3D TV Reviews Blog

“The only movie that I would ever even consider retrofitting is the first ‘Jurassic Park,’” Steven Spielberg told Moviefone last year. “I think would look pretty spectacular in 3D.” Looks like the acclaimed director is ready to put his money where his …

"The only movie that I would ever even consider retrofitting is the first 'Jurassic Park,'" Steven Spielberg told Moviefone last year. "I think would look pretty spectacular in 3D." Looks like the acclaimed director is ready to put his money where his mouth is: Universal has set a 3D re-release of "Jurassic Park" for July 19, 2013. Originally released on June 11, 1993, "Jurassic Park" earned over $357 million at U.S. theaters and another $557 million abroad. With the re-release, "Park" could become Spielberg's first $1 billion global hit; the dinosaur adventure currently stands at $914.6 million worldwide. Based on the novel by Michael Crichton, "Jurassic Park" imagines what dinosaurs would look like in present day. Despite being 19 years old, the special effects work in the film still has an impact on movies today. "[W]e invented the technology," Spielberg told Moviefone about technological advances since "Park" was released. "We're not just standing on the shoulders of giants; we're the inventors of the technology to begin with. The first leading characters in history that were digital characters were the dinosaurs in 'Jurassic Park.' That had never happened before." In other release-date news: Universal has moved "Oblivion," with Tom Cruise in the lead, to April 26, 2013. It's the second Cruise film to shift dates this week. [via Variety]

It’s still unclear just when “Piranha 3DD” (those DDs mean what you think they mean) will actually hit theaters — director John Gulager told ShockTilYouDrop.com that the horror sequel should arrive in the “spring” — but one thing is clear: whenever i…

It's still unclear just when "Piranha 3DD" (those DDs mean what you think they mean) will actually hit theaters -- director John Gulager told ShockTilYouDrop.com that the horror sequel should arrive in the "spring" -- but one thing is clear: whenever it does arrive, it's going to give "Piranha" fans everything they want. A new trailer for the splatterfest has swam online, and it's bananas. Bananas. Ahead, the 13 craziest parts of the new "Piranha 3DD" trailer. 1. "In the world's wildest water park, the party has never been hotter." Someone wrote that. 2. Stripper lifeguards. 3. The nonsense Christopher Lloyd says about piranhas. "Fish could become confused." 4. Cerie from "30 Rock" getting her piranha on. 5. "This summer." 6. The water park is called "Big Wet." 7. David Hasselhoff's hero entrance. 8. That shot of the girl on the waterslide with a piranha biting her neck. 9. There is a piranha swimming inside a girl's stomach. 10. Whatever that guy about to have sex with the girl with the piranha in her stomach does to his penis. 11. Gary Busey biting the head off a piranha. 12. "Double the D's." 13. Oh, and Ving Rhames has machine gun legs. [via Grantland.com]

“Welcome aboard Titanic” said a man in a captain’s uniform, as he extended red roses to throngs of near-hyperventilating fans. On Valentine’s Day, New York’s AMC theater on 34th street doubled as a makeshift sea vessel to christen the first big-screen …

