DVD Review HTF DVD REVIEW: How the West Was Won: Ultimate Collector's Edition (1 Viewer)

[RickER]

And around we go. The dog is still chasing his tail.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

No; we can decide. It's just that the decision will cost (@ minimum) $350.

 

[Steve Christou]

The decision will cost me just £9.99.

Play.com (UK) : How The West Was Won (3 Discs) : DVD - Free Delivery

I just hope they've included a few extras with it.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

So how is it that Warners have managed to include EVERYTHING on the cheaper packaged standard UK release but on their blown out super deluxe R1 box set we are offered even less? Nobody can use the production cost excuse anymore. What a misfire...

 

[John Hodson]

Marco; AFAIK, the extras have yet to be revealed for the R2 SE (there is no UK UCE BTW), but it appears to be the equivalent of the R1 SE - what do you think it has the R1 hasn't?

 

[RolandL]

Below from Dave Strohmaier, director of Cinerama Adventure on smilebox.


HOW SMILEBOX CURVED SCREEN CAME ABOUT




By Dave Strohmaier, director of Cinerama Adventure



Cinerama was not the gimmick many people think it was, gimmick or fads don't last 20 years and also have several titles in the number on box office category. The whole town of Hollywood helped me to make this historic documentary from major studios to the smallest of film libraries as well as several high end LA post production and effects houses. They all did this for free, imagine in Hollywood, free!

One of the results of doing this project was that the original Cinerama 3 panel process was installed in two American cities, Seattle and in Hollywood. Oh and yes when it is shown on occasion at either of these two cities. I and 3 other historian projection volunteers are in the booth running it. People often have tears in their eyes afterwards when they come to the projection booth to visit us after the show to shake our hands. I guess you could say that I and my projectionist pals have seen 3 panel and 70mm Cinerama more often and anyone other than perhaps the few remaining retired Cinerama projectionist who ran it everyday in the old days.

One of the things we wanted to do in the documentary was to show people how different/special the Cinerama experience was, as one would have to be about 45+years old to have seen it. Many young people would simply laugh at a letterboxed image of the three panels on the screen saying "what's so special about this, where is this curve you keep talking about" and I would not blame them. So we had award winning 3D graphics experts, digital engineers, Oscar winning cinematographers, film historians you name it get involve with creating a "look" that we could use for the Cinerama shots in our 16 x 9 HD documentary. We wanted this effect/treatment to be what people saw back then, although admittedly not from the first 10 rows, as most people didn't see it from those rows anyway, those were the 4.00+ seats. After about two months of testing, and trying several things, including projecting the original 3 panel Cinerama focus charts on the Seattle Cinerama 146 degree screen checking for horizontal and vertical distortions, we came up with the SmileBox process for the documentary. We needed to take full advantage of the standard HD 16 x 9 frame and fill it edge to edge and yet have a 146 degree effect that would approximate what people saw in Cinerama theaters. Yes it has its limitations to be sure, but within these limitations we do feel we have succeeded. Next we showed it to several film historians and to the Cinerama Corporation itself. Cinerama still exists as a relatively inactive division of Pacific Theaters here in California. When we showed the first test on the "flat" screen at Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood everyone was amazed at how effective the SmileBox process was in recreating a Cinerama like effect on a flat screen. Most of our documentary is archival footage, old newsreels, interviews etc and they are all in 4x3 inside of 16X9 so when Cinerama shots appear they are both wide and curved. We are most fortunate that every review the documentary has gotten has been a glowing one and most of them mention the effectiveness of the Smilebox process as giving "audiences the look and feel of Cinerama". One funny incident happened at the Palm Springs film festival screening where a few women had to cover their eyes when the roller coaster scene appeared in Smilebox, they told me after the screening they were getting very dizzy. Funny, this often happens at the actual 3 panel Cinerama screenings at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood.

This brings me to How The West Was Won and the use of Smilebox in the September Blue Ray release that will include Cinerama Adventure. The Blue Ray package will include the letterboxed version and the Smilebox version of HTWWW and both will be fully restored and will look fantastic. I saw some scenes at Warner's the other day both letterbox and SmileBox and it knocked my socks off. Warner's thought it would be a good idea to have HTWWW in Smilebox as an extra version for those who want to recreate the Cinerama look on their flat screens, I feel the bigger screen the better it works. They are going the extra mile in an effort to please the film lover and hope it will.

