GUYS AND DOLLS - 2006 DVD is botched!

Chuck Pennington · 10-01-2006, 03:27 AM

Hey everyone,

Well, I got the new 2006 DVD release of GUYS AND DOLLS. It is in anamorphic widescreen, so I figured it would be a welcome upgrade to the flat widescreen 2000 DVD transfer. Well, in many ways it is - but it is also CROPPED on ALL FOUR SIDES and SQUISHED to boot! It's as if it was transferred with a 2.35:1 lens and not a 2.55:1 lens in the telecine! THEN it was zoomed in on all four sides! The musical numbers have the dancers feet completely cut off at the bottom of the frame, and the top of Brando's head is often cropped as well! What's sad is this is a new high definition transfer that was downconverted for DVD use - so future airings and video releases may be mastered from this flawed transfer! :-(

I didn't read a word about this in any review online. Am I the only person who started to watch the new DVD only to feel everything was framed too tightly? I'm glad I held onto my old one to compare.

I tried to get the frames as exact as I could with the program I use to grab stills from DVDs. A full gallery of images (2000 DVD followed by 2006 DVD) can be found here:
http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...20DOLLS%20DVD/

Here are some samples, the original DVD followed by the "superior remastered" one:

I wonder if anyone but me has noticed this? GRRRR!!!! And what's more is whom do I contact? MGM? Columbia, who distributed this title for them this past spring? Fox, who now controls distribution of MGM titles?

I guess I'll be sticking with my old version. The cropping is very noticeable when one is trying to watch the new DVD.

Chuck

Brandon Conway · 10-01-2006, 03:42 AM

It was previously discussed in this thread:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...ght=guys+dolls

As for who to contact, MGM is the responsible party. Sony was, and Fox is now, only the distributor.

Chuck Pennington · 10-01-2006, 04:06 AM

Thanks Brandon! :-) I'm glad I'm not the only one that got the new disc and almost immediately sensed something was wrong.



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