It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World [Blu-ray]

There can never be a true remake of this classic comedy. A few have tried claiming they were "inspired by" but have failed anyway. Stanley Kramer's epic "Comedy to end all comedies" had an amazing cast of comic actors old and (at that time) new which could never be recreated. It is a snapshot of a particular moment in time when comedians stretching back to the borscht belt and vaudeville met up with a new generation of comics working in clubs and on television. In fact many who had had small careers in films had found a much larger audience in the relatively new medium of TV. It may not be the funniest film ever made - that is every person's own opinion - but it is funny and succeeds in the impossible task of keeping up an atmosphere of comic mayhem for over a 2 1/2 hour running time. Enormously popular in its day (it was the third highest grossing film of 1963 taking in over 45 million) it has become a greatly beloved classic even now, over fifty years later.It was written by British screenwriter William Rose, who had written the Alec Guiness comedy, The Ladykillers. It was written originally as a madcap chase through Scotland. He sent an outline to director Stanley Kramer. I'd love to know why, because Kramer was a director of big, serious films with important social messages like The Defiant Ones (racism), On the Beach (atomic war), Inherit the Wind (freedom of speech) and Judgement at Nuremberg (the aftermath of World War II). He would seem like the worst possible choice to pitch a comedy to, but maybe the word was out that Kramer was interested in making a comedy, perhaps to not be typecast. Once things got going, the production, much like the film itself, took on a momentum of its own and soon practically every comedian in town was calling Kramer asking to be in it.There are so many great actors in roles big, small and in cameos that it would take up too much space to name them all. It was great to see some of the older cast members like Jimmy Durante, Ethel Merman and Milton Berle go out with a big film that would be remembered. Actors in smaller roles often put in hilarious performances doing their usual schitck. Paul Ford as the bumbling Colonel Wilberforce (he had been the bumbling Colonel Hall on the Phil Silvers Show); Jim Backus as rich alcoholic Tyler Fitzgerald (it adds an extra laugh to know he was the well-known spokesman for Western Airlines whose tagline was "It's the only way to fly"); and Don Knotts in his nervous man routine. British comedian Terry-Thomas got roles in major pictures for years afterwards. Some faces, like Jesse White (TV's Maytag repair man) were only known from television exposure, which is probably missed by aOne would have wanted to see the cameo actors a little longer and some were underused (Stan Freberg, Edward Everett Horton) but the movie was originally over three hours as it was. The Three Stooges are only on for a few seconds and don't actually do anything but stand there but I can attest that they got a huge laugh from the audience just for being there.All of the principals were at their best. Even when they didn't have a line, just watching their faces is hilarious. But it was Jonathan Winters in his first film role who is most remembered. His eight minutes of total mayhem in Ray & Irwin's Garage is one of the great comic scenes in any movie. Again I can attest that in its first run in late '63 the audience was in a state of total sustained pandemonium almost literally rolling in the aisles as this scene played out. I've never again experienced an audience in so complete a state of hysteria.The film also has great support from the entire production team. There is one of the great comic scores of all time by Ernest Gold, a mad carousel-out-of control theme that wildly creates the right mood during legendary animator Saul Bass's creative title sequences. Despite its assertive character the music doesn't try to dominate the film but drops in now and then to enliven a driving scene that would look dull if silent or to accent brief moments of pandemonium. The film was beautifully shot in Super Panovision 70, which simulated a Cinerama effect without the "seams" created by the old three-camera process. And the scenery is spectacular with the Southern California desert, coastal towns and aerial footage. The editing, sound effects people and stuntmen were all major contributors to the film's success.Not everyone liked it and this is still true. A number of the critics of the day dismissed it as too dumb for words. But you have to understand that many critics of that era and before were very high toned and felt only films of great intellectual depth were worth seeing. Bergman, yes, but not something like this. It took until the early 80's for film critics to loosen up a bit and admit they could like both types of films. Others found it too long and too slapstick. Both accusations are true in their way but this was meant to be gargantuan and its excess is part of its nature. Also, a big film made with a big budget had to be pitched to a large general audience and so it needed to have lots of broad humor and not be a witty comedy of manners or something like that. Besides, it's kind of an homage to the whole history of film comedy and actually uses a lot of classic silent comedy bits. All in all the film knows exactly what it is doing, building on its momentum to its conclusion. And it's still a Stanley Kramer film and does contain a deep, cynical observation that totally nice, everyday people can go entirely insane over money as can the entire culture. The movie ends nicely with what could be a nod to Preston Sturges' Sullivan's Travels, illustrating the value of laughter on the simplest level with the oldest joke in the world.Amazon's streamed film looks beautiful. I saw a streamed version a few years ago in the early days of streaming and it looked terrible because it had that over-sampling problem that made it look like daytime television, like it had been shot on somebody's video camera. I'm happy to say there's no trace of that. There are some great tributes, interviews and clips etc. on YouTube and I'd like to point out two really good ones. One posted by The Criterion Collection as "Location Comparison" shows many of the main locations then and now. There are others like this but this one is professionally shot at the exact camera angle as the film. The second is a "Cast Guide" that posts the name and dates of virtually everyone who appeared in the film while showing you a scene they're in.EXTRA NOTE: A few major comics wanted to be in the film but couldn't for one reason or another. Bob Hope's studio wouldn't lend him out even for a cameo. Lucille Ball was too tied up with her TV show being taped for the coming season. Red Skelton's manager wanted him to be paid the same as the primary cast even for a cameo. Stan Laurel sent regrets but said he had sworn never to appear in a film again after Oliver Hardy's death and could not break his word.

