IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoration (1 Viewer)

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by MatthewA
Everyone in America would have to see Hot Tub Time Machine 10 times at full price to pull MGM out of the hole. I would have taken Time Warner's offer.

MGM was hoping for a 30 to 35 million opening weekend on HOT TUB. The film was estimated to cost around 35 to 40 million and they got approval from the debt holders to spend $40 million on marketing. While they would not get the cost of the film back from US theatres they can use the opening to show the banks that they know what they are doing and work on a better interest payments and allow them some say in the future. Since it only opened with only 13.7 the first weekend and should have a 60+ decrease this weekend, there are a lot of people having sleepless nights including the banks. In fact today Sony announced that they are taking over the US distribution of ZOOKEEPER, a co-production between Sony and MGM, this fall. The move was made to ensure that the marketing and release wasn’t affected by a reorganization that hasn't been settled.

 

[Charles Ellis]

Some sad news: IAMMMMW star Dorothy Provine (Emmeline Marcus Finch) has passed away.
http://groups.google.co.bw/group/alt.obituaries/browse_thread/thread/cafdd73617a192cf/e38175f5d40502b7?show_docid=e38175f5d40502b7

 

[Nelson Au]

Guys,

Can someone educate me? I want to get the DVD as I never got around to buying it. I'm not going to wait for a blu ray but will pick it up when it comes. For now, a DVD would suffice.

I have the MGM UA Laserdisc of Mad Mad Mad Mad World. The box is dated 1991 with a run time of 3 hours and 8 mins or 188 minutes. I haven't played that in a while!

But I was reminded of the film last night as it was played on PBS. It's run time was roughly 2 hours and 36 minutes, about 156 minutes. The intermission was cut and spliced.

Amazon has one MGM DVD from 2003 and it's 161 minutes. There's a DVD from 2001 and it appears to be OOP.

The question is, is this the disc that's about the best you'll get now? In terms of run time? The extras I have on LD, so if they aren't on DVD, it's not the end of the world.

I think the run time difference between the aired version on PBS and the current DVD is due to the cut intermission.

Thanks for your insights.

 

[Bob Cashill]

I believe that's the best MAD DVD that's available now. (And I have the LD, too.)

 

[TonyD]

Thats it for now. The oop dvd has a doc on there, the current does not both are listed on the dvd as theatrical version 2h 41m.

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks guys! Maybe I can find the OOP with the doc, if not, the newer one without the doc is fine. I imagine the newer one would have a nicer transfer.

 

[TonyD]

Nope exactly the same just without the doc.

 

[Sumnernor]

Who know the name of the black man whose car was driven off the road and down the hill. There is no information on the IMDB site. Was it step-and-fetchit??????

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Sumnernor
Who know the name of the black man whose car was driven off the road and down the hill. There is no information on the IMDB site. Was it step-and-fetchit??????

Nick Stewart - he was a black comedian that appeared as "Light'en" on the Amos & Andy TV show, Cabin In the Sky, and was in tons of moves from the Andy Hardy series to Stormy Weather to Abbott & Costello in Hollywood to Zombies On Broadway. He can still be heard today as the narrator during the the boat ride for Splash Mountain at the Disney Theme parks. A great talent that was unfortunately kept in limited roles.

 

[Michael Rogers]

"I said it before and I'll say it again, I didn't want to move to California."

I was wondering about him and if he was a cameo or a bit player.

Originally Posted by ahollis

Nick Stewart - he was a black comedian that appeared as "Light'en" on the Amos & Andy TV show, Cabin In the Sky, and was in tons of moves from the Andy Hardy series to Stormy Weather to Abbott & Costello in Hollywood to Zombies On Broadway. He can still be heard today as the narrator during the the boat ride for Splash Mountain at the Disney Theme parks. A great talent that was unfortunately kept in limited roles.

 

[Haden]

Not exactly DVD/Blu-ray related, but I thought some of you IAMMMMW music fans might be interested in this....

http://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=77042&forumID=1&archive=0

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Haden
Not exactly DVD/Blu-ray related, but I thought some of you IAMMMMW music fans might be interested in this....

http://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=77042&forumID=1&archive=0

I would give just about anything for the intermission police calls to be on this. But I don't see them listed.

 

[darkrock17]

Has the cover art been released yet?

 

[battlebeast]

I waited to buy Metropolis In the vain hope that the missing footage would be found; to my (and the world's) great delight, it was! I have not purchased IAMMMMW becasue, well, I just didn't.

I don't think I will purchase this film now in the vain hope that the missing footage will someday be re edited into the film. Heck, I'll take 3-4 minutes of audio-less footage.

Has this title been annouinced yet?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

No, the title has not been announced for Blu-ray yet.

I forgot who is now getting the MGM library, if that
has even been decided yet.

However, unless Warner Brothers obtains it, I am
afraid there is next to no chance that this film will
ever be restored.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
No, the title has not been announced for Blu-ray yet.

I forgot who is now getting the MGM library, if that
has even been decided yet.

However, unless Warner Brothers obtains it, I am
afraid there is next to no chance that this film will
ever be restored.

MGM has not decided yet, however they are very close to making an agreement with Sony for worldwide distribution rights to their forthcoming films. It has always been assumed that whoever got those rights, would also end up with the home entertainment rights to the library. But while Fox has said that they don't want the library unless they have the distribution of films, they are in secret (?) talks about retaining the the library rights. MGM has said an answer will be forthcoming by the end of March.

I agree with you and would love to see Warner grab the rights, but I don't see that in the cards.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Allen,

Fox has done a great job with the MGM releases, but
I am afraid they have no interest in restoring IAMMMW.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
Allen,

Fox has done a great job with the MGM releases, but
I am afraid they have no interest in restoring IAMMMW.

I agree with you. It would be up to MGM to do any restoration on the film and the Spyglass guys just do not have a real interest in any library. They look at it as cash flow in and only in.

 

[darkrock17]

Fox should get to keep the MGM library. Fox has always seemed to do well with the releases form their own classic library, so they be the prefect choice.

 

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
Fox has done a great job with the MGM releases

Never mind the incorrect cropping on A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS and the excessive DNR on THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY Blu Rays.