Blu-ray Review The Best of Cinerama Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[DP 70]

Hi Roland,
It was the same print I have seen but as you say was mostly ok.

thanks

Derek.

 

[cinemiracle]

Hi Derek,

I saw it at the LA Cinerama Dome for the 60th Anniversary of Cinerama. I don't know where the print came from. It was a bit beat up in some spots but mostly OK.

Thanks,

Roland

It originally came from Australia- now donated to the Bradford museum.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Well, because of the renewed discussion in this thread I ordered this title and watched it upon delivery this afternoon.

This is my first Smilebox title (outside of features such as HTWWW).

I have been wanting to see what the Cinerama experience was all about. In terms of the special productions, that is. And I'll tell you right now I was pleasantly surprised. I picked this one to buy because of it's "Best of" stature and the talk here of the improved visuals over some of the other choices.

I'm not REALLY old enough...but I am already familiar with Lowell Thomas' work. When I was growing up, my local PBS affiliate ran some kind of series of his Fox Movietone Newsreel work. And I was a news junkie even as a little kid!

The parts I enjoyed the most were the travelogue pieces--especially those that put the cameras at ground level and we got to see locales up close. Not only do these provide an insight into places I'll never get to go...but they also serve as a time capsule as to what they looked like back in 1960. The scene of Paris on a kids' holiday of a number of school girls in two straight lines led by a nun was worth the price of the title! It immediately put me to mind of all the times I read the children's books about Madeline to my kids.

When I decide I want to treat myself to another, I might lean towards the Seven Wonders of the World disc.

 

[ahollis]

Well, because of the renewed discussion in this thread I ordered this title and watched it upon delivery this afternoon.

This is my first Smilebox title (outside of features such as HTWWW).

I have been wanting to see what the Cinerama experience was all about. In terms of the special productions, that is. And I'll tell you right now I was pleasantly surprised. I picked this one to buy because of it's "Best of" stature and the talk here of the improved visuals over some of the other choices.

I'm not REALLY old enough...but I am already familiar with Lowell Thomas' work. When I was growing up, my local PBS affiliate ran some kind of series of his Fox Movietone Newsreel work. And I was a news junkie even as a little kid!

The parts I enjoyed the most were the travelogue pieces--especially those that put the cameras at ground level and we got to see locales up close. Not only do these provide an insight into places I'll never get to go...but they also serve as a time capsule as to what they looked like back in 1960. The scene of Paris on a kids' holiday of a number of school girls in two straight lines led by a nun was worth the price of the title! It immediately put me to mind of all the times I read the children's books about Madeline to my kids.

When I decide I want to treat myself to another, I might lean towards the Seven Wonders of the World disc.

You really need to get the other Cinerama Blu-rar titles. These are exceptional.

 

[Matt Hough]

Mike,

Since this release gives you a taste of all the Cinerama releases up to that time, why not go with Cinerama's Russian Adventure which has no scenes included in this release. You can read my review to see what's included in that package. Also I believe Tim reviewed most of the other Cinerama releases and his reviews will also let you see what you're in for with them.

 

[RolandL]

...The scene of Paris on a kids' holiday of a number of school girls in two straight lines led by a nun was worth the price of the title! It immediately put me to mind of all the times I read the children's books about Madeline to my kids.

I remember getting ready to practice for my first communion. The nuns had us walking in a straight line, arms folded so we wouldn't touch the other children (I guess). The children from the public school came running over yelling and screaming. One of the nuns said "look at those animals". The kid next to me said "I wish I was one of those animals".

 

[RolandL]

Let's hope they release a Blu-ray of the 70mm Cinerama movie The Golden Head. It only played in one Cinerama theatre in the UK.

 

[cinemiracle]

Well, because of the renewed discussion in this thread I ordered this title and watched it upon delivery this afternoon.

This is my first Smilebox title (outside of features such as HTWWW).

I have been wanting to see what the Cinerama experience was all about. In terms of the special productions, that is. And I'll tell you right now I was pleasantly surprised. I picked this one to buy because of it's "Best of" stature and the talk here of the improved visuals over some of the other choices.

I'm not REALLY old enough...but I am already familiar with Lowell Thomas' work. When I was growing up, my local PBS affiliate ran some kind of series of his Fox Movietone Newsreel work. And I was a news junkie even as a little kid!

The parts I enjoyed the most were the travelogue pieces--especially those that put the cameras at ground level and we got to see locales up close. Not only do these provide an insight into places I'll never get to go...but they also serve as a time capsule as to what they looked like back in 1960. The scene of Paris on a kids' holiday of a number of school girls in two straight lines led by a nun was worth the price of the title! It immediately put me to mind of all the times I read the children's books about Madeline to my kids.

When I decide I want to treat myself to another, I might lean towards the Seven Wonders of the World disc.

If you want to see what the Cinerama experience was all about then you have to see it in a genuine Cinerama cinema with a 146 degree deeply curved screen and projected with real film ,not digital.. You definitely cannot replicate the Cinerama experience by watching it on a television or even seeing it on a curved cinema screen in digital. The original Cinerama experience was mesmerizing .I was lucky enough to have seen all the films many times when they were first released. Absolutely NOTHING can replicate that experience. Sadly,the three remaining 3-strip Cinerama cinemas all have flaws that detract from that original experience.

 

[cinemiracle]

Let's hope they release a Blu-ray of the 70mm Cinerama movie The Golden Head. It only played in one Cinerama theatre in the UK.

I understand that it also only played in one other European cinema before it was considered to be a flop and disappeared from cinema screens. The original title was MILLLIE GOES TO BUDAPEST.Surely that ,with such a great cast, it could been released in 35mm or even shown on television. Sadly that was not to be the case. Why was the film considered to be so bad that it was not released after being only shown briefly in 2 countries?.No other 70mm film ever have such a limited release. I guess we will have an idea why it flopped so badly, if it is given a bluray release.

 

[RolandL]

The Golden Head is reviewed on this page.

"The Golden Head" was unfortunately not deemed a success. William R. Forman of Pacific Theaters, one of the producers of the movie, had decided not to release the film in the U.S., and it had consequently been hidden away in a vault for a long time."

 

[Mike Frezon]

If you want to see what the Cinerama experience was all about then you have to see it in a genuine Cinerama cinema with a 146 degree deeply curved screen and projected with real film ,not digital.. You definitely cannot replicate the Cinerama experience by watching it on a television or even seeing it on a curved cinema screen in digital.

I totally understand all that. I was simply referring to the Cinerama series of travelog films. I hadn't seen any in their entirety.