"G-Force" Trailer Now Online: World's First 3D Hybrid Movie!

Jim here - we are getting our first look at Disney's G-FORCE by way of a trailer! And it does look very appealing.

I was recently talking with Rob Engle who is responsible for composition and final delivery of the Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney made G-FORCE. Rob said "It is a live action visual effects project (digital effects being added to plate photography). The plates were shot in 2-D using traditional techniques. The plates are being "converted" to 3-D while the digital effects are being rerendered for the other eye."

So G-FORCE is part 2D to 3D conversion and part CG. Very interesting technical project to say the least.

The storyline is of course going to appeal to kids and families and looks like a traditional and entertaining Disney movie. I have to admit I chucked a few times throughout this trailer and can tell that I will enjoy this one!

Check out the trailer:

New "OverThinker" episode

Game OverThinker. Episode 17. "Homeless."

Little Big Planet, niche games and depressing sales results. Check it out:
http://gameoverthinker.blogspot.com/2008/12/episode-seventeen-homeless.html

I'm on Internet TV once again!

The Escapist has once again given me a slot for a movie review on their show, this time involving "Twilight." Now you know why I didn't do that "on my own." Check out the show here:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-escapist-show/481-Episode-Nine-Dead-Rising-Chop-Till-You-Drop

I come in at about 5:45, but I do reccomend you check out the whole thing - they're covering the Wii version of "Dead Rising," and there's a Zero Punctuation preview for what looks like a Prince of Persia review. Fun!

UPDATE:
Oh, and hey... just thought of something: This is the first time I've had one of these up for something that was new and revelent... so, if anyone out there is feeling helpful, it might be fun to go and toss some links to this in the direction of your favorite movie-discussion forum, chatroom, message-board, whatever - particularly ones where "Twilight" is being discussed or is likely to be discussed. The IMDB board for the film, for example, would be a good idea. I'd be interested to see what the actual feedback on something "fresh" is.

Thanks.

Thomas Jane Will Fight "The Devil's Commandos" In 3D!

Jim here. Got some GREAT news for all you Thomas Jane fans out there - he is close to finishing up his much anticipated first 3D movie THE DARK COUNTRY and has signed on for at least a year of a new HBO series called HUNG. Further his GIVE 'EM HELL MALONE is wrapping as well!

So what could top all of that off? How about fighting Satan's army in the middle of WWII? Yes! He and a group of commandos are on a rescue mission during the Second World War and literally ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE and they of course must defeat them somehow. And it is written by Todd Farmar - love this guy's work!

Thomas will be acting and directing this one in 3D - just as he did for THE DARK COUNTRY. Busy man! This project reminds me of those old comics of my childhood - WEIRD WAR...

Read more about it over at my friends at ShockTillYouDrop.

NEW "My Bloody Valentine 3D" Photos

Jim here. Got some new MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D photos for you from actual footage of the movie. Something tells me this movie relies upon the shock value of blood a little bit. Just a feeling.

Warning: Kinda graphic. Have a look...

OUTTAKES #023

So that you may sleep well without wondering, the stills are from 1973’s The Twilight People. Merry Christmas everybody!

The Top Ten Most Anticipated 3D Movies Of 2009

Jim here. Well it is almost upon us - the year of 3D: 2009!

And what a year it will be. We have seasoned directors with mega budgets all the way to new directors with limited resources but tons of talent. What's the common thread among them? 3D. Mark my words - like I have said all along - 2009 is the year 3D earns much deserved RESPECT. Respect from studios/theaters for the added revenue that it brings in; from audiences for the massive step forward toward total immersion in movies; and from the media who still have members clinging desperately to bygone eras, claiming 3D is a gimmick and nothing but a fad. You are about to be assimulated.

Moreover, audiences will begin to see the creativity of the people involved in stereoscopic 3D movies start to explode with freshness that hasn't been seen in Hollywood since, well probably THE MATRIX. Directors will challenge themselves with 3D projects. Actors will be chomping at the bit to get their mugs up on the silver screen in full three dimensions. The teams behind the scenes will work harder, share more and reach out to learn more about 3D - because there is definitely plenty of opportunity in the 3D business nowadays!

We couldn't have even had this list a year ago - there wasn't enough projects on the go for 2008. That is no longer an issue obviously with the fine slate available to us for 2009...

So it is with a great deal of excitement that I present the Top Ten Most Anticipated 3D Movies Of 2009:

1. AVATAR (James Cameron) (Fox) - December 18
There can be NO doubt this is the most looked forward to 3D movie of 2009. Heck of ANY movie. I am placing this above STAR TREK, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE and TERMINATOR: SALVATION on my own personal catch all list (includes 2D movies obviously) - so you know you better damn well see this movie. AVATAR is a movie of epic proportions set partially on the planet Pandora and starring their indigenous creatures the Na'vi. It seems that these creatures are able to allow humans to combine with them in some fashion (no spoilers here!) and tells the tale of environmentalism and survival. Sam Worthington leads a stellar cast. What a stunning Sci-Fi line up for next year! You really should not need convincing. Cameron is proven. He is one of the top, if not the best in the genre (Aliens, Terminator). He has a mega budget - and he delivers on them (Titanic). The man simply connects to his audiences and is a perfectionist - Did I say that he also invented the damn 3D cameras he is using too? Yes he did. Look for records to fall with this one.

2. MONSTERS VS. ALIENS (Dreamworks Animation) - March 27
With all the evangelism that Jeffrey Katzenberg has been doing for the 3D industry this movie had better be good. And it LOOKS good, given the trailers I have seen. MvsA centers on an invasion of aliens intent on evil when mankind calls on their only viable option: Monsters. The movie is a homage to middle 20th century monsters movies. The premise is delicious. Can they pull it off? Well they are definitely approaching 3D the right way - total commitment. All future tentpoles from DWA will be in stereoscopic 3D and by stating that up front, they are pulling the trigger to develop cutting edge systems to develop in the medium. They have some great talents behind the systems too and I believe they will be the studio to watch in coming years. Some great talent voicing the creatures too like SETH ROGEN and REESE WITHERSPOON.

3. DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Robert Zemeckis) (Disney) - November 6
Zemeckis has had ample time to work on any motion capture issues he may have had while working on BEOWULF and this time around we are going to see some stunning effects. Add in Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman, probably the most beloved Christmas story of all time and 3D and it makes for a heckuva presentation. Disney has commited to only producing 3D movies for their animated tentpoles from now on as well. Ebenezer Scrooge (JIM CARREY) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (GARY OLDMAN) and his cheery nephew (COLIN FIRTH). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late. Carrey plays SEVEN roles btw!

