3-D projection comes to Sahuarita theater

While those iconic red and blue 3-D movie glasses are a thing of the past, three-dimensional films are the way of the future.

With the recent success of the 3-D children’s movies “Up,” “Coraline” and “Monsters vs. Aliens,” and the theatrical re-release of the popular “Toy Story” movies in the 3-D format, Desert Sky Cinema in Sahuarita decided they needed to invest for the future.

That’s why the theater recently shelled out nearly $100,000 for its new digital projector, which offers better picture quality overall and what many call the best option for showing 3-D movies. The projector was installed in late October in the theater’s largest auditorium, which seats 270.

Tom Becker, vice president of Storyteller Theaters in Sante Fe, which owns Desert Sky, predicts all theaters will make the switch to digital projection within the next 10 years. Theater chains are making the transition gradually because the units cost nearly twice as much as 35 millimeter film projectors, he says. Desert Sky still has five 35mm projectors.

But more films are being shot digitally, without the use of film. Though digital films can be transferred to 35mm, for theaters not equipped with digital projectors, theater companies are investing in the expensive new technology because of the pristine picture quality.

“The more times you run a movie shot in 35mm film, the more it gets scratched and worn,” Becker said. “But that’s impossible with a digitally shot movie” because no film is used, he said.

Instead, movies are downloaded from a satellite or served to several projectors in one theater from a hard drive.

“The first time you see that movie and the ten-thousandth time, it will look the same. It’s very similar to watching a picture on an extremely high-definition TV,” he added. “And the best way to project anything in 3-D is digitally.”

Another change movie-goers may notice: The new screen in the theater that features the digital projector is silver instead of white “because it reflects brighter, and that’s essential for 3-D,” Becker said.

Not just for kids

Along with the much-anticipated James Cameron sci-fi thriller “Avatar,” filmed in 3-D and due out in December, Jim Carrey’s reworking of “A Christmas Carol” is a family comedy that should appeal to a wide audience. It’s even been rumored that George Lucas is planning a theatrical re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy in 3-D.

The price for 3-D film-going is also geared toward adult pocketbooks: It’s $3 more than the average price of a movie ticket, which ranges from $6 to $9 at Desert Sky. The extra cost covers licensing fees and the cost of glasses, Becker said.

And while they may not be as fun as the traditional red and blue anaglyph glasses made from cardboard, the new style of 3-D shades — polarized and with a 1960s flair — can fit over reading glasses. And they’re recyclable.

Currently, Desert Sky Cinema is playing “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in 3-D. Call the theater at 520-393-1222 for showtimes.

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726

DID YOU KNOW?

Experimentation with 3-D technology in film dates to the era of silent movies.

The first 3-D feature film in color was “Bwana Devil” from 1952, a drama about man-eating lions attacking African railway workers. The release kicked off a three-year “golden era” for 3-D movies.

The only Alfred Hitchcock movie filmed in 3-D was “Dial M for Murder” in 1954.

One reason the 3-D fad of the 1950s didn’t last: two prints had to be projected simultaneously, and when they got out of sync, the film became virtually unwatchable, leading to headaches and eyestrain.