Ultimate 3-D Collection, The (NTSC) |
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Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
Encounter in the Third Dimension (1999) (NTSC) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Science Fiction |
Trailer-Alien Adventure; Haunted Castle Main Menu Audio & Animation Scene Selection Anim & Audio Audio Commentary Featurette-Making Of Theatrical Trailer Featurette-EPK |
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Rating | ? | ||
Year Of Production | 1999 | ||
Running Time | 35:59 (Case: 57) | ||
RSDL / Flipper | RSDL | Cast & Crew | |
Start Up | Ads Then Menu | ||
Region Coding | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | Directed By | Ben Stassen |
Studio
Distributor |
nWave Pictures Mindflux |
Starring |
Stuart Pankin Cassandra Peterson |
Case | Scanavo-Opaque | ||
RPI | $34.95 | Music | Louis Vyncke |
Video (NTSC) | Audio | ||
Pan & Scan/Full Frame | Full Frame |
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (224Kb/s) English dts 5.1 (768Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) |
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Widescreen Aspect Ratio | None | ||
16x9 Enhancement | No | ||
Video Format | 480i (NTSC) | ||
Original Aspect Ratio | 1.44:1 | Miscellaneous | |
Jacket Pictures | No | ||
Subtitles | None | Smoking | No |
Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
Action In or After Credits | No |
"To project a 3-D film, two individual images representing the perspective of the left and right eye are simultaneously projected on screen. Without special glasses during the presentation, it will seem like you are seeing double, because in fact you are seeing double. Fortunately, 3-D glasses correct this problem. Each lens of the 3-D glasses has a special filter which blocks out the opposing image, allowing each eye to see only one image. Your brain perceives the fusion of the two separate images as one three-dimensional image."
"There are several ways to project the dual images necessary to exhibit a 3-D film, however not all processes require two separate projectors. The anaglyphic film format simultaneously projects two different images from one single strip of film. One side is coated with a green (or blue) image, the other side is coated red. Spectators are given glasses that sport one green (or blue) lens and one red. The green lens turns the green (or blue) picture on screen to black, while the red lens turns the red image on screen to black. The result is a three-dimensional picture in black and white."
"To see 3-D in colour, the images for the left and right eye must be kept separate. Before today's large format theatres, which use two separate synchronized projectors, previous methods placed two 35mm frames in various configurations, either over and under each other or side by side."
As director Ben Stassen touches on a bit in the commentaries from all 3 films, the advantage we have with the new CGI era of filmmaking is that you can do things that are not possible with live action filmmaking. The ability to have an entire shot in focus, from the distant background right up to the nearest foreground, is something that can be impossible in a live action scenario, which is essential in 3D. Adding to that, the ability to place the camera wherever you like in your 3D world allows for some great 3D tricks and gags.
I should also mention the shutter glasses that come in the Ultimate 3D collection. They're not quite as comfortable as I would have liked, but the films all run for under 40 minutes, which is not too long anyway. When in use, the lenses flash very frequently, and I wouldn't recommend wearing them for more than a couple of hours, as they can cause a bit of a headache - as I found out after watching 3 films in a row, rewinding all the good parts a few times.
Now that’s all the technical stuff out of the way, so onto the review itself. I will not be reviewing this title as a movie (unlike a few critics out there), because I see it as exercise in computer generated 3D filmmaking more than a movie. Encounter In The Third Dimension is basically a not-too-technical documentary on the history of 3D cinema. The detail covered within the production is not enough to keep the viewer interested for too long if watched in 2D, but in 3D, it is a different story altogether (more on that later). We get to see a re-creation of one of the earliest 3D movies ever made, along with some clips from 1950s 3D films, all the way up to more contemporary 3D films such as James Cameron’s Terminator 2: 3D – which is a prominent feature at Universal Studios in the USA. Hosted by “The Professor” (a live action character) and M.A.X (his flying CGI robot sidekick) – acted and voiced by Stuart Pankin respectively – the film also features a musical number from "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" (the only other live action character). Encounter provided some interesting information on the history of 3D cinema, while at the same time showed off some brilliant effects, everything from objects making you reach out for them to rooms and hallways providing an incredible sense of depth. Even the intro credits looked amazing.
I found the 2D version of Encounter to be a moderately interesting look at the history of 3D cinema, and felt its characters over-the-top in an unappealing kind of way. When I switched to 3D, I found myself completely immersed in everything that was happening for its entire running time. I give it a high recommendation as far as the 3D side of it goes, but not so much as a 2D documentary.
