Just watched it.

I like it. Saw it in 3D, 24p. Our local cinema opted out of showing it in HFR(Although every cinema in Norway can), and today really was the only opportunity we had to see it, which meant it was 3D, or blu-ray in a few months.

This also marks the first time I wasn't annoyed at all by the 3D. It wasn't intrusive, in-my-face at all, but instead actually did what they claimed; enhance the experience.

There were a few bits where I went "Time to cut, people", and felt some bits could be shortened in general, as it really didn't need all 3 hours, but overall, I really enjoyed spending time with Gandalf, Bilbo, the seve-, erm, 13 dwarves, Saruman, Galadriel and Elrond again. I also like Radagast, and having not read either books from Tolkien, it was also fun to put a face to Gorkil and Azog, both of which I've only been introduced to in video games.

Yeah, I thought he was well done for a CG character. I just think he wasn't quite real enough. It wasn't a huge complaint for me but I do think it would have been better with a guy in a costume. He wasn't gritty or textured enough. I don't know, maybe the LOTR Orcs spoiled me.

I like barbecue sauce a lot, but I don't want it on my fucking cereal. Let games be games and films be films.

Which is why I'm hopeful HFR will quickly be dismissed as not worth the significant extra cost.

I don't understand the question. If films become more expensive to produce in the U.S. they will stop being produced in the U.S. It's already been happening for a while.

Also, re-releasing Avatar in HFR would make another profit akin to a small countries GRP.

Yeah, that's what I was saying earlier. Wondering how that would look.

You're talking about Showscan, Doug Trumbull's pitch for HFR before it was cool (and before digital made it feasible). Apparently at this year's SIGGRAPH he showed some work in development where you shoot everything in super-HFR (like 120fps), and then draw out of that what you want, so you can use that to interpolate out regular 24fps, jump to 48 or 60, and -- what's really intriguing -- have things moving at 24fps and 60 fps (for example) in the same shot.

I might actually be totally cool with the technique if it were used to enhance the story -- like the examples you made -- I just have a big problem with the idea of making it the standard process used to shoot the entirety of every movie from now on. It's potentially appropriate for MATRIX in the way it isn't for HOBBIT, in the same way a techno score is more appropriate for one than the other.

"Yo, that chick is bananas."

It's a cut line from a movie nobody has seen, and yet every time Branco says "bananas," it comes right back to me.

*pours one out for Apocalypse, CA edit v014.*

Heh.  Thanks, Teague.  Am I in that movie at all anymore?

- Branco

Rico - uh. You're "in it" like I'm "in it." Which is to say, there are you-shaped pixels a few times.

Alas, the bananas line is gone.