Biggest Pan & Scan Atrocity? (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyHK]

What's your vote for the biggest Pan & Scan only offense in the DVD world? The one that really ticks you off.
My vote goes to The Sting. Winner of 7 Academy awards and all we have is a POS P&S release!

 

[Tony-B]

The pan and scan only release that ticks me off the most has to be Happy Gilmore. I really like that movie, but I refuse to buy it since it is P&S.

 

[Patrick Mirza]

Anyone ever see the early 80's VHS release of HALLOWEEN? I've kept that little gem for the atrociousness of both its color and the pan&scan.

 

[John M. Ford]

The one that makes me mad is "The Shadow" I have it on laser and I was really looking forward to the WS dvd. Never happened.
johnf

 

[Andre F]

The pan and scan only release that ticks me off the most has to be Happy Gilmore. I really like that movie, but I refuse to buy it since it is P&S.

One of my favorite movies of all time. I, of course own it but would love a widescreen version.

 

[LukeB]

In terms of DVD release, Muppet Christmas Carol (which was widescreen on laserdisc, even) or Happy Gilmore. Or Cheetah.

In terms of worst-looking pan & scan exclusive DVDs, I'd go with The Journey of Natty Gann.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

The Sting is not P&S, it is open matte, as is Happy Gilmore. That still doesn't make it right, but there are far worse things than an open matte transfer - at least you are getting all of the image (at least the vast majority of it) that you should have seen, with more top and bottom.

Look at Fierce Creatures for an example of true pan and scan.

 

[Brandon Conway]

I remember watching the VHS P&S release of Multiplicity. Worst P&S job I have ever suffered through. My friend and I were actually getting queasy from all the unnatural pans during the movie.
That was the last time I ever submitted myself to the atrocity. I simply will not watch a film now unless it is OAR.
So basically, I've been P&S free since 1997.

 

[Matt Pelham]

I was just about to mention that one. Multiplicity is the most excessively pan+scanned movie EVER! Most of the movie is composed of static special fx shots with the multiple characters interacting and moving around. The Pans and scans are enough to make your head spin.

 

[JohnnyHK]

Thanks for the info, Jeff. I was going by IMDb's entry that labels it as Pan & Scan instead of Unmatted. I've always resisted even renting it for that reason. As you say, open matte's definitely a step up from P&S.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I was going by IMDb's entry that labels it as Pan & Scan instead of Unmatted.

The place to look on the IMDB (not that it's always right, mind you) is the technical specs link. If the film is shot spherical and at 1.85:1, chances are a fullframe transfer is unmatted. You still lose a slight amount of the sides, but nothing like a scope film with 1/3 of the picture missing.

 

[DeanR]

You want to see atrocious a P&S release, compare the Laserdisc of Ninth Configuration with the recently released widescreen DVD. I don't know how I ever watched that Laserdisc.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Ben-Hur, It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and Gone With The Wind.

The first 3 are impossible to watch in P&S form. Gone With The Wind was cropped to 2.21:1 in the 1960's for 70mm showing. The thought of taking such a beautifully composed film and tilt n' scanning it to widescreen makes me sick. It's nice to know the elements to it have faded into oblivion. Let them rot!

As for DVD...

What was MGM thinking when they released Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in P&S-only? It has the dishonor of being the only P&S-only 65mm film on DVD. I'm hoping they correct it with a very nice anamorphic widescreen DVD.

I'm surprised to see mentions of The Sting, Muppet Christmas Carol, and other flat films. At the most, they just get a tiny bit of image cropped as opposed to real P&S transfers such as the kind made for anamorphic and wide guage films.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

I'm surprised to see mentions of The Sting, Muppet Christmas Carol, and other flat films. At the most, they just get a tiny bit of image cropped as opposed to real P&S transfers such as the kind made for anamorphic and wide guage films.

Yeah, as much as pan/scan sucks in any form, I would save the word "atrocity" for something shot in scope or 65mm that was panned & scanned.
By the way, a widescreen version of The Sting has been available for quite a while in regions 2 and 4. I think I got mine for less than $15 or so.
Jeff

 

[Malcolm R]

Academy Award-Winning "Best Picture" Driving Miss Daisy. Shameful.

 

[LukeB]

I'm surprised to see mentions of The Sting, Muppet Christmas Carol, and other flat films. At the most, they just get a tiny bit of image cropped as opposed to real P&S transfers such as the kind made for anamorphic and wide guage films.

Well, there aren't a heck of a lot of 2.35:1 films that are only available in P & S on DVD, and that's what I thought was the thread topic.

Which is why I separated my picks into two different categories - films which are biggest atrocities visually and my favorite movies that are only P & S on DVD which most tick me off.

 

[Joshua Clinard]

Patrick beat me to it. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! It's the first thing I thought of when I read the thead title.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Star Wars is pretty horrific (all movies0

Anything by David Lean, especially Lawrence and Zhivago

 

[Patrick McCart]

Well, there aren't a heck of a lot of 2.35:1 films that are only available in P & S on DVD, and that's what I thought was the thread topic.

Very true. In fact, there really are just a handful of those sort of DVDs.

Also, one thing to remember that early P&S DVDs such as The Sting and Driving Miss Daisy were not done in low regard for the films, but rather to get the films on DVD as quickly as possible. Despite widescreen masters probably existing...the truth is that DVD just wasn't that big in 1997.

That being said, properly matted widescreen editions of these films should be made when the time comes. Since both are bigger titles, I think there is room for improvement.

Both WB and Universal have become excellent DVD producers and 16x9 transfers of the two films could potentially look fantastic.

However...given Buena Vista and Columbia's current "quickie release marathon," I doubt we'll see a correct AR version of many of their botched titles soon. There is no excuse in 2002 to be putting old TV/LD/VHS transfers on DVD but cheapness.

 

[Brenton]

To me, it's a tie between Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island.
THEY'RE NOT KID MOVIES!!!