How the West Was Won is spectacular!

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by jlo8720

To reconfirm: To date, only one release with the SmileBox version, right, the Digibook?

All of the international releases, such as the UK and Australian releases, include the SmileBox disc.

[jlo8720]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

All of the international releases, such as the UK and Australian releases, include the SmileBox disc.

Thanks - but for USA, only one?

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by jlo8720

Thanks - but for USA, only one?

Yes, the SmileBox disc was only included in the digibook release in the US.

[Mattgreenbean]

As discussed before, it appears there's only the one bluray release with the Smilebox. But, does it stream anyplace with Smilebox? Are there any Smilebox films that stream digitally.

[hanshotfirst1138]

“There’s a famous credit in the movie ‘The Civil War directed by John Ford,’ and to many of us in Europe it seemed as if he had!”
Christopher Frayling

[NotASpeckOfCereal]

Our local Cinerama (Seattle) has been closed awhile and today, news came out that it may be done for good. So I've never seen the smilebox edition (or cinerama version, though I'm not sure if the Seattle Cinerama ever showed that).

So I came here looking and see the digipack is the only Blu with that version.

Question of the page (though I did look back a few): What's the skinny on a 4K version?

Chris

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by NotASpeckOfCereal

Our local Cinerama (Seattle) has been closed awhile and today, news came out that it may be done for good. So I've never seen the smilebox edition (or cinerama version, though I'm not sure if the Seattle Cinerama ever showed that).

So I came here looking and see the digipack is the only Blu with that version.

All of the international releases of "How the West Was Won" included the Smilebox disc and you can at least nab the UK release for cheap.

[Show spoiler]

[are1981]

Does anyone know how the UK version is? Does it contain the best image transfers available and the best English audio track? Is it lacking anything?

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/How-t...-Blu-ray/1599/

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by are1981

Does anyone know how the UK version is? Does it contain the best image transfers available and the best English audio track? Is it lacking anything?

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/How-t...-Blu-ray/1599/

It’s the same as the US disc(s).

[Jobla]

I saw both HOW THE WEST WAS WON and THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM at Seattle's Martin Cinerama Theater (as it was called in 1962), and the giant curved screen displayed the theatrical equivalent of "Smilebox" format

Roughly ten years ago, Paul Allen helped finance the restoration of HOW THE WEST WAS WON, and I got to see the film once again at the Cinerama Theater in Seattle. The line for tickets began forming at least two hours before showtime. There were "HTWWW Groupies" in line next to me who traveled anywhere in the US where HTWWW was playing. They had seen the Seattle show the day before as well, and they commented that the new restoration was "fantastic" and was the best print of the film that they had seen. They were much younger than me, but we all had a great time talking about the film. They were very interested in hearing my recollections of seeing it back in 1962.

1962 was ancient history to them, but i remember it like it was yesterday.

[NotASpeckOfCereal]

I wish I'd seen that (I live in Seattle too). Hopefully, they'll screen it again some day soon.

Chris

[Jobla]

I guess we don't know if the Seattle Cinerama Theater will ever reopen, or not.

The last film I saw there was a revival of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA about 8 or 9 years ago.

[Trekkie313]

Come on...this movie needs to be seen in 4K with Atmos!

[twcc]

Originally Posted by Trekkie313

Come on...this movie needs to be seen in 4K with Atmos!

100% agree... I heard on the grapevine that Warner may be preparing something for the 60-th anniversary next year

[Warm Gun]

This movie looks ridiculous. I know the scope lovers will defend anything, but no, there is no damn artistry in the decision making of ratios like this. I've never seen such strange eagle perspectives in normal types of environments in a movie.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

This movie looks ridiculous. I know the scope lovers will defend anything, but no, there is no damn artistry in the decision making of ratios like this. I've never seen such strange eagle perspectives in normal types of environments in a movie.

[Show spoiler]

The movie was made in 3-strip Cinerama and obviously was meant to be watched that way. I've been fortunate enough to catch it twice when it was shown at the Cinerama Dome a few years back and, man, it was a mind-blowing experience. There's absolutely no other western like it.

Like 3D, Cinerama was one of the gimmicky formats of the 1950s that Hollywood turned to in a desperate effort to keep people coming back to cinemas once TV started taking over the entertainment industry. It's a shame only two narrative movies were made in true Cinerama before Hollywood abandoned it - it was after all a fairly expensive and cumbersome process, and audiences were more than happy to settle for plain Cinemascope and anamorphic formats in general.

[Warm Gun]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

The movie was made in 3-strip Cinerama and obviously was meant to be watched that way. I've been fortunate enough to catch it twice when it was shown at the Cinerama Dome a few years back and, man, it was a mind-blowing experience. There's absolutely no other western like it.

Like 3D, Cinerama was one of the gimmicky formats of the 1950s that Hollywood turned to in a desperate effort to keep people coming back to cinemas once TV started taking over the entertainment industry. It's a shame only two narrative movies were made in true Cinerama before Hollywood abandoned it - it was after all a fairly expensive and cumbersome process, and audiences were more than happy to settle for plain Cinemascope and anamorphic formats in general.

Good riddance. The Cinerama competition was stupid. I thought Ben-hur had a hard case of eagle vision, but this here is unreal. Even if you watch it on an adequately sized, curved screen, your off-center vision has to be taken up by a whole bunch of nothing. Why not go really far to the top and bottom too then? Oh yeah, because it would look super weird and make the subjects appear too small. Which this still probably does in a Cinerama theater.

Anyway, haven't watched the movie yet, but skimming through made me go "WTF."

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

This movie looks ridiculous. I know the scope lovers will defend anything, but no, there is no damn artistry in the decision making of ratios like this. I've never seen such strange eagle perspectives in normal types of environments in a movie.

It is absolutely beautiful!

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

Good riddance. The Cinerama competition was stupid. I thought Ben-hur had a hard case of eagle vision, but this here is unreal. Even if you watch it on an adequately sized, curved screen, your off-center vision has to be taken up by a whole bunch of nothing. Why not go really far to the top and bottom too then? Oh yeah, because it would look super weird and make the subjects appear too small. Which this still probably does in a Cinerama theater.

What do have against eagles?

[Show spoiler]

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

Good riddance. The Cinerama competition was stupid. I thought Ben-hur had a hard case of eagle vision, but this here is unreal. Even if you watch it on an adequately sized, curved screen, your off-center vision has to be taken up by a whole bunch of nothing. Why not go really far to the top and bottom too then? Oh yeah, because it would look super weird and make the subjects appear too small. Which this still probably does in a Cinerama theater.

Anyway, haven't watched the movie yet, but skimming through made me go "WTF."

Are you serious? You are trolling us right?