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An Enthusiastic Review Of U2-3D!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.
And I couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen this once already, and I’m seeing it again on Saturday before I write about it. I’ll just say that it is overwhelming, and one of the most remarkable sensory experiences I’ve had in recent memory.
But enough from me. Today’s spy has a lot to say, and he says it pretty darn well:
Hey, guys--
I've never submitted a review to your site before, but since I didn't see anything posted in the last couple of days since I saw U2 3D in person, I decided that my fellow movie geeks needed to know about this movie.
Thanks to some really cool friends with connections, I was able to get in to see the first advance screening of U2 3D, which was held at the Chinese Theatre here in Hollywood. (This was in one of the six newer theaters, not the original Grauman's movie palace.) It felt interesting being probably the only U2 fan in the audience, which was comprised mostly of those who worked on the film, or studio execs, DOPs and post house people who were interested in experiencing what we were promised was a breakthrough in 3D technology.
It was. U2 3D is the most amazing 3D experience I've ever had. Ever.
Yes, I have to be honest... U2 is my favorite band. But even if you hate U2 as much as Henry Rollins does (and even as a die-hard U2 fan, his rant against the band is one of the funniest things I've ever heard), I still think it's worth experiencing this film, because the 3D technology used here is going to be the wave of the future that James Cameron and other directors will implement in their upcoming movies. Seeing U2 3D has only made me more eager to see Avatar.
What makes U2 3D so impressive is that it does what prior 3D productions have been unable to do--to fully convince you that you are within a real physical space with real depth. The problem with prior 3D movies is that you're always aware that your eyes are being "tricked" into a three-dimensional experience--there's just something that's a bit "off" about it. Either there is a feeling that the depth is being created by a series of flat planes, one behind the other, or the perception of 3D is shattered whenever you move your head too much, once again reminding you that you're wearing glasses and looking at a screen.
In U2 3D, there are none of those issues. There just aren't. It feels that immediate and that real. And honestly, I don't understand how the technology works so well. The glasses themselves don't look like they have any special filters or colors. They're just slightly opaque. And when you take them off, the screen only looks slightly blurry. But yet, you put them on, and the experience is all-encompassing. National Geographic had something to do with the making of the film, so perhaps they developed the technology with the other production entities associated with the movie. According to the Q&A session after the film, the 3D technology was still being developed even as the film was being edited in post-production, so that's how new it is. And if it's this good now, imagine what it will become when Cameron gets his hands on this.
Okay, so that's the excited techno-geek side of me talking. But how was the movie... as a movie?
If you've followed U2 for the entirety of their career like I have, it's been obvious that the band has been searching to create the perfect in-concert document which captures who they truly are as a live act. The creation of Rattle and Hum was due to the band being embarrassed by their antics in Under a Blood Red Sky. Rattle and Hum was fairly decent, insofar as a movie is concerned. But it was more of a travelogue and less of a live concert experience. Since then, U2 has released a slew of live concerts on DVD, the best of which I think is Elevation: Live from Boston, thanks to some great directing and use of various and interesting camera angles (which you can watch isolated in their entirety if you want--a nice bonus).
In terms of performance and musical selection, I'm still partial to the Elevation DVD, but their performance here is still balls-to-the-wall, and because U2 3D is so all-encompassing, it's just an entirely different experience, and as a result, far more rewarding. The concert itself was filmed on the recent Vertigo Tour primarily in Latin America, and the energy of the audience is that much more intense. There's a moment at the end of the film where Bono and Larry Mullen, Jr. share a bit of small talk (which we can't hear) but it's clearly in reference to how amazed they are at the audience reaction. In fact, there's a point at the end of "With or Without You" that Bono breaks into a big smile, clearly taken aback by how loud and in unison the audience is.
