How The West Won (US BD) in August - Artwork added
29-04-2008 11:05 | 4989 views | Dave Foster | Show Backlinks
Warner Home Video have announced the US Blu-ray Disc release of the restored and remastered edition of How The West Won on 26th August 2008 priced at $34.99 SRP. One of only two narrative feature films produced in the original Cinerama® three-panel widescreen process, How the West Was Won follows four generations of a courageous New England farm family as they travel to the fertile Ohio Valley during America’s early westward expansion.
M-G-M and Cinerama®, Inc. spared no expense to give this sprawling Western saga the huge vistas made possible with the original Cinerama® process. After its initial theatrical engagements in theaters equipped with three synchronized projectors for Cinerama® presentation, the film was subsequently presented on traditional theater screens with the three separate Cinerama® panels being optically joined to form a standard 35mm 2.35:1 widescreen image, leaving most subsequent viewers puzzled by the annoying ‘join lines.’
Following several years of careful development, the technicians at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging perfected a technology that could finally eliminate the ‘join lines,’ and unify the images into a superb viewing experience that captures the essence of the production’s initial road show exhibitions, with an aspect ratio of 2.89:1.
Arriving day-and-date with the new DVD release, the Blu-ray release offers an exclusive in the form of the “SmileBox” version of the film which presents the image with a unique curvature that virtually recreates the true Cinerama® experience in a home theater. This Blu-ray Edition comes with a special Digi-book packaging featuring 32-pages of rare press materials and behind-the-scenes photos.
Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Gregory Peck, Lee J. Cobb, Debbie Reynolds and Carroll Baker star in How the West Was Won. Set between 1839 and 1889 against the backgrounds of the Louisiana Purchase, the Civil War, buffalo hunters, the Pony Express and the first transcontinental railroad, the film consists of five segments, with direction by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall, and written by James R. Webb and John Gay, suggested by a Life Magazine series of the same name. The film was the winner of 3 Academy Awards® (Best Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Editing) as well as being nominated for an additional five Oscars®, including Best Picture. In 1997, How the West Was Won was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the US National Film Registry.
How the West Was Won Special Features:
Click to enlarge
M-G-M and Cinerama®, Inc. spared no expense to give this sprawling Western saga the huge vistas made possible with the original Cinerama® process. After its initial theatrical engagements in theaters equipped with three synchronized projectors for Cinerama® presentation, the film was subsequently presented on traditional theater screens with the three separate Cinerama® panels being optically joined to form a standard 35mm 2.35:1 widescreen image, leaving most subsequent viewers puzzled by the annoying ‘join lines.’
Following several years of careful development, the technicians at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging perfected a technology that could finally eliminate the ‘join lines,’ and unify the images into a superb viewing experience that captures the essence of the production’s initial road show exhibitions, with an aspect ratio of 2.89:1.
Arriving day-and-date with the new DVD release, the Blu-ray release offers an exclusive in the form of the “SmileBox” version of the film which presents the image with a unique curvature that virtually recreates the true Cinerama® experience in a home theater. This Blu-ray Edition comes with a special Digi-book packaging featuring 32-pages of rare press materials and behind-the-scenes photos.
Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Gregory Peck, Lee J. Cobb, Debbie Reynolds and Carroll Baker star in How the West Was Won. Set between 1839 and 1889 against the backgrounds of the Louisiana Purchase, the Civil War, buffalo hunters, the Pony Express and the first transcontinental railroad, the film consists of five segments, with direction by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall, and written by James R. Webb and John Gay, suggested by a Life Magazine series of the same name. The film was the winner of 3 Academy Awards® (Best Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Editing) as well as being nominated for an additional five Oscars®, including Best Picture. In 1997, How the West Was Won was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the US National Film Registry.
How the West Was Won Special Features:
- Film Historian Commentary
- Dave Strohmaier’s critically-acclaimed, feature-length documentary Cinerama® Adventure
- The Making of How the West Was Won (Archival featurette)
- Original Theatrical trailer
Click to enlarge
Comments
Member
Posts: 134
Now this is what we want...
Hats off to Warners (Again!)
Member
Posts: 180
Great news about the join lines being removed. I remember thinking a few years back that this must be possible with modern technology, but would the film company stump up the cash.
They have. Well done, Warners. :)
Member
Posts: 847
So was this originally shown in some type of 3D effect?
2.89:1! My god that's some aspect ratio, the black bars must cover a massive portion of the 16:9 TV frame.
Gun crazy
Posts: 127
I guess that with the "SmileBox", it won't be black bars, but black half-ellipses, as the picture will be higher on the sides than on the center of the screen:
A page about Cinerama.
You'll find a picture about what SmileBox looks like with simulating a curve screen.
Member
Posts: 847
Thanks Robert.
So the image will be curved? Is that watchable on modern TV shapes? It sounds interesting though.
Quisling
Posts: 211
Member
Posts: 847
Why do you say that? Both are in 2.89:1.
Member
Posts: 17
Originally Posted by tonyleung:
Why do you say that? Both are in 2.89:1.
Arriving day-and-date with the new DVD release, the Blu-ray release
offers an exclusive in the form of the “SmileBox” version of the film
which presents the image with a unique curvature that virtually
recreates the true Cinerama® experience in a home theater.
Member
Posts: 847
Oh yeah, thanks.
How will it work on the DVD? 2.89:1 as a standard anamorphic picture?
Blu-ray.com
Posts: 189
Very much looking forward to this release. And apparently I am one of the selected few who likes the bookcases quite a bit.
Pro-B
Member
Posts: 847
I like them too but would prefer a keep case/digi-pack.
They're unnecessary and just an excuse to charge me. Like 99% of Limited Editions, they charge considerably more for not a lot. This LE type stuff always ends up taking way more room up too.