Update on It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Restoration (1 Viewer)

[Tino]

BTW, Pete

Any chance of you getting that IAMMMMW print again for your film festival at the Lafayette in Suffern? It was a pretty good print and I espcially enjoyed the recreated police radio calls during the intermission.

 

[george kaplan]

Tino,

Just one question. It seems reasonable to assume that the roadshow version which is considerably longer than even the ld version, would include all of that footage and more. If the ld extra footage makes the film worse in your opinion compared to the dvd cut, why do you think that the roadshow version won't be even worse?

 

[Tino]

George

According to Robert Harris, some footage in the LD version was never part of the Roashow version so who knows? Until I see a complete Roadshow version, I can't comment on whether or not I would like it.

Hopefully, Robert Harris will drop in here with some comments.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

BTW, Pete
Any chance of you getting that IAMMMMW print again for your film festival at the Lafayette in Suffern? It was a pretty good print and I espcially enjoyed the recreated police radio calls during the intermission.

Since you asked...

I've got 21 weeks or so with next Spring's schedule, so there's a good chance IAMMMMW may show up. I don't know what print it will be, the Loew's ran a print from private sources that I may not be able to get, so I have to see if MGM makes up a new 35mm.

 

[Tino]

Here is another excerpt from Ron's interview with Robert Harris:

Ron Epstein: The deluxe LD release that MGM put out back in the 90's was not a true representation of the Roadshow release. It had just about everything found thrown into it.

Robert Harris: It didn't represent the Roadshow version and had things that were found thrown into it that the people at MGM/UA wanted to put in. They also had other problems involving bits of connective tissue that are still missing. They were using cutaways--taking scenes from other places which included closeups of people, cutting it all together to make it work. They also used things that weren't in the Roadshow version but in the preview, cuts that Kramer never meant to be seen.

So until I see the true Roadshow version of IAMMMMW, which I hope comes to fruition, I will stick with the superior looking and sounding anamorphic DVD version over the inferior looking and sounding, imo, LD version.

Good news Pete. Keep us posted.

 

[george kaplan]

I can't let this go. Leaving aside the differences in the scenes, there are numerous ways in which the dvd is demonstrably inferior, including misframing and credit errors. Even if one prefers the dvd cut of the film, I don't see how you could be happy with the current dvd.

 

[Tino]

By all means, don't let it go.

I'm curious, which misframing and credit errors George? I hadn't heard of any.

When I compared the DVD to the LD, the framing was identical as I recall.

And I was basically referring to the increased resolution that the anamorphic DVD has, and also the DD 5.1 sound.

When I first got the LD, I too thought it looked and sounded great. Then the DVD came along and blew it away. IMO, there is NO comparison. Technically, the DVD is superior, so I am happy with the current DVD. The LD on the other hand, is collecting dust in my basement!

 

[Greg_M]

Okay Tino, I'll call a truce. Considering you don't seem like you're against a restored Roadshow version this time around.

I will admit the shorter version does play better, and I'll admit there are things which were added to the Laserdisc which I like and others which do seem unnecessary.

And I have never seen the Roadshow version, but know people who did and liked it.

Each member is also entitled to his opinion and preference. As long as each member respects the wishes of other members when a request for a complete restoration is voiced and doesn't negative our efforts with reasons why a complete restoration shouldn't be done.


By the Way,
The Eygptian Theater screened a new 35mm Print of the Short version a few months ago. Many of the cast memebrs came to discuss the film afterward. The print wasn't very good, I don't know how much sharper the film will look in 70MM (I would image it would look better) but it still may not have the quality films like "Cleopatra" and "Patton" have in their 70mm showings.

Mrs Kramer told the audience the film original ran close to five hours (since her husband wanted the film to appear as if it were happening in real time) Though it is doubtful that version will ever be found.

 

[george kaplan]

the credits.

 

[Josh Sieg]

I talked to my dad, and he said he remembered seeing the 5 hour cut. Wow, that doesnt really add anything to this discussion.

 

[Tino]

Greg. That's cool. Truce, but remember, I was never against a Roadshow restoration, this time around, or back then.

George
We were discussing the differences between the DVD and LD, remember? That link is comparing the original negative to the DVD, which has the same framing as the LD. So the LD is misframed too!

So, the LD version is misframed, has additional sequences in and out of order, including scenes that were not meant to be seen by Director Stanley Kramer, and again does not look as good or sound as good as the DVD. So....

I don't see how you can be happy with the current "LD".

 

[george kaplan]

Tino,

I don't have the ability to screen capture from the ld, and with my tv's overscan, I can't be sure exactly how much of the picture is there, but there is definitely more than on the dvd. Whether or not some is still lost on the edge due to framing or overscan, I don't know. Is the ld perfectly framed? Not certain. Is the ld framing superior to the dvd framing? Yes.

 

[Peter Kline]

talked to my dad, and he said he remembered seeing the 5 hour cut. Wow, that doesnt really add anything to this discussion.

I don't believe the film was released to the general public in that length. Was he working for United Artists or Mr. Kramer? Or perhaps he just thought it seemed like 5 hours.

 

[Tino]

George

If you recall, in the thread that I started entitled It's A Great Great Great DVD, you asked someone to do a comparison for you, which I did. I synched up the DVD and the LD and the framing was practically identical on both, with the DVD actually having a bit more information. One of the scenes I used was the same scene you linked to in your previous post, so if anything, the DVD is closer to the true aspect ratio than the LD is.

 

[george kaplan]

Well I don't recall that, but in the comparison I just made there is clearly more on the ld than the dvd.

In any case, we disagree about which version is better, but it sounds like with the exception of the titles, there's nothing objective for us to agree about in comparing the two (although I will also admit that the dvd is superior simply in terms of not being spread out over multiple discs, although that is offset for me by the missing footage).

Until Robert produces something better, I'll keep watching my ld and you'll keep watching your dvd, and we'll both be happy (and both secretly pity the other one for having to watch it incorrectly )

 

[Greg_M]

I believe one of the editors of "Mad World" said the five hour version didn't really have anything new in it, just longer versions of scenes. (2 hours worth)Though it's hard to believe scenes were extended to fill two hours of footage.

While everyone's comments make there points it's all moot, since MGM/UA doesn't read the threads on the Home Theater Forum.

or do they?

 

[MatthewA]

Either way, is there any action being actually DONE on a potential reconstruction.

 

[Tino]

You can read your comments and mine in that thread if you wish George to refresh your memory. Just perform a search on threads I started and it's on the second page. I did it this morning.

But you're right. We're both happy with what we have, so all's right in the world, as Mad as it may be!