This has been one of my favorite movies forever, and I own it on Laserdisc (either one or two versions, don't remember which) and DVD (at least two versions) already. So this edition was a must-have for me.I got a kick out of the 197-minute extended version and I recommend it to anyone who knows and appreciates this movie already. I thought many of the added scenes in the really did bring value to the movie; some of them nicely filled in some continuity gaps that exist in the shorter releases.However, I think that the extended version should NOT be the one you show to friends who have never seen the movie before - because of the variable quality of the material that Robert Harris and his team had to work with, some of the inserts are just too jarring if you're not already familiar with the movie. Show them the 154 minute, more polished version first.Note that the extended version includes the original overture, intermission, entr'acte, and exit music. During part of the intermission, there is a time where the screen is totally black for several minutes, but police radio calls are played periodically on audio only. This was (and still is) intended to keep the audience posted on the action that is continuing to happen in the timeline of the film during intermission. It's great because, again, it provides better continuity - for example, you hear that Finch (Berle) and Hawthorne (Terry-Thomas) have stopped at an Avis location and rented a blue Chevy, which explains how they ended up with that that new blue car after intermission. (Ahh, product placement even back then! :-) But it is a bit unnerving, because there are longish periods of black screen with no sound at all, and your impulse is to think something went wrong with your Blu-Ray player or TV. Just relax, all is well :-)

This is the 3-disc 2017 DVD edition.The extras were interesting, particularly those on the discs with the movies.The general release is, in a word, perfect.The restored edition is not bad. It includes the new footage in the prior special edition, which looks better here. The new new footage (so to speak) is mostly very short bits finishing up familiar sequences. There are some longer additions that use stills because only the audio is available, but there is at least one new sequence that has probably not been seen since it was shown in Cinerama toward the end. A fair number of subtitles appear because the last word of a phrase is missing from the soundtrack. At first, this was disconcerting but, by the mid-point, it was simply part of the show.If I understand the timing right, there are still about 8 minutes missing, but, if Criterion couldn't find them, I suspect they are well and truly gone.It should be understood that the restoration was intended to restore the original film to the extent possible; thus, in restoring the color, some unrestored bits remained at the edges (this is shown in the restoration featurette on the restored film DVD). One can only speculate that using CGI technology would have allowed those areas to be colored quite convincingly but one also suspects that the restorer's would have regarded that as a profanation.The explanation for the missing sound made no sense, but perhaps I did not understand it properly.Oh, and each version is one one side of its own DVD. No flipping, no swapping discs here!And, for those worried about shelf space, it all fits into a single-disc-width package. No separate cases, no cardboard case.

