THE UNMUTUAL PRISONER ARTICLE ARCHIVE
Be 3-D-ing
You
by Leslie Glen
There has, in recent years, been a proliferation of 3-D films. Would it be possible,
one day, to see The Prisoner in 3-D? Yes it would!
I have come across two-dimensional paintings (well, they would be in two dimensions,
wouldn't they?) being thrown into 3-D, by looking at them through a 3-D viewer.
I have a couple of such examples in my possession: Leonardo's Mona Lisa and
a piece of artwork by the Dutch graphic artist, M.C. Escher. Therefore, it is
a certified reality that two-dimensional artworks can be thrown into the third
dimension. There is currently available, in the Prisoner shop in Portmeirion,
two 3-D pictures of The Prisoner: a scene from "Free For All" and
a scene from "Checkmate".
It is not only "stills" that can be reproduced into 3-D, but movies
as well. For example, I understand that Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas
was the first 2-D flick to be put into 3-D. Pixar's first two Toy Story films
have also been transposed into 3-D. George Lucas' grand opening scene of the
very first Star Wars film he ever made has been reinterpreted into the third
dimension. Therefore, any film or video or digital movie can now be placed into
an extra dimension. Think about the consequences of this. Every film you ever
saw can be put into 3-D. This, of course, includes everything Patrick McGoohan
worked on: Braveheart in 3-D; Ice Station Zebra in 3-D; Danger Man in 3-D. And
yes, The Prisoner in 3-D. Wouldn't it be truly fantastic to see "Arrival"
and "Checkmate" on the big cinema screen in this way? If I had the
money, I would transpose those 2-D episodes into 3-D, because those two episodes
are so powerful and because of all the wonderful location shots of Portmeirion.
And to the future? There will surely come a time when you go to the cinema and
experience full-colour three-dimensional moving holograms. The action will take
place all around you. In the Prisoner's last escape attempt in "arrival",
the helicopter will be flying over your head. You'll have to duck for cover!
Anything and everything is humanly possible.
Be 3-D-ing you.
Leslie Glen