By Lee Pfeiffer
Critic Scott Mendelson predicts that the absolute glut of 3-D films about to be unleashed on the public will result in a backlash. Seems studios are going to opt-out of giving audiences in some areas the ability to choose whether to see the 3-D version or the traditional 2-D. This is nothing more than a blatant attempt to get movie-goers to pony up an additional $5 fee to enjoy the 3-D experience - whether they like it or not. However, Mendelson points out that the industry is playing with fire. With the country in the midst of hard economic conditions, this would seem to be the least appropriate time to force-feed what amounts to a $15- $20 per person ticket price on the long-suffering public. This is especially true with the industry coming off a disappointing year in which box-office figures and attendance declined notably. Add to that the low-cost options of viewing movies on DVD, through downloads or pay-per-view and you have what Mendelson calls a "perfect storm". Then there is the sheer stupidity of burning out the 3-D format by releasing seemingly everything including YouTube videos in the format. It's already not very special to see a film in 3-D and most of those about to be released will only increase audience's ambiguity to the format. Click here to read