"Club Penton" - Ask questions to Hollywood insider "Penton-Man"

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

...the Spirit awards today in Santa Monica are a worthy alternative – http://www.spiritawards.com/, especially given the fact that since 2008, it has become exceedingly difficult for Indie producers to finance their films (but that’s a story for another day) and so these filmmakers deserve all the support and accolades they can get from cinephiles as well as serious videophiles who esp. appreciate the art of motion pictures.

Just received a call.
Winner! Congratulations Aaron…http://www.spiritawards.com/nominati...david-gundlach

Available on Blu-ray now –

[DarkDune]

Hey,

Just curious. Is Hollywood getting at all tired of ALL the movies coming out lately in 3D?!?! I mean, it seems kinda ridiculous that almost everything coming out lately is billed, and presented in 3D somewhere.

Personally, we have a 5-year-old, and they can't keep 3D "goggles" on for more than 5 minutes, and anyone here ever try to watch a 3D movie without the goggles?

It is not pretty

Just curious, coming from inside Hollywood if there is any 3D eye-strain going on.

Thanks.

BTW: My brother worked at Pixar for 4+ years on Cars, and he might know the dude who burst your Flashdance "bag o' water". I can ask him to take care of that "kid" if you wish. LOL

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Hey, it’s great to see you’re able to make the dive trip after all. If you carry a camera please take a few snaps and post them. Just not too revealing like some of these… http://mydoubts.net/images-ruin-childhood/

Although, I would like to know if the rumors are true that the Cozumel tourist dive folks are quite the rowdy bunch these days, and do similar things to this (Deci, go ahead and blow it up and grant access to all).
Attachment 29948

Heh, no rowdyness, but did have a pretty nasty experience with an idiot that didn't know what he was doing (more so than normal) - if you can't do a drift dive safely, just don't go under water... Period. It's the easiest, most painless diving you'll ever do.

Great week, fab resort and got 12 dives in. The last night dive I saw two things that had me pointing and shouting underwater, screaming "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Imagine seeing these underwater, in the dark:



and, even more weird:



I don't have an underwater camera - I'm so silly about such things, I want an enclosure for a 7D or something, but that'd be so bloody expensive that I just can't justified (not all of us made the wise investments you talked about making, I for example spent all my money on my shiny disc habit. )

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

I see we’ve got a big boy (65 mm) in the news today… https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5922. It should be interesting to see if this Blu-ray movie is struck from an outdated telecine of a 35mm reduction print (IP) or whether it has been newly remastered from a scan of the large format source.

Sorry, going through in order here... Was the HD-DVD sourced from 35mm? It does look pretty damn good, pleased that even more will get to see this film (the opening sequence alone is worth a buy)

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Dennis M

That's a very good question. Hoping that it is in fact the latter. Been waiting for this one for a long time now.

I've been waiting longer...

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Seriously, even several years ago, if so inclined, the content provider could have scanned a 65mm element (think BIG) of Grand Prix (1966) at least at 4K rather than using a squeezed down 35mm IP element (think little) as the source like they did for the HD DVD in 2006….

Well, I guess there's the answer... Does it not remain possible that the 35mm source might be superior to the 70mm, if the original elements are lost? I'm saying, the thing looks pretty fab now, the fact that it can look even better-er is a happy thing, and hopefully they went the extra mile... (bad pun, sorry)

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

I’ve since been informed (via PM) by some anonymous cruel member here from Pixar (I owe you one, just wait) that Jennifer in fact did not do all the dancing for that particular motion picture which is a great flick for people (of all genders) to watch

...speaking of genders, you do know that one of the shots it's in fact a dude dancing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Legs_%28dancer%29

Congrats to the cat from Pixar on last night's win, and to the other films. Very sorry that INCENDIES didn't take home the awards, but I see that another TIFF film (also SPC, no?) took the prize for Foreign.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

...speaking of genders, you do know that one of the shots it's in fact a dude dancing:...

Actually, the Pixie mentioned to me that a female and male double did a lot of the dancing in that final scene. In the meantime, someone PM’ed me a Pixar payback for having burst my hormonal bubble but, I’ve been a little reluctant to post it because I’m kind of a conservative type guy.

But you fellows are free to do whatever you please, if so inclined to reading/discussing parodies…Google John Lasseter The Onion.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

Very sorry that INCENDIES didn't take home the awards, but I see that another TIFF film (also SPC, no?) took the prize for Foreign.

Yes, and In a Better World, things like this wouldn’t happen either….https://forum.blu-ray.com/insider-di...ml#post4042834

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

Well, I guess there's the answer... Does it not remain possible that the 35mm source might be superior to the 70mm, if the original elements are lost?...

