How the West Was Won (2 Disc) is Amazing!

Cinescott: I agree--this is a demonstration quality blu-ray for PQ and AQ. And it's a fun and epic if episodic Western too--and what a cast!

And isn't the music score by Alfred Newman great...I was just reading that he worked with Charlie Chaplin quite a bit early on...

Having been a film collector before I got into home video, I have seen many 16mm and 35mm dye-transfer Technicolor prints.  The Blu-ray of HTWWW really has "the look".  Awesome.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by benbess 

Cinescott: I agree--this is a demonstration quality blu-ray for PQ and AQ. And it's a fun and epic if episodic Western too--and what a cast!

 

And isn't the music score by Alfred Newman great...I was just reading that he worked with Charlie Chaplin quite a bit early on...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinescott 

The score's fabulous and iconic. It's been used numerous times in other places, including interestingly in the opening scene of "Romancing the Stone."

 

Except nowhere in that film (I was looking for it in the end credit roll) was Newman credited or the source even mentioned. If you didn't recognize it as being "How the West Was Won," you'd assume it was written by Alan Silvestri, who scored "Romancing."

One of the  first movies I bought on BD, and a definite demo title. Simply amazing in Smilebox.

i was on the fence for this one,but now i'm buying it for sure.

This was the first BD disc I ordered -- once I read about the upcoming release, the technical achievements in putting it out, and how the Blu-ray was going to have the Smile-Box version and the DVD wouldn't, I bit the bullet, bought my Blu-ray player, pre-ordered the disc, and haven't looked back since.  It's probably time to revisit this title, thanks for bringing it up in a thread -- it's hard to believe it's been out for almost two years!

The almost complete elimination of the joining seams was also most impressive with this release. Heaven only knows how much Warners spent on this project, but it was certainly worth the time and money spent on it. I hope they think so, too.

I do not mind one bit the slight trace of the seams.  To have them gone completely would have seemed almost unnatural, because that was a part of the Cinerama experience.  As cleaned up as they are, though, they're absolutely lovely.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattH. 

The almost complete elimination of the joining seams was also most impressive with this release. Heaven only knows how much Warners spent on this project, but it was certainly worth the time and money spent on it. I hope they think so, too.

I'm sure WB did spent an awful lot on this spectacular restoration. I hope they are not drawing the wrong lessons from it if they have not yet earned back that money.

This was my first Blu-Ray, and very few, if any, subsequent purchases have managed to create the same jaw-dropping reaction when viewed the first time.

One of my earliest BLUs, too, AND a deliberate, voluntary double dip with the DVD box set.  I go for good quality swag, and settling for less than everything available in this dual release was not an option.  The two sets reside very happily together on my shelf.

And I've said it before, but I'll repeat my total love and admiration for Smilebox.  Really looking forward to more of same.

I agree about the Smilebox edition. It's the way I prefer to watch the movie now. I would buy every one of the Cinerama films if they were made available to us.

One of the sharpest and most film-like blu-rays I have ever seen.  Everything was done right with this one.  I've seen it eight times with various friends since picking it up.  Talk about getting your money's worth!  This is the poster child for why blu-ray is so superior.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark B 

This was my first Blu-Ray, and very few, if any, subsequent purchases have managed to create the same jaw-dropping reaction when viewed the first time.

 

That was exactly my experience as well.

I'd love to see other shorts and whatnot that were filmed in Cinerama presented in smilebox.  Heck, as a bonus feature, I'd love to see smilebox versions of films that hadn't been shot in Cinerama originally but had special prints made for Cinerama screens just to get a sense of what that must've felt like to watch.  And I really hope that one day I'll have the chance to actually see HTWWW in Cinerama - it seems like there's a theater in L.A. and a theater in Seattle that can still show it as originally intended, and that may be something worth planning a vacation around if the opportunity arises.

For original non-Cinerama Cinerama presentations, would It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and 2001 be good candidates for Smilebox?

ok its bought.

i'll be watching it tonight and telling you about it tomorrow evening.

Also bought The robe

And i was just telling a friend about the Seattle place which if i remember correctly was originally bought by Paul Allen right ?

But i think the films shown at the theater still have the vertical split lines.

i have a complete list i ripped out of a video magazine a few years ago.Lists all films starting in 1952 all the way up to 1994 i believe.

Every Cinerama,Panavision,Cinemascope and Techniscope listed.

Maybe i should make it available for the people here..Nice reference list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chas in CT 

For original non-Cinerama Cinerama presentations, would It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and 2001 be good candidates for Smilebox?

