Vintage 3D: "Inferno" (1953)

ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,001
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This long overlooked 3D movie has been restored and has found its convoluted way back into distribution. Coming on Blu-Ray in August 2014 from UK company Panamint.

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  • Walter NeffWalter Neff Posts: 9,148
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    ironjade wrote: »
    This long overlooked 3D movie has been restored and has found its convoluted way back into distribution. Coming on Blu-Ray in August 2014 from UK company Panamint.

    I remember seeing it in 3D when it was first shown in the West End, I wonder how it will look to me now more than 60 years later.;-)
  • ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,001
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    I remember seeing it in 3D when it was first shown in the West End, I wonder how it will look to me now more than 60 years later.;-)

    If the restoration is as good as "Man in the Dark" and "House of Wax" it should be excellent.
    Current thinking is that it was restored at the behest of Warner Bros. (who then lost interest in it) by the late Dan Symmes who knew a thing or two about 3D.
  • Walter NeffWalter Neff Posts: 9,148
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    ironjade wrote: »
    If the restoration is as good as "Man in the Dark" and "House of Wax" it should be excellent.
    Current thinking is that it was restored at the behest of Warner Bros. (who then lost interest in it) by the late Dan Symmes who knew a thing or two about 3D.

    House of Wax certainly stands up well, I remember seeing that at the Warner cinema the same year as Inferno.
  • Fairyprincess0Fairyprincess0 Posts: 30,038
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    More vintage 3d? Brilliant. That'll go right next to my copies of dial m and black lagoon.... House of wax next?
  • ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,001
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    More vintage 3d? Brilliant. That'll go right next to my copies of dial m and black lagoon.... House of wax next?

    "House of Wax" has been out on 3D Blu-Ray for some time, as has "Man in the Dark". Others already promised for 2014 are "Dragonfly Squadron" and "The Bubble".
    Lack of interest from the rights owners is largely to blame for the dearth of vintage 3D and accounts for the absence of "It Came from Outer Space", "I, the Jury", "Hondo", "Kiss Me Kate", "The Glass Web" and several others. Even where usable negatives exist and the restoration has been done, persuading someone to release the movie is often a hopeless task.
  • ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,001
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    I remember seeing it in 3D when it was first shown in the West End, I wonder how it will look to me now more than 60 years later.;-)

    Using my psychic powers I see that it was shown in 3D at the Odeon Marble Arch.:)
  • Walter NeffWalter Neff Posts: 9,148
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    ironjade wrote: »
    Using my psychic powers I see that it was shown in 3D at the Odeon Marble Arch.:)

    That is interesting, that was one of the West End cinema's that I hardly ever went to.
    I much preferred "the big four" in Leicester Square, each cinema was really unique, and all of them were ruined by being modernised. :(
  • Fairyprincess0Fairyprincess0 Posts: 30,038
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    ironjade wrote: »
    "House of Wax" has been out on 3D Blu-Ray for some time, as has "Man in the Dark". Others already promised for 2014 are "Dragonfly Squadron" and "The Bubble".
    Lack of interest from the rights owners is largely to blame for the dearth of vintage 3D and accounts for the absence of "It Came from Outer Space", "I, the Jury", "Hondo", "Kiss Me Kate", "The Glass Web" and several others. Even where usable negatives exist and the restoration has been done, persuading someone to release the movie is often a hopeless task.

    I'd settle for a little 80's stuff. I don't understand why the 3rd installments of Friday the 13th or jaws aren't available in 3d.....
  • ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,001
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    That is interesting, that was one of the West End cinema's that I hardly ever went to.
    I much preferred "the big four" in Leicester Square, each cinema was really unique, and all of them were ruined by being modernised. :(

    3D Archive in the US have a newspaper cutting which says "Inferno" was never shown in 3D in the UK. I passed your info on to them and after a bit of digging, they realised the article was wrong.
  • ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,001
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    I'd settle for a little 80's stuff. I don't understand why the 3rd installments of Friday the 13th or jaws aren't available in 3d.....

    Presumably because the owners don't think they can make money from a Blu-Ray release.
    They do have point, given the poor sales of 3D tvs and 3D Blu-Ray players.
    Re-releasing them to cinemas would probably also be expensive.
  • Walter NeffWalter Neff Posts: 9,148
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    ironjade wrote: »
    3D Archive in the US have a newspaper cutting which says "Inferno" was never shown in 3D in the UK. I passed your info on to them and after a bit of digging, they realised the article was wrong.

    WOW! thanks for that! It is true that after the initial excitement of 3D when it was first shown, it didn't last for long.

    I was lucky, I started going up the West End the same year that it was first shown in London. The first, and my favourite 3D film that I saw at the Empire, Leicester Square was the stunning MGM musical, Kiss Me Kate.

    I remember that by 1954 any films that had been filmed in 3D were not shown in that process.
  • ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,001
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    WOW! thanks for that! It is true that after the initial excitement of 3D when it was first shown, it didn't last for long.

    I was lucky, I started going up the West End the same year that it was first shown in London. The first, and my favourite 3D film that I saw at the Empire, Leicester Square was the stunning MGM musical, Kiss Me Kate.

    I remember that by 1954 any films that had been filmed in 3D were not shown in that process.

    Sadly, by 1954, largely thanks to lazy/incompetent projectionists, the boom was over and although 3D movies continued to be made from time to time, many were only shown in 2D. Some have been lost for good as distributors saw no need to keep two seemingly identical negatives of one movie. Many languish in storage because the owners don't know or don't care that they still exist.
    3D Archive has restored "The Bubble" but "Flesh for Frankenstein", made in the same terrific SpaceVision 3D process, has hit the buffers. The director, thinking himself something of an auteur, refused to allow any corrections to his 3D shots to make them more eye-friendly and also wanted the restorers to work for free.
    Getting the attention of a distributor is no easy task either: many don't even bother to return 3D Archive's calls.
    It's a pity, because these movies are a part of cinema history and deserve to be seen, even though, admittedly, some are pretty dreadful. The best are always worth a look: "House of Wax", "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Man in the Dark" are three of my favourites. Some people love "Dial M for Murder" but I find it a coma-inducing.
    The Holy Grail is a Blu-Ray of "It Came from Outer Space" but Universal don't seem minded to do it or to allow any one else to do it.
  • intruder2kintruder2k Posts: 318
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    Ironjade, have you heard anything about a 3D version of The Mask (1961) coming out? That seems to be another holy grail for cult film fans.
  • ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,001
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    intruder2k wrote: »
    Ironjade, have you heard anything about a 3D version of The Mask (1961) coming out? That seems to be another holy grail for cult film fans.

    I think there was a legal problem with "The Mask" a few years ago but 3D Archive say they're working on it.
    They're a very dedicated outfit and it's a shame the rights holders, studios and distributors don't share their enthusiasm.
  • Fairyprincess0Fairyprincess0 Posts: 30,038
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    It like to see the maze, myself....
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