disney seemed to regret developing an association with Jackson as the eccentric star began to attract an increasing amount of negative press about his strange behavior, alleged molestation, and financial woes.

But ever since Michael Jackson died in June of 2009, attitudes toward the pop superstar seem to have changed, and his place in the public eye is once again dominated by appreciation for his talent rather than his escapades as an atypical public figure. Not long ago Jackson’s decadent habits and apparent financial irresponsibility left him bankrupt, but since his passing the King of Pop has raked in nearly $300 million mostly from the “This Is It” movie about his planned come-back tour, as well as from rejuvenated album sales.

Earlier this year, the Disney parks decided to pay tribute to Jackson by bringing Captain EO back in all its 1980s splendor. Renamed Captain EO Tribute, The 17-minute 3D film, which was created by executive producer George Lucas and director Francis Ford Coppola, has become more popular than ever, thanks in part to the recent surge in popularity of 3D movies. But despite the cool special effects and 3D magic, its Jackson’s show-stopping musical numbers and the film’s enduring message that give Captain EO its timeless appeal. The new version features a spectacular 70mm film transfer and improved sound; 1986 never looked or sounded so good. Whether you go for nostalgic reasons or because you want to experience Captain EO for the first time, your next trip to Disney’s Tomorrowland (or should it be Yesterdayland?) is sure to be unforgettable.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Photo Scanning | No Comments »

3 Great Movies To Watch On Halloween

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Rebecca, The Monster Squad, And Shaun Of The Dead

Untraditional Halloween Movies That Capture The Spooky Spirit

With Halloween just around the corner, scary movies are in season. Some folks make a tradition of watching scary movies on Halloween, but many find hard core horror movies to be a bit much. We know that finding something that everyone can agree on can be a real challenge, so we’ve picked three great movies to watch this Halloween. They are all a bit off the beaten path when it comes to Halloween classics, but they’re very much in the spirit of the spooky, and each brings something unique to the table.

First up is Alfred Hitchcock’s first American film, Rebecca. While most Hitchcock fans might look to classic horror films like Psycho or The Birds for Halloween, those movies are too intense for some audiences, and they lack the subtlety of Hitchcock’s best thrillers. Like some of Hitchcock’s other more cerebral films, Rebecca has a spooky and mysterious mood about it, but nobody gets stabbed in the shower, and nobody’s eyes get pecked out by an irate flock of seagulls. The film is a classic gothic tale of which Henry James or Edgar Allen Poe would be all too proud. Based on a 1938 novel by Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca is about a wealthy Englishman named Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) and his new wife (Joan Fontaine), and the ways in which the lingering memory of de Winter’s first wife affect them both. The story is perfectly crafted – just  throw in superb acting and an incredibly creepy housekeeper, and you’ve got the recipe for a truly clever and suspenseful movie. Rebecca was nominated for eleven academy awards, and won two, including the award for Best Picture of 1940. If you want to check out this classic, make sure you grab the Criterion Collection DVD, as it has by far the best available film transfer.

If you want to cater to younger tastes, we recommend dipping into the enormous pool of 1980s cult classics. Released in 1987, The Monster Squad was a resounding flop at the box office, raking in only about one third of the film’s (rather frugal) budget. Nevertheless, it has proved popular over time, both with kids and with young adults who remember the film from their own childhood days. You’ll be hard pressed to find a really high quality film transfer of this one, but it is available for rent on DVD through Netflix. The Monster Squad is a campy but lovable story about a society of pre-teen monster-hunters who discover the lost diary of legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, and use it to track down a magical amulet that can be used to rid the world of classic monsters like Wolfman and Dracula. The production values and acting may leave something to be desired (though Duncan Regehr is fabulous as Dracula), but the movie will be a hit with youngsters nonetheless.

