A FILM CRITIC who HATES widescreen? (1 Viewer)

[Ricardo C]

That's funny, as most reviewers I read (Ebert, for one) rarely mention framing, camera movement, etc. Seems they concentrate on the plot and acting.

Actually, Ebert regularly comments on the cinematography, and has a few choice words for people who prefer P&S.

 

[Lew Crippen]

That's funny, as most reviewers I read (Ebert, for one) rarely mention framing, camera movement, etc. Seems they concentrate on the plot and acting.

I’m going to assume that you don’t believe that not being aware of the cinematography is OK for a critic.

Aside from that we must read very different critics. Strangely, I too read Ebert.

 

[rin]

How many people that claim to be die-hard pro-OAR, secretly stretch or zoom 4x3 films or "TV programming" to fit their 16x9 display?

Well, you for one it would seem, Mika.

I used to stretch TV shows on my CRT based WS RPTV for fear of burn in. Not once however, did I EVER stretch a 4:3 AR film to fit my wide screen.
I now have an LCD FP so I don't have to worry about burn in and I don't stretch anything.

 

[Mika-H]

That's your problem, don't try to imply everyone else mangles their picture the same way.

Not to implicate you, but I base my ASSumption on what people have said on this forum. I have read numerous posts where pro-OAR members of this forum stretch and zoom 4x3 material for their 16x9 screens. They have used the excuse that "TV shows" can be "mangled" in this manner since they aren't "high art". Hmm? Can you say "waffle"?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

That's funny, as most reviewers I read (Ebert, for one) rarely mention framing, camera movement, etc. Seems they concentrate on the plot and acting.

It seems you have never read Ebert outside of his weekly column (and definately not often at that). Ebert regularly talks about framing, cinematography, camera movement etc. in his reviews of classic films on the suntimes website. He also dedicates at least 3 audio commentaries (Citizen Kane, Casablanca and Dark City) to discussions that hardly ever mention plot and characters - they are 95% about the director's techniques. Do not take offense to this, but hearing/viewing one of these fine commentaries amy go a long way towards learning why OAR is so important. Strange enough, you would be learning about OAR from commentary about 2 films that are academy ratio (yes, OAR applies to 4:3 films too).

 

[Ricardo C]

Not to implicate you, but I base my ASSumption on what people have said on this forum. I have read numerous posts where pro-OAR members of this forum stretch and zoom 4x3 material for their 16x9 screens. They have used the excuse that "TV shows" can be "mangled" in this manner since they aren't "high art". Hmm? Can you say "waffle"?

If people do that, then they too are guilty of disrespecting a feature's OAR. What's your point? Do any of us here debating with you do this? I don't believe so.

 

[ChuckSolo]

I have finally come to the realization that MOST folks that I know who watch DVD movies absolutely hate the dreaded "black bars" and actually do prefer P&S. It has gotten to the point that I just don't say anything anymore, even when they zoom the picture to fill up the screen on a 4.3 45" TV! On the other hand, when they come over to my house, they are forced to watch the movie in the OAR. I am always asked why the "black bars" don't bother me. I will NOT zoom the picture no matter how much they beg (and they do beg)! I simply explain to them that I want to watch the WHOLE movie picture NOT just part of it. They ask me what I mean, and more often than not they are amazed at how much they miss when they purchase a P&S version of a movie instead of the widescreen version. The thing is, how many of us on these forums actually had to get used to the "black bars" before we began to not notice them and enjoyed the movie in the OAR? I have to admit that it took me a while.

 

[Derek_McL]

I'm pro OAR and against pan and scan.But the idea that there are less than 350 fullscreen only titles !? If that is the case I must have at least 200 of them and there are loads more made before the Fifties on my wanted list. IMHO the majority of the greatest films ever made weren't made in widescreen.

Yes a critic should talk out cinematography etc and matching the original framing of a film on DVD is important but more important than the plot or the acting I don't know. One thing is for sure very rarely is a great film made by cinematography alone there must be characters and a plot we can believe in too.

I would never buy a DVD just because its a dazzling modern widescreen production with an impeccable transfer. Give me a wonderful eigthy year old silent classic with heart and depth over that any day.

So while I usually wouldn't buy a pan and scan version of a widescreen film the actual content is the over-riding factor in my DVD purchases. In other words : am I actually going to watch this ?

 

[Julian Lalor]

Just like there are people out there who don't like Chevy's, but if there was a web site that was dedicated to Chevy talk, you wouldn't DARE try to tell them that Chevy Sucks and Ford is better.