Anything’s *possible*. I guess it’s *possible* they could have ‘lost’ or neglected the proper preservation/protection of all types (negative, IP, etc.) of all large format 65mm. sources of this motion picture….since 2005/2006.

But, we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves now as to what source was actually used for the upcoming Blu-ray version. Let’s give ‘em the benefit of the doubt and wait for a review from someone who is familiar with the specific mastering history for the Blu-ray edition of Grand Prix.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

Sorry, going through in order here...

Me too but backwards.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

Imagine seeing these underwater, in the dark:

Merrick and his friend mad at me...or red with envy?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

Heh, no rowdyness, but did have a pretty nasty experience with an idiot that didn't know what he was doing (more so than normal) - if you can't do a drift dive safely, just don't go under water... Period. It's the easiest, most painless diving you'll ever do....

Yeah, I used to think so too but, ever try to shoot the pass at Rangiroa right into a wall of hungry sharks waiting for you and the rest of the fish-ies…the sharks already being riled up because of a couple local Tahitian fishermen spear fishing in the area at the same time as you had just started your dive…unbeknownst to the divers, including moi?

That’ll put hair on your chest…..seeing more grey than blue underwater and unable to avoid running into them due to the fact that the current there is so strong, it’s impossible to fight it or even hang on to a piece of coral or such.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by DarkDune

Personally, we have a 5-year-old, and they can't keep 3D "goggles" on for more than 5 minutes, and anyone here ever try to watch a 3D movie without the goggles?

Yes, no problemo , viewing the pop-out screen here…https://live.sonystyle.com/webapp/wc...52921666294297

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by DarkDune

Just curious. Is Hollywood getting at all tired of ALL the movies coming out lately in 3D?!?! I mean, it seems kinda ridiculous that almost everything coming out lately is billed, and presented in 3D somewhere.

Borrowing Anthony P-style brevity, in a word ….no.
See…http://www.screendigest.com/reports/...l?start_ser=ci

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by DarkDune

Just curious, coming from inside Hollywood if there is any 3D eye-strain going on.

Eye-strain is the result of *bad* 3D, not 3D imagery itself. Yes, there have been examples of poor 3D presentations producing such a temporary symptom…the causes of which I’ve explained in detail in past posts and for which astute filmmakers take classes to become educated about this new storytelling technique in order to make *good* 3D imagery. See the link with the videoclip in this past post – https://forum.blu-ray.com/insider-di...ml#post4106555

Or, if you’re a reader, then see…
https://www.cameraguild.com/training...Hartowicz.aspx

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Just received a call.
Winner! Congratulations Aaron…http://www.spiritawards.com/nominati...david-gundlach

Available on Blu-ray now –

^ Bumping this from the last page, just in case nobody read Aaron's Bio which is below the videoclip in that first link.

[Dennis M]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Yeah, I used to think so too but, ever try to shoot the pass at Rangiroa right into a wall of hungry sharks waiting for you and the rest of the fish-ies…the sharks already being riled up because of a couple local Tahitian fishermen spear fishing in the area at the same time as you had just started your dive…unbeknownst to the divers, including moi?

That’ll put hair on your chest…..seeing more grey than blue underwater and unable to avoid running into them due to the fact that the current there is so strong, it’s impossible to fight it or even hang on to a piece of coral or such.

[Penton-Man]

Yeah, that was quite an experience back in the day esp. given the fact many were Greys and one diver even noted a large Tiger in the armada which we were drifting into at speed.

Now they’ve even got a resort there (https://eu.hotelkiaora.com/kiaora/bin/view/Main/) which is a nice place to stay if you desire a much more secluded location than Tahiti and find Papeete to be a bit too commercialized for a traditional Polynesian experience.

[Penton-Man]

I see from the news - https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5944, WB has gotten themselves into quite a conundrum…or at least ethical dilemma given their alleged non-denial denial regarding the matter…http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/02/25/inception-3d/

lol, I imagine between feature films and commercial work, Wally won’t be applying for this position anytime soon… http://www.2-popforums.com/forums/sh...315#post310315 <- not to imply that ‘Legend’ is the house working on the alleged conversion of Inception.

As an aside, I don’t think some of the members posting comments in our forum following that news piece would be so quick to perceive Wally as “a hero” if they were aware of his past (less than a year ago) elitist, condescending comments about packaged digital home media and its continued progressive evolution (esp. that Green-ray quip) during a Q&A following a screening at last year’s Expo…http://www.cinegearexpo.com/seminars.html. I’ll say one thing, Wally is a rather flamboyant fellow.

I mean, it’s not like everyone these days goes out to commercial theaters to watch motion pictures. Blu-ray is all folks have got who don't want to deal with the negative aspects of going to their local cinema and it's a helluva upgrade from "DVD" for both picture and sound....when the content providers are so inclined to take advantage of its technology.