"Welcome aboard Titanic" said a man in a captain's uniform, as he extended red roses to throngs of near-hyperventilating fans. On Valentine's Day, New York's AMC theater on 34th street doubled as a makeshift sea vessel to christen the first big-screen viewing of James Cameron's 3D-converted "Titanic." Like a Trekkie convention for the the uber-romantic, the scene was complete with a string quartet, sketch artists (indulging wannabe -- fully clothed -- Rose DeWitt Bukaters in their "I want you to draw me like one of your French girls" fantasy) and a fin de siecle dress up session. "Titanic" first sailed into theaters in 1997, went on to win 11 Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director for King of the World, Cameron), and has since muscled its way into the tear-jerkers' hall of fame. Now, with the centennial of the famous sinking on its way, the classic boasts a spiffy 3D revamp, which will completely destroy you hit theaters this April. Ahead, 13 observations from the evening. Leonardo DiCaprio: GREAT ACTOR HE WAS SO GOOD, HE WAS SO YOUNG. Another plus: mid-freeze, Jack is able to get out one last joke, "I don't know about you, but I intend to write a strongly worded letter to the White Star Line about all of this." Oh, Jack, you card! Cal actually really loved Rose Worldly, rich, the other side of the handsome coin -- Billy Zane is the perfect counterpoint to the fresh-faced Leo. But here's the thing: Cal LOVED Rose, too! It would be easy to cast him off as unscrupulous and evil, but there's a little more nuance there -- despite a ticket off the doomed boat, he decided to stay and chase after her. He even gave her his coat! And he came down to the steerage section (!) to find her. Rose's mother is the most loathsome character on the boat "Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? I hope they're not too crowded." Kathy Bates may be the best fairy Godmother out there "You shine up like a new penny." Have you heard about this "something Picasso"? Because Rose did. What about Freud? Mr. Ismay didn't. Real-life dining etiquette lesson that you can take away "Start from the outside and work your way in." Kate Winslet is the most refreshing sort of "indoor girl" "I know what ice fishing is!" If you're a boy, you will mostly likely say you were most moved by... The string quartet. Or the captain going down with the ship. Out of Jack's steerage friends, Tommy is way better than Fabrizio I know Fabrizio has that hat and speaks adorable Italian-English, but it's true. The most accurate love story dialogue in the movie [After she jumps off the lifeboat] "Rose! You're so stupid! Why'd you do that, huh?" First generation Titanic-watchers will say... "God, remember those VHS tapes? I only ever watched tape one." "So you want to go to a real party?" Best pick up line. Ever. "Titanic 3D" is out in theaters on April 6. PHOTOS:

For many people, Valentine’s Day means curling up with some of the greatest romantic movies of all-time and having a good cry. Which basically means you’re probably going to watch “Titanic” at some point during the next 24 hours, and relive the doomed …

For many people, Valentine's Day means curling up with some of the greatest romantic movies of all-time and having a good cry. Which basically means you're probably going to watch "Titanic" at some point during the next 24 hours, and relive the doomed romance of Jack and Rose. Those crazy kids would have made it -- if it weren't for that damned iceberg! If you foolishly don't have a copy of "Titanic" within arm's reach at the moment, don't worry: Paramount is set to re-release the biggest romance of all-time this April for a limited 3D run. Even better? In honor of Valentine's Day, the studio will screen "Titanic" in 3D at select theaters tonight, where fans can enter for a chance to win a trip to the 3D premiere. For details and to enter, head over to the "Titanic" Facebook page. For more on "Titanic 3D," check out the official website. After all, you said you'd never let go for a reason. Enjoy an exclusive look at the "Titanic 3D" poster below; check back to Moviefone on Wednesday for a full report from the "Titanic" Valentine's Day screenings. PHOTO:

Wow.  Just wow.  Four major releases debuted this weekend and every single one of them opened with superb numbers.  On one hand, that means that every respective demographic was ably served this weekend.  On the other h…

