Criterion ready to release IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD (2 Viewers)

[Moe Dickstein]

Smilebox is GREAT for real Cinerama films, it's the only way I watch HTWWWSmilebox is ridiculous for totally Ultra Panavision films.Ultra Panavision films are NOT CINERAMA.There is a huge difference between wanting the content of the film presented correctly, irrespective of how it was presented in a theater.Lets say a film is British 1.75, but it was presented here in 1.85, do you want to replicate the film or the presentation of the film? What if all the original engagements were in a compromise 2:1 ratio screen, should that be replicated?

 

[Robert Harris]

Smilebox is GREAT for real Cinerama films, it's the only way I watch HTWWWSmilebox is ridiculous for totally Ultra Panavision films.Ultra Panavision films are NOT CINERAMA.There is a huge difference between wanting the content of the film presented correctly, irrespective of how it was presented in a theater.Lets say a film is British 1.75, but it was presented here in 1.85, do you want to replicate the film or the presentation of the film? What if all the original engagements were in a compromise 2:1 ratio screen, should that be replicated?

Please be careful.

You're mixing metaphors.

Many British 1950s productions, seen on some screens at 1.66 to 1.75, were shot to be seen on huge curved screens. Films such as Curse of Frankenstein, and the slightly earlier Four-Sided Triangle, look great in Smilebox.

RAH

 

[Matt Hough]

This was a long time ago, and maybe I'm misremembering, but at the Carolina in Charlotte, the Cinerama theater where I saw all of the true Cinerama films growing up, once those ceased to be, the theater was used for roadshow engagements like The Sound of Music, 2001, Star!, and Hello, Dolly! but the curved ends of the screen were not used to project those widescreen films onto. The films went straight across the width of the theater but did not curve around like Cinerama did. I believe those curved areas were curtained off and simply not used any more.

 

[AdrianTurner]

The souvenir booklet says Kramer was half way through shooting when it was decided to present it in Cinerama but leaving that aside, it's an interesting question as to which 70mm films were designed during production for Cinerama. KRAKATOA EAST OF JAVA and CUSTER OF THE WEST were, of course filmed with Cinerama in mind. I'm also fairly sure that 2001, BATTLE OF THE BULGE, SONG OF NORWAY and GRAND PRIX were announced as being for Cinerama when shooting commenced. Possibly ICE STAION ZEBRA as well? PATTON and THE BIBLE: IN THE BEGINNING were also, of course, shot for the curved screen in Dimension 150.

I think George Stevens started shooting The Greatest Story Ever Told in 3-strip Cinerama and then switched to Ultra Panavision after UA made their deal with Cinerama Inc.

 

[Robert Harris]

This was a long time ago, and maybe I'm misremembering, but at the Carolina in Charlotte, the Cinerama theater where I saw all of the true Cinerama films growing up, once those ceased to be, the theater was used for roadshow engagements like The Sound of Music, 2001, Star!, and Hello, Dolly! but the curved ends of the screen were not used to project those widescreen films onto. The films went straight across the width of the theater but did not curve around like Cinerama did. I believe those curved areas were curtained off and simply not used any more.

There are heavily curved screens, and there are flat or slightly bowed screens, Original Cinerama screens were huge, heavily curved, had major distance between the center of the arc and the sides, allowing a setback against which a large executive sedan could be parked head in.Those screens also necessitated the use of thousands of approx. inch wide strips, all slightly overlaid to create a continuous surface. The use of the strips, as opposed to a sheet, non-strip screen allowed for projection without cross-illumination.The replacement of those screens have created major problems today, as the sheet screens do not permit a proper image.One can bring in the draperies on a highly curved screen, making it more viable for normal projection. Also, keep in mind that actual three panel projection is far greater resolution than UP 70.In certain situations, full height was only used for true C'rama. Many variables in play.

 

[DP 70]

Having viewed all this years films at the Bradford WSW on the huge curved lovered Cinerama screen I did notice
that when the 70mm is projected on Cinerama screen as Mr Harris says the resolution does not match the
three panel as the print of TWWOTB Grimm looked pin sharp.

Also as the 70mm is shown on the Cinerama screen using an original D-150 lens you still do get a bit of distortion.

I was sitting also sitting in the middle of the front row.

Heaven...

 

[RolandL]

I think George Stevens started shooting The Greatest Story Ever Told in 3-strip Cinerama and then switched to Ultra Panavision after UA made their deal with Cinerama Inc.

This article from August 1962 announces the agreement between UA and Cinerama to release It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and The Greatest Story Ever Told in Cinerama.

 

[John Morgan]

I think Robert Harris mentioned this in another thread, which I can not locate now.

But, didn't the original longer cut of MAD WORLD only open in something like 20 theaters, which I assume 20 prints were made. Were all these venues curved screen where a rectified print was needed? If so, I would think all restored footage would have to come from old rectified prints and have to be unrectified for a new Blu-ray addition. I am assuming none of the found footage came from the original negative trims.

 

[Robert Harris]

I think Robert Harris mentioned this in another thread, which I can not locate now.

But, didn't the original longer cut of MAD WORLD only open in something like 20 theaters, which I assume 20 prints were made. Were all these venues curved screen where a rectified print was needed? If so, I would think all restored footage would have to come from old rectified prints and have to be unrectified for a new Blu-ray addition. I am assuming none of the found footage came from the original negative trims.

Both rectified, as well as spherical prints were struck. Many never made it out of the lab, and were re-cut and re-sounded before hitting theatres. Inclusive of foreign. Of the prints re-cut, less than half a dozen had already been run, and replaced with new prints before being returned to the lab.

RAH

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Many British 1950s productions, seen on some screens at 1.66 to 1.75, were shot to be seen on huge curved screens. Films such as Curse of Frankenstein, and the slightly earlier Four-Sided Triangle, look great in Smilebox.

May we see some frames for comparison purposes, please?

 

[ahollis]

Many British 1950s productions, seen on some screens at 1.66 to 1.75, were shot to be seen on huge curved screens. Films such as Curse of Frankenstein, and the slightly earlier Four-Sided Triangle, look great in Smilebox.RAH

LOL. Humor at its best.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Cinerama sounds like a mess. Why didn't they just use Imax?

 

[darkrock17]

Cinerama sounds like a mess. Why didn't they just use Imax?

IMAX didn't exsits back in the 60s.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

IMAX didn't exsits back in the 60s.

And neither did sarcasm.

 

[ROclockCK]

In the 60s, I believe it was called "cheek".

 

[Ethan Riley]

Seriously, I wonder if 50 years from now, film fans will be having similar debates about Imax? I have no doubt movies will still be around, but Imax will be long gone.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Seriously, I wonder if 50 years from now, film fans will be having similar debates about Imax? I have no doubt movies will still be around, but Imax will be long gone.

Considering Imax is almost 50 years old already, I'm sure it has enough gas in the tank.

 

[Lord Dalek]

IMAX didn't exsits back in the 60s.

Actually it did. IMAX corp was founded in 1967.

And if you really wanna get technical the principal theory behind Imax was already done with VistaVision and Technirama. They're all horizontals as opposed to verticals, the difference being Imax is on 65mm and the other two aren't.

 

[Panavision70]

My biggest concern... are they going to let us hear Bernard Herrmann's rejected score? Written to be performed by 48 calliopes.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

Seriously, I wonder if 50 years from now, film fans will be having similar debates about Imax? I have no doubt movies will still be around, but Imax will be long gone.

Yes, for the IMAX scenes in films in the future we will use binoculars from our couch to replicate the size difference between the IMAX screen and our regular TV.