New version of "Mad World" out this week? (1 Viewer)

[Jo_C]

Mark this down....tonight, TCM will air what I hope will be the 182-minute LaserDisc (aka restoration-work-in-progress) cut of "Mad World". This will be one of your final opportunities to record this long version as it is not available on DVD, and since no official restoration is slated, this will be as close to the roadshow version as you're gonna get for now...perhaps for all time.

It airs at 8:00 PM Eastern/5:00 PM Pacific...set your DVRs and VCRs.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

TCM is also running it on November 28th at 4:30 PM if you happen to see this message too late.

 

[JeremySt]

hmmm, I have the LD, but I may record the TCM broadcast to DVD....

 

[TonyD]

it's in a 8-11:15 timeslot.

i have the ;laser box, but taped it anyway.

 

[Jo_C]

It is now 8:13 PM Pacific, and "Mad World" has just ended on TCM...and it was indeed the extended LaserDisc version.

 

[Stephen PI]

Quote:
I read on the IMDb site that IAMMMMW was also released as a 241 minute version in the UK. Does anyone here know about this version, what it contained and whether the footage still exists?

"Mad World" opened at the Coliseum Cinerama Theatre, St. Martin's Lane on December 7th 1963. Films and Filming magazine gave the film a 192 minute running time.
I saw it January 1st '64 at a matinee. One projector broke down and the manager came on the stage and announced that the film would have to be shown reel by reel! I think that 241 minute running time is obviously a mistake. Unfortunately I remember little else about the occasion, except a possible faint recollection of the police calls at the intermission.

 

[JeremySt]

I recorded the TCM broadcast onto DVD-R. Two discs with 110 minutes on the 1st disc, 75 minutes on the other. I put the disc break between the end of the intermission and the re-start of the movie. The PQ was not quite as detailed as the LD, but had alot less noise and artifacts. The sound was better on the TCM broadcast as well. I'll probably resort to watching the recording over the LD until something better comes along.

I also noticed that doing A-B comparisons showed the LD to be slightly cropped on the right side of the image.

 

[george kaplan]

You realize you can record the ld to dvd don't you? That's what I did.

 

[Brett_S]

George,

Can you record from LD to DVD or VHS just by connecting a SCART lead between the two devices, or is additional equipment required?

 

[JeremySt]

george, if you were talking to me...

yes, Of course I realize that, but as I pointed out, the TCM broadcast was a slightly better presentation IMO, so I decided to record it to DVD. I have no reason to put the LD on DVD. If I want to watch it, Ill just watch it on My LD player.

I may record the LD to DVD eventually though, just to try it.

 

[george kaplan]

Jeremy,

Well I recorded the ld to dvd because if my ld player breaks, it's going to be hard to get fixed. I've basically backed up all my lds to dvd.

 

[JeremySt]

Well, I couldn't resist... I recorded my LD to DVD. :b It turned out out better than I expected. I spread it across 3 discs to maximize the quality, and it definitly bests the broadcast version ( a few LD speckles and noise aside.)

My LD player was made in 98, so I don't expect it to konk out anytime soon, but I have a few LDs that I may "preserve" to DVD.

I think I'll do another Cinerama film; "Grand Prix" next.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Okay....

So the question remains....

What can be done to convince MGM to do the
needed restoration?

And, yes, I realize we have been asking this
question for nearly two years now.

 

[PaulEB]

Okay, this may be way off, but is there something equivalent to getting it declared a national landmark? Maybe the government can provide funding via the Library of Congress to preserve this classic.

In the meantime, I guess I 'll have to breakdown and actually buy a LaserDisc player and try and find a copy of the movie on LD.

 

[Jo_C]

OK, film fans,

Enough is enough. I think it is clear we all need to tell MGM off. I am seriously considering getting together with key members of this forum (Ronald Epstein, Robert Harris, Partick McCart, Bill Williams, and Joshua [who knows someone who helped out with the 182-minute reconstruction for LaserDisc]) on formally initiating an Internet petition on PetitionOnline.com to restore "Mad World" proper in its original roadshow version. MGM (or at least the current management) is letting the elements rot away for too long (I can say the same for "The Alamo"). It's time we, the fans, seriously took some action.

It's time we petition MGM to restore this film the right way. Who's with me on this? Let's get this organized now. [email protected] is where you can talk to me about this.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Let me say that this forum will stand behind
any effort to get IAMMMMW restored.

We just need somewhere to begin.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Who's with me on this?

I'm with you.

Don't know what we could do, but I'll go with anything that gets proposed.

 

[Rick P]

You need a 'patron'.. someone(s) who will be a noticable figure who will stand up and say 'this must be done'. Preferably someone who will be willing to (partially) put his money where his heart is...

now.. who, I have no idea..

(altho I still think Paul Allen might be a good 'target'.. he's spending multi-millions for a museum of Science Fiction & Fantasy in Seattle).

Either that or form a non-profit consortium to take donations (to be held in trust) for the restoration with the bennie being their name in a special credit section on the restored version (ala the LOTR 'special' credits).

 

[Patrick McCart]

I mentioned this before, but if the HTF worked out something with MGM to do a pledge drive...

If every member of the HTF donated 10 dollars to the restoration (or if MGM decides to put up half of the cost, make it 5 dollars each) that would save the film.

Not only would the money go towards saving the film, but the restored version would include a short name crawl at the end of the film (during the exit music) with the names of all the people who donated.

So, the money goes towards the restoration and the donors are immortalized on film.

 

[AndrewR]

Who's with me on this?

You have my sword.


Andrew