Films that are only shown in certain places (1 Viewer)

[Tom St Jones]

Two films (both short-type) I can think of off the top of my head that are "location-exclusive" (my word, for lack of the right one, for exclusive-to certain-entities, e.g. museums, resorts, churches etc)


"Captain EO" (1986) 3D (originally 4-D, as it employed live effects) Sci-Fi short film starring pop legend Michael Jackson and only ever shown at Walt Disney theme parks. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, executive-produced by George Lucas.


"Williamsburg: Story of a Patriot" (1957) short film starring a young Jack Lord (Hawaii five-O), shown exclusively at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center in Williamsburg, VA. Directed by George Seaton, with music by Bernard Herrmann. Filmed in Vistavision. The longest-running film of all of all time, having been run continually at the visitor Center for almost 6 decades thus far. Restored by HTF's own Robert A. Harris in 2003.


My question is have either of these ever been made available on video, and what other "location-exclusive" titles can you name offhand?

 

[RichMurphy]

"Williamsburg: Story of a Patriot" is available on DVD from Amazon as well as from Colonial Williamsburg directly. I remember taking a friend to see it a few years ago, warning him that the film was faded and looked crummy when last I had seen it. To my delight, a beautiful image appeared on screen. According to the DVD's bonus features, Robert Harris went to see it and had the same reaction as I did, but unlike me, he was in a position to do something about it.

In a similar vein, "We Fight to be Free" is a dramatic film (with surprisingly intense battle sequences) used as an orientation tool at Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate in Virginia. It is also available at the estate's gift shop as well as commercially.

 

[Bill Waits]

Most of what you are looking for are theme park wares. Universal is very big with those: Terminator 3D, Jimmy Neutron (no longer used), Minions (its replacement), and Shrek 3D/4D are/were used. The Shrek 3D was released on DVD a few years ago. Disney has/had a couple that I am aware of (from Disney World in Orlando), but know less about them. I think one is a 3D/4D of Mickey, and another is based upon A Bug's Life. I had hoped that Disney would release the ones they had when Shrek 3D was released.... It never came to pass. However, to be honest, the opening intro to Minions at Universal (which tells you about the plot and about the use of the "special glasses") is HILARIOUS as can be, and it could stand on its own to be released. I would love to see it to be honest.

 

[Tom St Jones]

...According to the DVD's bonus features, Robert Harris went to see it and had the same reaction as I did, but unlike me, he was in a position to do something about it.

Now, that's a cool story. Glad they took him up on it.

 

[Tom St Jones]

"Alamo: The price of Freedom" (1988) controversial (upon release) 40-min. IMAX film starring Merrill Connally - real life brother of legendary Texas polticos John and Wayne (coincidence!?) Connally - as Crockett, Casey Biggs as Travis, Enrique Sandino as Santa Anna, Steve Sandor as Bowie and Don Swayze (yes, brother of Patrick) as James Bonham.

Shown at IMAX Theater Rivercenter in San Antonio, TX

 

[Patrick McCart]

There's quite a lot of world fair films. To Be Alive! is a special 3-panel film shown at the 1964 World's Fair, sponsored by Johnson Wax and directed by Francis Thompson and Alexander Hammid. It's apparently shown at the Johnson HQ in a special theater, though. There's a dreadful quality upload on YouTube of the middle panel.


A Canadian fair (Expo '67?) had In The Labyrinth. It was a 5-panel film with images in a cross formation (one on the top and bottom rows, three in the middle), with another room having two 70mm screens. The 5-panel part was reconstructed into a single-panel 35mm version in the 1970s by NFB Canada.


I think it would be neat if a compilation of these special venue films were made, not unlike the 3-D Rarities release.

 

[Eric Vedowski]

Films made expressly to be shown at World's Fairs were common from the 1930s on. 3D Rarities includes 2 of them. Expo 67 used film in many different ways, many different forms. A book recently came out about it:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0773544518/waltdisneyszorroA/

Paris Expo in 1937 included 2 Hypergonar (Cinemascope) films projected on the outside of one of the pavilions. They were made for a Paris electric utility. One was the first widescreen Technicolor animated film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4902828/combined

Hemisfair '68 in San Antonio, TX included a film "U.S." shown in specially designed U.S. Pavilion building. This site has a great description, scroll down to below the first photo:

http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasMemories/Hemisfair-US-Pavilion-Story.htm

The National Archive has the film but has no way to show it without the original building.

The evangelist Billy Graham's organization made many film for showing at his revival meetings-World's Fairs too.

This list at imdb includes loads of films created for World's Fairs:

http://www.imdb.com/search/keyword?keywords=expo-film

You can probably tell that I have a great interest in World's Fairs. Whenever I come across an interesting bit I add it to the imdb.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Disney has had several films throughout the decades that, for technical reasons, wouldn't be releasable on home video in their full form. I'm speaking of the films made in Circle-Vision 360°. While they're not great films from a narrative standpoint, they were always a favorite stop for my family during our vacations to Disney in the '70s and '80s.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle-Vision_360%C2%B0

 

[Konstantinos]

I would long for the Ghibli museum exclusive anime shorts to be released on bluray, but i really doubt it!

 

[johnmcmasters]

"The Journey Inside" -- 40 minute IMAX film to promote Pentium processing chips -- music by David Shire:


http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.9333/.f?sc=16&category=23408


"Rhapsody of Steel" -- industrial film produced by United States Steel -- music by Dmitri Tiomkin:


http://www.kritzerland.com/steel.htm


"Journey" had a really short life -- and wasn't released widely. "Rhapsody", however, did have a release to more general movie theaters at one point.


P.S. I'd love to have both on Blu-ray -- but this doesn't seem likely to happen.