Posted on 12/06/2004 11:15:57 AM PST by ambrose
A plea: Avoid full screen DVDs
THE "Spider-Man 2" people sent me a "full screen" copy of their snazzy blockbuster. Glass half full: It's always nice to be remembered, especially with one of the year's best films and one of the all-time great comic-book adaptations.
Glass completely empty: I hate full screen. It's like watching only part of a movie. If paintings were presented in full screen, a Mona Lisa close-up would lack ears. Or she would appear with only half a smile.
I exaggerate, but that's my job, and you get the idea.
Most DVDs let you choose between full screen or widescreen. Some give you both options of the same disc, one on either side. Others, such as "Spider-Man 2," insist you purchase one or the other. Buyer's remorse gets you no sympathy in this business. Choose widescreen.
On standard TVs, compressed widescreen, aka letterbox, versions play across the middle of the screen. Horizontal black bands appear above and below the picture.
Reportedly, many people find the black bands annoying so they opt for full screen, which is also known as pan and scan. Pan and scan is a crime against nature. Carrying the warning, "Formatted to fit your TV screen," pan and scan fills the entire screen.
But to do so, it must cut out slices of the original images the filmmaker worked so hard to create. Often, so much of the picture is trimmed that the fragmented leftovers look like visual noise.
In "Spider-Man 2," for instance, rather than the Web-slinger swinging gracefully across vast cityscapes, he appears hemmed in by narrow passageways as he swings back and forth like a repressed pendulum. Oh, the inhumanity. When Spidey and evil Doc Ock face each other in the same frame, you sometimes get half of Doc Ock addressing half of Spidey.
This is not a horror film, but it could be. At times the camera pans from one character to the other instead of allowing you to see both at the same time.
That's not the worst sin in the universe but it comes close, especially if you view movies as art.
So let somebody else watch full-screen versions; you deserve better and so do the movies.
Buyer be aware ... If you are hunting for the perfect DVD for a holiday gift, take a peek at the Home Theater compilation of "The top 100 DVDs of all time, with a new attitude." The list was printed in the August 2004 edition of the glossy.
I'll give you the top choice in each category. You can chase down the rest on www.hometheatermag.com
Best music DVD was "The Beatles Anthology." Best TV on DVD, "Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series Limited Edition."
"The Alien Quadrilogy" was No. 1 under best extras. "Finding Nemo" earned the top slot under best video, meaning clearest image. "Saving Private Ryan DTS" was picked as best audio.
"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Special Extended DVD Edition" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Special Extended DVD Edition" were chosen Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in best overall DVDs.
Keep in mind that the selections were made prior to the release of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Special Extended DVD Edition." The latter comes out Dec. 14.
Around the Bay ... Five films by San Francisco residents will be screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, which runs Jan. 20-30 in Park City, Utah.
Announced last week, the selections include three features in the documentary competition: "The Fall of Fujimori" by Ellen Perry, "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" by Henry Rosenthal and "Romantico" by Mark Becker.
"Ballets Russes," a documentary by Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, will be shown in the noncompetitive "special screenings" division. "The Joy of Life," an experimental film by Jenni Olson, will play in the noncompetitive "frontiers" section.
Name that film ... Don V. wants to know the name of an old "farcical comedy." Here's what he remembers; The scene is a bishop's or priest's residence office. "The featured actor (Woody Allen?) is there to make some kind of request," Don writes. "The bishop's housekeeper, way up in age, is bringing them coffee(?), and it takes forever; she is a very slow walker, and she suffers from an extreme case of flatulence but doesn't know it because she is also deaf. Ring a bell?"
Maybe. Any of you know? Call or write; you know the drill.
DVD spotlight ... The December glut begins with an eclectic array.
"The Bourne Supremacy" should satisfy those in the mood for bloodletting and blurry car chases shot with hand-held cameras. The all-action, no-substance sequel to the superior "The Bourne Identity" plays better on the small screen than on the big. And Matt Damon succeeds for the a second time (eat your heart out, Ben Affleck) as troubled, amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne. Extras include a feature titled "Blowing Things Up."
Its goofiness is the raison d'etre for the Vince Vaughn-Ben Stiller comedy "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." Any movie built around adults playing competitive dodgeball can find a spot in my house. The disc includes a blooper reel.
"Matrix" junkies will no doubt drool over the more than 35 hours of extras included in the 10-disc "The Ultimate Matrix Collection." Isolate them from the rest of the people at your party.