4. CORALINE (Henry Selick) (Focus Features) - February 6
This could be the sleeper hit of 2009. We all know Selick's work from A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and many have seen the intricate behind the scenes detail that his team is putting into this stop action 3D movie. How well will it perform? Obviously Neil Gaiman (author) has a huge following to begin with and the younger crowd will be enchanted by the story but can it have broad appeal? I say it will. This should be a visual stunner. The movie is about a young girl (voiced by DAKOTA FANNING) who discovers an alternate reality where things are not quite right. A grand adventure!

5. ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (Fox) - July 1
I am the first to admit that I hate RAY ROMANO as an actor. Really hate him. But his voice is somewhat appealing and thankfully that is what has been injected into this film. The ICE AGE franchise is proven and with the addition of 3D, the box office for this flick should be somewhere north of spectacular. And the trailers are absolutely entertaining.

6. UP (Pixar) - May 29
You guys know what Pixar is capable of in 2D. Well now they are directing their tablet styluses toward an all 3D lineup of movies from now on. Have you seen the trailer yet (only in 2D mind you!). UP is a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. The only reason I am putting Up in sixth and not fifth is that ICE AGE is proven. I could very well enjoy UP much better - we shall see!

7. MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3-D (Patrick Lussier) (Lionsgate) - January 16th
The first offering of 2009 has had some great reviews already from some super advance screenings. AND it is rated R. Why? Here is the MPAA's reasoning: Rated R for graphic brutal horror violence and grisly images throughout, some strong sexuality, graphic nudity and language. Tom (Jensen Ackles) returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine's night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people. Instead of a homecoming, however, Tom finds himself suspected of committing the murders, and it seems like his old flame (Jaime King) is the only one will believes he's innocent. Definitely checking this one out ASAP.

8. FINAL DESTINATION: DEATH TRIP 3D (David R. Ellis) (New Line) - August 21
The second 3D horror movie of the year of note is from the FINAL DESTINATION franchise and is bound to do well as have the predecessors. Inject some 3D and you should have a refreshed approached to a formula that works. I am looking forward to seeing this one because 3D offers directors so many more creative choices. Should be great. Synopsis: After a teen's premonition of a deadly race-car crash helps saves the lives of his peers, Death sets out to collect those who evaded their end.

9. CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (Sony Pictures Imageworks Animation) - September 18
I have elected to place CWCM ahead of Disney's G-FORCE because I think the potential is larger for a bigger hit and I am giving the storyline a lot of credit here. Sure, Disney has a little more experience with 3D but I am giving Sony a nod here. Food pours down from above just when the a town called Chewandswallow needs it most - however it soon overwhelms everyone. The movie will be in the style of BEOWULF (motion capture). **Update from Rob Engle of Sony: CLOUDY is 100% keyframe animated - no motion capture. Speaking with Rob has only reinforced my enthusiasm for this movie - sounds awesome.

10. G-FORCE (Disney) - July 24
Could have been higher, but I went with CWCM instead based on storyline and method of animation. Kids will love this one though - An elite guinea pig commando force try to stop a billionaire from taking over the world? Pure mayhem. **Update from Rob Engle at Sony: "G-FORCE is the first hybrid stereoscopic production... part 2-D to 3-D conversion, part CG. All the plate photography was shot in 2-D on film." Interesting to see another 2D->3D conversion project on the go.

Honorable Mentions:
CONVERSIONS! TOY STORY, DAWN OF THE DEAD and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (Romero - colorized) are being converted from 2D to 3D and I am itching to see both of them again! These will obviously do well from their following and indeed sprout new fans with these releases. I have not included conversions on this list, but if readers say so, I will going forth! Note that G-FORCE is a conversion project, but it is an original effort and not a re-release of a 2D movie.

PIRANHA 3D: Let me just say that if Alexandre Aja's PIRANHA 3D makes it out in 2009 - it will definitely move up in my list! But, it looks like it will be more likely a 2010 release as production was pushed back until spring of 2009 from the fall of 2008. I am a huge Aja fan and REALLY looking forward to this 3D effort from him.

JONAS BROTHERS CONCERT: Oh yeah - the 'tweens will love it and it will probably do as well as Hannah Montana's did this year - sorry it didn't crack the top 10 though!

There are a few 3D movies slated for 2009 without release dates yet - like THE DARK COUNTRY and HORRORWEEN so I could not include them in case they do not get the distribution they want in time for 2009. Both of these examples are definitely on my list to see.

For my constantly updated list of upcoming 3D movies (out to 2012 currently) check out this page.

So what do you think? I want to hear your opinions on what will kick some 3D butt in 2009! How do you think the big 2D movies will stack up against the behemoth AVATAR? Personally, I think Cameron and crew will at least double them up - but I am a wee bit biased...

Mr. Brooks

Run Fatboy Run

Thanks to Mikhail Abasov

Awesome New "My Bloody Valentine 3D" Widget And Website Is Up!

Hey - Jim here. Hope everyone is having a great holiday season! Lionsgate has launched their MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D website and it looks as kick ass as the movie! Check the site out here.

Also - get a load of the new widget for the movie below - I think we are in for some great 3D horror moments January 16th:

The Spirit (2008)

As if the geekdom NEEDED any evidence beyond "All-Star Batman & Robin" (or the entire last decade or so of his career, really) that Frank Miller has turned perhaps irrevocably into a self-hating destroyer of his own work and all he's ever professed to love, please keep in mind that he still calls the late, legendary Will Eisner - creator of The Spirit - a friend and mentor... yet he has turned Eisner's signature creation, one of the most groundbreaking and important in all of the medium, into the most toxically awful comic adaptation since Joel Schumacher first opted for anatomically-correct Batsuits.


It's not enough to call "The Spirit" a bad movie... it's one of the THE bad movies. What we have here is a must-be-seen cultural touchstone, a moment that any film geek worth his salt will want to be able to say he remembers experiencing for the first time. It sits in a rare pantheon with the most truly awful of the awful - think "Myra Breckenridge." Think "Zabriske Point." Think "Showgirls" and the "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" movie with the Bee Gees. This will be a punchline for decades, and we will speak of it forever.


Eisner's "Spirit" was a newspaper strip (so popular that for a time papers would carry it in it's own section instead of placing it with the other comics) about a masked man who took a licking and kept on ticking - an ex-cop named Denny Colt who uses the fact that the underworld believes he's been killed to assume a vigilante identity. Part hard-boiled noir, part romance, part slapstick, part kiddie fantasy and part gritty action drama, there's still never been anything else exactly like it - not for nothing does the comic publishing world call it's highest honor "The Eisner Award." It was always going to be a problem to adapt this material into a film - Spirit is often a supporting character in his own adventures, a nigh-indestructible Rod Serling taking readers on a tour of urban fancy that was, tonally, all over the map: Spirit could be romancing a curvaceous hitwoman in one scene, and partnering with Santa Claus to save Christmas in the next. Hard-edged thugs share the same panels with glamorous pinup beauties with names like Sand Saref or Plaster of Paris.


