Cinerama Adventure

This film explains how a three-camera widescreen theatrical projection process was successfully developed and the impact it had on the world-wide entertainment business and pop culture of the 1950's and 60's. The filmmakers let those who developed and worked with Cinerama tell the story in their own words. There is very little written narration. Editing is tight and impressive. As an example, in a couple of situations a story is told by three different people in a very smooth and interesting manner as one subject finishes the sentence that two others started! I enjoyed seeing generous segments from so many of the Cinerama films plus long segments of "behind the scenes" activities as these films were shot in some of the most inhospitable parts of the world. Much of this behind-the-scenes footage has never been released before. Kudos to the rights holders of these films for allowing so much to be included in this rich accounting of a very important part of cinematic history! And giant kudos to the producers for recapturing the excitement of Cinerama for a whole new generation of cinema buffs plus those of us who remember back in 1952 when Lowell Thomas said those magic words, "This is Cinerama" and the curtains kept opening and opening and opening to the most enormous screen ever and the entire audience was instantly transported into a roller-coaster car at Rockaway Beach, New York. Oh, and one more thing: In an age when the term 'documentary' is most often used to promote personal or political beliefs, it is refreshing to see a film that is a true accounting and document of historical facts and not an assemblage of conjecture and observation purported to be fact. I wish every filmmaker could view "Cinerama Adventure" to learn how to properly produce a 'documentary film.' And I am surprised that this never made it as an Oscar nominee in 2005!