Visua: Discussion - Is 3D a good thing or a bad thing?

Hey guys it's Visua here,


If any of you are like me you would love seeing movies in theater when a good looking new flick makes it way to the big screen. As the film industry grows with each year, we as viewers begin to notice a trend catching on with every new blockbuster that comes out; they all in 3D.


Being viewers, we all know there are pros and cons to watching films in 3D.

PROS:
A different experience. Every now and then we love to have something feel like it is chucked right as us from the screen.
New possibilities. Sometimes filmmakers can do some really creative things with 3D, adding a whole new dynamic to certain sequences.
It's an idea that filmmakers have been wanting for decades. Although the 3D we have isn't perfect, it's a stepping stone to a potential way of seeing movies so it might be easier to get into the director's head (debatable).

CONS:
Nobody likes to wear special glasses. I mean we don't pay good money to go put those silly glasses on. I don't know if you have ever walked into a theater near the beginning of a 3D movie and you see the whole audience as you scout out a seat, everybody looks like a dumb-ass with their "special glasses" gazing at the screen. Try putting those special glasses over real glasses. Not fun.
It makes people sick. I've heard stories of motion sickness, but another big thing is headaches. Some people have actually had migraines.
It's distracting. Sometimes I miss just the plain old 2D so I can grasp the emotional factor of the film more. 3D doesn't have a direct way of contributing positively to the understanding of the storytelling.


3D viewing is becoming more and more common for some reason but how could it if receives such mixed feelings from the masses? Right now I want to get at why more and more films are implementing it.
One easy reason is money which i'm sure anyone could have guessed. It's a fad! An that isn't a debatable point because now TV and video games are starting to get in on it. Even youtube! For some reason there is actually money being made off this stuff where I personally don't understand because 3D is so insignificant to me. But that's business; money money money.
Now the second reason, which I actually support, is a technical reason that filmmakers took seriously. The amount of movies being torrented and watched online is growing fast, so the movie industry has to backlash because this is ruining them. Having movies filmed by 3D cameras, or made 3D in post-production prevents douchebags with cameras from filming the big screen. Cam-version are always the first movie torrents to be up for download soon after a movie's release, but if its footage by someone who filmed a 3D movie, things might not look so good. A pretty smart move on Hollywood's behalf, making things more visually complex so consumer cameras will not take advantage of them. Bravo.

As a film connoisseur, 3D isn't a big deal to me, storytelling is where it's all at. I'd prefer if it didn't exist but if it's done right then I'd be up for it. I want you guys to ask yourself if you like 3D or not. If you do then great! You'll probably see much more of it in the future! If you don't....STOP TORRENTING! 

Tell me your thoughts on this subject.

Cheers,
-Visua, AudioVisua Productions

Visua: My Top 10 Movies

Hey there,

If there is one thing I love it's watching movies. In light of this I'm going to post a quick top 10 that is quite simply the greatest list of movies in human history, and if you disagree, I will fight you. Perhaps in the future I will make a more detailed list explaining why I love these movies so much, but for now I just have to share my favorites with the world as quickly as possible! **NOTE: I suggest you make an effort to watch every single on of these if you haven't already!!!

VISUA'S TOP 10 FAVOURITE MOVIES EVER

 

10. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - Directed by Peter Jackson

 I love this whole Lord of the Rings Trilogy but this one is my favorite to watch over and over again.

9. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Directed by Irvin Kershner

I personally think this specific Star Wars movie is work of art. I still love the rest of the Original Trilogy though!

8. In Bruges (2008) - Directed by Martin McDonagh

Not only does this just make me utterly love the town of Bruges, Belgium, it's a character-driven dark comedy that takes its time for the viewer to love.

7. Gladiator (2000) - Directed by Ridley Scott

Perhaps one of the greatest epics ever filmed with fantastic acting by Russell Crowe. This film reminds us guys what it's like to be a real man.

6. Let The Right One In (2009) - Directed by Tomas Alfredson

The beautiful, dark Swedish vampire drama that honestly has the best message of friendship. Wonderfully filmed, great storytelling, this movie reminds us how much better world cinema can be than Hollywood.

 

5. A Single Man (2009) - Directed by Tom Ford

This has to be the most beautiful film ever shot thanks to the eye of Tom Ford. I have never been so visually stimulated and drawn into a drama like was with A Single Man. Colin Firth's performance was probably my favorite of all time, maybe second.

4. Kingdom of Heaven [Director's Cut] (2005) - Directed by Ridley Scott

Another epic similar to Gladiator but instead of focusing on just a man, it focuses on the importance of the people. Action, story, acting, music, scenery are all key parts to this film. The Director's Cut has it all, it is twice as better than the original

3. The Fountain (2006) - Directed by Darren Aronofsky

My third favorite movie of all time because it makes me cry every time and puts life and death into a whole new perspective. Unbelievably artistic, beautifully shot and scored, The Fountain to me is the drama of the decade.

2. V for Vendetta (2006) - Directed by James McTeigue

This movie is bulletproof as by just merely watching this the idea of revolution will live on through the viewer It's so dark, so fresh, so different that by the end I wish was wearing a Guy Fawkes mask.

1. Fight Club (1999) - Directed by David Fincher

The first rule about Fight Club is you don't talk about Fight Club.

