3-D Mania

The latest IMAX 3-D feature (the latest to play in Sacramento, that is; it was actually produced in 1999) is one of the best, combining some relatively primitive computer-generated imagery (there have been great strides in three years) with a “history lesson” that includes archival scenes from the 3-D craze of the 1950s (what, you say you don’t remember Jivaro, Cat Women of the Moon or Those Redheads From Seattle?). There’s a CGI rollercoaster ride through the center of the Earth (popping out on the Great Wall of China) that stops just short of wearing out its welcome, and a sultry, Tim Burton-esque music video by Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (real name: Cassandra Peterson). It’s quite a hodge-podge, but quick and entertaining. The onscreen title is Encounter in the Third Dimension.