One thing I should point out. This is not merely a document of a concert. There is a really artistic mixture of camera angles throughout, and the film pushes into some really cutting-edge creativity on "The Fly," as words and letters rain down from the sky--in front of and behind the band members. That sequence alone is worth the price of admission. After the film was over, it was revealed that although the director was a novice, she comes from an artistic background in sculpting, so she already thinks in a three-dimensional way, which the film's DOP admitted was the right approach to the material.
Having seen the Vertigo Tour in person, I remember the emphasis on social change, human rights and the ONE campaign. U2 3D instead focuses on the music and the interplay between band and audience, and I think that was a wise move. Look, I love what Bono has to say sometimes, but even I appreciate the fact that they turned down his Messiah Meter™ to about 1 on a scale of 10 for this film. He has a few words to share with the audience, but it's short, sweet and makes the point without being overly ponderous. The "Coexist" theme overall is pushed a little too hard, though, especially over the ending credits. But that's a minor complaint. The message itself is still valid.
If you're a die-hard U2 fan, you will absolutely go nuts over this film and will want to re-experience it over and over. If you're not a die-hard U2 fan, but like some of their music, you'll still enjoy U2 3D, as the music selection is pretty familiar, even to casual listeners. And if you can't stand U2 but love technology, I still think there's plenty here to appreciate from a filmmaking standpoint. And as I've said repeatedly, the 3D experience is unlike anything I've ever experienced.
If you see fit to use this, sign me as The Refugee.
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+ Expand All
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Man, being first is dumb..
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All day long baby
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I was going to 4 in a row.
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It's like being the first person to see something and then writing fuck you on it to ruin it for everyone else.
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Sorry >.> thats my first, first ever. lol
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Who?
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About the stinkin' band!
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and don't love technology? What say you then, Sir Reviewer?
Shouldn't this be called U2-3.5D, anyway, considering Bono's ego has broken the confines of the third dimension and has entered the fourth? -
U2 and Bobba Fett. I like new years day and thats about it.
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His U2 rant was first done many, many years ago. I wonder if he's mellowed to them since.
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A lame gimmick I wish people would just give up. Even if those people are naed Zemeckis and Cameron. 3D is nonsense, I don't care how advanced it becomes.
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If so, I'm there. That technology is the real deal, you really feel 3 stages of depth: on-the-screen, behind-the-screen, and in front-of-the-screen.
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I'm confused by the statement made about how this 3D technology is still being developed. The trailer for U2 3D was at the beginning of Beowulf. And it looked pretty finished to me.
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Why didn't anyone say it yet? Actually, this preview looked awesome before Beowulf. I'll be buying my tickets soon!
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That was a total waste of time. THe concert footage was steller (lit by Blade Runner supremo Jordan Cronenweth no less!), but rest of it was like Spinal Tap without the humour. Having said that, Bono is still a genius and a truly great man and I will always remain a loyal fan.
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since the late 80s. I loved everything up through Achtung, but recognized that they were becoming less a core 'rock' band and more of an atmosphere rock band after Unforgettable Fire. Which is fine, if you're good at it, and for a while they were. But the 90s output just didn't do anything for me. All You Can't Leave was a nice return to form, but honestly I haven't listened to that in a couple of years, and I stopped listening to Atomic Bomb the week after it came out. It just never took. Didn't do anything for me. That said, I saw them live on the last few tours and they consistently put on a good show. Does Edge still not smile in 3D? Does Adam still not smile in 3D? Does Larry still look like he's in terrible pain while playing the drums? They should do a punk-pop rock album, a la Boy or October.
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yeah Rollins is right on the money. but he doesn't like Nine Inch Nails which I think is wrong.
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Rollins is right.
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Is Henry Rollins?
Henry Rollins talking about a band only playing a couple chords is well, irony or something close to it.
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Jan 18, 2008 8:02:52 AM CST
Henry Rollins? Wow. What a talent he is. Wrong Turn 2 anyone?
by harryblackpotter
Can't stand the man myself. Did like him in Heat though when Al Pacino pushed his sorry ass through a window.
