Yar, you be here: Custer of the West > Customer Reviews

Custer of the West Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 9 Reviews)

Epic Western that Fails
I just recently purchased the widescreen addition of "Custer" and I have to say it's not too bad really. The only thing that annoys me is the poor Music score, it sounds so European, No melody nothing to compliment the Cinerama spectacle it trys to convey. Robert Shaw gives a fair performance, but not brilliant. Widescreen print is fair, sound is also average (stereo). A little dissapointed overall, as I remember this film being much better when I first saw it aged 7.

MGM, please keep in touch with the times!
It seems hardly acceptable that in 2004 some studios still release widescreen DVDs without 16:9 enhancement. Well, this is the flaw that will bring my rating down to 3 stars. Too bad, because this DVD is otherwise nice-looking. And - oh yes, in case you're wondering - don't let the inaccurate mention on the jacket fool you: the film is presented in its correct 70 mm 2,20:1 aspect ratio, not in 1,85:1. Please MGM, also double-check your jackets!

Good transfer, but where's the stereo soundtrack?
This little-known Western epic from 1968 is flawed as biography, but is an action film first and foremost. Originally presented in 70mm Super Cinerama as a roadshow, this transfer begs the question - what happened to the 6-track stereophonic soundtrack? And, where are the overture and intermission? The picture is from 65mm negative/70mm print and is fairly sharp and clear, as befits the enlarged negative, but without the stereo sound, it becomes a hollow-sounding Western wannabe spectacular. Snaps to MGM/UA for actually releasing the full 141 minute version at all, but why not include all the accoutrements of the original presentation? The film was created for huge screens, and needs the support of the full-bodied original soundtracks to do the visuals justice. And those of us who love film always want the overture and intermission if the film was first presented that way!

1 2 3

Next Page