See the evolution of 3D with our pick of the top DVDs

Track the rise and fall of 3D cinema.

3D cinema might seem like a relatively new form of film, dreamed up by the likes of James Cameron and Tim Burton as a vehicle for their big budget blockbusters, but you may not realise it’s been around since the late 1890’s. There were no trips to Pandora or down a rabbit hole back then and audiences had to look at two separate screens through a stereoscope, not really a practical idea for the theatre.

In 1922 the first 3D film was shown to paying customers, and it was the first to use the red and blue glasses that are fast becoming a distant memory. The Power of Love, now sadly lost, was followed by The Man From M.A.R.S., Plastigrams, Audioscopiks and many other shorts which directors used to test the audiences and technology.

In the 1930’s the Polaroid filter (originally designed to reduce the glare of car headlights!) allowed a new era of 3D films to begin, however this was hindered in the 1940’s due to World War II. But during the fifties 3D really found its place, with many believing the golden era of 3D began in 1952. As families began staying in with their new-fangled television sets, the theatres struggled to pull them and that’s where 3D came in.

1953 saw two groundbreaking 3D films; Man in the Dark and House of Wax, the latter starring the king of horror and 3D Vincent Price. Other triumphs in the 1950’s were Dial M for Murder, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Robot Monster and Inferno, all of which gave audiences the escapism they needed. However by 1954 3D was already starting to decline, with costly apparatus and complicated procedures making it almost impossible to show the films.

The sixties and seventies saw a revival of 3D, bringing us movies like The Mask, The Bubble, the x-rated The Stewardesses and horrors like Amityville 3D, Friday the 13th Part III and Jaws 3D, as well as Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein. But it wasn’t until the mid eighties when 3D really got its big break, as IMAX cinemas began producing and showing their own non-fiction films. Theme parks also began showing their own interactive movies, like Captain EO starring Michael Jackson, and although these are still shown today, 3D in cinemas died down once again. However in 2003 James Cameron got his first taste of the method when he released Ghosts of the Abyss as the first full length 3D film at the IMAX. The film used the Reality Camera System (also used in Spy Kids 3D: Game Over and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D) to give a 3D tour of the Titanic.

Shortly after this we saw loads of animations released in 3D, including The Polar Express, Open Season, The Ant Bully, Monster House and The Nightmare Before Christmas. 2008 saw movies like Bolt, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and in 2009 3D was all the rage. Movies released in 3D last year included My Bloody Valentine, Coraline, Monsters vs. Aliens, Up, The Final Destination and of course the record breaking Avatar, and already this year Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland has become a massive hit.

So why not re-live some of these awesome, and sometimes terrifying, movies in all their three-dimensional glory? We’ve picked out some of the old-school and more modern glasses, and some of the best movies available. Unfortunately many of the older movies are only available in 2D, but there’s still a great selection of DVD’s and online clips available.