Criterion ready to release IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD (1 Viewer)

[Neil S. Bulk]

Special prints had to be struck to allow it to be projected on highly curved screens, many of which had a 15-20 foot setback from edge to center.

And don't the scenes present on the 1992 restoration of this movie feature that distortion, suggesting they are indeed from the original cut?

 

[Moe Dickstein]

Yeah, Neil, the LD material was created from print trims found in a warehouse I believe. Some of it must have come from pre-release previews as well or workprint trims as not all the scenes on the LD made it to the first roadshow cut.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

But why would they already have the distortion done for special prints if they were just outtakes?

 

[Moe Dickstein]

possibly because they were part of previews at Cinerama venues. I think not ALL of the added material was rectified though, so if that is the case then workprint or other cutting trims would be theoretically not rectified. There may also have been test prints of rectified material made before the cut was locked, there are any number of possibilities.I'd really love to finally KNOW which extra scenes in the Laser were in the First Roadshow, and which are pre-release trims.

 

[John Morgan]

i think those rectified scenes were from the legit Roadshow version. If I remember correctly, they had sound and scoring and sound effects in most if not all cases. There were a lot of unrectified scenes and snippets that may have not been in the first Road Show cut. One thing, would trims have sound? During editng, was sound on a separate mag reel? I love the Phil Silvers 2nd attempt at driving up that hill and it has a nice music cue.

And one of the funniest (for me) is Culpepper's 2nd in command (forgot the actor's name) commenting on his damaged hat after Jerry Lewis has run over it....something like "It's ruint" The way he says it breaks me up everytime. Don't we have any spies at Criterion?

 

[ahollis]

I believe the actor was Alan Carney. He was part of a comedy team that included Wally Brown. One of their classic movies as a team was ZOMBIES ON BROADWAY.

 

[John Morgan]

I believe the actor was Alan Carney. He was part of a comedy team that included Wally Brown. One of their classic movies as a team was ZOMBIES ON BROADWAY.

That's right Allen, and GENIUS AT WORK, which I think as sort of a companion film with Lionel Atwill.

 

[ROclockCK]

On the MGM/Fox Blu-ray there is almost an hour of this roadshow/preview/trim material deleted from Kramer's final cut. Unfortunately, it was presented in no discernible story order nor exhibition context. But I just watched this special feature again over the weekend and most of it was indeed rectified.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

and some of it is duplicated. It's as if they just had a work reel of all the extra footage prior to editing into the LD cut and just dumped it into the disc, because it's in totally random order, with no sense to the thing

 

[ROclockCK]

And why was the whole thing weirdly pinned to the left side of my screen with black bars on the top, bottom, and right side? Was there a display setting needed to center it?

FWIW, my first ever viewing in 'Clampbox'.

 

[Mike Frezon]

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.

I believe, Moe, you meant to say "Zoomies" instead of binoculars. We will ALL be wearing Zoomies...before you know it!

 

[haineshisway]

I guess I can make everyone at least a little happy by confirming the Criterion "clue" is indeed exactly what everyone thinks. I just ran into someone at lunch who knows exactly what's going on and yes, it's coming.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I believe, Moe, you meant to say "Zoomies" instead of binoculars. We will ALL be wearing Zoomies...before you know it!

These will be great for all those looking for EE haloes and grain scrubbing..... on their 45" TVs.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

Bruce, did they have any more details about what versions we might hope to see or just the general confirmation of the title?

 

[haineshisway]

Just that the hope was that it would be ready for November and that they've been working on it for quite a while now. My hope, which I told the person involved, was that they would do the original roadshow presentation (the one that ran only four weeks) as much as possible, and that anything that wasn't in that version would be included as extras, as Mr. Kramer never meant that stuff to be seen as part of his film. But no confirmation of what they're actually doing. Honor the filmmaker, is my position. If they wanted to include some wacky kitchen sink version I guess that would be okay as long as it was made clear that Mr. Kramer never approved such a thing and that it was never intended to be seen like that - if it had the original roadshow that played that first four weeks, then the cut version that mostly everyone saw that played subsequent to that four weeks (and is what the previous Blu-ray was), plus the whatever version, then those of us who don't really care about kitchen sink versions can just skip that one.

 

[ahollis]

Awesome news Bruce. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

Thanks Bruce for the elaboration.We will know in just over a month if they are going to make the November date (August 15 is November announcements)I just showed the film to some friends this weekend, we had it running while we played cards so it wasn't an in depth critical viewing, but I really do find myself missing all the little scene extensions from the laserdisc. It keeps feeling like it's cut off too soon in places.

 

[darkrock17]

Is there a possibility of IAMMMMW getting a theatrical re-release?

 

[Will*B]

Thanks Bruce - tantalising information!

It's as though Criterion recently got hold of a list of my all-time favourite films. The Game, Rosemary's Baby, IAMMMMW...

Even though I'm happy with the current BD, I'm sure the Criterion version will be something pretty special. Presumably, in the absence of some sort of extended cut, the extras would have to be pretty spectacular to justify licensing this title...? (My money's definitely on an extended cut of some description).

Still finding it funny to read the miserable discussion of this title at CriterionForum. If I were Criterion, I'd release something like The Hottie & The Nottie to really drive those hipsters out of their minds...

 

[Vincent_P]

I wonder if IAMMMMW will screen at the NY Film Festival in October like last November's Criterion release HEAVEN'S GATE did.

Vincent