X-Post: it's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World RESTORED on Blu-ray

[Omaha Steve]

This is film as an art. This is not a Hollywood gossip, box office, etc.

I got this restored version of IAMMMMW for my birthday. I have autographed items from two cast members, Mickey Rooney and Marvin Kaplan. Here I am with Marta. I'm in a Cinerama hat and shirt getting my Marvin Kaplan autograph on the laser disc insert at a IAMMMMW event:

The IAMMMMW event info here: http://www.omahafilmevent.com/past/madmadmadmadworld1.htm

IAMMMMW has a special place in movie history. This release is a must have for every fan of this classic all star cast comedy. Criterion did a fantastic job on the restoration.


Details direct from criterian: http://www.criterion.com/films/28579-it-s-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world

Other comments on the restoration: http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/5492/mmmm_world.html

http://www.hometheaterequipment.com/comedies-blu-ray-22/mad-mad-mad-mad-world-5261/

http://nypost.com/2014/01/20/criterion-resurrection-of-its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-thrills/



http://parade.condenast.com/250624/walterscott/where-to-see-nearly-30-minutes-of-lost-footage-from-mad-mad-world/

Mad, Mad World Blu-ray Resurrects Cut Footage in Best Quality Yet



Jonathan Winters and Phil Silvers get 'Mad.'(Everett Collection)


Q: What’s special about the new Blu-ray/DVD of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World? –Tom D., New York City

A: During its initial runs in theaters, this 1963 farce about a stash of stolen cash got trimmed from over three hours to roughly two and a half. The camera negatives for the cut shots and scenes were then lost or scrapped. As part of a new edition out Jan. 21, Criterion has pieced virtually all of the cut footage back together as part of a huge package of extras.

Online extra: The Long, Strange Trip to Restoring the Long-Lost “Road-Show Version” of Mad World

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Hollywood was anxious to compete with the exploding popularity of that new sensation, TV. One weapon was the so-called “road show” movie: A big epic running three hours or more, shown in reserved-seat engagements like a theatrical show at fancy cinemas, then cut shorter for general release to humbler neighborhood theaters. It was routine to lop out footage. But studios had little concept that they should archive these materials for future reference. Since storage and maintenance were expensive and seen as relatively pointless, some films were butchered over the years, and the cut footage discarded or misplaced, as with 1954′s A Star Is Born.

Such was the case with the super-comedy Mad, Mad World, an all-star extravaganza with a huge cast including Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters, Phil Silvers, and Ethel Merman, among many others, with cameos from the likes of Jerry Lewis and the Three Stooges. Earlier home-video editions dug up poor-quality versions of long-missing footage. But Criterion has restored more of this material than anyone else, and with better visual quality, working with various archives and private collectors. (Kudos to project supervisor Karen Stetler of Criterion.) Coolest addition: A short scene involving Buster Keaton talking to Spencer Tracy by phone, recreated with audio tracks and production stills from the set. Check out some obsessed-fan websites for more on the movie—and if you’re a comedy buff, be sure to check out the Criterion set.

[liberal N proud]

1. I love that movie

Don't have Blu-Ray but it is good to see that one preserved.

The all-star cast is worth it alone.

[Auggie]

2. I was 6 when it was released … it's one of the films I saw in a theater

Look forward to seeing the extended cut.