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Oh, wait. Nobody gives a fuck about Henry Rollins so I guess there won't be one.
Meanwhile, I've seen U2 four times in concert (Joshua Tree, PopMart, Elevation and Vertigo Tours) and all four shows were solid performances. Anyone who says they "aren't a good band" probably loves Coldplay instead.
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Moviegoers just can't get used to the idea of wearing special glasses, just to watch something or play something, no matter how good it looks. History has shown since the 50's to VR glasses, to Virtual Boy, to IMAX glasses, to wearing glasses that give the illusion you're watching a 60" TV. None of these have really caught the public's attention. Until we don't get 3D without glasses. 3D will always be a gimmicky novelity
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it's trendy to hate U2 now, but i've probably been a fan as long as this review, and he and spyguy are right. they are solid. their vertigo tour was the best show i've seen in ages, and made me fall in love with them all over again. and henry rollins? puh-leez.
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When you talk as much as Henry Rollins, you're bound to say some stupid shit. His U2 rant was stupid. They're a terrific band, with an enormous history of great music. For as "serious" as Bono is, they have a terrific sense of humour and all seem like genuinely great guys. Their concerts are never boring, and even when they tour for "down" albums, they're still entertaining. I caught them on Elevation, and they were f-ing fantastic (especially when they rolled I Will Follow into Gloria). Having seen them 3 times since the Boy tour, I've never been disappointed with them. So all the douches can rip on U2 all they want, but there aren't too many bands that have reached their level of success and maintained it for three decades ... so to say they "suck" is just refusing to live in reality.
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Just had an entirely different sound to me that worked, it had some emotion, whereas everything else I've ever heard from them is so... nothingy. Going to see Beowulf in IMAX 3D tomorrow and fully expecting to get my ass knocked off. Hope they show the preview to this U2 thing in the UK, so I can see what the all fuss is about here. And I so cannot wait for Avatar!
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Cop a load of this. The great Bill Bailey rips the p*** out of U2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EDuK46ZqFM
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Jan 18, 2008 9:22:06 AM CST
Catch U2 3D at Sundance Film Festival Saturday January 19
by badwaldo s revenge
Screening times are 9:45 and midnight at Eccles Theatre in Park City. Looks like wait list line will be blocks long. Good luck getting in with a wait list number :-)
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Oopsy - This should work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EDuK46ZqFM
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Look, the URL is all there, just take out the space between v & = and it will work. It's a conspiracy I tell you...Harry is actually Bono!!!!!
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saying tom hanks is your favorite actor.
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So I think I'll try to see this one. They still rock and put on a great show.
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Jan 18, 2008 10:02:29 AM CST
Glovedone, the more you say U2 "sucks," the more idiotic you bec
by spyguy
U2 isn't my favorite band but to say they outright "suck" shows that you have no fucking taste in music whatsoever. Whether you like Bono as a person or not, he and the rest of U2 have managed to keep from sucking over the span of twenty years. If you don't like them, fine, but just know they deserve more respect than probably any of the shitty bands you like.
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like 15. US is a great band, and yes being social concsius is such a horriable self-indulgent thing, fer crying out loudor maybe i'm old and just don't udnerstand these dag-gud kids todays
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Worlds biggest piece of Shit
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You notice that the most vehement U2 haters never once mention their own favorite bands? That's because almost invariably they're into complete and utter shit like Rush or Dream Theater or *snicker* the straight edge "scene" - y'know, masturbatory mood music for basement dwelling troglodytes who spend their days playing World of Warcraft, chewing on their hoodie strings, sucking down their weight in Mountain Dew and blogging about their childhood sciffy fantasies being raped by the "man." As predictable as rain.
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Is that up somewhere?
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Of course it's fucking predictable...we're talking about U2 here.