There you have it folks! Those are my top 10 favourite movies ever! In the history of man! Now it should be said that my feelings about movies change every now and then but this list has generally been static, though there is always room for new ones. It was very tough to do because movies like American History X, American Beauty, Spirited Away, Toy Story 3 were SO close! I might have to make a top 20 some time! Also I may repost this with more personal love written in words to accompany each and every one of these fantastic films. I strongly suggest you watch them all in your lifetime!

POST YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE(S) IN THE COMMENTS!

-Visua, AudioVisua Productions

I am Jack's good taste in movies.

Visua: Movie Review - Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch Review
Director Zack Snyder's stylistic composition of an action-fantasy epic


As you might know this is our first Movie Review, and it's on the movie "Sucker Punch", directed by Zack Snyder and was released in theaters March 25th

 Sucker Punch revolves around the character Baby Doll (Emily Browning) who has slipped into depression after the death of her mother, and is admitted against her will into an asylum for troubled young women. Blue (Oscar Isaac) is the big man on campus at what Baby Doll soon learns is a vicious penitentiary to be put lightly, but Madame Gorski (Carla Gugino) helps Baby Doll and the other girls cope by means of dance and creativity. Retreating into her imagination, Baby Doll devises a plan to escape and she intends to bring her fellow inmates Sweat Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) and Amber (Jamie Chung) for the ride. Assigned with 5 tasks, together the girls must complete them to escape and avoid having their leader Baby Doll brought before her biggest fear; the High Roller.


An interesting dynamic is added to the film as there are three worlds brought into play that the movie weaves back and forth between. The first world we are introduced to is the harsh reality of what these girls have to live with in the Asylum. We see that this world is much more gray and grim than the life we know and live in is. The second is like a sub-realm in Baby Doll's mind where there are bits of colour, and instead of an Asylum the girls work in a bordello where things are a bit more exciting. The third realm is where things get trippy as we are taken further into Baby Doll's imagination by her expression through dance. This world is where the fun begins and the visual extravaganza composed by visionary director Zack Snyder. Samurai, steam-punk Nazi troops, WWII bi-plane battles, sexy girl squads, dragons and robots all inhabit this eye-candied universe.


What Sucker Punch brings to the table that is deserving of praise is the amount of creativity, ambition and risks that were taken to create such a unique film. This was Snyder's first crack, or sucker punch if you prefer, at writing his own original script without reinventing one of Frank Miller's graphic novels. What is interesting about this and his former movies is that they carry the genre of action around, but unlike most action movies --that are scared of words like: tripods, stabilized cameras, static shots-- Snyder finds a way to make something where almost every shot in an action sequence is an artistic composition or a matte painting. He has perfected a whole new style of action movie during his illustrious career and has finally hit one out of the park with Sucker Punch.


Plot - In terms of plot, it should be said that Sucker Punch does have one, it was just not something as riveting as the visuals in it. If you go in expecting Inception, you will be severely disappointed. If you go in expecting just an action flick, you will probably impressed with an above average plot. the weakest point in the development of the story was how there was 5 tasks to be completed. The problem with situations like this where the audience is aware of plot points to come as they are numbered (the 5 tasks), similarly done in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (7 ex-boyfriends), is that it destroys the element of flow. A direct flight is so much better than making frequent stops at checkpoints. Another annoyance was the blurry transitions between realities, making it sometimes hard to understand what is really happening, or making you question the significance of a certain reality.
Although it does have its low points, the plot actually has more depth to it than you might think thanks to the parallels drawn between different realities and an unexpected ending.


Appearance - The visuals in Sucker Punch will stay etched in your mind for a while as it was possible the most exciting images ever put on the big screen along with Avatar and the jazzed up TRON: Legacy. There isn't much more to be said than positive things about these extraordinary visuals. The stylistic freedom and mood that was brought out by Sucker Punch's look is something that will be hard to top, whoever does will have done something in-human.


Performances - The performances in Sucker Punch weren't that great but they weren't terrible either. Carla Gugino as the polish Madame Gorski was probably the best acting done out of the whole cast. Emily Browning as Baby Doll is a close second, masking her Australian accent decently and managing to take control of her innocent, quiet and cute character, although she isn't the most lively. Jena Malone and Abbie Cornish are probably next in line as they did splendid jobs of all their duties on screen while managing to garner sympathy for their characters. Oscar Isaac as Blue did what he probably set out to do to be a hated villain, and for that he is commended. Jamie Chung was sexy, and that's about it. The weakest performance was by Vanessa Hudgens as.....well....she should stick to High School Musical.


Soundtrack - Sucker Punch has the best soundtrack of 2011 so far. Their remixes of Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),  White Rabbit and Search and Destroy were inventive and some of the tastiest songs to go with eye-catching movie. Emily Browning also lends her beautiful voice in a couple of the songs which made her such a lovable person to look upon on screen. Honesty, the soundtrack of this movie fit perfectly with the moods brought about, and is worth buying.


FINAL VERDICT
Plot: 6.0
Look: 9.0
Performances: 6.0
Soundtrack: 8.0

Overall: 7.0

Sucker Punch is action-packed, visual epic with a mediocre plot, average performances and a great soundtrack. You are going to want to see this one for yourself at least once in theaters, just make sure to go in without any great expectations!


***Visua's Favorite Moments:
"The opening sequence is one of the best I've seen ever, next to that of Watchmen and Saving Private Ryan. Look for this and drink it in when you watch it"


-Visua, AudioVisua Productions