If you’re looking for something for grownups that is light-hearted and hilarious (yet genuinely scary at moments), superbly directed, brilliantly acted, and pretty much fantastic in every way, look no further than the 2004 hit movie Shaun of the Dead. Its title may suggest a low-rent zombie spoof, but don’t judge a book by its cover. Shaun of the Dead is in a category all its own: it is an all original romantic comedy… with zombies. Simon Pegg, who co-wrote the film with director Edgar Wright, plays the title character Shaun, who struggles with a dead-end job, a ne’er-do-well friend (Nick Frost), an unsatisfied girlfriend (Kate Ashfield), and a controlling stepfather (Bill Nighy). And then there’s a relatively unexpected zombie apocalypse, and suddenly it’s up to Shaun to save the day. The film is witty and fresh, outrageously funny, and even poignant at parts. And yes, there are some zombies and some gore in there, and a few (just a few) moments that’ll make you jump out of your seat. You can be sure that you’ve never seen anything like it, and you owe it to yourself to check it out. For the best possible digital film transfer, get the high definition Blu-ray version.

Happy Halloween, and happy watching!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Photo Scanning | No Comments »

Kenneth Branagh Makes His Case For 3D At Comic-Con

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Marvel’s “Thor” To Hit Theaters In 3D Next Year

Director Kenneth Branagh Makes His Case For 3D At Comic-Con

Although he has starred in a wide variety of films, from Wild Wild West to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to Pirate Radio, Kenneth Branagh’s work as a director mostly comprises his several critically acclaimed adaptations of William Shakespeare’s plays. So you might be somewhat surprised to discover that Branagh is currently helming the next Marvel Studios superhero movie, which is slated to hit theaters in May of next year.

Simply entitled Thor, the new movie expands the Marvel universe (also occupied by more familiar heroes like Iron Man), to include the Olympus-like realm of Asgard. As punishment for arrogance and reckless behavior, The Mighty Thor is cast out of Asgard, and forced to live on Earth among humans, where he becomes a superhero. And while none of that sounds particularly far-fetched in the world of super hero movies, the story does get more interesting.

Like many other big action movies slated for 2010 or 2011 release, Thor will be presented in 3D. But unlike many directors (Michael Bay, James Cameron) who have expressed concern about the 3D conversion process, Kenneth Branagh is convinced that 3D conversion will add another dimension to his film, and not just in the obvious way. On Saturday July 24th, Branagh and the cast of Thor will address the attendees of the Comic-Con International expo, both to introduce the new film and to make an argument for 3D.

As tech-savvy Comic-Con attendees are likely to know, the conversion process that turns an ordinary 2D film into a 3D film transfer has been widely criticized, partially because it is theoretically inferior to using a 3D camera (a la Avatar), and partially because movie studios have been pressuring directors to approve last-minute 3D film transfers because the increased ticket prices for 3D movies yield bigger numbers at the box office. But Marvel and Branagh believe that, when done right (a la Alice in Wonderland) the process of 3D conversion can turn 2D film into a convincing 3D experience. According to Branagh, Thor will use 3D not just as a gimmick, but as a “good friend of story and character,” an artistic opportunity to make the movie better. Although Branagh admits to initial skepticism about 3D, he now believes the technology can yield “another draft of the story that can reveal itself in a different way.”

Branagh’s approach to 3D seems to be refreshingly responsible. Branagh’s use of 3D effects in Thor was governed by some pretty reasonable question that many directors of 3D movies haven’t seemed to ask themselves. Is the use of 3D led by story, or the other way around? Can 3D offer a different type of experience, and add something to the story? Branagh believes it can. According to Marvel, the studio has taken an unprecedented amount of time and care in the conversion process, assuring fans that Thor will not resemble the last-minute slap-dash 3D that brought criticism to Warner’s Clash of the Titans. Is 3D a fading fad, or here to stay? It’s up to you to decide.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Photo Scanning | No Comments »

Southern California’s Theme Parks Get Ready For Summer

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Southern California’s Theme Parks Get Ready For Summer

New Attractions And Higher Ticket Prices For 2010

theme parkLast summer, a recession-hit Southern California didn’t pour much money into its many popular theme parks. Rather than entice park-goers with new attractions, theme parks offered bargain packages, discount tickets, and two-for-one deals to draw in recession-weary vacationers who didn’t want to shell out the big bucks for a day of rollercoasters, parades, and overpriced cotton candy.