"You notice that the most vehement U2 haters never once mention their own favorite bands?" That perhaps having something to do with the fact that I'm not psychotic and I don't have a postscript after everything I write listing everything I like.
I'll bite, though. If we're talking about U2's peers, I'd go with XTC, Jesus & Mary Chain, The Soft Boys, Talk Talk, REM, The Birthday Party, Midnight Oil, Josef K, The Go-Betweens, This Heat and about 1000 other bands ahead of YouToo. -
They are using the RealD Digital projection system. This uses Circular polarized glasses, which are not as sensitive to head tilt as the old linear type used since the 50’s (yes they used polarized glasses in the 50’s , not the red and blue ones (anaglyph) like everyone thinks).
They are not using the James Cameron system, which is good since it’s crap. There is a good article here about the production.
http://www.studiodaily.com/filmandvideo/currentissue/8973.html
One thing of note. When they talk about convergence in the software, this really translates to adjusting the stereo window in standard stereo photography terms (nudging the images left or right to change where object appear in space).
Good 3D films are more about technique than technology. The reason films like Chicken Little and Meet the Robbinsons looked so good is because they had a great stereoscopic supervisor (Phil McNally) who knew what the hell he was doing. -
which makes the "list of cool things about U2" have a total of one notch on it. (Song is Sunday Bloody Sunday, btw).
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Unless Larry Mullen Jr. can squeeze a guys' head so hard his eyeball blows out into the audience.
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So I'm kinda interested what this would be like.
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Can't wait to see this. And haters? Meh. Go hate on Transformers some more...
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Last time I saw him was a couple of years ago presenting a real cheap TV show in the UK - something to do with scap metal or something. Anyway he sucks even more than U2 - and they suck huge.
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is this 3D technology better than the "breakthrough" 3D technology used on Monster House? Because I was sorely disappointed with that 3D experience. I want to believe in 3D cinema beyond just the gimmick that it's always been (and I include Monster House in that assessment). To hear George Lucas and James Cameron talk about what's coming gets me excited, but so far, everything I've ever seen 3D-wise is the exact same technology they had when I saw Captain Eo at Disneyland as a kid. It gives me a headache, makes for a miserable viewing experience and in my opinion adds nothing to the experience beyond gimmicky tricks of things flying at you...
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...that most talkbackers without a proper education have a difficult time expressing a negative opinion without using the word "suck".
Coincidently, these same people often find it hard to express their lack of interest in something without using the non-word "meh", as well.
I weep for the future. -
Behold the breadth of my tastes!
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and Rollins is a tool!
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Jan 18, 2008 2:17:36 PM CST
gotilk, the difference you don't have to wear anything...
by orionsangels
on your body to view color or hear sound. In 50 years 3D hasn't taken off. gimmick yes. It didn't take color or sound 50 years to become a hit. Human beings by nature hate wearing things on their eyes for entertainment value. Name one product, other than regular glasses. That was used for the eyes for entertainment purposes that was a huge hit and still used today. Yeah exactly.
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I'll be fucked if I put on a pair of sillygoggles to watch a concert on TV in my living room. Who am I kidding? I wouldn't watch anyway. I'm just not big into sleekly produced DVD concerts. Music's for listening.
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From what I've read, this is a theatre only experience. The whole point was to make you really feel like you're at the concert. In a home video format, even if you had the 3-D working, wouldn't have the power of seeing the images on a giant screen.
So you have to at least respect the band for not trying to milk money out of what would be a sub-par viewing medium. If you want to just see a regular concert recording from the last tour, Vertigo Live From Chicago is already available.
As for the setlist, apparently the awesome opener City of Blinding Lights has been cut from the beginning, which now opens with Vertigo. There's about 5 new songs, a few from The Joshua Tree, a couple from Achtung Baby, and some oldies. There's more info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U2_3D -
I've never seen U2 in concert, but this will do nicely...
