AMC To Premiere the Digitally Restored, Widescreen Version Of 'M*A*S*H' On Sunday, May 29.

JERICHO, N.Y. -- Network to Air Robert Altman's 1970 Academy Award(R)-Winning Film As Part Of Its Memorial Day Movie Festival; First Time Letterbox Version of Movie To Be Aired

AMC will premiere the digitally restored version of Robert Altman's Academy Award(R)-winning satirical comedy M*A*S*H on Sunday, May 29 at 8 PM ET/PT. Celebrating its 35th anniversary and shown commercial free, the film will be televised in widescreen for the first time ever, and in its original form. Throughout the Memorial Day Weekend on air, members from the original 1970 cast, including Sally Kellerman, Tom Skerritt and Rene Auberjonois, will talk about their experiences from their film.

In addition, the festival will also feature the AMC original special, HOLLYWOOD VIETNAM. AMC's broadcast of M*A*S*H is part of the network's "Memorial Movie Festival," which includes the films "Apocalypse Now Redux," "Midway" and "Sands of Iwo Jima" other war-themed films (full schedule attached).

A Twentieth Century Fox film, M*A*S*H stars Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould and Tom Skerritt as three surgeons in the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital whose biting humor serves as a distraction from the horrors of the Korean War. During its original theatrical release, M*A*S*H enjoyed widespread critical acclaim, winning an Academy Award(R) for Best Screenplay, the New York Film Critics Best Picture Award, and Palm D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The release of M*A*S*H also highlighted the turning point of Altman's career, establishing him as a major director.

The restoration of M*A*S*H included the original visual and sonic elements, and was a collaborative effort between the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Archive and the Preservation Department of Twentieth Century Fox.

About The Restoration

The visual restoration of M*A*S*H began with careful inspection and testing of every film element. Since the original camera negatives were not available, new color separation masters were prepared, which captured the color record on black and white film stock and, unlike the original negatives, will not fade over time. The new negatives were subsequently color-timed to restore the film's original hues and color schemes. After viewing the new answer print, director Robert Altman commented that the restored print looked just as good as his 1970 original.

Restoring the film's soundtrack also required considerable effort. Facing severe deterioration of the 30-year-old magnetic mix track of which some portions of the original three-track mono mix of M*A*S*H were so deteriorated that they simply could not be played back accurately, the restoration team transferred and re-transferred the element until everything that could be utilized from the original mix element was salvaged. The restored track element was then carefully re-mastered to accurately play back on modern Dolby(R) theater and home theater equipment, capturing the brilliant sound design that Altman treated audiences to more than 30 years ago.

About AMC

AMC, a division of Rainbow Media's Entertainment Services, which also includes WE: Women's Entertainment and IFC Companies, is a 24-hour, movie-based network, dedicated to the American movie fan. The network, which reaches over 86,000,000 homes, offers a comprehensive library of popular movies and a critically-acclaimed slate of original programming that is a diverse, movie-based mix of original series, documentaries and specials. AMC has garnered many of the industry's highest honors, including 14 Emmy awards. AMC is "TV for movie people."

About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC

A leader in sports, news and entertainment programming, Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation. Rainbow owns and manages national networks: AMC, Fuse, IFC (The Independent Film Channel) and WE: Women's Entertainment, as well as on-demand services including Mag Rack and sportskool. Rainbow's other businesses include its regional programming services -- MetroChannels, News 12 Networks and Rainbow Sports Networks - in addition to the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications.

AMC'S "MEMORIAL MOVIE MARATHON"

SATURDAY, MAY 28
   6 AM      FLYING TIGERS
   8 AM      D-DAY, THE SIXTH OF JUNE
   10:15 AM  SANDS OF IWO JIMA
   12:15 PM  MACARTHUR
   3 PM      MIDWAY
   5:45 PM   MISSING IN ACTION
   8 PM      MISSING IN ACTION 2: THE BEGINNING
   10 PM     BRADDOCK: MISSING IN ACTION III
   12:15 AM  MIDWAY
   3:15 AM   MACARTHUR

SUNDAY, MAY 29
   6 AM      THE BIG LIFT
   8:30 AM   AMERICAN GUERRILLA IN THE PHILIPPINES
   10:45 AM  MISSING IN ACTION
   1 PM      MISSING IN ACTION 2: THE BEGINNING
   3 PM      BRADDOCK: MISSING IN ACTION III
   5:15 PM   G.I. JANE
   8 PM      M*A*S*H (PREMIERE)
   10 PM     M*AS*H
   12:30 AM  G.I. JANE
   3:15 AM   M*A*S*H
   5:45 AM   CINEMA SECRETS

MONDAY, MAY 30
   6:15 AM   BATTLE AT BLOODY BEACH
   8 AM      STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND
   10:30 AM  THE GREEN BERETS
   1:30 PM   M*A*S*H
   4 PM      HAMBURGER HILL
   6 PM      APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX
   10 PM     HOLLYWOOD VIETNAM (PREMIERE)
   11 PM     HAMBURGER HILL
   1 AM      HOLLYWOOD VIETNAM
   2 AM      APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX


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