3D movies have actually been around a lot longer than widescreen ones. Almost as soon as the early still cameras were invented, This article tells us the whole story and the invention of 3d movies
Timeline of Greatest Film Milestones and Turning Points in Film History (by decade and year) The Pre-1900s (to 1889) Belgian optician and showman Etienne Gaspard Robertson's Phantasmagoria - a kind of amusement 'horror show' designed to frighten audiences that became popular in Europe.
This link is very informative about how visual effects started in the movie theaters. It also talks about lots of inventions such as a device called a praxinoscope.
Sound was very important in the film industry. This link shows us who invented sound and how it became so popular with the help of Edison's inventions.
Redbox is definately an important player in the industry. Financially speaking, it has given some headache to film corporations but at the same time it helped them.
This links talks about the issues of the political side of the film industry. Redbox has had some legal issues with the studios companies. maybe there are more links about this we could find out about.