Wow.  Just wow.  Four major releases debuted this weekend and every single one of them opened with superb numbers.  On one hand, that means that every respective demographic was ably served this weekend.  On the other hand, one can only wonder how much cash was sacrificed by opening these four movies on the same weekend.  Anyway, the top film of the weekend was the Rachel McAdams/Channing Tatum romantic drama The Vow.  The $30 million Screen Gems drama, which by the way is NOT based on a Nicholas Sparks novel (it's a true story), debuted with an eye-popping $41 million, a record for the studio.  That's well-over $10 million more than the $30.4 million debut of Dear John, which was the previous record-holder for an opening weekend for a pure romantic drama.  The film played 55 percent under-25 years old and 72 percent female.  Obviously everything clicked on the marketing for this one, and Channing Tatum is now the official king of the romantic drama, having headlined the first one to open with more than $30 million and now the first one to open with over $40 million, while Rachel McAdams is the queen, now holding the first and fourth-biggest opening weekend for an unfiltered romantic drama ($18 million for The Time Traveler's Wife).  Where it goes from here is an open question, as Dear John did not have the strongest legs, topping out at $80 million (or just below the $81 million gross of Rachel McAdams' The Notebook).  On the plus side, The Vow doesn't have the same-demo blockbuster Valentine's Day nipping on its heals like Dear John did.  Plus, even if The Vow has the same quick-kill performance (2.6x weekend-to-final multiplier), it will become the first pure romantic drama (no explosions, no action scenes, no mass-disaster in the third act) to cross $100 million since Jerry McGuire in 1996. The second major opener was the Denzel Washington/Ryan Reynolds thriller Safe House.  The R-rated film opened with $39 million, which is one of the biggest non-sequel/non-animated openings in Universal Studios history.  This is Denzel Washington's second-biggest opening, behind the $43 million debut of Universal's American Gangster (which also starred Russell Crowe) while it's Reynold's third-biggest debut, behind Green Lantern ($52 million) and his glorified cameo as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine ($85 million).  The ads sold this one as a CIA-ops variation on Training Day, with rogue and uber-cool special agent Washington 'schooling' rookie Reynolds while engaged in a painfully generic action/thriller narrative (this is not among Washington's better thrillers, folks).  Washington has made a string of old-school, adult-skewing thrillers over the last 10 years or so, and this picture is right in his comfort zone (essay).  The biggest debut as a by-himself lead was The Book of Eli, which debuted with $31 million two years ago, so how much of that extra $8 million you want to credit Ryan Reynolds is up to you (I'd say enough to keep his agent's phone ringing).  Still, in an era when the modern movie star is an endangered species, Washington is among the last of his breed, a 'put my face on the poster and they will flock' box office draw.  The picture played 62 percent over the age of 30 and 50 percent female.  In terms of racial demos, it played 38 percent African American, 31 percent Caucasian, and 23 percent Hispanic. If it has even the relative legs of The Book of Eli (three times its opening weekend), it will end up with $118 million and become Washington's second-biggest domestic grosser (American Gangster grossed $130 million). Opening in third place was the second entry in the ongoing series of 'add The Rock to your ongoing franchise and watch your grosses go up!' (following Fast Five and proceeding this summer's GI Joe: Retribution).  Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a very loose sequel to the 2008 3D-ground breaker Journey to the Center of the Earth, which Brendan Fraser powered to $101 million domestic off a $21 million debut and $140 million overseas.  Journey 2 opened with a robust $27 million, as it played like an old-fashioned family film (i.e., it went WAY up on Saturday).  The film had already grossed just under $50 million overseas prior to this debut, so it's well on its way to eclipsing the $241 million worldwide total of the first film.  Still, the idea of a live-action 3D fantasy film isn't quite as novel as it was in the summer of 2008 (Journey to the Center of the Earth was literary the first modern live-action 3D picture, although Spy Kids 3 did the old-school red/blue 3D back in 2003).  Also, Journey 2 cost $79 million, versus the first film's relatively meager $45 million budget, so it will have to perform better if it wants a similar profit margin.  Nonetheless, a win is a win.  If G.I. Joe: Retaliation significantly improves on G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra this summer, expect Dwayne Johnson to be shoe-horned into every ailing/rebooted franchise around.  Coming soon -- The Rock in Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, Saw 8, and Bridget Jones's Diary 3!   The last major opener was the 3D-converted re-release of Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace (retrospective essay), which debuted with a solid $23 million, bringing the overall domestic total to $454 million.  This is the first of what is to be annual re-releases of George Lucas's six Star Wars films starting this year (the 35th anniversary of Star Wars) and ending with Return of the Jedi in 2017 (the 40th anniversary).  Whether you like the prequels or not, this was a chance for the generation who grew up with Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith to see those films again on the big screen, just as our generation feasted on the now-infamous 'special editions' of the original trilogy back in 1997.  No one should have been expecting anything approaching the $35 million debut of Star Wars: Special Edition back in 1997 (about $47 million adjusted for inflation), as the marketplace has changed in the last 15 years.  In a pre-DVD era, that was the first-ever opportunity for many younger fans to see the films in widescreen or on a screen larger than 25 inches.  In today's DVD/Blu-Ray and 60-inch LCD world, it's actually pretty impressive that this 3D-converted version actually opened larger than the 1997 releases of The Empire Strikes Back ($22 million) and Return of the Jedi ($16 million).  At the very least, it's good to see technical pros like Lucas and Cameron (Titanic 3D drops in early April) showing us how a real 3D-conversion is supposed to look.  Even if the six movies top out at $50 million respectively, that's still $300 million domestic and at least that overseas over the next six years.  And since Lucas has signed that 'Giving Pledge', at least one-quarter of that money (depending on the studio/distributor/theater chain split) will be going to various charities. For thoughts on holdovers, including the unfortunate cost of having three to five new releases every week, as well as a preview of next weekend's lineup, go to Mendelson's Memos.