Miller's "solution" to this conundrum is twofold: He opts to suck the fun out by bathing the whole film in the monotone sheen thats become a boring cliche in the genre AND by turning the circumstances of Spirit's joked-about invulnerability into a plot point; then he fills in the cracks with his standard-issue bag of tricks and the ultimate over-the-top "what the HELL are you buying that you needed to say yes to this??" turn from Samuel L. Jackson.

The sole plus side of the film, aside from being able to enjoy it's transcendant awfulness for the sake of comedy, is that Miller retains a (visually) acute taste in women - he's honored The Spirit's tradition of curvaceous pinup-princess female characters by packing the cast with some of the best-looking women in the business and pouring them into a boutique's worth of fetish-doll costuming. One can feel pity on Scarlett Johanssen, Eva Mendes, Paz Vega (so thats where she's been...) Sara Paulson and Jamie King for having to debase themselves with Miller's tone-deaf tuff-girl dialogue, but they've never looked better. Thank goodness for small, (even-numbered) favors.

Seven Pounds

If you were like me, you MARVELED at the effectiveness of Will Smith and director Gabriele Muccino's "The Pursuit of Happyness," wondering HOW they managed to remove every shred of false emotionality, cheese, heavy-handed symbolism and sappy sentimentality from a project that was PRIMED for them. Now, we have our answer: They saved it all up and used it to make THIS stumbling mess of Oscar bait.

Here's a movie that almost plays out like it was made on a dare: "Bet you can't make a maudlin tearjerker about a messianic IRS agent; bonus points if you can make a jellyfish a pivotal element." As it turns out, you CAN do this... you just shouldn't.

The hook here is supposed to be that the trailers have you wondering what the hell the film is actually about, and that it doesn't all "come together" until the final "shocking" ten minutes or so. Maybe that part will work for you. Honestly? I was pretty sure I'd figured out the story from the first trailers, and was surprised to later find out it was supposed to be vauge. Oh, well.

To be sporting, I won't tell you anything about the main plot other than what WAS shown plainly in the trailer: Will Smith is a mysterious, soft-spoken man with IRS credentials and apparently great wealth who's smarting emotionally over some yet-unrevealed personal moral failing in his recent past. He spends the film investigating and meeting various sick people in need of organ transplants, 'testing' their worth and situations for a yet-unrevealed reason. Whatever it is, it involves a rather unorthodox promise to help made by his friend (Barry Pepper) and seems to be complicated by his development of a romantic interest in one of his subjects: Rosario Dawson as a young woman in need of a new heart. Okay. That was the trailer. Do YOU have some inkling as to what the "big idea" might be? Ah, good. So it's not just me.

Anyway... I don't think it's a bad idea for a movie, myself, but the end result is torpedoed by a treacly, predictable series of scenarios and disasterously heavy-handed symbology. The story views Smith's character a martyr figure, fine - but does he REALLY need, in addition to all his other skills (he can, for example, repair a century-old machine he's never heard of just by studying it VERY intently and stopping off at the Home Depot) the seemingly supernatural ability to tame misbehaving dogs, understand the unspoken thoughts of an invalid old woman and even pull miraculous gardening solutions out of thin air? Memo to Mr. Smith: Messiah complexes tend to get movie stars into trouble. See Cruise comma Tom, Gibson comma Mel.

First Official AVATAR promo image - Worthington & Cameron on set!!

Michael here. This is awesome - Fox has begun their AVATAR publicity campaign with a first look at James Cameron and Sam Worthington (as Jake Sully) on the Avatar set in New Zealand!

The set looks to be an air/space craft, maybe a personnel transport or drop ship. Whatever it is, the detail and utilitarian design is great. It's also not entirely clear whether Worthington is in full costume, but from what I can see in this pic and from what I've seen of him in Terminator: Salvation, he's gonna nail this role.

And check out Cameron's Battle Angel t-shirt! Maybe we will be seeing Battle Angel sooner than we may think? As we know from speaking to concept artist Mark Goerner, a ton of design work has already been completed. I'm a rabid fan of the original 9 graphic novels, so of course I'm dying to see insane cyborg action in 48 frames-per-second 3D.

Here is the LA Times' very aptly-stated comment accompanying this photo:

"The buzz surrounding James Cameron's big-budget return to science fiction has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. The film, a mix of CGI and live action using new techniques Cameron himself helped to develop, was shot with a special 3-D camera (also developed by Cameron). Mix that with the promise of large-scale, hard science fiction that hasn't been attempted much in the past few years, and you have a project that seems guaranteed to live up to the hype and expectations that are riding on it. The only question (and fear) is what is to become of the cinema geeks overwhelmed by the images that Cameron and his effects crew are putting in front of them. For those with weaker constitutions, we fear the worst."

I couldn't agree more. This photo is an awesome holiday present for the fans. I can't wait to see what Cameron and Fox show us next!

source: latimes.com

Editor's (Jim) note: Wow! I am thrilled that we are starting to see official promo material - and is that ever a hint or what? BATTLE ANGEL? There are plenty of sites jumping on the FORBIDDEN PLANET bandwagon for his next project, but I am sticking with THE DIVE or BATTLE ANGEL right now! That definitely looks like a jump seat to me between JC and SW - looks like a drop ship to me! :-)

Sneak Peak: "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" Video Clip

Jim here. For all you Jonas Brothers fans out there (you know who you are) - here is the first SNEAK PEAK at what is in store for you on February 27th, 2009.

There are a few behind the scenes clips in the video - one of them, the brothers Jonas explain what they think about doing a 3D movie and what is in it. Nick Jonas says "The coolest thing about this movie is that it's just not the performances that you see. It's the stuff behind-the-scenes that really stood out to us."

And that is exactly how I feel about movies - especially concert movies. The more BTS clips the better - I can't get enough of them.

This is not a full fledged concert movie like U2 3D was, but rather it takes the audience with them on tour (the "Burning Up" tour - for their 3rd album "A Little Bit Longer") revealing some interesting "days in the life" of the boys.

There are cameos by Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato and also a look at them shooting a music video for "Love Is On Its Way".

By the way, PACE lent its equipment to the effort and so we should see a technically very competent final result! Looking forward to it seeing the 3D work. As are many 'tweens I am sure...