Out Tuesday on DVD ... "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid," "Bandit Queen," "The Bourne Supremacy," "The Complete Pluto (Volume One)," "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," "The Girl from Paris," "Hermitage Masterpieces," "Hi, Mom!," "How to Steal a Million," "Infernal Affairs," "Julia Child! America's Favorite Chef" and "The Love Machine."
Also: "Maria Full of Grace" (with best-actress possibility Catalina Sandino Moreno), "The Mickey Mouse Club (Week One)," "Mickey Mouse in Black and White (Volume Two)," "The Phantom of the Opera" (with Robert Englund), "Smooth Talk," "Species III," "Transfixed," "The Ultimate Matrix Collection," "Wild at Heart Special Edition" (Nicolas Cage meet David Lynch) and "Young Doctors in Love."
Mail your movie-related questions, answers or insights to The Movie Guy, c/o Bay Area Living, 4770 Willow Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588. Faxes can be sent to (925) 416-4874. E-mail The Movie Guy at bcaine@angnewspapers.com or call him at (925) 416-4806.
>>Why not have it in Fremont, under the statue of Lenin that they just decorated for Christmas.<<
With all due respect, I think you overestimate them - and I wouldn't describe them as "masses."
To most people, the standard line would be "it's just a movie, for crying out loud."
I know people that collect 78's and 45's as well as the equipment to play them. They (the people) are most definitely an "odity" and would in no way be described as "masses."
http://www.in70mm.com/newsletter/2001/64/grandeur/grandeur.htm
Have you been to ebay lately?
Oh ok, I was aware that there were putative wide screen formats before the standard Scope format came into general use. Napoleon was the one I always associated with it. Just like there were various early attempts at color but 1935's Becky Sharp was the first film in the color process that's went into widespread use.
>>They're the ones with $$$ in their pockets to burn... <<
Well, you're right - individually speaking. What I mean is that they don't cound to most people and hardware/software dealers and manufacturers.
Kind of like, most auto parts stores don't carry parts for a 1939 Mercedes 500K. Of course, collectors will pay dearly for parts from people who have them. Napa Auto Parts still is not beating a path to their door, however. 8^>
After a few minutes my eyes block out the black band atop and below the movie, but my TV screen isn't huge and it's not like one is sitting in the theater. I like the movies that have both options.
Um why do you think that Disney is investing in the DVD format by reauthoring all their older library films like Bambi and converting them to 16x9? Because its all profit. I wouldn't worry about the films put out in the 40s and 50s and them only being available in full frame.
Only recently have people been able to record on DVDs.
It was a hollow argument.
The market was based around "home taping" off air and "renting" Hollywood movies.
With DVD the price point has pushed to "sell through" movies to the home consumer (with nothing except Criterion discs being priced more for rental).
DVDs don't handle so well (much easier to scratch) so maybe it is better that they push sell through over rental.
Still, I have cut down on my DVD buying by joining Netflix (and recently learned of Nicheflix for non-region1 DVD mailorder rental in the US).
>>Have you been to ebay lately?<<
Well, yes, there are always collectors of out of print stuff. I wonder what I could get for my "Pilot" GI Joe still in its olive green WOOD box that has been stored in a box in my attic since I got it, Christmas 1964?
That doesn't mean the old GI Joes are coming back. It is the RARITY that makes them valuable.
Likewise with laserdiscs. They're quaint - and dead - to all but so called "collectors" with some leftover disposable income.
Nobody seems to want to talk about "laser rot," btw...
Too bad you missed the 1/2 price Criterion DVD sale on dvdempire.com.
Why so bitter about the DVD format when it offers better video?
There are posters I know on newsgroups like alt.video.laserdisc who make a ton of $$$ because they know how to repair the older machines. The OT of SW for one has actually caused a surge in the format.
I'll buy DVDs (sometimes even of titles that I already have) but I do not feel that I must replace EVERYTHING in my collection.
As to laser rot, I am well within my legal rights to transfer a film from LD to another format (hometaping) whether that new format is recordable DVD or whatever.
There are some things I doubt that the studios will release again (especially when there were less than 1,000 copies of some LDs pressed). It was a niche market and was not as prone to controversy.
I don't feel I have to replace everying in my library either. I enjoy both formats...
I'm with ya. I have had very good success with car wax, btw.
We use netflix and go to the pawn shop for purchases. Two weeks ago I got a pristene WIDESCREEN version of The Battle Of Britton" and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" for FIVE DOLLARS EACH! And they come with a guarantee.
