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

[Richard V]

I wish Criterion would get interested in The Alamo.

Testify!

 

[rsmithjr]

Regarding the comparisons to Cinerama: I saw IAMMMMW 4 times at the Indian Hills Cinerama in Omaha (acknowledged as one of the best Cinerama houses). While the 70mm process is not as good as the 3 strip in many respects, it does have its own virtues and the presentation was excellent. "Well worth a trip to Omaha" as the ads used to say.

 

[RolandL]

I’m probably in the minority here but, I enjoyed the road show version of the South Pacific Blu-ray more than the general release, even with the lesser quality footage. So, you know I’m going to vote for as close to the road show as possible and the police calls during the intermission. Even it the footage is of lesser quality, I don’t mind.

This review lists the film at 197 minutes plus intermission.

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

I agree 100%! I don't know why that MGM's releases chop off most United Artists logos! They can still use the MGM Lion then Let the film open with the Original United Artists Logo. Universal does this with their titles. Most recent logo first then the film always opens with the original logo (if used)

As for those who are bashing the fact Criterion could be in fact releasing this film in their catalog, don't worry it won't sway Criterion. If they are releasing the film then they are. It will also out sell the current Blu ray release in spades.

I would love to see everything released on BLU that can be found. Even if the quality isn't optimal, it would be nice to have. No reason they can't issue a 2-3 disc set even at a retail of $49.99 Many would grab it during a 50% off sale if they felt the price is too high.

Also on the comment about Criterion should release The Alamo, who knows maybe they could be or become involved. Fingers always crossed. It seems like the restoration of The Alamo could be one of the longest I've known about!

If this film were to be released by Criterion, not only would I love to see the film restored to its original length, but also this United Artists logo restored:

 

[Lord Dalek]

It's a well known fact that by the early 60s UA movies frequently did NOT have an opening logo.

 

[Paul Rossen]

Or at the Warner on Broadway in NYC, where it opened November 17, 1963. In the New York Times review the running time is given as 192 minutes. The review is highly favorable (the movie made the critic's Ten Best List at the end of the year), but the last paragraph says, "The only trouble with the whole thing is that it runs too long. There is simply too much wild confusion, too much repetition of similar things. There comes a time when the senses and the risibilites cry stop." I believe it was comments like that, even in the positive reviews, that inspired Kramer to cut the movie as drastically as he did.

Even so, I vote with those who want as much as possible to be restored. Number One on my movie wish list is to see IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD restored to its original 192 minute roadshow version. The extra scenes, cut before the movie opened, should be included as extras. (Speaking of which -- a couple of years ago, I watched a deleted scene online that wasn't even on the laserdisc. It was in the park where Monica said she'd try to find the Big W by spinning around, but she got dizzy and fell and rolled down a hill. If anyone knows what website that was on, please let me know. I'd like to see that again.)

I can still remember my amazement upon seeing IAMMMMW opening week at the Warner Cinerama in November 1963. Not only was the screen immense there were no seams as in HTWWW. I really thought a new dawn of motion picture development had been reached.

Also, and this could be a lapse of memory from almost 50 years ago...I don't recall the opening UA logo. I'll echo a number of other posters in requesting the true Roadshow version and having additional scenes placed as an 'extra'.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

This really brings back some great memories.

The coolest thing about the laserdisc format was the
MAD WORLD and 1776 Special Editions.

At the time, I couldn't believe that two of my favorite
films had that much excised footage. You could just
imagine what it was like revisiting these films and seeing
bits and pieces that I never knew existed. It was like
watching these films again for the very first time.

If the rumor is true, I am unbelievably excited for what
might be accomplished.

 

[Keith Cobby]

Have Criterion released a film on blu-ray which has previously been released on blu-ray by another distributor/studio or would this be a new development?

 

[Cine_Capsulas]

Have Criterion released a film on blu-ray which has previously been released on blu-ray by another distributor/studio

Traffic, Brazil, Fear and Loathing...

 

[Charles Smith]

Traffic, Brazil, Fear and Loathing...

Dazed and Confused...

 

[Joe Lugoff]

I have to say I'm somewhat bewildered, and amused and a little saddened at the same time, by those who say when the film quality changes for the added scenes they're "yanked out of the movie." Well, yes, I was, too -- for maybe two seconds. Then I just went back to concentrating on the movie, without dwelling on the change in quality.

