Two Cinerama Features, This is Cinerama and Windjammer, Coming in Smilebox Format

[Superdaddy]

From Flicker Alley, dates TBA:

This Is Cinerama / Directed by Robert L. Bendick / 1952 / 127 min. / Color / Sound

Presented in the "Smilebox" curved screen simulation

On the evening of September 30, 1952, the shape and sound of movies changed forever with the introduction of Cinerama. This unique widescreen process was launched when television was deemed as major threat to US film exhibition. Fred Waller, Cinerama's creator, had indeed labored that long on his dream of a motion picture experience that would recreate the full range of human vision. It used three cameras and three projectors on a curved screen 146°deep.

Bonus Features Include:

Audio commentary track: With John Sittig (Cinerama, Inc.), Dave Strohmaier (Cinerama Historian), Randy Gitsch (TIC Locations background), and special audio recording from Jim Morrison(original crew member).

This Is Cinerama Breakdown Reel - 9 min.

Alternate Act II Opening for European Versions - 2 min.

This Is Cinerama Trailer re-created HD - 3 min.

TV Spots: This is Cinerama and Seven Wonders of the World –- 1 min. each

Tribute to the New Neon Movies: A video short celebrating the Cinerama revival in Dayton Ohio, 1996-1999, in which a lone projectionist sets up Cinerama for special screenings to people from all over the country. - 14 min.

Tribute to the New Cooper: The first Super Cinerama Theater - 4 minutes

Special Photo Galleries: featuring behind the scenes shots, the original program booklet and press memorabilia newspaper ads, and publicity stills

Fred Waller Radio interviews audio only: Original 1952 radio interviews with Fred Waller on the eve of opening night. - 15 mins.

Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich / Norway/US, 1958 / 142 min./ Color / Sound / Presented in the "Smilebox' curved screen simulation

Embarking from Oslo, Norway, the ship sets out across the Atlantic with storm-tossed stops in Madeira, where New Year's festivities entice the young crewman to enjoy Portuguese musical celebrations and heart-racing rides in basket sleds down steep cobblestone streets.

On to Willemstead, Curacao, the boys take part in Dutch festivities, with plenty of food and pretty girls. They catch a courtyard performance of Pablo Casals in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, they're greeted by native steel bands and Calypso singers. By the time they arrive in New York, the Cinemiracle cameras offer a kaleidoscopic treat of color and sound. An encounter with the U.S. Navy Task Force makes for a grand promenade of ships, ncluding a gigantic aircraft carrier.

Underwater shots of frogmen and a submerged submarine are exciting, but when it emerges from the depths to reveal the Windjammer, Cinemiracle becomes the star of this breathtaking story. Morton Gould's top-notch score, and fine variety of music throughout the picture, sounds perfect in Cinemiracle's 7-channel sound recording. Seen digitally, the picture hasn't looked and sounded as good since its original theatrical engagements over 50 years ago.

Bonus Features Include:

New Documentary on the film's original production - 56 min.

Mini documentary featuring before and after demos on the film's remastering - 14 mins.

The Windjammer Breakdown Reel - 14 min.

The Christian Radich Today at the Aalbourg Denmark Tall Ships Festival 2010 - 7 min.

Windjammer Trailer - 3 mins.

Special Photo Galleries featuring reproductions of the original Windjammer/Cinemiracle Booklet, Original Posters and promotional Graphics, Original Newspaper Ads, and production photos (and more!)

http://www.flickeralley.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100&Itemid=43

http://www.flickeralley.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99&Itemid=43

[NoirFan]

This is Cinerama should look fantastic on a big screen. FA are also releasing The Most Dangerous Game/Gow the Headhunter (http://www.flickeralley.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101&Itemid=43) !

[Superdaddy]

This is Cinerama should look fantastic on a big screen. FA are also releasing The Most Dangerous Game/Gow the Headhunter (http://www.flickeralley.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101&Itemid=43) !

Yeah, I saw that on their web site too. The Criterion DVD of Most Dangerous Game is still available, but Flicker Alley is putting out a BD. I may end up getting all three of these.

[NoirFan]

Yeah, I saw that on their web site too. The Criterion DVD of Most Dangerous Game is still available, but Flicker Alley is putting out a BD. I may end up getting all three of these.

I'm definitely in for Dangerous Game/Gow - both have been restored, and include commentaries. Great cover too! I wasn't familiar with Gow, but the description on FA's website sounds intriguing:

GOW (1931, 63 min.) is not only a true curiosity but also in many ways a key influence of later Cooper and Schoedsack productions including King Kong. The footage in Gow was produced by Edward A. Salisbury, a wealthy British adventurer, who in 1920 set sail in an 80-ton yacht equipped with a motion picture laboratory to, in his words, catch and hold for history a photo record of the fast–disappearing races of the South Seas Islands”. Cooper and Schoedsack were among the cameramen on this two-year expedition that documented genuine head-hunters and cannibals along its route. The material was originally released as four separate films in the silent era and was consolidated as the film Gow, The Headhunter for an illustrated lecture by expedition member William Peck. Peck recorded his own cringe-inducing commentary in 1931. Gow was reissued as an exploitation film into the 1950s under the title Cannibal Island, but it was made with a serious purpose. True to Salisbury’s intent, it indeed documents vanished cultures and is brilliantly illuminated here with an exclusive audio essay by Matthew Spriggs, Professor of Archaeology at the Australian National University and author of The Island Melanesians.

I likely wouldn't watch This is Cinerama more than a couple of times, but as availability from Netflix is highly unlikely, I may have to buy it. Hopefully the price tag will be reasonable.

