Movie Mom

Movie Mom

Ebert: Thumbs Down on 3D, Up on Maxivison48

posted by Nell Minow

Roger Ebert says the case is closed on 3D — it can never work. He has some powerful support for his position, a letter from Walter Murch, “the most respected film editor and sound designer in the modern cinema.” Murch says that “horizontal movement will strobe much sooner in 3D than it does in 2D. This was true then, and it is still true now. It has something to do with the amount of brain power dedicated to studying the edges of things. The more conscious we are of edges, the earlier strobing kicks in.” He says our brains are not capable of processing 3D movie technology, because “the glasses “gather in” the image — even on a huge Imax screen — and make it seem half the scope of the same image when looked at without the glasses.”
I’m not sure I agree; I expect a glasses-free 3D technology is possible, for one thing. But I do agree with Ebert that there is a much less gimmicky and much more powerful enhancement — Ebert’s counter-recommendation — called Maxivision48.
Movies “move” because we see a series of still pictures so quickly that it fools our eye through something called “persistence of vision.” It’s the same technology as a flip-book, and it hasn’t changed much since it shifted from 16 frames per second to 24 when movies added sound (this is why silent films often seem jerky). Unlike current digital equipment, which replicates the 24 frames per second standard, Maxivision combines digital and film to eliminate wasted space and project at 48 frames per second to give the audience a fresher, clearer, more distinct image.
I love their tagline: “See What You’ve Been Missing.”



You Might Also Like...
Previous Posts

New From SpiritClips: Hallmark Hall of Fame and More For Families
New from SpiritClips: unlimited access to Hallmark Hall of Fame movies, thoughtfully selected Hollywood classics and original short films via the web and stream-to-TV devices.  This is a great source for inspiring, heartwarming stories that you won't find anywhere else.  Take a look!

posted 10:33:23pm Jun. 18, 2013 | read full post »

Linda Holmes: Where Are the Women in Movies?
Linda Holmes of NPR's Monkey See blog has written a piece that is more than the usual "Why aren't there more women in/making movies?" There are 617 movie showings today — that's just today, Friday — within 10 miles of my house. Of those 617 showings, 561 of them — 90 percent — are storie

posted 3:59:07pm Jun. 18, 2013 | read full post »

Claire LaZebnik Remembers A Visit from Patricia Neal
Claire LaZebnik wrote a beautiful piece in the Wall Street Journal about a visit from the late Oscar-winning actress Patricia Neal.  The first movie I ever reviewed -- for my high school paper -- was Neal's comeback film, "The Subject Was Roses" (with a very young Martin Sheen as her son).  Neal

posted 8:00:26am Jun. 18, 2013 | read full post »

Opening This Week: World War Z and Monsters University
It's one of the biggest weeks of the year at the movies with two huge openings.  It's the zombie apocalypse vs. monsters, Brad Pitt vs. Mike and Sully. Pitt stars in a movie based on World War Z, a book by Max Brooks (son of Oscar-winners Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks).  It is directed by Marc F

posted 3:59:28pm Jun. 17, 2013 | read full post »

Contest: Jack the Giant Slayer -- and An Exclusive Look at the New "Jack the Giant Slayer" Game for Kids
I really enjoyed Jack the Giant Slayer, next week's DVD/Blu-Ray Pick of the Week, and I am very excited to have five copies to give away.  Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with "Jack" in the subject line, and tell me your favorite fairy tale.  Don't forget your address!  (US addresses on

posted 7:00:23am Jun. 17, 2013 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments Post the First Comment »
post a comment

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.





Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.