The Best of Cinerama Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Best of Cinerama Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 15, 2017

Produced by Merian C. Cooper, "The Best of Cinerama" (1963) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Flicker Alley. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive audio commentary by Cinerama historian David Coles; restores short films; original publicity materials; restoration featurette; and more. The release also arrives with a 22-page facsimile representation of the original program booklet. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Venice

The Best of Cinerama can be the perfect introduction to the world of Cinerama for folks who might have had a difficult time deciding which of the various restored Cinerama titles in Flicker Alley’s catalog they should experiment with. As the title reveals, this is essentially one big compilation of fantastic segments from many of the best Cinerama titles.

The film is divided into two acts and features an original overture and a traditional intermission. This is a standard presentation for all of the restored Cinerama titles in Flicker Alley’s catalog which essentially allows you to have the same type of theatrical experience that filmgoers had during the 1960s.

There are well over thirty highlights whose main goal is to give you a sense of Cinerama’s impressive potential in terms of depth, clarity and fluidity. Obviously, because the highlights come from different productions that were shot under different conditions there are some unique native limitations – for example, light is captured differently during indoor footage from different films – but in a way they actually make it easier to appreciate the format’s incredible ability to produce excellent results regardless of the working conditions. Some of the more intimate footage from the stage performance with the tiny dolls, for instance, can be just as fascinating to behold as the massive panoramic footage from the desert because in both highlights detail and depth can be equally impressive.

The type of footage that will likely impress you the most, however, is the one that was shot from flying planes and very fast moving boats and bobsleds. There are a couple of reasons why. For example, even during very high altitude footage detail and clarity are very rarely affected. With fast moving boats and bobsleds stability also becomes an important factor and yet the final result is equally stunning. (Credit should also be given to the people that figured out how to best position the large Cinerama cameras, but the main point about the stunning quality of this footage remains).

A few of the previous Cinerama restorations from Flicker Alley’s catalog show some minor age-related imperfections that have impacted color saturation and stability. The elements that were used for this recent restoration also show some signs of aging which have had an effect on color saturation, though overall balance is quite pleasing.

*The film was restored and reconstructed by David Stohmaier, with additional color grading performed by Andrew Balis. The Cinerama sound was remastered by James Young from an original 7-channel printmaster provided by John. H. Mitchell. The audio was transferred by Chace Audio by Deluxe.

The Best of Cinerama Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.56:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Best of Cinerama arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Flicker Alley.

The quality of the technical presentation matches that of the individual restorations that were done for the various Cinerama titles in Flicker Alley's catalog. So in terms of detail and depth you should expect to see the exact same results; color stability, saturation and balance are also identical. There could be some minor discrepancies but they will be inherited, not introduced by an entirely new and improved restoration process. Stability is very good. Large debris, scratches, cuts and stains have also been removed as best as possible. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Best of Cinerama Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the lossless 5.1 track. I understand that the original theatrical mix is very difficult to recreate on Blu-ray when working with a limited budget, but I think that the current mix actually does a pretty god job of capturing the basics of the Cinerama experience. The audio has decent depth, some of the separation effects are quite nice, and the dialog is easy to follow. Also, there are no purely mastering anomalies to report.

The Best of Cinerama Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Shellrama (1965) - short film/promo film directed by Richard Cawston. Shot in Super-Technirama and released on 70mm. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Bridge to Space (1968) - a NASA promotional short shot in 70mm on Merritt Island and at Cape Canaveral. In English, not subtitled. (29 min).

• The Rangerettes (1968) - Deleted scene from Seven Wonders of the World featuring Kilgore College Rangerettes. Filmed on July 29, 1955. With music. (3 min).

• Battleship Iowa Arrives in San Pedro (2012) - a Cinerama short film shot in 2012. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Reconstructing The Best of Cinerama - in this featurette, David Strohmaier discusses the recent restoration and reconstruction of This is Cinerama and its production history. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Cinerama Troika - in this featurette David Strohmaier, film archivist Randy Gitsch, and producer Tom March recall how they fell in love with Cinerama, some of their favorite films, and their restoration work. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Who's Who in Cinerama History - a very informative slideshow that chronicles the history of Cinerama and many of the people that contributed to it. With music. (21 min).

• Show Places of the 1950s - another very informative slideshow with technical information about Cinerama and some of the historic venues that exhibited Cinerama films. With music. (40 min).

• The Best of Cinerama Ads, Publicity, and Behind-the-Scenes - With music. (7 min).

• The Best of Cinerama Trailer - restored trailer. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, Cinerama historian David Coles discusses in great detail the history of Cinerama and explains why it remains a special format with plenty of admirers even in the age of IMAX and enhanced 3D theatrical screenings.

• Program Booklet - a 22-page facsimile representation of the original program booklet.

The Best of Cinerama Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you have been curious to see the various restored and reconstructed Cinerama productions that Flicker Alley has released on Blu-ray but have a limited budget, I would recommend picking up The Best of Cinerama. It is a wonderful original compilation from the 1960s that I think makes it very easy to appreciate the beauty and brilliance of Cinerama. This is yet another project that was completed under David Stohmaier's supervision, which means that the technical presentation is very good. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.