The film is presented in a full frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which means there is no 16x9 enhancement. I should mention that this is a Region 0 NTSC disc.
Being digitally remastered from the large format film, the image is extremely clear and extremely sharp. The detail of the image is as crisp as can be. Shadow details and black levels are spot on. There is no low level noise. If there is anything slightly derogatory to mention about this transfer, it is that I found the 3D version looked better after a slight adjustment to the brightness and contrast settings on my TV. Parts of the presentation made me feel like I was watching cut scenes from a video game, which is why the increased brightness and contrast helped the effect whilst in 3D.
Being a computer generated film, the colours were vibrant throughout its entire running time. Reds were bold and bright, never bleeding or smearing.
There were no MPEG artefacts nor film-to-video artefacts seen in the entire production. Some slight aliasing was noticeable on a couple of occasions, but was never distracting.
The 3D portion of the DVD copped the layer change, which occurred at 28.11, and was unfortunately mid-sentence. The 2D portion fits comfortably within 1 layer, and required no layer change.
Sharpness | |
Shadow Detail | |
Colour | |
Grain/Pixelization | |
Film-To-Video Artefacts | |
Film Artefacts | |
Overall |
There are three different audio tracks on this DVD. The default is an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks. There is also a dts 5.1 soundtrack and an audio commentary, which presented in Dolby Digital 2.0.
The dialogue was always clear and intelligible. There were no problems whatsoever with audio sync throughout the entire running time.
The music by Holly Knight, John Paragon and Louis Vyncke was perfectly clear, never becoming distorted or too loud. With support from all channels, it is presented very well in this audio transfer.
The surround channels were used constantly to support everything including dialogue, sound effects and music. Creating a 360 degree environment, the surround channels were used very effectively, and helped draw me into the on-screen action incredibly well while watching the film in 3D. There was not a single second that my concentration lapsed throughout the entire film, and a lot of that was contributed to by the surround sound mix. As far as Dolby Digital versus dts goes, I noticed a more 360 degree environment whilst listening to the dts track, but the Dolby Digital mix is still of a very high standard.
The subwoofer was used just as well as the surround channels, in that it perfectly supported all music and sound effects with some great bass. Like the surround channel usage, the subwoofer was mixed perfectly, adding greatly to the experience. I also give the edge to dts in the subwoofer department, if only just.
Dialogue | |
Audio Sync | |
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts | |
Surround Channel Use | |
Subwoofer | |
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This is just an extended trailer for the film, with some snippets from the EPK (mentioned below) thrown in to extend it out to almost 5 minutes. Not required viewing, as all the interesting stuff is contained within the EPK..
This was actually a decent featurette, featuring about six minutes of soundbites - interviews with cast and crew. Not too informative, but good to hear from a few other people involved. This was followed by roughly two and a half minutes of B-roll footage, which showed some behind the scenes footage of the actors, and a behind the scenes look at some of the computer work involved. This was all followed by about two minutes of selected clips from the film.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The video quality is excellent and is of reference quality.
The audio quality is excellent and is of reference quality, which enhanced the overall production substantially.
The extra features are better than anyone would expect, with a fantastic audio commentary, and a good (if too short) look at some behind the scenes action. Not the most elaborate set of extras, but better than I was expecting.
Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
Review Equipment | |
DVD | Pioneer DV-525, using Component output |
Display | Teac 82cm 16x9. Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
Amplification | Sony STR DE-545 |
Speakers | 5 Sony speakers; Sherwood 12" 100w Powered Subwoofer |
Alien Adventure (1999) (NTSC) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Science Fiction |
Trailer-Encounter in the Third Dimension; Haunted Castle Main Menu Audio & Animation Scene Selection Anim & Audio Audio Commentary Featurette-Making Of Gallery-Photo-2D; 3D Theatrical Trailer Featurette-EPK |
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Rating | |||
Year Of Production | 1999 | ||
Running Time | 33:39 (Case: 85) | ||
RSDL / Flipper | Dual Layered | Cast & Crew | |
Start Up | Ads Then Menu | ||
Region Coding | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | Directed By | Ben Stassen |
Studio
Distributor |
Mindflux |
Starring | None Given |
Case | Scanavo-Opaque | ||
RPI | $34.95 | Music |
Louis Vyncke Lele & The Puzzlers |
Video (NTSC) | Audio | ||
Pan & Scan/Full Frame | Full Frame |
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s) English dts 5.1 (768Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) |
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Widescreen Aspect Ratio | None | ||
16x9 Enhancement | No | ||
Video Format | 480i (NTSC) | ||
Original Aspect Ratio | 1.44:1 | Miscellaneous | |
Jacket Pictures | No | ||
Subtitles | None | Smoking | No |
Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
Action In or After Credits | No |
The 3D animation is again incredible, giving a great sense of depth, and providing some fantastic examples of 3D animation at its best. The faster the ride, the harder it is to take everything in. Sometimes it’s the more subtle shots that look the most impressive. The characters in the film are mildly amusing, but that’s not the point anyway. The actual look of the animation is a step up from Encounter In The Third Dimension, in that that the overall production is more stylish. Again, not the strong point to these films, but it just feels a little more polished than Encounter.