It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World was filmed in Ultra Panivision 70 and Ultra Panivision 70 was also used in some segments of How The West Was Won and fooled people.  Ultra Panivision 70 had a slight compression on the sides that helped to make up for the deep Cinerama curve of the screen.  But the story goes that IAMMMMW was almost completed when Cinerama approached UA and Kramer about using the film as the first single lens Cinerama.  Which shows no thought at all went into it.  Stanley Kramer stated many times that the presentation was nowhere near Cinerama. 

Given all this, I doubt smilebox would help, I would much rather see the money put into restoring the film.

There are a couple shots in "2001" (for instance, the inside the cockpit with the pilots of the shuttle taking Floyd to the moon) where they're placed at the extreme left and right of the frame, and they look unnaturally vertical, for lack of a better description.  Those I suspect might look more "natural" with a more curved projection as opposed to a flat screen.  I tend to doubt it would change the film overall, but as a curiosity I'd love to see it that way - or even better, see it at one of the two remaining Cinerama screens.  A boy can dream, right?

I believe HTWWW projected in true Cinerama would have the join lines somewhat visible because you'd actually be seeing three different projectors going at once; nonetheless, it seems like a small price to pay to experience the film that way.  Not every filmmaking or projection standard ever invented has stood the test of time in terms of technical quality, but that doesn't make the idea of seeing it that way any less cool.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh Steinberg 

There are a couple shots in "2001" (for instance, the inside the cockpit with the pilots of the shuttle taking Floyd to the moon) where they're placed at the extreme left and right of the frame, and they look unnaturally vertical, for lack of a better description.  Those I suspect might look more "natural" with a more curved projection as opposed to a flat screen.  I tend to doubt it would change the film overall, but as a curiosity I'd love to see it that way - or even better, see it at one of the two remaining Cinerama screens.  A boy can dream, right?

 

I believe HTWWW projected in true Cinerama would have the join lines somewhat visible because you'd actually be seeing three different projectors going at once; nonetheless, it seems like a small price to pay to experience the film that way.  Not every filmmaking or projection standard ever invented has stood the test of time in terms of technical quality, but that doesn't make the idea of seeing it that way any less cool.

The directors of HTWWW learned quickly to use trees, fence poles, building corners, and natural backgrounds to help hide the seams of the three cameras.  Of course the vistas that were photographed could not hide the seams, but I can tell you they were not as distracting as some people think in Cinerama.  But watching the 35mm General Release print the lines were distracting but did not hurt the film at the Box Office. 
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahollis 

The directors of HTWWW learned quickly to use trees, fence poles, building corners, and natural backgrounds to help hide the seams of the three cameras.  Of course the vistas that were photographed could not hide the seams, but I can tell you they were not as distracting as some people think in Cinerama.  But watching the 35mm General Release print the lines were distracting but did not hurt the film at the Box Office. 
 

That's what I figured - seen in it's intended format, whatever lines were there were probably far less visible than whatever optical printing was necessary to create a 35mm version.  Makes enough sense.

ok i'm all set

food ? check.

chair? check.

glorious Blu of HTWWW in external bluray next to computer ? check.

monitor ?

monitor ?

 MONITOR ?

monitor ? on the fritz.

actually it's because i'm trying to go from RBG to DVI /HDMI connection and something's not connecting properly.

what's the latin word for it ? oh yeah..ARRRRGGGHHH.

well i know what i'm buying this week.

good think i bought the one with the book,so i can read it.

Over the years,i've gathered many thousands of articles and magazines on pretty much anything relating to film,whether it's about the history,behind-the-scenes stuff,actors,filmmakers,etc

This morning,i was looking through my old 1960's American Cinematographer mags and i had bought one from 1962 concerning the Making of El Cid (in Technirama 70),but

inside that issue were two other great articles,one on Japan's first epic 70mm film called "Shyaka " on the life of Buddha,and a very technical and detailed

one on the Cinerama shooting of HTWWW explaining and the problems inherent to Cinerama's first dramatic film.

I was thinking it would make a terrific companion piece for everyone who's got the BD,and i'd like to provide a link to the scans,about 6 pages or so.Or,could i actually submit it to one of those

Cinerama websites ?

What would be the best way for this ?

there is a another fascinating one from 1983 here.

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2002/west/index.htm

and if you start reading stuff on THAT website,prepare a large pot of coffee,cause you'll be there for days.

I'd love to see those American Cinematographer pages - I bet one of the Cinerama sites would love to have that content, and if not, you could probably post the scans on the forum here.  That's a really awesome find!