Have a look:

SHORT FEATURE: THE POWER OF TWO

Don’t worry, we’re not becoming The Chick Flick Catechism (not that there’s anything wrong with that), we’re just addressing the concerns of frequent commenter Xena who laments, “It always gives me the heebie-jeebies this time of year that the birth of Jesus seems to get celebrated without any references to pregnancy or childbirth.” And you know what, she’s right. Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio reminds us that “despite the cuddly image of our nativity scenes, the original Christmas was anything but cozy.  A woman nine months pregnant rides 75 miles on the back of a donkey over bumpy, dusty roads so she can have her baby in a stable full of dirty, smelly animals.” Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think that’s how it was portrayed in The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Mary is given many titles as the eschatological icon of the Church: Tower of Ivory, House of Gold, Ark of the Covenant, etc. But during Advent & Christmas, maybe it’s a good time to remember some of the simpler, yet just as meaningful titles Mary held; wife, mother, widow, etc., and all of the subsequent hardships which come along with them. And just because Christian tradition holds that, due to certain Christological necessities, Mary did not suffer the pains of the actual childbirth (Summa Theologica Q35,A6 & The Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part 1: The Creed, Article III), that doesn’t mean she didn’t have to put up with some of the rest of the pleasantries of pregnancy. I think it’s safe to assume St. Joseph had to learn to give a foot massage.

INTERMISSION: AND INTRODUCING…

 

Ever notice how tight lipped some actors get about their early work once they make it big, especially the ones who got their foot in the door by appearing in low budget slasher films? And we’re not just talking about the ones everyone is familiar with like Kevin Bacon (Friday The 13th) or Johnny Depp (Nightmare On Elm Street). Dig deep into the slasher archives and you’ll find a bevy of up and coming actors the world would soon be heaping praises on. Can you name the future star (or stars) who made an early career appearance in these crazy killer classics before moving on to bigger and better things? Use your cursor to highlight the answers.

1. Leprechaun (1993) Crazy killer dwarf loose in a small town.
Answer": Jennifer Anniston

2. The Burning (1981) Crazy killer loose at a summer camp.
Answer: Holly Hunter & Jason Alexander

3. The Final Terror (1983) Crazy killer loose in the woods.
Answer: Darryl Hannah

4. The Initiation (1984) Crazy killer loose in a mall.
Answer: Daphne Zuniga (Hey, she’s still working.)

5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994) Crazy killers loose in the Longhorn State. With chainsaws, natch.
Answer: Renée Zellweger & Matthew McConaughey

6. He Knows You're Alone (1980) Crazy killer loose about town.
Answer: Tom Hanks (who was so likeable on set they rewrote the script so his character could live.)

7. Cutting Class (1989) Crazy killer loose at a high school.
Answer: Brad Pitt

8. Eyes of a Stranger (1981) Crazy killer loose in apartment complex.
Answer: Jennifer Jason Leigh

9. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) Crazy supernatural killer loose in an asylum.
Answer: Laurence Fishburne (And this was after Apocalypse Now)

10. Deadly Lessons (1983) Crazy killer loose at a boarding school.
Answer: Ally Sheedy & Bill Paxton

11. Shadows Run Black (1986) Crazy killer loose at a college.
Answer: Kevin Costner

12. Return to Horror High (1987) Crazy killer loose on a movie set.
Answer: George Clooney (but George also starred in Return of the Killer Tomatoes, so we forgive him.)

Go ahead and just try to get any of these guys talking about their early days in the trenches of B-moviedom. It’s futile. You’d think they broke into the business making porn or something. (Which is silly. Just ask Sylvester Stallone, he’ll tell you what it’s like having to make porn.) These stars seem to want us to believe they sprung onto the scene as the fully fledged arteests the public views them as now. Apparently their egos can’t handle the fact that they started their careers saying lines like “Is anybody there?” and “AIEEEE!”.

That’s a shame because, around these parts, we take no offense at humble beginnings. In fact, as part of the Christmas season, we celebrate them. “Jesus was born in a humble stable, into a poor family.” the Catechism reminds us. “In this poverty heaven's glory was made manifest… No one, whether shepherd or wise man, can approach God here below except by kneeling before the manger at Bethlehem and adoring him hidden in the weakness of a new-born child.”

And it’s not just the location of Jesus’ birthplace which brings a sense of humbleness to the whole proceedings. Father Michael F. X. Hinkley notes that “The birth of God as man is itself an act by God of profound humility. The Christ is not to be found in a palace or in a family of social advantage. Without any loss to his Godliness, Jesus is born in the poverty of the stable. He takes on flesh and all that being human entails save sin. God humbles himself to show us God’s way of love (Ps 25:9). God’s experience of poverty isn’t limited to the economic, either. Jesus enters the poverty of all mankind. God, who is love, comes to know the ravages of our human pain, prejudice and persecution from within the frame of human experience.”

This Christmas season, may we all ignore the example of our man-made mega-stars and follow instead in the footsteps of our Lord, never forgetting where we came from, no matter how humble those places may have been.

VOTE FOR GAME OVERTHINKER (again!)

Wow.

The Screwattack.com Gaming 1337 awards have moved on to the finals, and thanks to all of YOU... I made it in. "Game OverThinker" is one of the FINAL THREE nominees for "Best Gaming Show;" alongside Mega64 and Unforgotten Realms.

WTF? Look, I'm not going to put on some bullshit humble-face and pretend like I don't bust my ass on these things or that I don't think I do a damn good job most of the time but... seriously? The HELL am I doing nominated alongside Mega64 and Unforgotten Realms??

Anyway, this DOES mean I've got to gently ask you all to once again head over to... http://screwattack.com/Vote

...and vote for GAME OVERTHINKER for "Best Gaming Show" (and whoever else you like for everything else.) Thank you all so much, what a great Christmas gift I genuinely was not expecting.

Exclusive: "Night Of The Living Dead" Coming Soon In 3D!

Jim here. Just had a great conversation with Greg Passmore of Passmore Lab in San Diego (2D to 3D conversion experts) and was I ever excited to hear about their latest project: Breathing 3D life into the 2D colorized version of George Romero's classic, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD!

I don't know about you guys, but when I first saw this movie, it scared the living cr*p out of me! It is serious piece of work as I am sure most of you guys know. It also created permanent, distinct neural pathways within my brain that to this day still gets under my skin. Zombies. :-)

Here's the interview:

MarketSaw: Hi Greg - wow! NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is one of my all time favorites! How did you come to the decision to convert NOLD to 3D?
GP: I really love the film Jim. When I started talking about it around the office, much to my surprise, I found lots of other people here who also love the film. It just seemed like a natural. Legend has, by far, the best copy and colorization of the film. I pestered Legend for months to get them to agree to let us do it.

