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

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