If you're that easily "yanked," maybe movies aren't the best hobby for you.

There are some deleted scenes that make the movie a better experience, especially those which tell us about the characters' motivations -- the best example being as to why Otto Meyer, probably the most greedy and devious character of all, went out of his way to drive the man with the medicine to his wife (he was threatened, that's why!) Many scenes also clarify what the police are up to and where they are at any given moment.

Some scenes do the opposite and diminish the experience, for instance seeing Mrs. Marcus knocked into the trash can twice. If I were showing the laserdisc version to someone who'd never seen the movie before, I'd have to stop and tell him that there was never any intention for that to happen twice but every outtake and deleted scene still in existence was thrown into this version.

CLEOPATRA, of the same year, was severely cut down from its original four-hour length shortly after it opened, and 99% of the world saw the cut version, but it was fully restored for home video many years ago. That the same thing couldn't be done for MAD WORLD has always surprised me, not to mention disgusted me.

I hope, for its 50th anniversary, at long last, Criterion can give us something approximating the original roadshow version, even if it only existed for four weeks. They can run a disclaimer at the beginning: "For some restored scenes, the film quality will change. Those who are easily 'yanked' better watch a different movie."

 

[Paul Rossen]

True Mr. Dickstein. But a whole new generation should at least be able to appreciate why the use of single-strip Ultra Panavision 70 to create *faux* CINERAMA didn't really work. As the beginning of the 3-panel format's decline, there is at least a historical reason for including a SmileBox presentation in a Criterion IAMMMMW über set.

And after grimacing through all of that faded CINERAMA-rectified footage in the Laserdisc set, I feel we're owed some kind of context why it looked so bad.

Why didn't the 'faux' Cinerama work? I certainly saw a number of Roadshow films being presented this way... starting with IAMMMMW and continuing with ICE STATION ZEBRA, KHARTOUM, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY and even CHEYENNE AUTUMN which was filmed in Super Panavision 70. I enjoyed the presentations of each and everyone of them(though the films weren't always all that good). Did the process fail because it was too expensive to produce these wide screen extravaganza's or that the whole Roadshow era came to an end? On the whole i thought they worked and really made seeing these films into something special.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

Why didn't the 'faux' Cinerama work? I certainly saw a number of Roadshow films being presented this way... starting with IAMMMMW and continuing with ICE STATION ZEBRA, KHARTOUM, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY and even CHEYENNE AUTUMN which was filmed in Super Panavision 70. I enjoyed the presentations of each and everyone of them(though the films weren't always all that good). Did the process fail because it was too expensive to produce these wide screen extravaganza's or that the whole Roadshow era came to an end? On the whole i thought they worked and really made seeing these films into something special.

I saw THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM, HOW THE WEST WAS WON and IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD in Cinerama on their original release. The feeling of awe when the curtains parted to reveal the huge screen was not one bit less for MAD WORLD than it had been for GRIMM and WEST. In fact, it was better, because those irritating lines weren't there any more. (And for those easily "yanked," trust me those lines in GRIMM and WEST could do some serious yanking for you.)

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY in Cinerama was one of the greatest moviegoing experiences of my life.

I think the whole thing ended because most of the Cinerama movies didn't do well at the boxoffice. In fact, after MAD WORLD, most of them flopped. I'd say only 2001 did really well. (I know what I'm talking about, too. I subscribed to Variety in those days and would actually study the city-by-city boxoffice reports like they really mattered.)

 

[ROclockCK]

Why didn't the 'faux' Cinerama work? I certainly saw a number of Roadshow films being presented this way... starting with IAMMMMW and continuing with ICE STATION ZEBRA, KHARTOUM, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY and even CHEYENNE AUTUMN which was filmed in Super Panavision 70. I enjoyed the presentations of each and everyone of them(though the films weren't always all that good). Did the process fail because it was too expensive to produce these wide screen extravaganza's or that the whole Roadshow era came to an end? On the whole i thought they worked and really made seeing these films into something special.

Speaking strictly for myself, although *faux* CINERAMA eliminated the panel joins, the geometry of the image was all wrong, even with rectified prints meant to compensate for the deeply curved screen. For dead on shots with few horizontal reference points, this flat-to-curve projection kinda-sorta worked, but its field of vision and depth were never as convincing as true 3-panel CINERAMA.

