Oh, 3D you dumb gimmick. Yeah, you’re cool and fun, but what’s the fucking point of you? Depth perception? I don’t see the world in the way that 3D shows it to me; the whole process looks completely unnatural. Cool, but utterly unnatural. So what’s the point?
It’s so studios can charge you more money!
Seriously, Sony head Michael Lynton comes right out and says this. Other sites are focusing on the way this Forbes interview has Amy Pascal Oh Don Piano-ing about Spider-Man 4 being in 3D, but to me here’s the important quote:
People are paying a premium to see movies in 3-D and that’s a very big
deal. It’s never been done before that someone says you have to pay
more to see Spider-Man than a romantic comedy.
This is dangerous thinking to me. Can you imagine a world where movies become priced by tier – a 300 million dollar blockbuster suddenly costs three dollars more than a mid-level drama? Sure, you could argue that this would make people go see the cheaper movie, but I think this means people will still see the terrible blockbuster and simply cut the other movies out of their diets altogether.
We’re at a crossroads. Many industries are trying to figure out how to make money in the digital now, and we’re going to see all sorts of wacky ideas being floated around. If you think that 3D is about some artistic vision or something, you’re deluding yourself. It’s about charging you more money for the same old bullshit, just with a gimmick.