Full Vs. Wide

Hi Hondo,
I prefer widescreen for the same as you - movie identity. But I noticed that most of black and white movies are in full frame. I think it is because they weren't shot in widescreen. I remember in theaters, when the old movies are shown they are not widescren.
Regards,
Senta

Hondo,

Widescreen movies weren't shot until 1953, when Fox released The Robe in CinemsScope. So, any movie made before 1953 should be released in fullscreen. The only exception to this that I know of is The Big Trail, which was shot in an experimental widescreen process. In fact, it was the financial failure of The Big Trail that lead to Fox abandoning widescreen for over 20 years.

All I ask for in a DVD release is that the release remain true to the original aspect ratio of the film. (Just as a side note, a few years ago, there were some people making a lot of money off the internet selling bootlegged "widescreen" copies of Gone With The Wind. Of course, all they had done is cut off the top and bottom of the film! So, if anyone ever tries to sell you one of those, it's a fake!). For my money, this is one area where DVD is a big improvement over VHS (remember all those "reformatted" titles). As I was saying my three criteria for a good DVD release is as follows:

1) The release remain true to the original aspect ratio of the film (as I said this was a major problem with VHS)

2) The release present the film in its original color (if it was shot in black & white, release it in black & white; if it was shot in color, release it in color. This too was a problem with VHS tapes from some studios).

3) The release should take advantage of digital restoration processes to present the best audio and video experience possible.

As I said, my feeling about this is that if a movie was originally shot in widescreen, release the DVD in widescreen; if it was originally shot in fullscreen, release the DVD in fullscreen.

E.J.

I prefer widescreen all the way! Some people can't stand the bars at the top and bottom of the screen, but I don't even notice them. What I can't stand is when it says it is widescreen, but all they did was compress it to fit the screen. No bars at the top or bottom, but the people all look thin and tall That drives me nuts.

Mark

Hi Everyone,
I have a big widescreen,
and what I don't understand is why the bars are there at all!
I thought the whole idea, was to view the picture as it was made.
So you end up with a big television screen, that's only half full!!
and when the do compress it, the whole thing looks odd !!

Keith

I have to go with widescreen over full screen. It just seems that there is more there to see, and it makes the film "fuller" if you know what I mean. I agree with E.J., though, you have to be careful. I bought a "widescreen" edition of McLintock several years ago and it turned out to be the Goodtimes edition where all they did was add a black bar across the top and bottom of the screen, and all you saw were a bunch of talking torsos! They had cut off the heads and legs of the actors with their "widescreen" process.
Colorado Bob

I don't know, it really depends on what movie I am watching; I guess. I know wide screen shows more but I am so used to full screen that it just makes it hard to choose.

I'm a widescreen fanatic myself! If the movie was photographed in a widescreen format, then it should be seen in the same way, otherwise you lose a portion of the picture. Before 1953, no movies were shot in widescreen, except for "The Big Trail," which was an experimental attempt that lost out in the box office. Movies made before 1953 were photographed with an aspect ratio (length to depth) of 1.33:1 to 1.37:1 (meaning the width of the picture was 1.33 to 1.37 times its depth. These can only be presented in full screen format, since there is no widescreen available.
Widescreen formats come in several forms. VistaVision and its offshoots were shot generally in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Cinemascope, Panavision and their ilk come generally in a 2.35:1 format. These are the screen sizes of most movies nowadays. The wider format requires deeper bands at the top and bottom of the TV screen. (The DVD of "Ben Hur" in my collection is shown at a 2.40:1 ratio, which means the black bands take up a little more space than the norm). For someone new to these formats, the black bands can be disconcerting, but if you keep watching, soon you won't notice they're there. When these formats started showing up on some channels some years back, my wife didn't like them, but after viewing a few, she feels she is missing something if a widescreen movie is presented in full screen.
As for Keith's puzzle, I can only guess since I am not an expert by any means, but I think the new widescreen TVs accommodate the 1.85:1 ratio - when you have a 2.35:1 ratio movie, there will still be black bands at the top and bottom.
Cheers - Jay

Quote

Originally posted by Jay J. Foraker@Nov 1 2005, 02:29 PM
Movies made before 1953 were photographed with an aspect ratio (length to depth) of 1.33:1 to 1.37:1 (meaning the width of the picture was 1.33 to 1.37 times its depth. These can only be presented in full screen format, since there is no widescreen available.

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Now I am becoming a blithering idiot - I'm quoting myself!! As a postscript to my batherings, both "Hondo" and "Island in the Sky" were photographed in 1.37:1, so they wouldn't be available in a widescreen format.
Cheers - Jay

I guess I know what you guys are talking about but for me there is nothing better than seeing a Good John Wayne Shoot-um-Up Western or Horse Soldier Film on "THE BIG SCREEN AT THE THEATER" like we did over 50 Years ago! I know I am from a Different time from the rest of you, but you do not know what you missed! :lol:

Maybe what we need is some place that we can go and see some of these Great old Films on the Big Screen the way they were Made To be Seen?

Chilibill

Hi Bill -
I totally agree with you - seeing the movies as they were originally intended on the big screen would be manna from heaven. But, as we are not likely to have that, the DVDs will have to serve as a mediocre substitute (comparitively).
Cheers - Jay

I agree with you ChliBill...the Duke on the big screen was absolutely the best way to see his movies. I can remember going to see his later movies at the theater. We have a theater that was recently renovated and they have started showing old movies once a month. This month they are showing "It's a Wonderful Life", I am holding out for one of John Waynes. I have heard that some Duke fans have called the theater and requested some of his movies. But until then I try to watch most of my movies in widescreen. I prefer watching a movie the way it was intended to be seen when it was shot.

Baby Sis

Their is a mixture of both full and widescreen in my collection, I dont have any preferences - just what is available to me when I go to purchase the movie.

-IHW

Hi all

I go with wide-screen, that's what I always look for
when I buy any movie. I also have a wide-screen T V.

I am happy to report that as a kid I was able watch Duke's
movies from the early 60's and 70's on the big screen,
As Bill says it is the only way to watch them.

Best regards

Emmanuel.

Quote

Originally posted by William T Brooks@Nov 1 2005, 11:59 PM
I guess I know what you guys are talking about but for me there is nothing better than seeing a Good John Wayne Shoot-um-Up Western or Horse Soldier Film on "THE BIG SCREEN AT THE THEATER" like we did over 50 Years ago! I know I am from a Different time from the rest of you, but you do not know what you missed! :lol:

Maybe what we need is some place that we can go and see some of these Great old Films on the Big Screen the way they were Made To be Seen?

Chilibill

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Got to tell you that here in Antwerp we have a film museum and what they do is play films which are 40 years and older and YES I have seen a number of John Wayne films there B) being a film museum they do use the "old" screen not as biggish as in today's cinema's.Perhaps you lot should come over next time they do a John Wayne serial!!!

I am a widescreen fan and simply cannot understand why people want to watch a pan & scan(full screen) version of a film that was shot in WS. Have the movie gets cut on the sides and it is actually elongated to get rid of the black bars. Getting a home theater setup with a 55 inch TV was one of the best investments that I ever made and it is satisfying my JW fix since I never got to see the Duke in the cinema, my HT will have to so.