 

[Paul Rossen]

Speaking strictly for myself, although *faux* CINERAMA eliminated the panel joins, the geometry of the image was all wrong, even with rectified prints meant to compensate for the deeply curved screen. For dead on shots with few horizontal reference points, this flat-to-curve projection kinda-sorta worked, but its field of vision and depth was never as convincing as true 3-panel CINERAMA.

One only has to view the two WB blu-ray discs of HOW THE WEST WAS WON. Which one is 'special'? The smilebox or 2.76 flat? Yes, the image is distorted. It's really all a matter of taste. And if we really wanted to discuss the smilebox system I'll suggest the two Fox D-150 films...The BIBLE and PATTON both of which I saw projected on a curved Cinerama like screen.

In any case I'm delighted and excited for the fans of IAMMMMW if the 'Rumor' is true. Perhaps next up...THE ALAMO!

 

[Nick*Z]

I would love to see the complete LD edition given its proper due although being a purist I would hope Criterion would also release the mainstream standard theatrical cut as a companion piece too. As already pointed out, the LD featured material Kramer never intended to reach theaters. But I have to agree with whoever made the comment that merely reinstating the excised footage (warts and all) would be a mistake.

I am reminded herein of Fox's South Pacific which did me no favors by including the roadshow copy with severely faded colors and a barrage of age related artifacts. There's really no point. The effect is jarring - even to a purist. I watched that version of South Pacific once. I've watched the other at least six times. At the very least time and money ought to have been spent to improve color balancing and contrast. Age related artifacts, provided their mid-range in damage, can be forgiven if not forgotten.

Watching badly faded prints doesn't cut it for me. I don't think it should be considered the standard bearer either. Just my thoughts.

 

[John Morgan]

If they only have an rectified sequence from a print, could they un-rectify it for inclusion?
Other than the double barrel landing of Merman, the only other two instances that bother me are:
The dividing up the loot routine. It seems to me like they had different versions or takes of the same basic material and it got repetitive.
Also, there is an added scene with Winters giving his back story to Provine, and the framing seems all off.

 

[Paul Rossen]

I would love to see the complete LD edition given its proper due although being a purist I would hope Criterion would also release the mainstream standard theatrical cut as a companion piece too. As already pointed out, the LD featured material Kramer never intended to reach theaters. But I have to agree with whoever made the comment that merely reinstating the excised footage (warts and all) would be a mistake.

I am reminded herein of Fox's South Pacific which did me no favors by including the roadshow copy with severely faded colors and a barrage of age related artifacts. There's really no point. The effect is jarring - even to a purist. I watched that version of South Pacific once. I've watched the other at least six times. At the very least time and money ought to have been spent to improve color balancing and contrast. Age related artifacts, provided their mid-range in damage, can be forgiven if not forgotten.

Watching badly faded prints doesn't cut it for me. I don't think it should be considered the standard bearer either. Just my thoughts.

But, FOX gave fans of the SOUTH PACIFIC both the long and short versions. The best of both worlds. Watch whichever one you like. What could be wrong with that? FOX also gave us a complete roadshow version of THE SAND PEBBLES which fans such as myself had been requesting for years. Is it restored like the short version? No. But it's great to have and watch, faded colors and all....

 

[ahollis]

But, FOX gave fans of the SOUTH PACIFIC both the long and short versions. The best of both worlds. Watch whichever one you like. What could be wrong with that? FOX also gave us a complete roadshow version of THE SAND PEBBLES which fans such as myself had been requesting for years. Is it restored like the short version? No. But it's great to have and watch, faded colors and all....

But we already have the so called General Release version available on Blu-ray for around $10. I don't see any reason to include what is already available If the rumor is true and the clue is not some David Lean title or classic from Japan, I don't see Criterion releasing anything unless it blows away the current release.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

If the rumor is true and the clue is not some David Lean title or classic from Japan, I don't see Criterion releasing anything unless it blows away the current release.

I agree. Criterion would not be touching this simply to release
what has been available already.
I would hope that it would be in the hands of a "fan" who knows
the history behind the film and its laserdisc release -- and has
probably been watching forums like these and comments made
by its fans over the years.