MarketSaw: What sort of distribution have you come up with for the movie?
GP: Originally it was slated for VOD and 3D DVD. We have found some strong interest in European distribution and maybe even limited theatrical in the US. Ultimately however, the film is destined primarily for home entertainment.

MarketSaw: What challenges are you facing in the conversion?
GP: The film was not exactly shot in 70mm film, so the challenges of 3D conversion bring with it the challenges of restoration and bump up. However, I want to preserve some of the raw, grainy look. That's it. The actual conversion is not an issue. Invite over your buddies, make some popcorn and enjoy it on your big 3D TV.

MarketSaw: What part of the movie do you think holds the most promise for a "wow - in your face" 3D zombie effect?
GP: Ha ha. Zombie hordes and the cemetery scenes. I'm not to big on the gross stuff, but I'm sure some of that will give younger viewers a thrill.

MarketSaw: You also created the software for the conversion of NOTLD to color back in the day - any special software you create for this effort?
GP: Yeah. We have been working with Legend for about 10 years. Barry, Legend's resident genius, had some complex ideas for efficient colorization. Our lab wrote all the colorization software for them and one of the many, many films they colorized was NOLD. We started out as a software house and still have a team of big gun software developers on staff. That helps us do these kind of odd applications which require proprietary and highly specific software.

MarketSaw: Passmore Lab has been active for quite some time now in 3D circles - have you noticed any notable evolution in recent years? Hardware, software? I know you use the RED cameras...
GP: It is starting to feel real. For several years, I felt like 3D might be an insane thing to do. It is still the dumbest or smartest business thing anyone could do. Time will tell. However, I am feeling better about the direction of the industry. We have two groups involved in 3D; a live shoot team in San Diego and our conversion team spread over three countries. The live 3D shoot team was originally formed to create reference footage for testing the quality of the 3D conversions. It has since expanded to be more than that, but ultimately we are still a lab. As such, we have installed state of the art 3D microscopy gear (4k, uncompressed), autostereoscopic displays, a huge theater, built a custom 3D Red rig, developed and use underwater 3D rigs, and have installed lots and lots of computing power - all for testing and development of tools and techniques for 3D production. We are finicky about using the scientific method for metrics and validation. We don't want rigs you bump into alignment with an elbow or finger wiggle into place. We want precision instrumentation that is repeatable. For example, our 3D microscope rig has precision bearings, computer control and a 1 micron accuracy. We want to free the artists from the current home brew camera rigs, so they can focus on their art, not the clumsy gear made of bolts and screws from the local machine shop that typically makes replacement mirrors for obsolete cars. We want biotech quality, not automobile shop quality.

MarketSaw: I am impressed with your Lab expansions! Must be like a wonderland in there for 3D fanatics! Which leads me to my next question: Tim Burton is shooting ALICE IN WONDERLAND in 2D and then converting to 3D. James Cameron has attacked that approach - what do you think of that debate?
GP: Shooting 3D is great when you want reality. I don't want to just see realistic films. Conversion allows you to control 3D showing something other than reality; your dreams, your nightmares. I want to see things that do not exist in the real world. Color cameras shoot the sky as blue... I might not want the sky to be blue. For storytelling, conversion is more flexible.

MarketSaw: That is a very interesting point that I had not yet heard. I can see the logic behind that. Any other upcoming projects you can tell us about?
GP: We are converting the beloved Spike and Mike Animation Festival. There is a lot of crazy stuff there and we love converting cell animation to 3D. We are also converting a lot of stuff for the studios that they force me not to discuss. In live action, we are shooting a 3D film on the worlds most incredible caves. Totally, absolutely crazy caves. The world's deepest pits, biggest ice caves, underwater rivers, skeletons, paintings, sacrificial pits, and cave spiders, scorpions and bats galore. Fun project, but physically challenging. We are destroying a lot of gear for that film,. We have converted some crazy footage for Ripley's Believe it or Not. One piece has this guy who can pop his eyes out of his head - something in 3D I promise you will never forget.

MarketSaw: There are many die hard NOTLD fans out there who criticized the colorization of the movie - do you think the same will happen with 2D->3D?
GP: Maybe. However, I think it adds a lot of value and most importantly, it is FUN. This film is not Casablanca. The best way to avoid criticism is to do nothing. Not an option with my personality.

MarketSaw: Will the conversion be 100% faithful, or will you be adding or enhancing anything?
GP: 100% faithful to the film, but we have cut a new trailer that is more contemporary.

MarketSaw: Can't wait to see that trailer! Any other black and white classics you are thinking of converting? Personally, I would love to see more black and white converted to 3D - I think it works VERY well.
GP: We have a list of a couple dozen B&W films in our queue. Some of them are obvious, like famous concerts, but we are also doing some not so obvious educational pieces to help engage students in important historical events. We are also converting some more recent art B&W films. These include live action, cell animation, even pencil drawings. The pencil drawing animations are really cool.

MarketSaw: How long does it take you to complete any given conversion project Greg?
GP: All the usual disclaimers about difficult content and difficult customers, but about 6-8 weeks for a feature.

I want to thank Greg for all the insightful comments and for taking on a dream project of mine - and I didn't even have to ask! ...and just to set the mood - here is the original (and not the best copy) of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD in blcak and white - ENJOY:

Valkyrie

Hey, I saw something early! Good for me!

As the barrage of trailers have now informed you, this is the story of one Col. Klaus von Stauffenberg, a German military officer who joined and subsequently spearheaded an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler and stage a military coup against the Nazi Elite. You are aware, one hopes, that this didn't work.

So, here's a challenge facing anyone trying to film this story: Everyone knows Hitler wasn't assassinated, so even if you've never heard this particular story you know how it ends. There's two ways, then, to make this work as a narrative (as opposed to a documentary). Option #1: Make a sprawling, likely lugubrious epic that sets up all the context and backstory explaining how things got to this point, who these conspirators were and why they chose this moment to act which won't be especially riveting but will tell a fascinating historical tale. Option #2: Cut out every shred of context, larger-themes, ANYTHING that isn't directly related to the forward-momentum of the conspiracy and hope that avoiding context will let the audience briefly forget that they already know the ending and can get wrapped up in the thrill of the chase.

"Valkyrie" goes with Option #2.

It's a well-made mechanical thriller, it just doesn't have any real heft to it. There's no real depth or character to any of the players or the film they inhabit: Tom Cruise - as Stauffenberg - steps onscreen, announces that he's decided that Hitler must be stopped, and spends the rest of the film plowing ahead toward that goal. The movie follows his lead. Who were these guys? What were their motives aside, from the general "Hitler was bad?" No time for that - it's just straight-on through the exciting parts of what's ultimately a pretty damn clever power-grab.

