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Author
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Topic: How The West Was Won
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted September 19, 2008 05:59 PM
I just purchased the new 3 disc DVD of 'How The West Was Won'. This was filmed in the Cinerama 3-camera process and disc 3 is a fascinating 2 hour documentary on everything you could ever want to know about Cinerama. It includes that great opening by Lowell Thomas - " Now this is Cinerama!" followed by that rollercoaster ride . The film includes lots of shots from all the Cinerama films, all presented in the 'Smilebox' process which gives the illusion of watching a deeply curved screen. HTW3 itself is presented in a superwidescreen format of 2.9:1. It looks very impresssive indeed when projected on a 10ft screen. Warner Bros. have done an incredible restoration job, digitally removing the two join lines and 'jiggles' between the 3 picture panels. Worth buying just for the disc 3 feature alone.
I never saw Cinerama. The closest thing I have seen to it is the 16 projector 'Circlevision' system at Disney in Orlando, which is pretty amazing to see.
[ September 20, 2008, 01:03 PM: Message edited by: Paul Adsett ]
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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
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Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted September 20, 2008 09:59 AM
John,
your not alone in your feelings about the join lines. I've read a number of posts concerning that very point. It's more about the nolstalgia and having seen it in the theater originally.You didn't have to be in your fifties or older to have seen this on it's original run, as this is still shown in theaters in a limited run.
The only other thing that I hope that they have corrected, no doubt digitally was not only the join lines but the overly "skewed perspective" (that's what I'll have to call it), at those join lines, which were always a little off.
That documentary is much anticipated. I have a question for Paul and any others that already own this film. Has HTWWW been edited for content?
I saw one person on a review section saying that nearly all of the Gregory Peck section of the film was completely edited out, except for him showing up in the "locket" near the end of the movie. maybe that reviewer was speaking of another version of the film?
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted September 20, 2008 12:49 PM
Osi, the new DVD version is absolutely complete. It comes on two discs so video compression has been minimized.Greg Peck stars in a big part of the film. I can also confirm what Robert has said about the join lines. They are largely invisible, but sometimes become apparent particularly on sky scenes. Also there is sometimes some mismatch of color between the 3 panels. So you are pretty aware that this is a Cinerama print, but hats off to Warners for a wonderful job, making it look truly spectacular. The 3rd disc Cinerama documentary is great and includes an awful lot of technical and historical information on the process, and how it spawned Todd AO and CinemaScope.
The DVD is definately a 'must have' for all us cinema buffs. I got my copy at Wal-Mart for $14.95! What a deal for a 3-disc special edition.
Incidentally, did'nt someone demonstrate 8mm Cinerama a few years back?
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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted September 21, 2008 01:43 PM
That's a load of hogwash, (not your post, but the studio's response), but it also shows that the shortsightedness of the Hollywood past isn't dead today.
Old Hollywood saw little use of thier films except for an occasional re-issue, and so they didn't take care of much of thier heritage.
Whoever the bozo was who issued that statement from the studio had absolutely no idea of how this will affect issue after re-issue. The more they restore the films, the more resale that they will have and therefore, more profitability.
I hope that idiot gets fired!
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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