Early this morning, I attended a midnight showing of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 3D. It was a fairly miserable experience for numerous reasons. As the night progressed, I kept a running diary of the events that transpired and the aud…

Early this morning, I attended a midnight showing of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in 3D. It was a fairly miserable experience for numerous reasons. As the night progressed, I kept a running diary of the events that transpired and the audience reaction. So, here's how that went down. 11:00 p.m. Honestly, I have no idea how big the crowd will be. The lack of buzz this week makes me think that we don't have to worry too much about getting decent seats, but this is New York City and this is a Star Wars movie. 11:17 p.m. You know, maybe I'm having flashbacks to the release of the Special Editions in 1997, but it's really hard to imagine opening night of a Star Wars movie without a large crowd. 11:23 p.m. A member of my party states, "We're seeing it near NYU. Of course it will be sold out." I'm actually starting to panic about not being in line yet. 11:30 p.m. Five blocks from the Regal Union Square 14, the rest of the group that I'm with decides that they want to stop for coffee. I plead my case that this is a terrible idea because we are already late. I may have been a little too emotional when I emphatically state, "We need to get seats!" 11:34 p.m. I think I may be genuinely excited to see The Phantom Menace. 11:37 p.m. Here is the line for the midnight showing of The Phantom Menace, approximately 20 minutes before it starts. 11:38 p.m. A man uses the kiosk the purchase a ticket. I ask him if I can take a picture of him buying a ticket to The Phantom Menace. He replies, "I'm seeing Safe House." 11:42 p.m. There are 24 people in this theater to see the midnight showing of The Phantom Menace. Then again, this is a rural area and that is to be expected. Oh, wait, no, we're in the heart of New York City. For a second I forgot. 11:46 p.m. Alison Willmore is here writing a review for Movieline. She has a conflicted look on her face that's somewhere in-between, "I'm happy to see you," and, "Oh, God, now there's proof that I was here." 12:00 a.m. As the lights go down, the crowd has swelled to just under 50 audience members. 12:08 a.m. A guy in front of me finds the trailer for Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted absolutely hilarious. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen someone laugh that hard at a movie trailer. I guarantee that as soon as this movie ends, this guy is writing the words "I have plans" in the June 8 entry of his Google Calendar. 12:15 a.m. "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... " flashes on the screen. The audience responds with polite applause. 12:16 a.m. For some reason, I was really looking forward to seeing the title crawl in 3D. Thing I learned: Even in 3D, sentences like, "The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute," are still very boring. 12:26 a.m. A group of about five people, with plenty of seats available, decide at this moment to sit directly behind us and deliver commentary. Yes, this what you're going to have to deal with if you decide to see The Phantom Menace in theaters: hecklers. 12:30 a.m. Jar Jar Binks makes his first appearance on screen. The audience bursts into laughter. Not because of Jar Jar's actions, but it's more of a nervous laughter of, "Good God, this really happened. I forgot how awful this was." 12:45 a.m. The star of the movie (if the posters are to be believed), Darth Maul, makes his first appearance. His scene lasts 15 seconds. 12:54 a.m. Captain Panaka reads off the name, "R2-D2." One lone audience member screams, "Woooooo!" 1:03 a.m. Finally, I ask the group behind me, "Are you going to be talking through this entire movie?" Their leader looks at me and says, "Yes, I am." I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that and it threw me off guard. I had no response. So, well played, asshole. I guess I should appreciate his honesty. Of course, a few moments later I had ten, "That's what I should have said," responses. (Yes, one of them involved a "jerk store.") 1:15 a.m. It dawns on me that this movie is in 3D. Honestly, I really haven't noticed. 1:33 a.m. The first time Anakin yelled, 'Yippie," the audience let it go. The second time, they did not. An outbreak of, "Yippie," floods the theater. 1:45 a.m During the Senate scene, right when the line, "We now introduce the delegation from Naboo," is spoken, Matt Patches from Hollywood.com let's out an overly dramatic snore. Apparently he is not a fan of this scene. 1:45 a.m. Nope, he's actually sleeping. I bet he's dreaming about a better movie. 2:01 a.m. This really is a pretty boring movie. 2:12 a.m. Katey Rich from Cinemablend and Dave Gonzales from Latino Review point out that a man in front of us is recording the movie. I am fascinated by this. Does he not realize that this movie has been out for 13 years and is readily available on home video or on Spike? Is it even possible to bootleg a 3D movie? 2:15 a.m. The lightsaber battle between Qui-Gon Jin, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul begins. I must admit, this is fun to see on a big screen again. 2:24 a.m. The lightsaber battle between Qui-Gon Jin, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul is a lot shorter than I remember. 2:35 a.m. The Phantom Menace in 3D finally comes to an end. What I learned: There's really no thrill of seeing this particular Star Wars movie on the big screen again. The 3D is barely noticeable -- Lucas stated that he didn't want anything to jump out at the audience, he succeeded. And this movie has such a bad reputation, a good percentage of patrons will be there only to audibly and annoyingly mock the film. 2:37 a.m. As we walk out of the theater, a older gentleman in the last row is still sleeping. We debate waking him, but the general consensus among our group is that, at this point, he's earned that right to sleep. Mike Ryan is the senior writer for Moviefone. He has written for Wired Magazine, VanityFair.com, GQ.com, New York Magazine and Movieline. He likes Star Wars a lot. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter

