THIS IS CINERAMA

On the evening of September 30, 1952, This is Cinerama premiered at the Broadway Theatre in New York City. Robert C. Ruark of The New York World Telegram said of the event: “I have just looked at the movies’ answer to television, whether or not the movies know it yet.” Indeed, this unique widescreen process was launched when television was deemed a major threat to U.S. film exhibition. Fred Waller, Cinerama’s creator, dreamed of a motion picture experience that would recreate the full range of human vision. Using three cameras and three projectors on a curved screen 146-degrees deep, Cinerama created an immersive cinematic event, wowing 20-million viewers in its original roadshow version.

Now, audiences can experience the forerunner to all modern widescreen formats once again, and in a brand-new, definitive restoration. From Venice to Madrid, from Edinburgh Castle to the La Scala opera house in Milan, and all across America in the nose of a B-25 bomber, travel around the world with Cinerama, presented in the one-and-only Smilebox® curved screen simulation.

Order your copy of THIS IS CINERAMA on Blu-ray from Amazon

Bonus Materials:
-Audio Commentary – With John Sittig (Cinerama Inc.), David Strohmaier (Cinerama restorer), Randy Gitsch (Cinerama historian), and Jim Morrison (original crew member)

-The Best in the Biz – An updated hour-long documentary about the composers of Cinerama

-Restoring This is Cinerama – A detailed, behind-the-scenes look at the brand-new restoration.

-Alternate European Opening to Act Two – A European-oriented segue into the second half of the film, featuring a panoramic view of the United States from the nose of a B-25 bomber plane

-Cinerama Everywhere – A French-produced short on the Cinerama tent shows in Europe

-Tribute to the New Neon Movies – A short film celebrating an Ohio theater where a projectionist revived Cinerama through special screenings for people from all over the country

-Radio Interview with Cinerama Creator Fred Waller – Recorded on the eve of opening night

-This is Cinerama Trailer – Updated recreation of theatrical trailer with newly-restored clips

-Cinerama Returns to the Cinerama Dome (2002 Announcement Trailer) – Promotional short for the 50th anniversary of Cinerama and its return to the fabled Cinerama Dome in Hollywood

-“Breakdown Reel” – Footage originally projected interstitially during Cinerama interruptions

-TV Spots – Original television ads for This Is Cinerama and Seven Wonders of the World

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WINDJAMMER: THE VOYAGE OF THE CHRISTIAN RADICH

At a star-studded premiere at the world famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich sailed into movie history on April 8, 1958. The brainchild of National Theatres, who hoped to compete with rival widescreen sensation Cinerama, Windjammer was the first – and eventually, the only – film to use the Cinemiracle process. Utilizing proprietary widescreen technology accompanied by seven-channel audio, Cinemiracle was the perfect format to tell the sweeping adventure of the Christian Radich, a Norwegian square-rigger, and her crew.

Now newly restored from original camera elements, the color, the music, and the true artistry of this classic are reborn in a definitive Blu-ray edition. Embarking from Oslo, Norway, the Christian Radich sets out across the Atlantic with a storm-tossed stop in Madeira, where New Year’s festivities entice the young crewmen to enjoy Portuguese musical celebrations and heart racing rides in basket sleds down steep cobblestone streets. After that, it is on to Curacao, where young sailors take part in Dutch festivities. They catch a courtyard performance of Pablo Casals in San Juan, and in Port-of-Spain, 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 created by famed photographer Arthur “Weege” Fellig. A later encounter with the U.S. Navy Task Force makes for a grand promenade of ships, and when underwater shots of frogmen and a submarine emerge from the depths to reveal the Windjammer on the open sea, Cinemiracle becomes the true star of this breathtaking story. Presented in Smilebox® curved screen format, audiences are once again able to rediscover and re-appreciate this timeless and newly-restored cinema gem!

Order your copy of WINDJAMMER on Blu-ray from Amazon

Bonus Materials:
-The Windjammer Voyage: A Cinemiracle Adventure – A documentary by historian Dave Strohmaier on the film’s production

-Windjammer “Breakdown Reel” – Footage originally projected interstitially during Cinemiracle interruptions

-The Christian Radich Today – A modern look at the famous ship at the Aalbourg, Denmark Tall Ships Festival 2010

-Windjammer Trailer – New re-creation from the original 1958 release trailer

-Windjammer Behind The Scenes Slideshow – Images from the production of the film.

-Cinemiracle Showplaces Slideshow – A look at the unique venues that screened Windjammer

-The Reconstruction of Windjammer – A behind-the-scenes look at the reconstruction and restoration of Windjammer from the original Cinemiracle camera elements.