This is Cinerama : it Plunges you Into a Startling new World

Locations
Call Number: Blu-ray 778.53 Th
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 1st Floor 1-week checkout	Blu-ray 778.53 Th	1-week checkout	On Shelf

Bonus Features: Audio commentary track with John Sittig (Cinerama, Inc), David Strohmaier (Cinerama Historian), Randy Gitsch (Locations background), and Jim Morrison (original crew member) -- Remastering A Widescreen Classic: Before and after demonstrations on the film's remastering (19 min) -- The THIS IS CINERAMA "Breakdown Reel": Footage originally projected interstitially during the interruptions of any Cinerama Performance (9 min/B&W) -- Alternate Act II European Opening (2 min/Color) -- Fred Waller Radio Interview: A slideshow featuring an original 1952 radio interview with Fred Waller on the eve of opening night (15 min) -- THIS IS CINERAMA Trailer: A new recreation in HD of the film's trailer (3 min) -- TV Spots: THIS IS CINERAMA and 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD (1 min each) -- Tribute to New Neon Movies: A short film celebrating the Cinerama revival in Dayton, OH from 1996 to 1999, where a local projectionist set up Cinerama for special screenings to people from all over the country (15 min) -- Tribute to New Cooper Theatre: Remembering the first Super Cinerama in Denver, CO. (4 min) -- THIS IS CINERAMA Behind the Scenes Slideshow: Featuring images from the production and original exhibition of the film (6 min) -- Promotion and publicity image gallery -- Booklet reproduction of original program.
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 a major threat to US film exhibition. Fred Waller, Cinerama's creator, had indeed labored 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 degrees deep. In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of its premiere, Flicker Alley is proud to present THIS IS CINERAMA exactly as it was seen by over 20,000,000 viewers in its original roadshow version. Travel around the world with Cinerama, from Venice to Madrid, from Edinburgh Castle to the La Scala opera house in Milan, and conclude with a flight across America in the nose of a B-25 bomber. Experience this cinema classic once again in this unique "Smilebox" curved screen simulation!
Blu-ray.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Great First Step submitted by rossorr on June 29, 2016, 9:03pm The bizarro 'Cinerama' process was incredibly influential --giving Hollywood a jolt towards widescreen cinematography which is still with us today in our 16:9 television screens -- not to mention the emerging world of VR.

This premiere film for the process certainly spouted off some corny patriotic sentiments which seem rather dated today, but much of the photography is still jaw-dropping. This was the first pass by David Strohmaier at trying to do a digital restoration of a Cinerama film, presented in an odd "smilebox" curved format which attempts to emulate the wraparound screen that theatrical audiences would have experienced in 1952. Unfortunately he had to do this on a shoestring budget, using a flawed single-strip dupe of the original three panels. (There are obvious join lines and kinks in the geometry of many scenes.) Happily the 'This is Cinerama' revival was successful enough that for his subsequent restorations, Strohmaier was able to make fresh scans of the original camera negatives to restore 4 other Cinerama travelogues. These use much more sophisticated digital blending of the three panels and look great, so check those out too to get an even better look at the process. (Also in AADL blu-ray nonfiction section)

If you're curious at all about the Cinerama process, do check out Strohmaier's nice little documentary 'Cinerama Adventure' which is included as an extra on the disc 'How the West Was Won' (in AADL blu-ray Western section).