Oddly enough, the very same medium that 3-D was designed by Hollywood to combat would ultimately serve as the instrument of the formats revival. In the summer of 1981, a New York based television station, WPIX owned by Tribune Entertainment aired a number of 3-D films from the 1950’s including The Return of the Creature, the sequel to The Creature from The Black Lagoon. WPIX hyped the films heavily and distributed free cardboard 3-D glasses through local Burger King chains.

Despite the age of the films and the limited 3-D effect, the airing of these films in their original 3-D format introduced the format to whole new generation who had never experienced a movie this way.

Help in reintroducing the format came not from a U.S. Made film, but from a low budget Italian made Western entitled, Comin At Ya!. The film directed by Ferdinando Soldi, had only a limited release in the U.S. and had a threadbare story, but the quality of the 3-D effects had improved remarkably since the last batch of 3-D film in the late 1950’s. This was followed by the Charles Band creature feature, Parasite, which starred a then unknown Demi Moore. Once again, the film’s story was second stage to some spectacular 3-D effects and stunts which were accomplished on a very slender budget.

It was until around 1983 that the big Hollywood studios saw the writing on the wall And once again recognized the box office potential of 3-D films. Major 3-D releases included Friday the 13th in 3-D , Jaws 3-D, and Amityville 3-D. All three of these films features impressive 3-D effects and did respectable business, but were maligned heavily by serious film critics. Many critics pointed out the limited story in these films as well as the fact that viewers still had to wear those annoying cardboard glasses. 3-D would remain that way until a tremendous breakthrough in the format in the mid 1990’s.

Technology and the computer age had finally caught up to 3-D and in the Mid 1990’s the IMAX 3-D format was born. Unlike previous improvements on the 3-D format, IMAX 3-D was a monumental leap forward in the format’s history akin to going from using a horse and carriage to driving a Mercedes. First of all, the IMAX 3-D format no longer utilized cardboard or plastic eyeglasses. replacing these was a piece of head gear with a pair of goggles that come down over the viewers eyes completely immersing him or her in the film’ s effect. At first, only specialized documentaries were released in the IMAX 3-D format; short films of approximately 30 – 40 minutes each which basically showcased the format’s range. The first narrative film released in the IMAX 3-D format was Wings of Courage directed by Jean- Jacques Annaud who helmed Quest for Fire. The film did well commercially, but received lukewarm critical reception.

In the middle 2000’s, there has been an explosion of 3-D pictures mainly aimed at younger audience. films such as Monsters Vs. Aliens, BOLT, and more recently Disney’s A Christmas Carol have all been shown successful in the Real 3-D format which utilizes CGI to create the 3-D effect in postproduction as well as sturdier 3-D glasses.

Although these films have performed well at the box office and have even impressed some cynical, high-brow film critics, many serious film theorists felt that while the technical aspects behind the format have advanced forward, the aesthetic factors of 3-D films have taken a giant leap backwards. Now the format which was supposed to take movies and movie viewers into the future of filmmaking became a marketing gimmick relegated to children’s films.

However, all of this is soon to change. After more than ten years of anticipation And four years of actual production time, the science fiction epic Avatar is slated to hit movie screens on December 18, 2009. The film marks the return of James Cameron to the director’s chair for the first time since Titanic. Cameron and Those associated with the project say Avatar will change the way that people view 3-D movies and Avatar will finally after nearly ninety years of 3-D cinema raise format to the respectability it truly deserves.

Related links:
www.wikipedia.com
www.imdbpro.com ( reference James Cameron and /or Avatar in search engine)
www.yahoo.com