692 It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

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Jeff
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692 It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

#1 Post by Jeff » Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:22 pm

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

Image

Stanley Kramer followed his Oscar-winning Judgment at Nuremberg with this sobering investigation of American greed. Ah, who are we kidding? It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, about a group of strangers fighting tooth and nail over buried treasure, is the most grandly harebrained movie ever made, a pileup of slapstick and borscht-belt-y one-liners performed by a nonpareil cast, including Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Spencer Tracy, Jonathan Winters, and a boatload of other playing-to-the-rafters comedy legends. For sheer scale of silliness, Kramer’s wildly uncharacteristic film is unlike any other, an exhilarating epic of tomfoolery.


Disc Features

-Restored 4K digital film transfer of the general release version of the film, with 5.1 surround Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
-New high-definition digital transfer of a 197-minute extended version of the film, reconstructed and restored by Robert A. Harris using visual and audio material from the longer original road-show version--including some scenes that have been returned to the film here for the first time--with 5.1 surround Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
-New audio commentary featuring It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World aficionados Mark Evanier, Michael Schlesinger, and Paul Scrabo
-New documentary on the film’s visual and sound effects, featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage of the crew at work and interviews with visual-effects specialist Craig Barron and sound designer Ben Burtt
-Talk show from 1974 hosted by director Stanley Kramer and featuring Mad World actors Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, and Jonathan Winters
-Press interview from 1963 featuring Kramer and members of the film’s cast
-Interviews recorded for the 2000 AFI program 100 Years . . . 100 Laughs, featuring comedians and actors discussing the influence of the film
-Two-part 1963 episode of the CBC television program Telescope that follows the film’s press junket and premiere
-The Last 70mm Film Festival, a program from 2012 featuring cast and crew members from Mad World at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, hosted by Billy Crystal
-Selection of humorist and voice-over artist Stan Freberg’s original TV and radio advertisements for the film, with a new introduction by Freberg
Original and rerelease trailers, and rerelease radio spots
-Two Blu-rays and three DVDs, with all content available in both formats
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Lou Lumenick



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swo17 wrote:Image
Donald Brown wrote:It's a mad mad mad mad mad mad mad mad mad world
Of course it must be It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, but it is indeed a strange surprise. Yes, there's already the nice looking Blu-ray of the general release version for around ten bucks. It also wasn't among the titles known to be acquired from MGM. It seems more likely to be a one-off, rather than a harbinger of an additional batch of titles, since Criterion still has nine of the originals to go.

November marks the 50th anniversary of the film. All I can figure is that MGM and Fox were working on their own deluxe anniversary (roadshow?) edition and enlisted Criterion as production and distribution partner to split costs and help bring a little extra cache and nudge it into another market besides the usual fanatics for this film.

I will probably buy it, but will wear this expression when I do:
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oldsheperd
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#2 Post by oldsheperd » Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:37 pm

Finally It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World gets a decent release!

neeb
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#3 Post by neeb » Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:38 pm

Wasn't Robert Harris working on a restoration of IAMMMMW?

I thought there were a few parts of the film that have not been seen since 1963/64 that have never made it to any home video format. If a Criterion edition is on the offing, I wonder how much we'll get.

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dx23
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Forthcoming: It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

#4 Post by dx23 » Tue Jun 25, 2013 7:22 pm

One of the things I never understood is that Its a Mad Mad Mad World had a release with a documentary and 2 theatrical trailers as special features and then the film was re-released several times, including on blu-ray, completely barebones. This may seem like a nice opportunity to get some nice supplemental features.

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domino harvey
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#5 Post by domino harvey » Tue Jun 25, 2013 7:56 pm

Clearly they're releasing a Stanley Kramer film to quiet people who still claim the label is furthering some sort of releasing strategy based on quality or importance

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ryannichols7
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#6 Post by ryannichols7 » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:05 pm

so....the Long Goodbye, Burn!, Satyricon, Roma, Red River, Thief, Love Streams, Small Change, Persona, Alfredo Garcia, To Live, Eat Man Drink Woman, The Wedding Banquet, and Ghost World....

....but nah, a fucking Stanley Kramer movie.

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domino harvey
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#7 Post by domino harvey » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:06 pm

Well, if it makes you feel better, at least one of the titles on your list is for sure coming to Criterion

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ryannichols7
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#8 Post by ryannichols7 » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:09 pm

domino harvey wrote:Well, if it makes you feel better, at least one of the titles on your list is for sure coming to Criterion
oh yeah, quite a few of them are "confirmed" at least, it's only a matter of time. i just find it funny how this got priority.

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Moe Dickstein
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#9 Post by Moe Dickstein » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:10 pm

If it is IAMMMMW then it has to be some sort of reconstruction of the roadshow cut, which has never been released, the LD cut is not in the right order and scenes were incorrectly added while others were missing.

The LD and Blu have an hour long doc which might carry over but aside from a commentary not sure what they'd add. In any case this is a Criterion worthy title, I made a fake criterion cover for this like 12 years ago, so maybe I'm just super prescient lol

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Moe Dickstein
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#10 Post by Moe Dickstein » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:11 pm

ryannichols7 wrote:so....the Long Goodbye, Burn!, Satyricon, Roma, Red River, Thief, Love Streams, Small Change, Persona, Alfredo Garcia, To Live, Eat Man Drink Woman, The Wedding Banquet, and Ghost World....

