TITANIC: You all knew this was coming... (1 Viewer)

[Ben Houston]

They should release sometime in the future:

- The fullscreen version of Titanic. Since it's a Super 35 movie, a fullscreen alternative edition should be available.

- The 27 minute featurette "HBO First Look: The Heart of The Ocean". It's available on the 4-disc CE edition released on Brazil (R4/NTSC). Also available on UK and Portugal. Not available on R1.

And also they should include the Deleted scenes via seamless branching into the film.

 

[Nick Martin]

I've seen parts of it full screen on TV, and like most Super 35-shot films the hard-matted effects shots suffer because they have to be pan and scanned.

 

[Lord Dalek]

And the open matte shots suffer because they have way too much dead space.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Um, no.

If the foolscreeners don't like the OAR version than that's tough shit.

Don't mean to be so blunt but I don't take catering to the ignorance in regards to open matting and pan and scan lightly.

Do you guys realize that tomorrow is the 10 year anniversary of the day Hollywood and James Cameron gave us this fine film? Wow, time flies.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

The initial reviews of the VHS release suggested that the best way to watch Titanic was fullscreen for the first tape, and widescreen for the second, effects-heavy tape. My only issue with this is that the underwater sequences in the first half of the film were actually shot in 2-perf Techniscope. That, and the fact that pan-and-scan BS annoys me.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I remember that review for the VHS and IMO it's utter nonsense.

Saying that only SOME of a film is worth seeing in it's OAR and the rest doesn't really matter is absolutely absurd, it's the reason my blood boils when they show Ben Hur in pan and scan on cable and then switch it to it's OAR for the chariot race only. Every frame of that film deserves to be in it's OAR and so does Titanic.

I know that most if not all of you are with me here so i'm really just venting, I need to do that every now and again in regards to this topic or i'll pop.

 

[Nick Martin]

I think it has to do with the fact that if you see a film in its OAR only, you simply wouldn't know that for some films there's quite a bit more to see that's revealed in a Super 35-to-fullscreen converted image shown on VHS or television. You end up seeing that fullscreen version, notice those 'dead spots' and at first think, 'why didn't I see that in the widescreen version?'.

From then on you're curious as to what the whole thing looks like.
I never noticed much of anything with this film, but a film like Independence Day, which I've seen in both formats countless times, certainly made me ask that question because there were noticeable differences between them.

Setting aside the issue of presentation being right or wrong, I think from a purely analytical point of view, seeing a film open-matte would make for an interesting study - looking at the decisions behind every shot when comparing it to its OAR.

 

[TravisR]

I've watched Titanic once or twice on cable in full frame so I could see more of the sets and costumes. The sets are so good that it was interesting to see a little more of them (eventhough the 'new' stuff I was seeing wasn't meant to be seen in those shots).

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I hear what you guys are saying but I simply am not curious as to what is outside of the composed area in films. With Titanic I had seen so much behind the scenes material on the film before even seeing it that I already knew what those sets looked like from top to bottom.

Putting out a fullscreen edition of films simply to satisfy curiosity as to what else is there to see isn't a valid enough reason IMO, in fact there is no reason to ever release a fullscreen version of Titanic. One can just as easily wait until said film premieres on cable and see what's missing then, no need to flood the market with that crap for no reason other than that.

If it sounds like I hate open matting and pan and scan with a passion it's because I do lol.

 

[Paul.S]

Well JC's interesting letter "The Letterbox Heresies, Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Pan & Scan" paints a more complicated picture. Lest we derail the thread and get into a whole 'nother discussion, suffice it to say that there's a reason JC insisted upon the "pan & scan" DVD release of The Abyss, which I've long wanted to see for the 'academic' reasons Nicholas mentions.

So do we have confirmation that the 10th anni release is simply discs 1 & 2 of the SCE?

Indeed, hard to believe it was 10 years ago tomorrow night that I was at the Mann Village theater in Westwood, sitting with a crowd full of crew who worked on the picture, having an unforgettable experience.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I remember the reason he wanted the fullscreen edition of The Abyss on laser, it was because the lower rez of that format warranted, in his eyes, the need for as much resolution as possible and that was it.

I believe that the 10th anny edition is indeed just a repackaging of discs 1 & 2 from the three disc edition. Strange that this occasion isn't being marked by, well, anything other than this dvd release, I thought for sure they would reissue the film in theaters for a brief time.

Oh well, maybe on the 20th anniversary we'll get that, probably with enhanced visual effects Spielberg/Lucas-style which IMO the film could use (please don't bash me, i'll love the original til' the day I die) I was never happy with the break-up sequence, too clean with not enough chaotic crumbling and debris coming off the hull (like what was found in the debris field and what Ken Marshall depicted in his painting of the break-up). Plus I see a lot of deck eqipment on the wrong side in the flipped shots and a missing porthole on the stern during the "Ode To Titanic" sequence that could be added.

 

[TravisR]

If they do that rumored 3-D release, I think that'll come out no matter what year it is. At least I hope that's the case. Screw waiting for an anniversary ending in '5' or '0'.

 

[Nick Martin]

I wasn't supporting a fullscreen release of the film, I was merely offering a plausible reason to view a film open matte. It is interesting that there never was a fullscreen DVD release since the choice of wide or full was pretty much even for the VHS. I applaud Paramount for that.

 

[Nick Martin]

I laugh every time I see the "July 2" release date attached to the presentation reel (the early 5 minute trailer with the Enya music).

What the hell were they thinking with a release date like that?

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I agree, this film has, to me anyway, become just as associated with Christmas as 'Frosty the Snowman' and 'Jingle Bells' lol. I can't imagine it being released at any other time of the year.

This might sound cheesy but because my heart was already open during the holidays it might be one of the reasons why the film managed to invade it and affect me so deeply when I saw it on Christmas eve (couldn't see it opening day as I was down with the Flu). Not the only reason mind you but one of the many reasons.

I suppose that statement is ironic since I was so utterly in a daze when I came out from seeing it that I almost forgot it was Christmas lol.

 

[cafink]

I confess I find it amusing that someone with such a hostile response to the rather innocuous suggestion of a full-screen release for those who might like it would be so enthusiastic about a reworked version of the film.

I guess it's okay to watch an altered version of the movie as long as John approves of the alterations.

 

[TravisR]

I'm not trying to speak for John or go off topic but the changes made to Star Wars were made by the creator. Like them or not, the guy who made the movie wanted it that way and that's the same idea behind OAR.

 

[cafink]

John said that he would like some of Titanic's special effects upgraded in a future release. Has James Cameron every said anything about wanting to upgrade them? I've never heard anything to that effect, so the changes John is talking about would be no more in accordance with the director's wishes than would a full-screen version, especially considering that (as has already been mentioned) Cameron is one of Hollywood's more full-screen-friendly directors.

 

[Nick Martin]

Cameron did alter one visual effect technique for the SE DVD:

All the blue-screen/green-screen shots were color corrected to remove the blue 'glow' around people, specifically hair blowing in the wind. Check out the scene with Rose attempting to jump off the ship before meeting Jack as an example.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Carl, Cameron could add alterations and he could not, I was simply making conversation, that's all. True that nothing was said that indicated that he would do so I was simply commenting on the trend of rereleasing older films theatrically and adding things to them.

I really couldn't care less if he does so or not but those shots I referred to just have always bugged me everytime I watch the film, things that could easily be rectified if Cameron so chose.

Stop looking for conspiracies in people's statement's that just aren't there.