These IMAX 3D films are a whole lot of fun. When watched in 2D, they all leave a bit to be desired, but in their 3D glory they are a real treat to watch. Alien Adventure is no exception to this, providing more 3D eye candy to be watched through the shutter glasses. I don’t quite like this one as much as Encounter, if only because it hones in on the roller coaster approach more than pure 3D imagery, but I still had a heap of fun with it. The total presentation of these DVDs only adds to the overall experience, in that their visual and audio presentations are magnificent (more on that below).
The transfer of the 2D film is excellent, and is of reference quality. The transfer of the 3D film is of the same quality; only in 3D it appears to be less sharp. I think, though. that that comes down to the viewer’s ability to handle the 3D effect. Alien Adventure features a video transfer of the same quality as Encounter In The Third Dimension.
The film is presented in a full frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which means there is no 16x9 enhancement. I should mention that this is a Region 0 NTSC disc.
Being digitally remastered from the large format film, the image is extremely clear and extremely sharp. The detail of the image is as crisp as can be. Shadow detail and black level are spot on. There is no low level noise. Alien Adventure is quite dark in parts, and really does need a bit of an adjustment to the brightness and contrast settings to be fully enjoyed in 3D. I feel that the 3D illusion is only enhanced by adjusting the levels slightly. Please remember that all TVs are configured differently, and not every set out there will require adjusting.
Being a computer-generated film, the colours were vibrant throughout the entire running time. Reds were bold and bright, never bleeding or smearing.
There were no MPEG artefacts or film-to-video artefacts seen throughout the entire production. Some slight aliasing was noticeable on a couple of occasions, but was never distracting.
The 3D portion of the DVD copped the layer change, which occurred at 23.11, and again was unfortunately mid-sentence. The 2D portion fits comfortably within 1 layer, and required no layer change.
Sharpness | |
Shadow Detail | |
Colour | |
Grain/Pixelization | |
Film-To-Video Artefacts | |
Film Artefacts | |
Overall |
There are three different audio tracks on this DVD. The default audio track is English Dolby Digital 5.1. Additionally present are a dts 5.1 soundtrack and and audio commentary, which is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0.
The dialogue was always clear and intelligible. There were no problems whatsoever with audio sync throughout the entire presentation.
The music by Louis Vyncke and Lele & The Puzzlers was perfectly clear, never becoming distorted or too loud. With support from all channels, it is presented very well by this audio transfer.
The surround channels were used constantly to support everything including dialogue, sound effects and music. Creating a 360 degree environment, the surround channels were used very effectively, and helped draw me into the on-screen action incredibly well while watching the film in 3D. There was not a single second that my concentration lapsed throughout the entire film, and a lot of that was contributed to by the surround sound mix. As far as Dolby Digital versus dts goes, I noticed a more 360 degree environment in the dts track, but the Dolby mix was still of a very high standard.
The aubwoofer was used just as well as the surround channels, in that it perfectly supported all music and sound effects with some great bass. Like the surround channel usage, the subwoofer was mixed perfectly, adding greatly to the experience. I also give the edge to dts in the subwoofer department, if only just.
Dialogue | |
Audio Sync | |
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts | |
Surround Channel Use | |
Subwoofer | |
Overall |
A fully animated shot from within a spaceship from the film, featuring our 3 main aliens.
A static background picture, with fully animated thumbnails for the scenes from the film.
