The Best of Cinerama

The Best of Cinerama is a 1962 motion picture, an anthology curated and narrated by the distinguished and charismatic American writer and broadcaster, Lowell Thomas. It's a retelling and compilation of memorable moments from the first five Cinerama travelogues films that were produced in the renowned Cinerama process, a widescreen technique that utilized three cameras and three projectors to produce an image nearly three times as wide as standard film formats. Heralding it the "Cinerama Experience", audiences would marvel at the impressively immersive, large and panoramic visuals, hearing every nuance of sound via seven-track stereophonic setups.

A spectacle of sight and sound, the film serves as a historical and cultural time capsule, capturing extraordinary locales, various cultures, and spellbinding scenic vistas across the world. The movie was designed as a treat for the senses, intended to be viewed on the specially curved Cinerama screens that added a distinctive depth and expansiveness unachievable in standard cinema.

The Best of Cinerama isn't a linear narrative or a conventional movie by any means. Instead, it's a potpourri of spectator experiences that may be seen as the precursor to today's IMAX technology at the movies. The inherent allure of the film lies not in a weaving plot, but in the way it ensnares the viewer's senses, making them an intimate witness to the panorama of cultures, landscapes, and historic events unfolding on the gigantic, curved Cinerama screen.

From the first few scenes, you are transported into an enticing journey. The film carries its viewers on a vintage roller coaster ride in Rockaways’ Playland in New York, then it swings to La Scala Opera House to witness the unfolding drama on the Italian stage. You experience the thrill of a bobsled ride in Switzerland, an evidently hair-raising bullfight in Spain, a speed boat race in Florida, and the gripping performance of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. You ride in a gondola in Venice and take a scenic helicopter flight over the awesome landscape of America including Grand Canyon itself.

The film also offers breathtaking aerial shots from the top of the Matterhorn and compelling footage of a thrilling flyby of the iconic Statue of Liberty. The narration by Lowell Thomas, the compelling visuals, and the immersive sound deliver a unique, enthralling, and pioneering experience in cinema.

As the title suggests, the film is indeed 'The Best of Cinerama,' a breathtakingly beautiful highlight reel of its preceding travelogues. Be it the panoramic recording of the famous Mardi Gras Parade in New Orleans, the splendid view of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, or the heartening observation of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, every frame is meticulously composed and impressively captured.

In addition, the feature unearths a vivid sketch of some people's lives from different eras and areas of the globe. It effectively stirs a concoction of moods in the viewer throughout its journey, merging joy, awe, adventure, excitement, sorrow, and surprise all in one sitting.

Navigated by Lowell Thomas, whose grounded and genuine delivery injects a soul into the film, The Best of Cinerama is an unforgettable cinematic joyride. Sparking a sense of nostalgia in audiences even today, the film is an anthology of visually stunning and emotionally grasping clips that collectively make for a remarkable cinematic experience in the true sense of the term.

To conclude, The Best of Cinerama is more than film viewing - it's an experience. It calls unto the viewer to undertake a journey across the globe, delighting in the varied culture and diverse landscapes it has to offer, the likes of which are unmatched even in the present cinemas! The film is a testament to the fact that the boundaries of conventional cinema can often blur to result in a beautiful spectacle that merges reality and film reels into a seamless, immersive experience.