Avatar In Phuket

[thaigerd]

They are showing the movie "Avatar" in Phuket right now but I guess it's not in 3D like in Bangkok.

Is it worth to watch it or better wait until in Bangkok again?

Gerd

[PoorSucker]

If you are going to BKK.

Book it on IMAX.

Saw it in traditional way on Samui.

Awesome, like to see it again on IMAX 3D.

Edited December 25, 2009 by PoorSucker

[cognos]

3d is the way to go..awesome

[ScubaBuddha]

I saw it in 2d and it was still pretty amazing. I have always felt that 3d detracts from the movie. I would say see it in 2d first, then in 3d it will be a different movie I would imagine. I plan on seeeing it again in 3d to find out.

[thaigerd]

So is it 2d in Phuket?

[gvallee2]

just use those funny glasses from your cherios box

[ScubaBuddha]

So is it 2d in Phuket?

Yes.

[Valentine]

I don't know if this will help but when we go to SFX we should all ask to speak with the manager & complain about the lack of 3D in Phuket & just possibly they might listen. It cannot hurt to try as many of us do not have the luxury of being able to go to BKK.

Although I enjoyed Avatar in 2D right from the start I felt it would be awesome in 3D.

[ozymandious]

I went to Singapore to see it in 3D, TRULY AWESOME!

I feel the film/story will stand up in 2D as well. It is one made for the big screen and if 3D is not an option for you then go see it in 2D.

I'm going to go see it again at Central and tell you what I think 3D Vs 2D.

I really liked the film.

[thaigerd]

Went to see the movie tonight at Central, not bad.......but I think in 3D it must be great.

Gerd

[Atmos]

Went to see the movie tonight at Central, not bad.......but I think in 3D it must be great.

Gerd

don't expect Central to upgarde their facilities anytime soon; wonder about the future of 3d films, Avatar is clever in terms of animation and will surely win plenty of awards. But for those of you who've seen it - a rating on the actual story?

Once I got over the 'effects' there's little that's memorable about the film itself, the storyline is hardly original or inspiring, characters are shallow - the military guy was particularly weak/silly - and it's not one I would go to see again.

Just my opinion!

[ScubaBuddha]

I'm in the states now. Going to try to check it out in the third dimension before I come back.

Edited December 27, 2009 by ScubaBuddha

[paulfromphuket]

I fell asleep three times to be waken by my incresingley anoyed partner.

I am sure in 3d and even better 3d imax it would have captivated me for the special effects. First time I have missed Bradford(they have an imax) in 8 years.

But for the story, really, 8 foot tall blue indians with bows and arrows and cowboys with very big guns, What was Cameron thinking, 5 years of his life on this garbage Titantic was a truly ground breaking movie this is hollywood trash.

It's Custers last stand gone all futeristic.

But I would still like to see it again in 3d imax

[LivinLOS]

But for the story, really, 8 foot tall blue indians with bows and arrows and cowboys with very big guns, What was Cameron thinking, 5 years of his life on this garbage Titantic was a truly ground breaking movie this is hollywood trash.

It's Custers last stand gone all futeristic.

Dances with Smurfs !!

[ScubaBuddha]

Dances with Smurfs !!

It kind of reminded me of Dances with Wolves meets The Mission meets Total Recall.

[LivinLOS]

Dances with Smurfs !!

It kind of reminded me of Dances with Wolves meets The Mission meets Total Recall.

"Eco-Preachy fraggle rock.. But with computers"

I enjoyed it.. Despite the story..

[Valentine]

Dances with Smurfs !!

It kind of reminded me of Dances with Wolves meets The Mission meets Total Recall.

"Eco-Preachy fraggle rock.. But with computers"

I enjoyed it.. Despite the story..

Yes. Feeding the corporate greed at the expense of the environment but told in a very unique way.

[KarenBravo]

A good movie will stand up on any media. TV, movie house, or computer screen.

If it's one of James Cameron's usual CGI self-masterbation fests, I'll give it a miss.

The only movie Cameron has made that I thought was excellent was The Terminator (the first one).

[markg]

A good movie will stand up on any media. TV, movie house, or computer screen.

If it's one of James Cameron's usual CGI self-masterbation fests, I'll give it a miss.

The only movie Cameron has made that I thought was excellent was The Terminator (the first one).

Don't let the hype/anti-hype put you off KarenBravo. Find 3 hours in your life plus 120baht and make your own mind up.

Personally, i hate overly-long movies, and i'm not a fan of sci-fi type stuff, but i have to say that i enjoyed every single minute of this movie. I think it's brilliant.

I wish i could have enjoyed it in the 3D IMAX but even without that, it was still superb.

Do any cinema buffs know why it can't be screened in 3d on the standard screen? Does it really need a special projector? I know that movies filmed on IMAX need special equipment to be screened, but is Avatar available in standard format but in 3D.

Years ago in the UK they screened 3D movies on the television ! You just needed the disposable 3D specs.

[LivinLOS]

A good movie will stand up on any media. TV, movie house, or computer screen.

