8mm Forum: Derann Mad World 2X400 digests???

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Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on December 29, 2005, 02:00 PM:

Can anyone explain why and how Derann released It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World as 2X400 foot digests? Is it true that it amounts to only 600 total feet?

The film has so many whopping comical moments that it builds and builds upon, that it's difficult to imagine how this was released in an abridged format.

The dialog is funny too. Especially when Terry Thomas and Milton Berle argue in the Land Rover. Whereas Terry compares the rudeness of Americans to British culture.

I miss Terry Thomas, I always found him very funny.

Michael

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on December 29, 2005, 02:19 PM:

Well Mike,

Just a few miles away from you, a print of this very film is on my shelf, and I can tell you a thing or two about it.

How they got it down to 2x400 is by reducing it to basically just the action sequences, so the vast majority of the supporting footage is no longer there. This has the effect of making this one of most cataclysmic pieces of film ever assembled! It's pretty much 30 minutes of car crashes, buildings being demolished and planes being flown much less than gently.

My biggest gripe? They snipped the very, very end off where Ethel Merman slips on a banana peel and takes a huge prattfall! Speaking as a long suffering son-in-law, this has always been among my favorite moments in the history of cinema!

Being a fan of the movie, I guess I'm glad to have it, but suffice it to say this is not one I play while my kid is trying to sleep!

Funny to consider that the original cut is rumored to have been as long as five hours, yet somehow we have it whittled down to 30 minutes!

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