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But I think a lot of people have mellowed to Bono over the years for two reasons. First, he hasn't stopped. He's stuck to his beliefs and continued to push to make change in the world. Second, the work he's done has created change, and it's educated and informed far more people than the haters would have you believe. This is not a push to change anybodies mind about Bono, I myself am only a casual U2 fan, and I've never been more. But a lot of the hate for Bono is simply because he makes himself an easy target by standing up and being loud about the things he believes to be right and true. The world would be a better place if more people did the same instead complaining about every damn thing that doesn't fit perfectly into their own world view bubble.
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Jan 18, 2008 5:01:32 PM CST
Actually, TVs With the Chip Necessary For This 3D are Coming Out
by birdys piano teacher
This year. Samsung has a tv that can do it. So it will eventually be released for home use, but I have no idea when or what format.
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Just kidding, love U2 and can't wait to see this
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'Shut up! I don't give a fuck!' during one of Bono's many irritating, egotistical, self-serving speeches about how he seems to think he's Jesus Christ: Popstar. Seriously, he's a wanker. For evidence of this, see the MTV special where he goes to Africa with Chris Tucker. It's fucking hilarious! Tucker is clearly irritated by Bono who walks around as if he were the great white prophet-god, waxing rhapsodic about the mystical power of the African kids as if they were something other than just people like you and me. All the while Tucker interacts with the people in a normal, everyday way, exchanging chuckles and smiles, Bono imperiously wades through the crowd, deigning to allow the "savages" (read: sarcasm) to touch his majestic vestments and coo in wonder at his majesty.
In short, Bono is an egotistical, self-obsessed asshole. Period. -
She's got everything figured out in this life. Yay!
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She would be lucky to say anything coherent.
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You're projecting your own negative opinion of Bono onto what you're watching, Laser Pants. Maybe you should try getting your information from somewhere else other than fucking MTV. Bono and his wife were in San Salvador and Nicaragua in the mid-80's, putting their lives at risk to witness what was going on there, long before he was a superstar and followed around everywhere by cameras. 20 years later, the man still doesn't just pay lip service to various causes; he puts his money, and more importantly, his time, where his mouth is. He may be egotistical, but I think you'd have to be to reach the heights and break down the doors that he has. What the fuck have you done to make the world a better place?
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so what if hes an asshole? hes done more to help people than us.
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Well, I teach literacy in one of the poorest and crime ridden regions of the country for a pittance, does that count? Oh, and I'm not a billionaire popstar who has to preen and flash before the camera in order to prove how "progressive" I am. I just do it cause its the right thing to do. Fuck me though, right? How dare I criticize the GODS?
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I can't fucking stand U2, but Bono especially grinds my gears!
The man is a fucking millionaire and asks us to give to the poor!
How fucked up is that?
They kicked arse in the late 70's when nobody knew them and they could fit their ego in their back pocket!
They bring shame to the graceful land of drunks... -
go save some lives and adopt some kids.. then you are allowed to speaketh bono's name.
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I still love "I still haven't found what I'm looking for."
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As for U2 sucking or Bono being the Anti-Christ. Plato said that music was the language of the soul, and reading some of the comments on here, it would seem that some of you are soulless and, most likely, very, very unhappy with your lot in life. So blame Bono if it makes you feel better. Oh, and the next time someone mentions Aids or Africa to you, punch them in the face, because we're all sick of hearing that record, right?
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So being an ordinary person who, like me, teaches in a poor urban district, means nothing -- you know, ACTUALLY working, as an activist and advocate for change, on the ground level, in the trenches, busting my ass to help the poorest of the poor, means nothing to you, BUT being a popstar with billions of dollars who occasionally deigns to say the word "Africa" while preening and leering in the camera as if he were the second cumming just blows your minds?Wow. Just... wow.