[NoirFan]

I likely wouldn't watch This is Cinerama more than a couple of times, but as availability from Netflix is highly unlikely, I may have to buy it. Hopefully the price tag will be reasonable.

To answer my own question:

Special Pre-order Sale Price: $29.96 (S.R.P. $39.95)

And Game/Gor:

Special Pre-order Sale Price: $27.96 (S.R.P. $34.95)

I'll wait to see what Amazon charges, but I'll likely order both regardless.

[Superdaddy]

I'm definitely in for Dangerous Game/Gow - both have been restored, and include commentaries. Great cover too! I wasn't familiar with Gow, but the description on FA's website sounds intriguing:

Wasn't familiar with Gow either. These releases all sound great. They will be my first Flicker Alley titles.

[big e]

Lets hope Flicker Alley doesn't mess these up like they did with A trip to the Moon.

:thumbsup: to the Game/Gow cover. Looks like the cover to an old adventure novel.

[clckworang]

This is Cinerama should look fantastic on a big screen. FA are also releasing The Most Dangerous Game/Gow the Headhunter (http://www.flickeralley.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101&Itemid=43) !

I'm a big fan of The Most Dangerous Game. I'm a little bit surprised and disappointed that I guess this means Criterion won't be revisiting it, but I'll pick it up regardless.

[Giles]

how did Flicker mess up Trip to the Moon Big E??

[Superdaddy]

The Most Dangerous Game announced for June 26. Perhaps we should move discussion here so it doesn't get lost:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/hd-talk/601157-most-dangerous-game-gow-headhunter-june-26-flicker-alley.html

[Superdaddy]

Update: The two Cinerama features are scheduled for September release, likely September 17 according to blu-ray.com.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=8632

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=8633

[big e]

how did Flicker mess up Trip to the Moon Big E??

The third audio option on the Blu-ray was missing the narration, although from what I read, this problem is not present on all copies. Flicker Alley has issued a replacement program, but I haven't heard anything further from them.

[Mabuse]

Have the two cinerama films been restored the same way as How the West Was Won? Where they digitally merged the images and erased the lines?

[Josh Z]

Have the two cinerama films been restored the same way as How the West Was Won? Where they digitally merged the images and erased the lines?

Since Flicker Alley is a much smaller studio than Warner Bros, I would tend to assume that these releases will not have the same degree of restoration as How the West Was Won. But perhaps I'm wrong about that.

[MTRodaba2468]

This is Cinerama should look fantastic on a big screen. FA are also releasing The Most Dangerous Game/Gow the Headhunter (http://www.flickeralley.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101&Itemid=43) !

I'll definitely check out The Most Dangerous Game.

how did Flicker mess up Trip to the Moon Big E??

The third audio option on the Blu-ray was missing the narration, although from what I read, this problem is not present on all copies. Flicker Alley has issued a replacement program, but I haven't heard anything further from them.

Well initially, they had a form you could submit concerning a replacement disc, then they made it so that you had to pay to have the replacement shipped (which pissed off a number of people, and rightfully so). They've since started sending out e-mails stating that they are sending the discs out.

I placed my request before they started charging shipping, and I got my notification that they were sending mine out, so either they backed off of the shipping charges after the negative word it brought them, or I was just lucky in that I placed my request at the right time...

[Giles]

The third audio option on the Blu-ray was missing the narration, although from what I read, this problem is not present on all copies. Flicker Alley has issued a replacement program, but I haven't heard anything further from them.

ohhhh... I only listened to the AIR soundtrack, guess I should check my copy now.

[Pizza]

Since Flicker Alley is a much smaller studio than Warner Bros, I would tend to assume that these releases will not have the same degree of restoration as How the West Was Won. But perhaps I'm wrong about that.

My thoughts too. I'll definitely wait for reviews first before ordering.

[obscurelabel]

Here's a link (http://www.in70mm.com/news/2011/cinerama/index.htm) to an article about the restoration of the films. The screenshots look impressive. Per the article, Pacific Theaters (which owns whatever is left of Cinerama Inc.) funded the restoration. Michael Forman, chairman of Pacific Theaters and longtime board member on the American Film Institute, spearheaded the restoration effort.

[Josh Z]

Here's a link (http://www.in70mm.com/news/2011/cinerama/index.htm) to an article about the restoration of the films. The screenshots look impressive. Per the article, Pacific Theaters (which owns whatever is left of Cinerama Inc.) funded the restoration. Michael Forman, chairman of Pacific Theaters and longtime board member on the American Film Institute, spearheaded the restoration effort.

OK, that definitely sounds better than I assumed. It looks like the three Cinerama panels will be digitally blended together similar to How the West Was Won.

On the other hand, the article states the the restoration will be done at only 2k. IIRC, Warner scanned each panel of How the West Was Won individually at 2k, and the blending work was done on a 4k composite.

Still, this is promising.

[Adam Tyner]

My review of This Is Cinerama: http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/57194/this-is-cinerama/

[NoirFan]

Thanks for the review. I'll likely cancel my pre-order, and wait for a lower price. The deficiencies in the transfer are understandable given the circumstances, but the comments about artificial sharpening and lack of detail make me wary of shelling out $35 for this.

[Superdaddy]

I'm somewhat disappointed too.

I guess, to an extent, How the West Was Won spoiled me. I knew they didn't have anything close to elements in great condition to work with, nor the budget Warner presumably lavished on West, and I tried to scale my expectations down a notch. But I hoped for, at least, a slightly more filmlike transfer than this appears to be.