Smile (1975): Thank God it's being released, but: letterboxed? (1 Viewer)

[Frederic_A]

This is a little known classic, and DVD Savant has the first review:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1324smile.html

The topic isn't new, but what is it with these letterboxed releases? Is it such a big effort on the part of a DVD manufacturer to include anarmophic enhancement? (I'm not being rhetorical, that's a serious question.)

As much as I love the film, I simply can't bring myself to order this. Looks like I'll have to wait for a Region 2 PAL release to at least get some decent resolution on the picture.

 

[Paul_Scott]

yeah, i'm disappointed this isn't enhanced either, but i will still be picking it up.
MGM is strictly bottom of the barrel as far as i'm concerned.
releasing non anamorphic widescreen discs in 2004 is just amateurish.
they toss a lot of resources into polishing turds like Showgirls and give the shaft to brilliant little jewels like Smile.
they've been on my sh!t list ever since they put out atrocious non anamorphic transfers of Who'll Stop The Rain and the Jean DeFlorette/Manon movies.

but, true to form they are enhancing Roller Boogie which streets the same day.
while i actually will be picking RB up (guilty pleasure for sure), and was glad to see it was 16:9- it's galling to see a much higher quality film get, if not the shaft (it is OAR, at least), the shorter end of the stick.

Most of the time, if the transfer, compression and encoding are sound, 1.85 non-a films don't look so bad on my set-up (a 4:3 front pj).
'scope movies are where i really miss the increased resolution.
i realize though this doesn't apply to people with widescreen displays, they are still penalized, unfortunately

hopefully WB will buy them out.