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3-D movie craze is here to stay

For anyone as sick of 3-D as I am, beware of 2011.

There are 32 3-D movies to be released over the next year, which is a 28 percent increase from 2010.

Although ‘pros’ like better quality and cinematic experience weigh strong with the flashy technology introduced in recent years, many heavy ‘cons’ push back.

Firstly, it’s no longer a decision to see a movie in 3-D. To see any of the top box office hits, be prepared to fumble with the dorky glasses.

Every popular film series, modern remakes, and most of the nation’s top directors are consumed by the 3-D craze, whether for hopeful publicity or the extra cash.

Viewers should be concerned with a continuing price hike for 3-D films. After increasing 20 percent over 2010, an additional $5 fee is to be added throughout this next year, according to Hollywood News.0

Phoenix Theaters, Monroe’s movie theater located in the Frenchtown Mall, has kept the same price since 2009: $11.50. Still, that’s $3 more than a 2-D ticket.

According to a survey by BTIG Research Analyst Richard Greenfield, 77 percent of movie-goers already thought the price for 3-D was too high in July 2010.

“It is pretty clear from the [respondent] comments that they are not happy with the movie exhibition industry and are clearly differentiating between paying ‘up’ for movies like Avatar vs. less exciting, lower quality movies,” Greenfield said in a statement.

Beside the strain of 3-D movies on your wallet, also be worried about your head and stomach.

A few months after Avatar was released, the New York Times published, “The Claim: 3-D Movies can Induce Headaches and Sickness.”

The article states that because of necessary unnatural eye movements, some 3-D movie-goers experienced headaches, nausea, blurred vision and other motion sickness symptoms.

Human eyes respond to approaching objects in two ways: by converging inward to follow the movement, and by changing the shape of the lens to better focus on the object and maintain a clear image, the article explained. The latter process is called visual accommodation.

“A 3-D object flying off the screen causes sensory conflict. The eyes rotate inward to follow it, but they must also maintain a fixed focus on the display surface,” the article stated.

“So they converge without accommodating, an uncoupling of two natural processes that – over the course of a long movie – can be stressful.”

So 3-D movies have caused motion sickness, headaches, and a rise in movie prices, in addition to eliminating other 2-D alternatives.

Although 3-D appears to be the popular trend for director’s in 2011, the public’s appreciation may quickly slip.

 

3-D Films in 2011:

The Green Hornet; Sanctum; Gnomeo and Juliet; Drive Angry; Justin Beiber: Never Say Never; Mars Needs Moms; Thor; Priest; Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides; Kung Fu Panda 2; Green Lantern; Cars 2; Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II; Captain America; The Smurfs; Conan the Barbarian; Fright Night; Spy Kids 4; Final Destination 5; Piranha 3DD; Dolphin Tale; The Three Musketeers; Contagion; Puss in Boots; Immortals; Happy Feet 2; Arthur Christmas; Hugo Cabret; Sherlock Holmes 2; Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked; and The Adventures of Tin-Tin