Help reguarding stubborn friend and "full screen"

[KillerQ]

Hey all....

Ok, i am a fan of widescreen and always get it when i can. I have a friend, however, is extremely adiment about fullscreen for all the wrong reasons and it drives my nuts! Now, he can't use the "it amkes the picture too small" defense anymore, because we have a bigscreen TV -- so he moved onto to the next defense "the stuff on the edges isnt imprtant" I try and explain to him that the directors shoot it that way, so that is how it shoudl be seen. He would then referr to a scene we are watchign and say somethign smart like "oh yea matt, look -- that chair on the edge of the screen -- real important!" ARRGG...

ok, now onto my question -- i know in some of the old westerns, there were dialogue scenes shot that used the edges of the screen - and when in fullscreen, one of the actors is cut off -- now can you guys think of any "more modern" examples of movies that will cut somethign important off in fullscreen mode so i can show my friend and shut him up once and for all!!

Also, how can someone find the "black bars" to be annoying?!?!? They're not in the way of anything, and theyre black -- just ignore them!!!

Oh yea, there was a special on TV the other night dedicated to the legacy of widescreen compared to fullscreen -- interesting...


Thanks,

Matt

[rxfiend]

here is a suggestion, try showing him the P&S version of Ghostbusters and then show him the WS version. man oh man, does it make a difference!! the PS version will make you sick how many times it pans back and forth! horrible. lol. Also, SW1:TPM could be another movie to show the differences. actually, almost any movie that's originally in 2.35:1 ratio would work.

[evilbaby]

What is your friend's all time FAVORITE movie? Show him the widescreen version of that and then show the pan and scan version. Show him how much of his fav film "full screen" cuts out.

As for other examples, use big titles like "Star Wars".

[rhett]

The benchmark I always use in comparing Full Screen to widescreen is during the climax of Halloween, when Laurie backs up against the door and out from the shadows comes Michael Myers with the little chime sound. In the Full Screen version, you can't even see him come out of the shadows, and the chime seems totally out of place. But in the widescreen everything makes sense. Whenever my friends see that they say its night and day.

It just baffles me that companies actually supported the destruction of art when VHS first started. Had companies released letterbox all along then there would be no hassle, everyone would be converted.

I think companies should simply all just sign a pact to release widescreen versions only, therefore there will be no options for the consumer and those who don't know better will be forced to accept the black bars. Then we wouldn't have to put up with all this nonsense.

[Paff]

Try this:

get both widescreen and pan & scam copies of Pulp Fiction. Show the scene in widescreen where Jules shoots the kid on the couch. ("Oh, I'm sorry, did I break your concentration?"). Show the scene TWICE. Then show it a third time, but have your friend CLOSE HIS EYES and try to picture the scene in his head.

Then show him the pan & scam version, and see if he can argue that there's no difference.

If he starts in on open matte, where they actually do mask off the top and bottom of the picture for widescreen, show a full-frame copy of Hell Night with it's infamous boom mikes.


Also, how can someone find the "black bars" to be annoying?!?!? They're not in the way of anything, and theyre black -- just ignore them!!!


This is where removeable black mattes on your screen will come in handy. If you can't see the black bars, they can't be annoying!

[Joel Groce]

In "Deep Red", there is a scene where the 2 pianists are discussing the first murder (David Hemmings and his friend) and they are in the street at great distance between each other - I believe in the pan and scan version you can't see either of the characters in this scene - you can just hear their voices while looking at the empty street. This kind of stuff destroys the whole visual feel of the film.

I know this is "old hat", but I still can't believe Artisan's fullframe release of "Sleepless" - clueless, clueless.

[Trout]

The only thing you can do is get your friend really drunk and when he passes out, smother him with a pillow.

[rxfiend]

I know this is "old hat", but I still can't believe Artisan's fullframe release of "Sleepless" - clueless, clueless.

speaking of Artisan, what's the deal with releasing P&S versions of Sleepless and Ginger Snaps???? are they getting lazy or something??

[zombi3]

While we're on the topic, does anyone know the reason for Artisan's stupidity with their Sleepless release? I remember reading somewhere that they made it P&S to please a certain video store franchise, which doesn't make sense to me because they released the dvd unrated. And, if I'm not mistaken, Cocksucker Video will not carry unrated titles.

P.S.: Let's not forget all the cool extras originally announced for the Sleepless disc, yanked away at the last possible minute! Artisan REALLY dropped the ball on this one.

[DefJeff]

i find it funny that Artisan bothered to get the rights to this movie, then release it p&s for the masses, when this is a niche movie that the average consumer isnt gonna just pick up and buy

[Black_Mandarin]

Stab one of his eyes out. He obviously doesnt need the extra vision.

[Yowie]

It's hard to believe we all all probably saw it that way years and years ago, I know I did. 20 years ago I used to be just as ignorant whenever there was a letterboxed movie on TV, cursing those black bars and hoping they would go away once the movie got under way. Back then you just didn't know better. Somehow it didn't register that the movies you saw in the theaters looked different than the versions on TV or video, because you weren't informed and made aware of it anywhere. But these days there's no longer any excuse not to know the advantages of letterboxing. I don't mind the bars, in fact they can even enhance the enjoyment because you know you're watching a movie and not a TV show. The way I see it, only dickheads prefer fullscreen versions today, and they have no argument of any value anymore. In essence, the TV viewer/video consumer shouldn't decide what the movie should look like, the director should. Therefore, Rhett's idea about the companies ought to be studio policy; it's this way or the highway, baby !.

[K']

Originally posted by rxfiend
I know this is "old hat", but I still can't believe Artisan's fullframe release of "Sleepless" - clueless, clueless.

speaking of Artisan, what's the deal with releasing P&S versions of Sleepless and Ginger Snaps???? are they getting lazy or something??

Only Sleepless was pan&scan. Ginger Snaps was open matte (which is also bad, but not as bad as pan&scan).


In general I think studios should put documentaries about letterboxing on their dvds. Fox did this with their Die Hard box set and it really shows how pan&scan is mutilating and raping the visual style of a movie.

[Agent Z]

Check out the full-frame version of FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3...in the beginning recap (using the footage from part 2, natch)..Amy Steel runs into the shack for protection..pauses for a moment and then starts screaming for no apparent reason. Now....look at the same scene in the widescreen format and we see Amy enter the shack AND we can see through a window in the corner that Jason is not far behind and gaining fast on the shack.....a predicament that Amy soon takes note of...hence the screaming. :p The widescreen version makes a BIG difference!

[rxfiend]

Originally posted by K'


Only Sleepless was pan&scan. Ginger Snaps was open matte (which is also bad, but not as bad as pan&scan).




wasn't it this site (horrordvds) that showed what the Canadian widescreen Ginger Snaps dvd looked compared to Artisan's dvd? as in there is a little more info on the sides on the Canadian disc rather than the full frame artisan.

still doesn't matter as Artisan should have known better!! if they keep this up, i won't be purchasing dvds from them anymore.

[evileye]

Basically try anything shot in 2.35:1 scope and there will be vital information missing from the sides.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3, WITCHES OF EASTWICK, RETURN OF THE JEDI and such are truely awful fullscreen examples. Even worse are older, wide films like 2001, IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD, BEN-HUR and such.

Unfortunately, many people just don't care about what they watch and see no artistic value in film and composition. Those are the people you just have to pass on serious critique of cinema. They are usually unaware of lighting, editing and the amount of hard work that goes into what flashes before their glazed eyes.

[KillerQ]

Nicely Put, rx!