The only time we buy dvd's new is for presents. And that is rare.
We only have about 100 movies and we are finding there is less and less that we would want to watch more than once. I had all the star wars on laser, along with Dr. Strangelove and Pulse by pink floyd. I had multiple versions of movies and some original stuff from the infancy of laser. I even had a couple of "technical" disks to set up your video system. I also had two extremely interesting discs of "ephemeral" films. I had a CAV version of "Duel."
Ultimately, it is all pretty worthless stuff though. As I get older, I find I enjoy DOING things more than WATCHING things. Video games trump movies almost every time. Then there is the bicycle, the motorcycle, and playing the bass, which are all more rewarding than watching movies OR playing video games.
>>The OT of SW for one has actually caused a surge in the format.<<
How do you define "surge?" Who ramped up LV PLAYER production recently?
It is a collectors item, and all that that implies.
I was one of the biggest proponents and I still think they had a lot to offer before being trumped by technology, as always happens...
They were great in their time.
BTW, I had a friend in the seventies that made a part of his living repairing and restoring old acoustic 78 record players.
They were still dead....
DVD compression SUCKS at times.
Forced lockout of fast forward during opening FBI warnings and corporate logos.
No keypad "chapter number" access to individual cuts (you have to use the menu).
Little control of the player without the remote (90% of the functionality is confined to that device which can break or become lost).
Hidden features (Easter Eggs) that are advertised on the packaging. I'm not a small child. Don't make me look for functionality I PAID FOR.
The previously mentioned single frame and fast forward issues.
Region coding (I defeated it and Hollywood came back with a scheme to not playback if a system is set to region 0, does nothing but waste my time as I can toggle the setting and STILL play the disc; just makes me certain that I will never BUY that troublesome disc).
DVD has great potential. Too bad that Hollywood jacks with the controls and some production companies can't follow the standards (or put out quality compression in this day and age).
DVD is a media like any other. I am not swayed by novelty gimmicks.
I have DVD. I acknowledge some improvements over laserdisc and also some steps backward.
Hopefully the next format will fix problems with this stepping stone technology.
Heh, heh. I had three Beta machines and just made sure I got plenty of viewings of all my tapes before the last player broke. The quality was not worth transferring to vhs or dvd, for obvious reasons. I started throwing away tapes as I felt I had seen them enough. By the time my last machine was going away I only had my three tapes with James Burke's "Connections" series that I had taped off PBS in 1980. I do kind of miss them, but it is really one of those "absence makes the heart grow fonder" things.
It is all ephemeral to me...
>>Region coding...<<
A few years ago my daughter came back from her "student exchange' trip from Germany. She had bought an armful of DVDs of her favorite with German subtitles/dubbing to help her with her German.
You know where I am going with this. 8^>
I had to explain region coding to her...
BTW, I have found that sometimes you can get past "lockout" by using fast forward instead of chapter advance - sometimes.
But it DOES suck, nonetheless.
No one is "making" new laserdisc players (although I hear that the final ones produced in Japan were really something).
There were around 1,000,000 machines in America. Now it seems that other movie geeks are slowly getting into the format in part because of their exposure to letterboxing and supplemental features through DVD.
I doubt that there are many people buying into old laserdisc for commonly available films but where there is an alternate edit, letterboxing, an out of print or never released title, better commentary, etc. I could see some of the fans buying into the format.
Some OOP DVDs are selling for hundreds of dollars. It can make LD seem cheap by comparison.
My Pioneer player was purchased new in 1988 and it is still humming along fine. I use it for CD playback daily and watch LDs on it several times a month. It has no problems with CD-Rs unlike my newer clock radio/CD player, my in-dash factory car CD player, etc. It can't play CD-RWs but then neither can my car or clock.
Durability. Something missing in the disposable technology of today.
78s may be an outmoded technology but there are plenty of new 33/45 turntables coming onto the market every year and new vinyl is still being pressed (better quality than ever before with some LPs, nice 180-220gram records). My turntable was modified to play 8 speeds of 78 in addition to LPs and singles (it has a separate stylus for 78s).
Combi-players are great, regardless of what they can play back.
One reason why I like what APEX does. Whatever the format, include it in there. Why should you have a DVD player, SACD player, and DVD-A player just so that you can have "the best performance" system for each format?
They are just going to sell you Sgt. Pepper's again when the NEXT technology (chip based playback?) comes along.
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