Disagree.. Try watching Ben Hurr on an iPhone and tell me it gives the same spectacle..

Some films were designed for a big screen, theres a certain scope and breadth to the image and panorama, with the details being absorbed almost subliminally. Think Sergio Leone films without the sudden intensity of the hard close ups contrasting to the wide vistas.. Think all those sword and sandals epics of the 70's (Spartacus, the 10 commandments, Cleopatra).. Think David Leans Lawrence where Omar Sherrief comes out of the heat haze on that camel.

Sorry if I am letting my film geek slip a bit.. But no, some movies are not going to have the same emotional or visual impact on the small screen and while I dont quite put avatar in the illustrious company of some of the above, it IS a big screen film IMO.

Just goes to show, when typing the above, I am struggling to think of a single other film this decade thats got the kind of epic scope that so many of my favorite classics have. Have we all become ADD and films now reflect that, or what ?? Where have the epics gone ?? LoTR trilogy maybe the only thing thats close ?

[KarenBravo]

I see your point LivinLOS, but as far as I'm concerned a good movie is firstly,plot driven.

Secondly, good acting and good direction.

The rest is just tinsel.

[LivinLOS]

Do any cinema buffs know why it can't be screened in 3d on the standard screen? Does it really need a special projector? I know that movies filmed on IMAX need special equipment to be screened, but is Avatar available in standard format but in 3D.

To create 3D you need 2 projectors..

The common system being employed these days are 2 digital projectors, with a polarized filter on each source.. Then the 2 lenses have a polarized filter on each lens, with one filter blocking the other projector.. Thereby feeding the correct stereoscopic image to each eye to create the depth information.

They did experiment with LCD shutter glasses for a while, and the prototype home 3d TV's I have seen are all 120hz TV's with synced LCD glasses, but this system is not as smooth and requires timed 'flickering' of the two images.

So basically Phuket hasnt even got a single digital screen yet, its still purely film based source and projectors.. They need to add digital projectors and use digital sources. I would think they could put in in the first class cinema and charge the premium (but maybe theres not enough chairs in there to pay the investment).

[LivinLOS]

I see your point LivinLOS, but as far as I'm concerned a good movie is firstly,plot driven.

Secondly, good acting and good direction.

The rest is just tinsel.

Totally with you there.. Plot, acting, direction, director of photography, etc etc..

[gvallee2]

from what i read, you can download 3d movies nowadays and watch them with the cheap 3d glasses as long as your computer or tv monitor goes over 200hz. So in a couple months avatar 3d will be available to you (i tried with final dest 3 and it works just fine)

or just get yourself one of those lcd 3d tvs.. will be usefull now that all movies are in 3d even the crappy ones

[LivinLOS]

from what i read, you can download 3d movies nowadays and watch them with the cheap 3d glasses as long as your computer or tv monitor goes over 200hz. So in a couple months avatar 3d will be available to you (i tried with final dest 3 and it works just fine)

What format 3d encoding is being used ??

Assume by 'cheap 3d glasses' you mean the nvidea compatible LCD shutter glasses, not any kind of R/B anaglyph ??

[gvallee2]

yes, it wont be as nice as the real 3d but it'll still be 3d.

They will have the real 3d for 3d tv's available before the next 6months in pirated releases

[LivinLOS]

They will have the real 3d for 3d tv's available before the next 6months in pirated releases

What format was the one you watched ??

Because blu-ray and DVD will need special encoding to keep the i-frames separate in the MPEG transport stream.. I could see how you could encode on 30 hz MPEG4 but am curious.

You say you have DL and tested these formats.. I have LCD hardware here and used to do some beta testing work with one of the big 3D distributions companies based in Holland.. So am very curious as to how the final fanatsy 3d was encoded. Do you still have the files ??

[ScubaBuddha]

Because blu-ray and DVD will need special encoding to keep the i-frames separate in the MPEG transport stream.. I could see how you could encode on 30 hz MPEG4 but am curious.

No idea what you just said LiLOS.

I really enjoyed the movie in 2d. I then saw it in 3D in the states and enjoyed it even more. Even with the recycled thin plot, it's in my top 10 favorite movies ever. The 3D wasn't distracting at all like I thought it might be. Eerily realistic. Cameron is surely a diver as the forests had lots of giant underwater Earth creatures in it, like the tube worms that retract when you touch them. I found my body would physiologically respond to some of the more dramatic scenes, such as the flying scenes, as if they were actually happening to me. Nothing looked CGI or fake. I doubt it will ever be topped by another 3D movie. Great great stuff.

Edited January 11, 2010 by ScubaBuddha

[LivinLOS]

Actually did some reading and it looks like they are locking down the BluRay 3d spec.

What I was trying to say above is DVD is encoded interlaced (i-frames) but if its film sourced content players can combine 2 i frames for one progressive frame.. This is vital to how 3D is encoded as they need to have both frames encoded for each eye. So they use field sequential 3d encoded in the progressive frames.

/geek