Just like the commentary for Encounter, this screen-specific audio commentary features Executive Producer/Writer/Director Ben Stassen. This is just as informative and enjoyable as the track on Encounter, only this time there are a couple of occasions where Stassen has a very short breather. There's not quite as much to discuss this time around, but Ben still manages to provide a track well worth listening to.
This featurette is just really an extended trailer that features clips from the EPK (discussed below).
This is a 2D picture gallery featuring 39 shots from the film to look at. Those same shots are also presented in a short featurette running for 12.54 which you need your shutter glasses to view. They are just static shots, with 3D effect.
This was actually a decent featurette, featuring about three and a half minutes worth of soundbites (interviews with the cast and crew). It was not too informative, but it was good to hear from a few of the other people involved. This was followed by roughly two and a half minutes of B-roll footage, which showed some behind the scenes footage of the actors, and a behind the scenes look at some of the computer work involved. This was all followed by about three and a half minutes of selected clips from the film.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The video quality is excellent and is of reference quality. Only a couple of shots were a bit too dark on my screen, but not enough to keep it from receiving the highest score.
The audio quality is excellent and is of reference quality, which enhanced the overall production substantially.
The extra features are better than anyone would expect, with a fantastic audio commentary, and a good (if too short) look at some behind the scenes action. Not the most elaborate set of extras, but better than I was expecting.
Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
Review Equipment | |
DVD | Pioneer DV-525, using Component output |
Display | Teac 82cm 16x9. Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
Amplification | Sony STR DE-545 |
Speakers | 5 Sony speakers; Sherwood 12" 100w Powered Subwoofer |
Haunted Castle (2001) (NTSC) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Animation |
Trailer-Encounter In The Third Dimension; Alien Adventure Menu Animation & Audio Scene Selection Anim & Audio Audio Commentary Featurette-Making Of Theatrical Trailer-2 Notes-ARID Gallery-2D; 3D Featurette-EPK |
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Rating | ? | ||
Year Of Production | 2001 | ||
Running Time | 38:20 (Case: 132) | ||
RSDL / Flipper | Dual Layered | Cast & Crew | |
Start Up | Ads Then Menu | ||
Region Coding | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | Directed By | Ben Stassen |
Studio
Distributor |
nWave Pictures Mindflux |
Starring |
Jasper Steverlinck Kyoko Baertsoen Harry Shearer |
Case | Scanavo-Opaque | ||
RPI | $34.95 | Music | ARID |
Video (NTSC) | Audio | ||
Pan & Scan/Full Frame | Full Frame |
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s) English dts 5.1 (768Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) |
|
Widescreen Aspect Ratio | None | ||
16x9 Enhancement | No | ||
Video Format | 480i (NTSC) | ||
Original Aspect Ratio | 1.44:1 | Miscellaneous | |
Jacket Pictures | No | ||
Subtitles | None | Smoking | No |
Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
Action In or After Credits | No |
The film is about a young musician named Johnny (Jasper Steverlinck – who also contributed some of the music with band Arid), who has been summoned to the castle by his deceased mother. Whilst in the castle, Johnny is confronted by Mephisto (voiced by This Is Spinal Tap’s Harry Shearer), henchman to Mr. D (also voiced by Shearer) and finally offered a proposal; surrender his soul in exchange for fame and fortune. Wow, that sounds really bad, doesn’t it? Well, whilst watching the film, I never really cared about the storyline enough to realise how crappy it sounds. As I’ve stated over and over, these films are not about their plotlines, and should be watched only for their visual and aural extravaganzas. The film is almost always seen through Johnny’s eyes, except for one scene when we get to see Johnny show off his lead guitar skills to Mr. D.
I have to make mention of a scene in the film which caused a bit of a stir with the head honchos at IMAX. It takes place in a torture chamber. Johnny walks through, looking to his left and right at floating mirrors which hang in front of defunct execution contraptions. The mirrors act as a look into some past executions such as guillotine decapitations and electrocutions. Stassen half-jokingly says “I don’t think it’s degrading. A little head chopping and electrocution goes a long way”. I agree that it is not gory or scary, but still think it may be a bit much for children without any warnings. He mentions that the scene was inspired by the Smirnoff Vodka commercials, in which people look into a bottle and see a different space each time.
Haunted Castle is just as enjoyable as any 3D film I’ve seen, and is a nice addition to the Ultimate 3-D Box Set. I wholeheartedly recommend anyone interested in 3D to give these DVDs a go, as I had a heap of fun with them.