Up to a point this all works, the movie is exciting and goes along quick and agreeably... there just isn't anything to hang onto after it ends. Change the costumes and this could be the second and third act of an Ocean's Eleven sequel.

The Tale of Despereaux

Sidebar: I hate being sick. Hate it. Hate not having any energy. Hate not being in control of my body. Hate losing whole days (or several days) to just sleeping and waiting for everything to repair itself. I can't believe I used to WISH for this shit just to get out of school. The FUCK was wrong with me??

Anyway...

"The Tale of Despereaux" looks like it took forever to make, so it's probably unfair to suggest that it's bearing more than a passing resemblance to something a cynical team of executives would concoct if told to create "Ratatouille meets Harry Potter" is anything other than coincidence. Especially since, in spite of how it eventually shakes out (SPOILER ALERT: less than wonderful) there's a tremendous amount to be admired in it. Here's a non-Pixar animated film that takes itself seriously, doesn't talk down at all to it's young audience, nails a kind of lyrical fairy-story melancholy seldom attempted outside of Hayao Miyazaki and - best of all - doesn't contain a SINGLE obnoxious pop-culture reference. It's just too bad it's so structurally unsound.

It's one thing for a family film to have a deep, layered plot... it's quite another for it to have a plot so convoluted and confounding that it would be frustrating to follow in an "adult" film. There are about five major characters at the center of five individual story-arcs with their own origins, motives and goals; and aside from key plot-points they don't really connect to one another all that much. There's enough material here for an entire season of a half-hour TV show, and it's all haphazardly crammed into a single movie.

Briefly: There's a kingdom called Dor, where everyone loves soup. During a big soup festival, a friendly rat named Roscuro accidentally falls into the Queen's bowl, inducing a fatal heart. This throws the King into depression, leading him to banish all rats to the dungeon - where even gentle Roscuro is forced to join a barbaric feudal society of vermin - and ban all soup - which leaves the Royal Soup Chef despondent and estranged from his assistant, a ghost (unexplained) made of vegetables. Meanwhile, a big-eared mouse named Despereaux keeps getting in trouble because he wants to be brave and knight-like while mice are supposed to be timid and fearful. He befriends the castle's Princess, a no-no which gets him banished to the dungeon in time to ALSO befriend Roscuro and hatch a joint plan of attonement. Also involved are an evil Rat King (who's name I'm not sure was ever said aloud) who placates the rat horde with gladiator games and a miserably-backstoried servant girl with a creeping case of Princess Envy. If you're noticing that Despereaux seems to comprise the less-interesting part of his own tale, you're halfway there.

The movie has all the hallmarks of a lengthy literary adaptation being crammed into a "highlight reel" of a feature film, and a quick Google informs me that it's indeed based on a Newbury Award winning book... which, puzzlingly, seems to be summarized as a lot LESS convoluted than the movie. Either way, there's just not enough room for anything to BREATHE.

It all seems to be working fine up to a point, with a nice deliberate pace that takes time introducing Roscuro (who's really more of the movie, to be honest) and the rest of the supporting cast and their stories before even getting to Despereaux (who never really gets away from being Reepicheep without the entertaining egomania.) But the cracks start to show in the second act. Without spoiling, the story requires two of the good-guys to take an INCREDIBLY dark, tragic character turn that the film doesn't leave enough room to fully explore - instead of a natural progression of bad decision to realization to redemption, it seems more like two major characters go momentarily insane and then get better right away for the finale.

And I've STILL got no idea what was up with the vegetable-man!

It's a great looking movie and an admirable try... but it falls apart.

2009 OSCAR PREDICTIONS AS OF DECEMBER

Everybody else is doing it so why the hell not?

Going into the season, when I hadn't seen anything, I personally thought that despite all the Ben Button hype, Sam Mendes would prove he's truly The King of the World and Revolutionary Road would win Best Picture in the end.

Of course, I had no idea what Revolutionary Road was about because I hadn't read the book yet and the truth is, it's a small miracle this movie even got made. It's very good, don't get me wrong, but it softens the characters and their attitudes towards each other, losing a penetrating brutality that doesn't scar so much as bruise.

Kate and Leo were both excellent but the truth of the matter is that I was a little underwhelmed by Revolutionary Road. The end in particular did not sit very well with me. There were a couple missed opportunities in my mind.

Is it one of the top 25 films of the year? Absolutely. But do I think it's one of the top 5? No. To be fair, I think one would appreciate the film more if they've ever been married. But ultimately, while I thought DiCaprio was actually better, or at least more consistent than Winslet (although that may just be the characters), I don't think it was a character/performance he'll be remembered for. Winslet may be more memorable if only because you're not likely to forget one of the scenes toward the end of the film (a gorgeous sweeping shot across a living room). But you can't argue that it's not a career best performance from either DiCaprio or Winslet, and I'm just not hearing the passion out there for Leo this year, at least certainly not as loud as The Aviator or The Departed.

There are plenty of other questions to be sure. Will voters embrace Clint Eastwood like they have in the past? Will voters feel Frank Langella's Tony Award is enough? And will they snub the yin to Nixon's yang, Michael Sheen's David Frost. Will Sheen accept supporting status, despite the fact that both roles are clearly both leads. Of course, that line is getting blurrier each year. Heath Ledger, lead or supporting? Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder, lead or supporting? Could The Reader's Kate Winslet be nominated in the supporting actress category since she's a lock for a lead nom for Revolutionary Road? Will the dual nomination help or hurt her Oscar chances? Could Milk earn dual supporting actor nominations for its impressive trio of Josh Brolin, James Franco and Emile Hirsch?

I 'doubt' Miramax will push Philip Seymour Hoffman for lead even though he most definitely is a co-lead with Streep. The acting in the scene where they're without a third party in Sister Aloysius' office is the stuff movies are made of. Hoffman's performance walks an incredibly fine line and I feel it registers as one of the best of the year and his career. There's such focus and restraint in every scene. He's so careful to 'control the look on his face' as Sister Aloysius puts it. The way his eyes dart back and forth as Streep applies pressure. It's like watching two boxers in the ring, throwing acting punches at each other. And believe it or not, Amy Adams holds her own with them. Of course everyone will be talking about Viola Davis and deservedly so. She's fantastic. Lock her up on the chart cuz she ain't goin' nowhere!

I'm still waiting to see Australia, Valkyrie and I'm holding off on Button to hopefully save the best for last. I don't want to watch it during some week filled with screenings. I don't want Button to be an awards season casualty, a statistic, another notch on my moviegoing belt. I want it to be special and so it shall, on Christmas Day, so long as it's not sold out.