Smiler Grogan"Jimmy Durante"is being pursued by speeding cops in a chase to get his loot which is buried under"A BIG DUBBERYA"hundreds of miles away.As the chase commences things take a comedic turn,and not for "Durantes health?"Not too many spoilers here!"Durante"is soon joined by a bunch of friends,families,loners and misfits to find out what"his plan was"to find the loot,followed by one of the best sight gags in movie history?Soon after the "encounter" with "Smiler" a chase commences by land,sea and air by all these zany characters,many a hollywood familiar face to be seen here,be it,movie,radio or tv of its day back in 1963.All the misfit characters shine in this epic chase of bad luck,misfortune or by good old fashioned foul play.The star who shines for me has always been here,Dick Shawn who plays Ethel Mermans mad son,but,all the stars have their moments inc Terry-Thomas,Buddy Hacket,Mickey Rooney,Sid Ceasar,Johnathan Winters,Peter Falk,Phil Silvers.Buster Keaton and of course Ethel Merman and Spencer Tracey as the police commisioner"keeping his eye on the chase?".Included are plenty of cameo roles along the way including,Jerry Lewis,blink or youll miss him and the three stooges etc etc.Theres been a lot of great chase movies over the years.Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines,1965,"a very close second",The Great Race,1965,Monte Carlo or Bust,1969,The Blues Brothers,1980,The Blues Brothers 2000,1998 and Rat Race which came much later with a similar storyline.This movie has become a cult and comedic classic over the years and the blu ray has been restored to give us this treat along with added cut segments and restored with what was thought lost newly found segments making the running time just over three hours.This is a must have for the funny bone with slapstick galore,perfect one liners and terrific sight gags.The laughs come thick and fast.Its stood the test of time and is as excitingly funny and enjoyable now as it was back when first released in 1963.Buy it watch it and laugh for"they dont make em like this anymore"brilliance in comedy film making at its best.

A fatally wounded car crash victim, (Jimmy Durante) knowing he's about to literally kick the bucket, informs a skeptical bunch of onlookers that there is an enormous stash of cash buried some two hundred miles away in a famous park “under a big W, a big W I tell ya”. As the onlookers continue their journeys they all decide to go take a look. And so starts a truly madcap race to be first to dig it up.Stanley Kramer's tremendously entertaining and lavish comedy of errors has just about every great name in comedy from the 50's and 60's chasing that cash. Essentially a race/road film from the off, we follow Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, Micky Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Terry Thomas, and a host of other big name stars on the maddest race ever put to film to find that buried loot. Along the way there are so many laughs the 159 or 197 minute version just flies by.Any film made in the sixties inevitably looks a bit dated today, the fashions, the cars, the language, the sexual and race politics, the jokes, however great visual comedy never seems to age, a prat-fall today is no different to one over 50 years ago and it's just as funny or unfunny as is the case. Lots of physical film funny business is wonderfully choreographed into all that motorized mayhem and compliments the pitch perfect performances from all concerned. For me however Jonathan Winters slightly unhinged truck driver and Phil Silvers sleazy conman stole the show even with all that talent competing for screen-time. If you can accept it for what it is, a product of it's time, and not impose more recent enlightened ideas about gender, race, age etc you will find so much to enjoy.You may not recognise all the actors on show but you will recognise many of their voices, Mr Magoo, Top Cat and many other voice over actors made small appearances, as Does Jerry Lewis and The Three Stooges, but blink and you will miss them.A massive hit worldwide, it took over 6 times it's budget and proved that big budget comedies can work. There was talk of a remake a few years ago with Robert DeNero and Ben Stiller but it seems to have stalled or been shelved. If they make one I will be first in line, although I doubt that the original magic could be replicated.My US import Blu Ray has a very nice 60 minute documentary about the film that although not exactly earth shattering has many of the cast and crew talking about their experiences.Great entertainment all round.

After many years of reading and hearing about the full 192 minute version I finally have it and boy it doesn't disappoint. It's not all video as a lot has been lost over the decades but what is there is amazing. If your a fan then this is most definitely for you. Well worth the money and it'll be a keeper forever. Great extras....Basically this is a perfect Mad World set,trust me when I say you'll be MAD to miss out on it.

I eventually bought this film ( which is hard to find ) through Amazon. Yes It costs around 20 pounds but it is so funny and is a very good film. With plenty of good characters playing their parts very well. I would say it is a must see. I watched this last night and the second part ( because there is an intermission in the middle, this morning. It will make you laugh even though it seems so dated. A good watch though. PC. 15. 12. 2017.

This is wonderful stuff. The picture and sound are much improved from my old DVD. The extended version is a welcome bonus.The film is hilarious and packed with cameos. So many funny scenes, and the cast are terrific. Merman, Shawn, Silvers, Thomas, Tracy and company's performances never fail to put a smile on my face.