More like big-screen dream, amirite? (What.) According to THR, Paramount — buoyed by strong box-office returns for “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” — is in discussions with Imagine Entertainment to create a “documentary-style film” about pop star Kat…

More like big-screen dream, amirite? (What.) According to THR, Paramount -- buoyed by strong box-office returns for "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" -- is in discussions with Imagine Entertainment to create a "documentary-style film" about pop star Katy Perry. In 3D, of course. No deals are in place, but this will obviously be the greatest concert movie ever. Perry has unleashed a bevy of massive hits onto Top-40 radio over the last four years, including "I Kissed A Girl," "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Firework," "Last Friday Night," "E.T.," and "The One That Got Away." As you may have heard, she also experienced a bit of personal life turmoil when her marriage to Russell Brand ended in December of 2011. Concert movies have become du jour again in Hollywood following the successes of "Never Say Never," Michael Jackson's "This Is It" and "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour." Of course, the genre has also seen some notable flops, including "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie," which grossed an underwhelming $11 million last August. Whether Kitty Purry fans will pay to see the flamboyant pop staple on the big screen -- especially when the film will be upcharged thanks to 3D -- remains to be seen. Though, really, who could pass up the chance to see something like the video for "California Gurls" in three dimensions? Exploding whipped cream cannon bras, y'all! [via THR] VIDEO:

Darth Maul is apparently getting his day in the sun(s). According to the Los Angeles Times Hero Complex blog, the Sith assassin’s face will be featured on select 3D glasses when “Star Wars Episode I” returns to theaters February 10. Those who buy tick…

Darth Maul is apparently getting his day in the sun(s). According to the Los Angeles Times Hero Complex blog, the Sith assassin's face will be featured on select 3D glasses when "Star Wars Episode I" returns to theaters February 10. Those who buy tickets on opening day will have the chance to snag the collectibles, along with the new "Star Wars" fighter pod from Hasbro. If you're keeping score at home, that is now two major promotional items for "Phantom Menace 3D" that feature Maul , which is strange considering he's in the film for a grand total of ten minutes. So, congratulations Darth Maul, a.k.a. the 16th best character from the franchise! Enjoy your 15 minutes of marketing fame before Obi-Wan desposes of you. (Spoiler alert?) [via LAT/Hero Complex]