....but nah, a fucking Stanley Kramer movie.
I'll take a Mad World restored roadshow over any of those personally.

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domino harvey
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#11 Post by domino harvey » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:13 pm

Moe Dickstein wrote:
ryannichols7 wrote:so....the Long Goodbye, Burn!, Satyricon, Roma, Red River, Thief, Love Streams, Small Change, Persona, Alfredo Garcia, To Live, Eat Man Drink Woman, The Wedding Banquet, and Ghost World....

....but nah, a fucking Stanley Kramer movie.
I'll take a Mad World restored roadshow over any of those personally.
Well we found Criterion's spy account, guys

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Moe Dickstein
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#12 Post by Moe Dickstein » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:15 pm

dx23 wrote:One of the things I never understood is that Its a Mad Mad Mad World had a release with a documentary and 2 theatrical trailers as special features and then the film was re-released several times, including on blu-ray, completely barebones. This may seem like a nice opportunity to get some nice supplemental features.
There's an hour of cut scenes on the Blu and a one hour doc, what are you talking about?

atcolomb
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#13 Post by atcolomb » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:40 pm

It does not make sense for Criterion to release Mad, Mad, World. The blu-ray release looks very good and has some nice extras and let MGM revist this movie later for a complete presentation. There are so many other films i wish Criterion should release and re-release like more Truffaut or Andrei Rublev or L' Avventura that might happen since they talk about a restoration on their newsletter.

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knives
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#14 Post by knives » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:01 pm

I suppose we can see some silver lining in it not being one of his '50s films. Still I would prefer his Seuss film.

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domino harvey
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#15 Post by domino harvey » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:03 pm

I hold out hope that it's a clever clue that no one's gotten yet because Stanley Kramer

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knives
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#16 Post by knives » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:09 pm

My one hope is that it is wacky earths not wacky worlds.

EternalCurmudgeon
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:15 pm

Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#17 Post by EternalCurmudgeon » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:22 pm

I know this is way out, and it is probably wrong because all four planets are clearly Earth, but if you look at the fourth one, it's the one that looks the most angry. Consider that the fourth planet from the sun is Mars, sometimes referred to as the red planet, and you get The Angry Red Planet.

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The Elegant Dandy Fop
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#18 Post by The Elegant Dandy Fop » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:27 pm

I thought I was the only one who disliked Stanley Kramer, but I'm glad everyone else does.

Stupid note: I think this is now the widest film in the collection. Isn't it 2.75 or something? So impractical for televisions and 95% of theaters.

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dx23
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#19 Post by dx23 » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:29 pm

Moe Dickstein wrote:
dx23 wrote:One of the things I never understood is that Its a Mad Mad Mad World had a release with a documentary and 2 theatrical trailers as special features and then the film was re-released several times, including on blu-ray, completely barebones. This may seem like a nice opportunity to get some nice supplemental features.
There's an hour of cut scenes on the Blu and a one hour doc, what are you talking about?
Didn't know that. When I checked Amazon for the specs it said none for special features.

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Gregory
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#20 Post by Gregory » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:37 pm

The Elegant Dandy Fop wrote:I thought I was the only one who disliked Stanley Kramer, but I'm glad everyone else does
Lots of people like this film, or like others that Kramer had some role in (he's hardly an auteur). The dislike of him in general tends to be very loud, and is repeated often, so I'm surprised you missed it.
atcolomb wrote:It does not make sense for Criterion to release Mad, Mad, World. The blu-ray release looks very good and has some nice extras and let MGM revist this movie later for a complete presentation. There are so many other films i wish Criterion should release and re-release like more Truffaut or Andrei Rublev or L' Avventura that might happen since they talk about a restoration on their newsletter.
Those are all in demand and are clearly films Criterion is interested in. I don't know why they're releasing IMMMMW (possibly the reason Jeff speculates above) but it hardly makes it any less likely that Criterion will release the other things you mention.

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Moe Dickstein
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#21 Post by Moe Dickstein » Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:55 pm

I'm kinda surprised that there's such enmity for Kramer.

And I can't say more but it is Mad World.

atcolomb
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:49 pm
Location: Round Lake, Illinois USA

Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#22 Post by atcolomb » Tue Jun 25, 2013 10:04 pm

I thought he did a good job on Inherit The Wind and On The Beach and just recenly saw Oklahoma Crude for the first time on the Sony HD channel and that one was ok.

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#23 Post by knives » Tue Jun 25, 2013 10:05 pm

Better not let Dom hear that middle one. By Kramer standards I find it inoffensively boring enough, but he really hates it.

atcolomb
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Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#24 Post by atcolomb » Tue Jun 25, 2013 10:09 pm

knives wrote:Better not let Dom hear that middle one. By Kramer standards I find it inoffensively boring enough, but he really hates it.
I guess i better not talk about The Runner Stumbles... :-#

criterion10

Re: Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

#25 Post by criterion10 » Tue Jun 25, 2013 10:19 pm

Hmm, Stanley Kramer does have a phantom page...

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