HOLLYWOOD – James Cameron has announced the release of his old home movies in 3D to coincide with the 20th anniversary of their first release in his home theatre.
Shot for VHS in the ‘90s, the Titanic director said the stereoscopic version of his personal video collection “really cranks up the experience of the originals.”
Industry analysts expect it to open at $25 million to $30 million in the U.S and serve a test case for the business model of 3D re-releases, with Steven Spielberg rumored to be planning a similar release of his 1990 vacation to Colorado in 2013.
Major update
Cameron, a vocal proponent of the 3D format, first suggested converting the footage in early 2000, but had trouble finalizing a deal with wife Suzy Amis, who he shares the rights with.
The Canadian spoke of his excitement at a late night premiere in his front yard.
“I think it makes it more immersive,” said Cameron of the remake. “it kind of turns up the experience of my daughter’s first steps to 11 from 10.”
Critical response has been mixed. Several insiders claim the 3D did nothing to hide the lack of coherent plot and unconvincing performances of his offspring, who remain “as unable to convey son and daughter dynamics in three dimensions as they did in two.”
“One moment they’re having ‘din-dins’ in the kitchen and the next they’re at Disneyland with no narrative to tie the two scenes together – and I thought Captain America was bad.”
Others have commented that the children featured are “not as cute as my babies” and given the film two stars.
Golden memories
However, many reviewers praised the technical achievement of turning old VHS tapes into “a three dimensional thrill ride well worth the extra $5 a ticket.”
Reviewer for Rolling Stone magazine Peter Travers said: “Cameron remains true to the source material and puts the 3D effects to good use, which is more than can be said for Clash of the Titans.”
Indeed, with a Metacritic score of 70, Travers agreed with many that watching the Cameron family amble around in 3D was still a better way to spend two hours than watching Jon Carter.
Leave a Reply