Meanwhile, I still have no idea what to make of The Dark Knight. Is it Best Picture material? Does that even matter? Who knows? Nobody. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button remains a giant Question Mark for me right now. Without further adieu...

BEST PICTURE

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E

BEST DIRECTOR

Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant - Milk

BEST ACTOR

Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn – Milk
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Woody Allen - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Jenny Lumet - Rachel Getting Married
Robert Siegel - The Wrestler
Andrew Stanton - Wall-E

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
David Hare - The Reader
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley – Doubt

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Encounters at the End of the World
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
Man on Wire
Standard Operating Procedure
Trouble the Water

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Bolt
Wall-E
Waltz With Bashir

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Death threats? Let's hear 'em below.

CES 3D Preview 2009!

Jim here. Let's take a look at what is happening at the upcoming CES show in Las Vegas next month - obviously with 3D moving mainstream there is bound to be more and more available and it is shaping up to be a great show for stereoscopic 3D fans!

Watch this post as I will be updating it with breaking news on other 3D products being revealed at the show!

Show details:

What: INTERNATIONAL CES
When: January 8 to 11, 2009
10 am* - 6 pm Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009
9 am - 6 pm Friday, Jan. 9, 2009
9 am - 6 pm Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009
9 am - 4 pm Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009
Where: TWO Locations:
Las Vegas Convention Center/Las Vegas Hilton
Sands Expo and Convention Center/The Venetian
Website: http://www.cesweb.org

Lets take a look at the 3D products being touted:

iZ3D
www.iZ3D.com
See them at: Meeting Room #25118M located in the Gaming Showcase in South Hall 2 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Details: iZ3D is currently booking CES press appointments to preview new protoypes such as a 3D flight simulator (3 screens), 26-inch monitor and console compatible 3D gaming monitor. They will also be attending Showstoppers. Please contact Carol Warren (CES Cell: 714-865-6735; Office: 714-891-3660) if you would like to see a demonstration of these exciting new products!

iZ3D has some exciting news: The world’s first 3D monitor for gamers is now available in retail stores making this solution the hottest available! iZ3D Inc. is pleased to announce that it’s popular 22-inch 3D monitor display system has leapt off the screens of online e-tailers into the real world of brick and mortar retail stores. iZ3D’s gaming display products are now being offered nationwide in Fry’s Electronics Incorporated® and Micro Center® stores, specialty retail superstores renowned for merchandising innovative consumer electronics products and technology breakthroughs. In addition to the physical store locations, both retail chains are offering the iZ3D monitor through online store destinations, joining Staples Online, NewEgg, Amazon, Critical Buy, and other e-tailers.

“The move to retail is another milestone in our pursuit of bringing 3D to the home market,” stated Thomas Striegler, CEO of iZ3D Inc. “Seeing games displayed with our 3D monitor startles the imagination and shatters memories of bad 3D from 1950’s theatrical effects and headache prone shutter glasses,” he adds.

In the past year, iZ3D has had growing success selling its monitor exclusively online. Since consumers lack experience with this new technology, seeing it proves a critical part of the purchasing decision. iZ3D faces the same challenges as the television industry as it educated consumers to shift from black and white to color, or standard to high definition. “You have to see it to understand it the first time, and selling our 3D monitor though retail represents an inflection point for the emerging 3D industry,” said Striegler.

Store locations in California, Arizona, and Nevada began offering the product in mid-December. The monitor solution will be available at all store locations by January 9, 2009, after which iZ3D will begin sponsoring in-store try-and-buy demo days. Consumers can easily find a listing of store locations and get information on iZ3D’s products and special offers at www.3drulez.com. In recent month’s iZ3D has made headlines as it introduced the first 3D monitors with custom painted designs from Smooth Creations®, released its new industry-standard-setting 3D display driver, announced channel distribution partnerships with Ingram Micro and D&H Distributing Company, made 3D monitors significantly more affordable.

The iZ3D 22-inch monitor has a new manufacturers suggested resale price of $399.00.

In addition to the design and marketing of 3D LCD displays, the company enables 3D content creation, and promotes the accelerated proliferation of 3D for entertainment and professional applications. To present an uncompromised 3D experience, the company’s development approach to 3D stereoscopic viewing includes optimizing solutions for gaming, home entertainment, and professional applications. Each solution is compatible with multiple graphics cards and includes high-performance LCD displays, lightweight passive polarized glasses, and blazingly fast software. The company is also developing next generation solutions and enabling content for home entertainment and professional applications needing 3D displays to view visually rich movies, photos, and three-dimensional graphics with amazing depth, brightness, and resolution. iZ3D was formed as a joint venture of Taiwan-based Chi Mei Optoelectronics, a worldwide leader in TFT-LCD manufacturing and Neurok Optics LLC, a US-based 3D technology developer and marketing company. The company distributes its products directly at the iZ3D online store and through major online and retail outlets. Please visit www.iz3d.com or call 858.646.3015 for more information.

Further, iZ3D drivers now feature ATI 3D DLP output – free for ATI Radeon™ graphics card users! Their recently released 3D monitor driver Version 1.09 is the first to include support for AMD with an ATI 3D DLP output. This special feature, integrated exclusively for AMD (NYSE: AMD) customers – provides a customized 3D DLP output and is free for ATI Radeon™ graphics card users. The Version 1.09 driver is the latest stereoscopic 3D driver from iZ3D since the company first began releasing display drivers in 2006. The company ships 3D gaming monitors, which include a stereoscopic driver output for the iZ3D monitor and a standard anaglyph driver output. Other specialized 3D driver outputs are available at www.iz3d.com for USD$49.99 per license (each output).

To encourage 3D game play using ATI Radeon graphics cards, iZ3D is offering all ATI Radeon graphics card users a $50.00 rebate on the purchase of an iZ3D monitor. After installing the iZ3D monitor and driver, ATI Radeon graphics card users have 30 days to complete a simple form online and submit it to iZ3D to get the rebate. The rebate promotion is being promoted online and will be included in ATI Radeon graphics card packages and in-store at select retailers. For more information visit www.3drulez.com or www.iz3d.com.

“We appreciate the visual experience and excitement that is driving the trend towards 3D graphics,” said Godfrey Cheng, director of technical marketing, graphics products group, AMD. “3D gamers, designers and home theater enthusiasts will appreciate the sophistication that the ATI Radeon series of graphics cards will bring to the world of 3D. Our cards enable a feature-rich, 3D gaming and home theatre experience, especially when used in conjunction with an iZ3D 22-inch widescreen 3D display solution.”