The transfer of the 2D film is excellent, and is of reference quality. The transfer of the 3D film is of the same quality, only in 3D it appears to be less sharp. I think, though, that this comes down to the viewer’s ability to handle the 3D effect. Haunted Castle features a video transfer of the same quality as Encounter In The Third Dimension and Alien Adventure.
The film is presented in a full frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which means there is no 16x9 enhancement. I should mention that this is a Region 0 NTSC disc.
Being digitally remastered from the large format film, the image is extremely clear and extremely sharp. The detail of the image is as crisp as can be. Shadow detail and black levels are spot on. There is no low level noise. Like Alien Adventure, Haunted Castle can be a little dark in parts, but did not require the same adjustments to the brightness and contrast levels to be enjoyed properly in 3D.
Being a computer generated film, the colours were vibrant throughout its entire running time. Reds were bold and bright, never bleeding or smearing.
There were no MPEG artefacts seen. Some slight aliasing was noticeable on a couple of occasions, but was never distracting.
The 3D portion of the DVD copped the layer change which occurred at 29:18. This did not interrupt any dialogue, unlike the other two 3D films. The 2D portion fits comfortably within 1 layer, and required no layer change.
Sharpness | |
Shadow Detail | |
Colour | |
Grain/Pixelization | |
Film-To-Video Artefacts | |
Film Artefacts | |
Overall |
There are three different audio tracks on this DVD. The default is an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Also present are a dts 5.1 soundtrack and an audio commentary, presented in Dolby Digital 2.0.
The dialogue was always clear and intelligible. There were no problems whatsoever with audio sync throughout the entire running time.
The music by Arid was perfectly clear, never becoming distorted or too loud. With support from all channels, it is presented very well in this audio transfer.
The surround channels were used constantly to support everything including dialogue, sound effects and music. Creating a 360 degree environment, the surround channels were used very effectively, enhancing the overall experience dramatically. There was not a single second that my concentration lapsed throughout the entire film, and a lot of that was due to the surround sound mix. As most of the film is seen through the main character's eyes, his voice surrounds you nicely with great use of the surround channels. As far as Dolby Digital vs. dts goes, I noticed a more 360 degree environment with the dts track, but the Dolby Digital mix is still of a very high standard.
The subwoofer was used just as well as the surround channels, in that it perfectly supported all music and sound effects with some great bass. Like the surround channel usage, the subwoofer was mixed perfectly, adding greatly to the experience. I also give the edge to dts in the subwoofer department, if only just.
Dialogue | |
Audio Sync | |
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts | |
Surround Channel Use | |
Subwoofer | |
Overall |
A static shot, with some animated lightning in the background. No audio.
A static background picture, with fully animated thumbnails for the scenes from the film. No audio.
Just like the commentaries for Encounter In The Third Dimension and Alien Adventure, this screen-specific audio commentary features Executive Producer/Writer/Director Ben Stassen. Just as informative and enjoyable as the aforementioned tracks, I’d place this in between those two as far as overall worth goes. Motivations and inspirations are covered, along with some background information in regards to the animation as well as the actors involved. These commentaries really are worth a listen if you’re at all interested in 3D animation, and especially these IMAX 3D films.
Again, this featurette is just really an extended trailer that features clips from the EPK (discussed below).
Four pages of biographical notes for the band behind the film’s music.
This is a 2D picture gallery featuring 39 shots from the film to look at. The same shots are also presented as a short featurette running for 12.34 which you need your shutter glasses to view. They are just static 3D shots.
This was actually a decent featurette, featuring about five minutes of film clips, followed by about four minutes of soundbites (interviews with the cast and crew). It was not too informative, but nonetheless it was good to hear from a few of the other people involved. This was followed by roughly four and a half minutes of B-roll footage, which showed some behind the scenes footage of the actors, and in particular, a look at the recording of the music for the film. To cap the EPK off, we get a behind the scenes look at some of the computer work involved.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The video quality is excellent and is of reference quality.
The audio quality is excellent and is of reference quality, which enhanced the overall production substantially.
The extra features are better than anyone would expect, with a fantastic audio commentary, and a good (if too short) look at some behind the scenes action. Not the most elaborate set of extras, but better than I was expecting.
Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
Review Equipment | |
DVD | Pioneer DV-525, using Component output |
Display | Teac 82cm 16x9. Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
Amplification | Sony STR DE-545 |
Speakers | 5 Sony speakers; Sherwood 12" 100w Powered Subwoofer |