Once aTron a time...
Well, that was totally cool.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Hoozitwhatzit (the "Oscars" guys), held a screening Wednesday evening of a 70mm print of Tron at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, preceded by a panel discussion with director Steven Lisberger, VFX supervisor Richard Taylor, and animator Bill Kroyer.
They went over the laborious process of making the film (including some info I'd never heard before), a few anecdotes about the production, and talked a little about Tron's legacy. The print was a little beat-up in spots, but for the most part it looked amazing. Despite the computer effects being 24 years old, they still work perfectly within the context of the film. You don't need complexity, if the visuals support the story. If the visuals overpower the story (cough... Star Wars Episodes I - III ...cough), it's time to go back and fix the story.
One thing that's often overshadowed by Tron's effects, is the cinematography in the "real world". At times it's quite stunning, with some breathtaking lighting that adds great color and mood to some of the scenes, as well as hinting at the connection to the electronic world. The electronic world itself is rich with detail and depth that can't be appreciated on video. (Maybe a Blu-Ray disc will be able to handle it some day, but this is really a film that deserves to be seen in a theater, on a huge screen, if you ever get the chance.) The sound was absolutely first-rate (if not a little loud), and really made me appreciate all over again just how well designed every aspect of the film really is.
Tron-Sector has a write-up on the evening as well.
And I've got a full review of the Tron DVD on my website.
I guess the next film I need to go see would be Cars. Still not sure how that one's going to work out, but the early reviews are more promising than I expected.
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