“We’re on a mission to bring 3D into the mainstream. Combining the blazing fast speeds and breathtaking graphics from a high-end ATI Radeon graphics card with savings on your own personal iZ3D 22-inch widescreen monitor and get a gateway to the world of 3D. AMD’s selection of iZ3D’s stereoscopic 3D display solution demonstrates their vision and understanding that the future of graphics is a fusion of great hardware and software. iZ3D is a true pioneer in developing great 3D imaging drivers and hardware for the gaming community," remarked Thomas Striegler, CEO of iZ3D Inc.

Alioscopy:
www.alioscopy.com
See them at: Booth #12125, Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall (This is the TTE (owned by TCL) booth)
Press: To schedule a press briefing with Alioscopy during CES, please contact Vicky Gray-Clark, Ambient Public Relations, (408) 243-8880, vicky@ambientpr.com, or Laurie Guarino, (408) 876-7064, lguarinopr@yahoo.com
Details: TCL has joined forces with Alioscopy to present their 40-inch 3DHD autostereoscopic LCD is a no glasses required 3D solution. In development over the past fourteen years, Alioscopy’s 3D display product features a highly specialized lenticular lens that results in a truly immersive and memorable experience for the viewer.

The 3D market is exploding with major film studios currently investing heavily in 3D stereoscopic film projects. For companies seeking creative ways to promote digital signage entertainment content, reinforce messaging and grab people’s attention, Alioscopy monitors installed in theater lobbies, retail environments and other high traffic areas, will enable the public to sneak-preview traditional stereoscopic 3D (glasses-required) films, live concerts, and more, without glasses; creating a financial boon to content developers, advertisers and film studios.

Alioscopy monitors are available in both 24-inch and 40-inch models; offering multi-view solutions, for multiple ergonomic uses, and the flat-screen technology can be easily installed almost anywhere.

Fox Sports:
msn.foxsports.com
(Working with partners Sony, 3ality, RealD and Cinedigm)
See them at: The Paris Hotel - Theatre des Arts
Details: BCS Championship Game to be Broadcast at CES in 3D
Sony Electronics is teaming with FOX Sports and an all-star roster of technology providers to deliver the first live 3D presentation of next month's college football FedEx Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game between the University of Florida and University of Oklahoma.

The Jan. 8 game will be shot using 3ality Digital's image-capture technology and transmitted live via Cinedigm's CineLive(TM) satellite distribution network from Dolphin Stadium in Miami to an event sponsored by Sony in the Paris Hotel and Casino's RealD-equipped Theatre des Arts in Las Vegas, where more than 1,200 invited guests will view the game live in 3D during the annual Consumer Electronics Show.

Sony is providing its SXRD(R) 4K projection technology at the Paris Hotel and Casino for this special 3D presentation, which will be broadcast in conventional HD by FOX Sports. RealD is a co-sponsor of this theater presentation with Sony. RealD's 3D system in the Theatre des Arts -- including eyewear, screen and filtering technology -- was specifically built and customized for the SXRD 4K projection system.

"The live broadcast to the Paris Hotel and to movie theaters across the nation is the latest example of how we can deliver our programming to audiences in new and exciting ways," said Jerry Steinberg, senior vice president of field operations and engineering for FOX Sports. "3D technology holds unlimited potential for the future of both sports broadcasting and live event production."

"Sports broadcasts are ideal for 3D presentation, especially in a theater, where fans can gather and participate in the atmosphere of the event with the feeling of truly being there," said Sandy Climan, CEO of 3ality Digital. "This game may end up being a landmark in college sports history."

According to Michael Lewis, chairman and CEO of RealD, "This event brings together all the necessary elements to create a truly immersive 3D broadcast. The success of recent box-office hits in 3D and the strong schedule of future releases highlight the fact that this is an experience that movie-goers crave. We look forward to continuing this evolution of the entertainment

experience by delivering more live sports and other events to our theater partners."

nVidia:
See them at: Booth South 4 35557MP
http://www.nvidia.com/content/events/ces_2009/ces_events_2009.html
nVidia will have their custom engineered, active shutter glasses paired with the latest ViewSonic and Samsung 120 Hz LCDs, Mitsubishi Home Theater TVs, and DepthQ HD 3D projectors. Drop by and have a look.


Novo:
www.minoru3dwebcam.com
See them at: Booth: Sands 73837A
Details: Minoru 3D webcam

The device itself is made to be cute, but functionally it's two eyes are approximately the same distance apart as our human eyes, allowing the capture of 3D images. The 3D webcam sells for about $80 to $100.

Meet Minoru, meaning “Reality” in Japanese, the worlds’ first 3D webcam. Connect Minoru to your PC and he will come alive, his eyes will light up and he will be looking at you in 3D.

Your friends and family can now see you in 3D over your favourite messaging program like MSN, Skype etc. You can also take 3D photos or even shoot 3D videos and upload to YouTube.

The downside to this tech is that it relies on anaglyph 3D so you will have to wear those ugly blue and red 3D glasses - although you do get five pairs in the box with this puppy. Man I wish this was modern 3D - I am getting so tired of this old school stuff. The point is though that it is easy to use, share and impress your friends.

The product simply rests on the top of your monitor and captures images with both eyes.

The Minoru was developed for the i-stage competition at the Consumer Electronics Association. Production is expected to ramp up in December and take the now prototype models into reality. You can also use it for 2D.

Here is there contact information if you are curious before the show:

Phone:
+44 161 925 7530

Email:
info@minoru3d.com

TDVision:

www.TDVision.com
See them at: Booth: South 1 21425
Details: TDVirtualCam Algorithm in fact emulates the way the human eyes see and the brain perceives data. What does this mean? Playing video games with TDVision's patented technology embedded allows the gamer to play for hours with no side effects, full compatibility and maximum frag!

They also have the world's only 1080p per-eye and fully compatible Blu-ray solution. This stereoscopic Blu-ray disc will work in legacy 2D televisions in player at 1080p as well as in updated players in full 3D on 3D enabled DLP, LCD, and autostereoscopic displays.

You have to see their TDVisor in action too! The completely new TDVisor provides an intra ocular adjustment to allow for a personalized fit. Improvements is the optical design offering an equivalent size of 72” diagonal screen placed at 10 feet. Other improvements in mechanical and ocular ergonomics provide the user with a more comfortable and realistic high definition experience. Two models are currently offered. A less expensive mid resolution design (800x600) and a high-end version (1024x768, 1280x720p). Both are lightweight and provide portability, making it perfect for mobile imaging applications. Stop by for a demo!


iZ3D and TDVision are sponsors of MarketSaw.