This summer, on the other hand, things are looking up for Southern California’s theme parks, as new attractions like Universal’s King Kong 3D and Disney’s World of Color (featuring 200-foot-tall animated waterspouts) are expected to draw the big crowds (at full ticket price). According to David Mandt, a spokesman for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, “there’s certainly a sense of optimism returning to the 2010 season,” as the parks have “weathered the storm well.” Now bolstered by a recovering economy, several of Southern California’s theme parks are investing in new, large-scale attractions intended to increase park attendance.

During last year’s theme park slump, only the Disneyland resort showed strong numbers in attendance. But Disney is not resting on its laurels, as it plans to debut a new attraction called World of Color, an expansive light show featuring flames, waterspouts, and animation in the Paradise Bay lagoon at the Disneyland California Adventure park. The new attraction featured classic Disney music paired with cutting edge film transfer and projection technology that blasts color and animation onto moving curtains of water in the lagoon. Set to open during the second week of June, this attraction is part of a billion-dollar investment into improving the California Adventure park.

At Universal Studios Hollywood, several new and revamped attractions are slated for release this summer. A rebooted 22-minute Special Effects Stage show will pit cutting-edge digital film transfer technology such as green screen, CGI, and motion capture, against classic movie making techniques such as rear-screen projection, matte backgrounds, and forced perspective. In July, Universal will also unveil King Kong 360 3-D, in which enormous curved movie screens and high tech 3D film transfers designed by Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson will replace the older mechanical King Kong which has been out of commission since 2008.

For more information on the attractions described above, visit www.disneyland.disney.go.com and http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com.

Tags: ,
Posted in Photo Scanning | 1 Comment »

3D Film Transfer Conversion Process Raises Questions About Quality

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

3D Or Not 3D? That Is The Question

3D Film Transfer Conversion Process Raises Questions About Quality

movie-audienceUntil recently, Hollywood seemed relatively unconcerned with 3D movies. Back in 2003, Robert Rodriguez’s campy kids adventure flick Spy Kids 3D: Game Over made nearly $200 million worldwide, but 3D technology was still overlooked for huge blockbuster films. In that same year, The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King made over a billion dollars worldwide, in only 2 dimensions. Fast forward to 2010, and the story changes. Some of this year’s biggest hits, including Twentieth Century Fox’s Avatar and Disney’s Alice in Wonderland have proved that big name studios, big name directors like James Cameron and Tim Burton, and most importantly big money audiences are embracing 3D as more than just a gimmick.

But there are several ways of going about making a 3D movie. James Cameron helped design a breakthrough 3D camera that allowed him to shoot Avatar in such a way that it looks more like the “true” 3D that we see in the real world. Unfortunately, not all 3D movies that hit theaters are produced with such care and regard for quality. Now that Hollywood has realized that 3D’s premium ticket prices mean gold at the box office, many studios are pushing for 3D conversion, a process that turns ordinary 2D movies into 3D. These movies are shot the old-fashioned way, and then converted to 3D after the fact. A 3D film transfer can look good if it’s done carefully, as Disney proved with Alice in Wonderland, which was not originally shot in 3D. But in many cases, movie studios would rather do a fast and cheap 3D conversion process, and that means sacrificing quality for lower cost.

This trend of producing last-minute 3D film transfers has many Hollywood directors worried. James Cameron, who plans to release a converted 3D version of Titanic, has said that the conversion process can yield poor results if it isn’t performed slowly and carefully. According to Cameron, Hollywood is producing more and more “slapdash” 3D conversion jobs as studios realize how much money can be made at the 3D box office. In an interview with BBC News, Cameron said that “these decisions should be made by film-makers; they shouldn’t be made by studios.” Cameron has also said that “slapdash” 3D film transfers will “work against the adoption of 3D because they’ll be putting out an inferior product.” And Cameron isn’t the only one who feels that way.

Michael Bay, director of the hit Transformers films, is under pressure from Dreamworks to convert the upcoming Transformers 3 to 3D. Bay believes that 3D conversion looks “fake” compared to 3D films that are shot in 3D. The director isn’t convinced that even a careful job will work with his fast-paced, effects-rich action sequences, and is not willing to move forward until he is presented with proof that it came be done. Bay says that “studios might be willing to sacrifice the look and use the (3D) gimmick to make $3 more a ticket, but I’m not.”

Tags: ,
Posted in Photo Scanning | 1 Comment »