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How the West Was Won (2 Disc) is Amazing! (1 Viewer)

Charles Smith

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

TonyD

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Chas in CT said:
For original non-Cinerama Cinerama presentations, would It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and 2001 be good candidates for Smilebox?
Probably not. A far as I know only two movies were filmed in real 3 camera cinarama, HTWWW and The Brothers Grimm. Not including the roller coaster movie and some other demonstration movies.
 

montrealfilmguy

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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.
 

ahollis

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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.
 

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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.
 

ahollis

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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.
 

Josh Steinberg

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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.
 

montrealfilmguy

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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.
 

montrealfilmguy

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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.
 

Josh Steinberg

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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!
 

oscar_merkx

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Originally Posted by montrealfilmguy


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


Yes you're right.


The Blu Ray is absolutely stunning
 

montrealfilmguy

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in my research, i found that 1962 article i wanted to post already posted on this website.Notice the author is William Daniels,the DP on the Debbie Reynolds/Gregory peck section.You can't get closer than that on the technical info.


Get some coffee/cookies and start reading.


http://cinerama.topcities.com/htwwwac.htm
 

benbess

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Seattle currently has the best theater capable of handling this film in true Cinerama, I think. I even know someone who lives there who is a projectionist for such showings, which is extremely tricky with 3 projectors and the complicated sound set up. But these showings are very rare...
 

Brian Kidd

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I had the pleasure of seeing HTWWW in Cinerama back in the late 1990's at the New Neon Movies in Dayton, Ohio. It was glorious. I saw it twice. Did I notice the seams? Sure. There was no way to eliminate them. The comb mechanism on the projectors helped, but they were still there. Did it bother me? Not in the slightest. Cinerama was an amazing process and one that we'll never see the like of again.
 

montrealfilmguy

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Seattle was my first idea ....BUT...


Do they show it often ?

Do they show it ever ?


Do they ever show actual Cinerama films ?


it doesn't look like it.


I'm all for recreating the exact experience of 1953 complete with lines showing,but if i can only see it on BD on a nice 120 inch screen

i'll take that instead.
 

Josh Steinberg

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I think once in a blue moon, it shows in Seattle - I've never been to Seattle and always wanted to visit that city anyway, so if I ever hear that they're going to be showing the movie in Cinerama, I think that'll be the time to plan the vacation..
 

ahollis

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Originally Posted by benbess



The Cinerama Dome (Arclight) in LA shows this about every other year for a week's engagement in the fall. I believe they showed it this past September and they had some sound issues the first day. They also show THIS IS CINERAMA on the alternating years. I have had the opportunity to see HTWWW twice at the Cinerama Dome and words cannot describe the experience. I would like for them to also show some of the other Cinerama travel films and there is always hope (slight) that Warner's will be able to overcome the serious negative problems with THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM and allow that to run through the three projectors again.
 

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