U.S. label Flicker Alley has announced that it will add two more Cinerama titles to its Blu-ray catalog:
Seven Wonders of the World (1956) and
Search for Paradise (1957). The two releases are scheduled to arrive on the market on November 11th.
Cinerama: Search for Paradise
"Join Lowell Thomas and follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo" in this new, digital restoration of SEARCH FOR PARADISE, the fourth of the original, 3-panel Cinerama travelogues. Released in 1957, the motion picture takes you to the "Roof of the World," the Himalayas and Karakoram mountains of Central Asia, the highest region in the world. You'll become part of the adventure as explorer Lowell Thomas searches for paradise in the ancient cities, wild waters, and lush gardens of the mountaintops.
Your first stop is the Forbidden Kingdom of Hunza, a hidden valley bordered by China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, home to a legendary warrior tribe. Next, you'll challenge the rapids of the Mighty Indus River, fed from a fantastic galaxy of great glaciers draining from some of the greatest heights known to man. From there, find respite in the romantic Shalimar Gardens in the Vale of Kashmir, then fly to Katmandu for the coronation ceremony of King Mahendra of Nepal. The adventure concludes with a trip to a U.S. Air Force base, where Thunderbird jet planes cut across the sapphire blue sky overhead at supersonic speed.
Flicker Alley and Cinerama, Inc. are proud to present SEARCH FOR PARADISE in the Smilebox Curved Screen Simulation. Unseen theatrically since the early 1970s and never before issued on home video, SEARCH FOR PARADISE has been digitally remastered from original camera negatives. The film captures the imagination and paradise would be, beauty or adventure or peace.
Special Features:
This deluxe Blu-ray/DVD combo set comes complete with the original SEARCH FOR PARADISE breakdown reel - the same one used in its 1956 theatrical run. Also included are a brand new movie trailer, image gallery, 1950s black & white announcement trailer, behind-the-scenes video of the Cinerama crew setting up for the Air Force base shoot, behind-the-scenes footage shot in 16mm on location in Nepal, a facsimile representation of an original program booklet, and a demonstration on how the original negatives were restored, a 1998 interview with director Otto Lang, David Coles' SEARCH FOR PARADISE presentation, the 3-panel 2012 Cinerama short In The Picture, as well as The Last Days of Cinerama, which goes behind-the-scenes of the making of In The Picture.
Cinerama: Seven Wonders of the World
Of the seven sites the ancient Greeks named the "wonders of the world," only one remains. SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD is a round-the-world adventure that picks up where the Greeks of antiquity left off. Released in 1956, this Cinerama spectacle follows 20th century adventurer Lowell Thomas as he seeks out the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Join him as he flies across the globe in the "Smasher," a converted B-25, capturing some of the most breathtaking photography ever shot.
The quest opens at the great pyramids, the last of the original Seven Wonders to still exist. From there, the "Smasher" circles the globe with Cinerama photographing a live East Africa volcano, under the bridges in New York, over and around Rio de Janeiro, the Parthenon in Athens, Angel Falls in South America, and many stops along the way to experience the beautiful culture of diverse locales. The film encourages the audience to choose from the dozens of sites explored. "What are your seven wonders?"
Flicker Alley and Cinerama, Inc. are proud to present SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD in the Smilebox Curved Screen Simulation. Unseen theatrically since the early 1970s and never before broadcast or issued on home video, SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD has been digitally remastered from its original camera negatives. The global adventure captures the beauty and culture of these extraordinary places in a Cinerama time capsule.
Special Features:
This deluxe Blu-ray/DVD combo set comes complete with the original SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD breakdown reel - the same one used in its 1956 theatrical run. Also included are an image gallery, newsreel from the opening night in New York, a restoration demonstration on how the damaged negative was fixed, the Best in the Biz Cinerama composers documentary, the French Cinerama Everywhere short on Cinerama tent shows in Europe, a brand new SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD movie trailer, a black & white TV trailer, and a 1960 "abandoned" trailer.