Sure Smilebox may not be for everyone but due to the response we have gotten for Cinerama Adventure many people will enjoy it. Due to the fact that Smilebox was developed for free at a major effects house in Hollywood we are likewise making it available to Warner's release for free. I hope this gives you a little background on how Smilebox came about and that it was painstakingly developed with lots of expert imput. I consider myself a bit of a perfectionist and believe me I have seen Cinerama from every seat in the house (front, side and back row) at all 3 existing Cinerama theaters, Seattle, Bradford Media Museum,UK, and the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood and Smilebox will approximate a Cinerama effect on flat 16 x 9 screens.

Dave Strohmaier
Producer, Director, Editor, Cinerama Adventure
CINERAMA ADVENTURE ANNOUNCES CINERAMA SCREENINGS

 

[John Hodson]

Thanks Roland; "...I feel the bigger screen the better it works..." - makes me want to dash out and plunk down the cash for a PJ, a HUMONGOUS screen and a BD player...

 

[Dave B Ferris]

Or, you could plunk down the cash for a plane flight to Los Angeles, and a ticket to the event described below:

From the Los Angeles Times
SCREENING ROOM
'How the West Was Won' back in Cinerama at ArcLight Hollywood
The Cinerama Dome will show the landmark 1963 epic in its recently restored original three-projector Cinerama format and seven-channel sound.
By Susan King
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

September 4, 2008

Big-screen films didn't get much bigger or wider than in Cinerama.

And this Sunday, the Cinerama Dome at the ArcLight in Hollywood will show the landmark 1963 epic "How the West Was Won" in its recently restored original three-projector Cinerama format and seven-channel sound, just as it was presented at the Dome 45 years ago in its initial roadshow engagements. The Dome is one of only three theaters in the world left that is able to show Cinerama in all its widescreen glory. John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall directed the sprawling saga; Gregory Peck, Debbie Reynolds and James Stewart led the cast of thousands. Redirect to the right page

 

[RolandL]

Hi Ken,

Thanks again for the great review. Does the overture, intermission and exit music play over a blank screen? Also, too bad they didn't include the 6 minute 3-strip Cinerama trailer.

 

[Richard--W]

Now you're talking!
You can't know what you're missing, not seeing HTWWW in Cinerama at the Arclight. As stated below, Cinerama is not a gimmick, it's a visual language that must be seen to be appreciated. The story of America's westward expansion is big enough and just the right size for Cinerama.

 

[Jonny_L]

That sounds awesome. But with flight pricing being as high as it is, it actually might be cheaper to get the projector...lol

Why am I chuckeling? :frowning:

 

[John Hodson]

It will certainly be cheaper to wait 'til it's shown at Bradford again; the print was in a terrible state the last time I saw it. But who cares? What an experience...

 

[Brent Bridgeman]

I don't like the idea of having to don a suit everytime I get the urge to watch HTWWW, so I think I'll go with the SD version. Then again, I don't have Blu-Ray player anyway (still have my old 65" Mits without HDMI), so I don't have a choice.

 

[Mark B]

The problem with watching this "flat" is the fact that anytime an object crosses through a panel divider it appears to turn a corner. Jimmy Stewart in the canoe is a prime example. Therefore, smilebox should be the only presentation released.

 

[Thomas T]

Schmilebox, smilebox! Anyone who has actually SEEN a film in Cinerama knows that neither a smilebox or a letterbox can faithfully recreate the wonder that is the Cinerama experience. It's like arguing whether Parkay or Blue Bonnet approximates the taste of butter more. In the end, it's still margarine.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

The "fact" referred to in the above statement is inaccurate w.r.t. the new "flat" transfer on the DVD and Blu-Ray being released next week.

Regards,

 

[Mark B]

Well, that's good news. How did they manage to modify that issue in the flat version?

 

[JackKay]

Sooner or later we will all have Blu-ray machines, it seems it's just going to happen. I too would have liked the Smilebox version on the Ultimate SD that I ordered, but at least Warner did bother to do it and it's out there.

Mean while I can feel Special that I have the Postcards and Booklets that I don't think come with the Blu-ray. (?)

Oops, just went to Amazon and it looks like the Blu-ray version has at least one booklet.

 

[JPCinema]

I took a peak of my SD HTWWW and it looks spectacular! Yes you an still see the "lines" but they are only noticable in "light sky type" sequences.
Th most frustrating thing is watching CINERAMA ADVENTURE which has smilebox scenes of the restored HTWWW and it looks great....There really was no reason not to include the smilebox version in SD. I do look forward to the blue ray on tuesday.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

And yet the Blu Ray of Man Who Fell to Earth from their first batch is missing the book that the DVD version has... so much for not missing features.

While I agree that it would be better to have the same features on both versions, I am resigned to going Blu eventually, so my biggets concern are BD versions that are missing features found elsewhere. I can pass on the DVD for now, knowing the version I want is on Blu.