So, I get it. Completely. You don't want to actually do anything to make things better, in fact, you don't really want to help things get better AT ALL -- you want safe, consumer-friendly ways to pretend that you care while merely perpetuating the mechanism of commerce through the multinational media conglomerates who, by the by, use cheap 3rd world labor to manufacture their CDs . Yes, thats right, even U2 cds. So I wonder if Bono will ever visit the sweatshop plant in Malaysia that manufacutred his latest popshit? Probably not. Although, maybe he will, and perhaps, just perhaps, hw will allow the "savages" to breath in his essence and touch his designer vestments.
H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E-S! -
Thus Rollins wins any argument.
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The Edge has used the same solo structure for the last twenty years!Bono is a Bob Geldof wannabe and I even hate Geldof as well.
These fucking Dublin 4 (posh part of Dublin) boys pick up a microphone and think they're so righteous. It's all a big joke. -
If anyone's curious, RealD is the DISPLAY technology (IMAX has their own display technology that they'll use for U2 3D) and 3ality Digital is the light-weight high-def digital camera technology for filming 3D. Furthermore, in post production, the directors sit in RealD theatres and use software called SCRATCH to do real-time workflow editing and coloring to put the movie together, which was unheard of just 5 years ago. Please visit http://tiny.cc/QC2jP for more information.
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I'm not a big fan of 3D for narrative films, at least, not so far. I think the "3D renaissance" we hear about is a marketing tool to get people out of their living rooms and back into theaters.
The display technologies (RealD, Imax, Dolby) are a huge improvement over earlier systems. At this point, it's all about the filmmakers getting a handle on the 3D process and harnessing it as a creative tool.
I saw the U2 film. There were great "3D" moments but the whole thing felt generic, devoid of a point-of-view. Just a bunch of cool shots strung together
AVATAR will be the first big-budget feature by an established director to be "shot" and released in 3D. Cameron has done his homework. He's been busy creating a 3D film grammar over the last ten years. If anyone's going to mine the full potential of 3D cinema, it'll be Jim Cameron. I'm just not sure there's that much to mine. -
Would be a nice showcase for blu-ray, as the hidef home video release of "Rattle and Hum" is by far the worst looking release on blu-ray or HD dvd.
Anyway, for anyone interested, here's the setlist:
Vertigo
Beautiful Day
New Year's Day
Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own
Love and Peace or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet the Blue Sky
Miss Sarajevo w/Human Rights Speech
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Where the Streets Have No Name
One
The Fly
With or Without You
Yahweh
There's a few differences in the setlist between the live "Vertigo" tour dvd released a couple years ago and this show as far as songs, but most of the better tunes they've played that entire tour are included in this program. Pretty much the only clunker is "Yahway" which I doubt they'll be playing much in the future.
T.B. -
I don't think Cameron can mine the full potential of 3D cinema because he is too arrogant to realize that his new technique for using heavy lens convergence was thrown out in the 50's because it causes eye strain. I went to an IMAX 3D film festival a couple of years ago and his film was by far the worst quality and most painful to view of all the films.
Good 3D is more about good judgment and technique than new technology (The projection technology isn't that different from the 1950's really). The digital RealD projection just allows a single projector to be used with a digitaly controlled Polarizer that flips orientation in sync (left gets one polariy and right gets the other). -
Granted I, unlike some of the naysayers here that need not post anyway, am a huge U2 fan. The 3D was awesome. With the exception of The Fly which sounded awesome but didnt need all the 3D letters coming at you. But everything else was served beautifully by the 3D. I have been to a U2 concert but I didnt make this tour so this was a great way to kind be there. It was strange like seeing a concert but in a non-interactive way. The IMAX made it awesome and the house was full on a 5pm Sunday show and everyone seemed to love it but was intresting the way everyone responded at the end. It was the only movie I've ever been to where not a single person left the theatre until the final credit rolled past. People seemed enthralled not only by the U2 performance but the medium that they had seen it in. I hope this kinda quality of technology is indicative of what we will be seeing for Star Wars 3D and Avatar!!! Great stuff!
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