We're talking about a conversation that occurred in a large retail outlet, not a specialist forum. No-one here is arguing that P&S is an preferrable to widescreen to any other member. I really think we all should have better things to do in life than crow about how great it was to put some "Joe-six-pack" in his place at the local Walmart.

 

[Cees Alons]

Hmm, so now we're in the realm of the personal testimony again?

The point of this thread was not to discuss why anyone would like widescreen-only (and hate 1.33:1 films), or want to stretch 4x3 images or hates black bars.

Nor whether or not someone loves 4x3 films better than modern widescreen movies.

The question (I think) was: how can someone seriously believe he's a film critic, when he prefers to watch some of those films with big parts chopped off on both sides of the image? Or boom-mikes added to the top of the image?

Cees

 

[Dave H]

It's not like any of you are forced to watch a film in pan and scan.

Not entirely true. Many DVDs have been released ONLY in pan and scan because of people's reluctance to "black bars." The studios and stores have bent over backwards for people who want pan and scan. So, these anti-widescreen people are ruining it for others. Pro-OAR people have had to fight very hard over the last several years...Willy Wonka anyone?

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Dave H,
I was just about to say the exact same thing.

Also, I think it's everyone's apparent paranoia of being cheated.

When I popped in my first 3 DVD's, they were WS/PS flippers. I had no idea what the difference was, but the bars didn't bother me. They seemed accurately framed. (this is from someone with a 13" tv)

I just assumed that it was correct. I never needed someone to "explain" it to me, or have to get used to it. It just never bothered me

 

[Lev-S]

In defense of my orginial statement, I think it should be said that he said that at one point in his life he WAS a film critic. I have no problem if some casual movie watcher wants to watch "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" in Pan and Scan, but the fact that the scope of "Two Towers" is so much larger and the Pan and Scan version quite mangled (despite being a Super 35 film) means that the customer HAS THE RIGHT to know what they are buying. Like I said previously, 85% of the people I spoke to didn't actually know what widescreen was. Only 10% still preferred to buy the Pan and Scan for their kids/husbands/wives etc. and 5% knew the difference, understood it perfectly, but still remained really closed minded and stubborn about it. It really boils down to this FULL MOVIE vs. FULL SCREEN. Why wouldn't you want the most (movie) picture for your money? It just seems childish and silly. Guess 20+ years of VHS will do that...

 

[Ric Bagoly]

More than likely the so-called "movie critic" who inspired this thread would have calmly explained he doesn't like widescreen BUT, probably because he had just tried talking to a pretty girl for the 50,000th time and had gotten the usual disgusted look and/or disinterest, he decided to "snap" at our fellow forum member and talk loud and proud about hating widescreen because acting like that makes him feel better. So it was probably nothing personal that you were trying to explain it to him Lev, he was just venting off his sexual frustration, that age-old enemy of adult white males...

 

[Ryan Wishton]

For some reason I dont think this guy was a film critic...

I just dont know... Sounds kind of shaddy to me...

He was probably just mentally ill and thought he was a film critic that day...

Today he probably thinks he is a cowboy...

 

[Malcolm R]

Same here. I can't figure out why black bars are such a big deal to people. They've never bothered me in the least. It's widescreen. There are black bars. C'est la vie!

 

[Ricardo C]

For some reason I dont think this guy was a film critic...

I just dont know... Sounds kind of shaddy to me...

He was probably just mentally ill and thought he was a film critic that day...

Today he probably thinks he is a cowboy...

Ah, that explains it! Lev lives in Dark City

 

[Andrew Bunk]

I guess I should have been clearer in my statement-my fault...

I didn't mean films where the OAR is 1.33:1-I meant titles that were either released with separate WS and FS versions (i.e. Two Towers), or movies that were released full screen only that were OAR widescreen (Big Fat Liar comes to mind.) So under that criteria, I'd be surprised if there are over 350 MAR'ed only DVD's out there.

Obviously most movies before the 60's were academy ratio and should be displayed as such.

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

The thing is, how many of us on these forums actually had to get used to the "black bars" before we began to not notice them and enjoyed the movie in the OAR? I have to admit that it took me a while.

Not me. I certainly noticed them but I embraced them as well. Movies with the black bars always seemed more epic to me. Now, this was back when I had no idea in what OAR was or that films were shot in different aspect ratios (hell, I assumed everything was 4x3). The first film I saw in widescreen seemed so much more grandiose and I was hooked.

Bruce

 

[Dan Rudolph]

I used to do customer service by phone and trust me, people will claim all kinds of things if they think it gives their arguement more weight. I dealt with people who claimed to be lawyers or telephone repairmen when they obviously weren't all the time.