CINEMA BuzzFEED : 24 February 2014

4K Isn't Enough!

We often hear that digital cinema's 2k image resolution may be upgraded to 4k.  If so, than this begs the question: Why would it stop at 4k?  To me, that is the main reason d-cinema won't move to 4k.  As a matter of fact, 8k resolution is the new 'thing' in digital imaging. 

Despite talk from myself and others in the cinema industry that the average moviegoer can not discern the difference between 2k v. 4k presentations (I can't) - it's really a moot point given the emergence of 8k (termed 'Super Hi-Vision') resolution.  For example, NHK, Japan's national public broadcasting network has already tested transmission of 8k programming and Japanese officials have made it known that their intention is to launch full-scale 8k broadcasting in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics to be held in Tokyo.  Further, Sharp and Samsung both demonstrated 8k displays at  last month's Consumer Electronics Show.

But will 8k be the end of the resolution evolution?  Probably not. So, cinema exhibitors, I believe, need not worry about the industry moving to 4k, as this technology has already been surpassed.  At 2k, d-cinema offers twice the resolution of HD-TV and if the right equipment was chosen for their digital conversion, movie exhibitors should not be concerned of being 'out-performed' by home-based entertainment systems for some time to come, if ever.

Bond 'Smart Gun' Goes on Sale

'Smart Gun & Watch'

The James Bond 'Smart Gun' that can be used only if the user is wearing a special watch has gone on sale in the U.S.  Some pro-gun proponents say this is the way all guns should be sold, as it would transform the industry and make guns much safer.

The German-made Armatix iP1 gun and watch have electronic chips that communicate.  The watch is activated by a PIN number and if it is close to the weapon a light on the gun's grip turns green and the gun can be fired.  It will not fire if the gun falls into the hands of someone who is not wearing a watch with the proper chip.  The technology is the same that is used on anti-theft tags attached to clothing.

Bond-type 'Smart Guns' have gone on sale in Los Angeles for $1399, plus $399 for the watch.  They are .22 caliber.  This compares in price to a .40 caliber 'regular' gun that sells for about $600.

The Bond 'Smart Gun' was used in the film 'Skyfall' where Bond's gun was equipped with palm print technology that recognized him as the owner and wouldn't fire if held by anyone else.

Pro-gun lobbyists say that guns being sold with this technology will dramatically reduce gun violence, and legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Congress that will make it mandatory for new handguns to be fitted with this technology within two years, and for most older guns to be retrofitted within three years.  However, gun-control proponents say they are "skeptical of what this technology can accomplish".  We'll have to wait and see.  There was no news on how much the price of the original Bond 'Smart Gun' was auctioned for.

Sex & The City 3 - Do We Want (Need) Another Sequel?

Michael King recently told Entertainment Weekly that he agrees with Sara Jessica Parker in wanting to do another sequel to 'Sex & The City'.  Says King, who wrote and directed the two other S&TC films, "There is one last chapter to tell. Sara and I know what it is. I do think there is one story left.  It's not whether you can get away with it, that anybody will buy into it.  It's really, is there enough or more for a story that would justify people willing to see it."

S&TC enjoyed a six year run as a very successful TV series (1998-2004) and also the two big screen pics ('Sex & The City 1' and '2', in 2008 and 2010 respectively) that were less popular with fans. 'S&TC 2', in particular, did not gross well and was summarily panned by critics. On a third installment Parker's three co-stars Kristin Davis (Charlotte), Kim Cattrall (Samantha), and Cynthia Nixon (Miranda) all think a third sequel is a good idea and have stated they are open to the possibility. No surprise there.

Is a S&TC 3 a good idea? Probably not.  The 'girls' should have moved on with their lives, would now be seven years older, and societal views on what was edgy in 1998 isn't any longer.  But bad storylines never stopped a Hollywood production if there was money to be made. S&TC 3, hey, why not.

Best
Jim Lavorato