Comprehensive NON-OAR DVD list (1 Viewer)

[Jay E]

Add Species R1 to that list.

What was wrong with the R1 DVD?

 

[John Berggren]

I've updated again.

Largely my scope is 1.33 formatted films that should be otherwise. I've included Star Trek 6 as I know the specifics of this instance. Before I include other films that are in widescreen but misframed, I need to do more research. Please bear with me.

The scope will not include the following:

1) Disney titles at 1.66. I've stated before that I beleive that this _IS_ the intend ratio for the titles it has been applied to. I've consulted with others who confirm this for me. We can argue about this, but it may be better served in another thread.

2) 1.85 titles framed at 1.78. I feel your pain but that is way too much for the scope of this thread. I'm ambivalent about this as well. I haven't concluded myself whether it's something I would be upset at.

3) Non-R1 Titles. I apologise, particularly to Anders who asked. Although R1 is hardly the be-all and end-all of DVD, I just have to limit the scope of this or it will become unweildy. I would highly encourage the creation of another thread for non-R1 or specific to R2 (or other regions).

Part of the point of this thread is to keep everyone informed about what titles are not OAR. I would love for someone to wonder about a particular title, look here, and be able to confirm it. (Then I'd like them to not buy it, and bitch and moan to the respective studios) It remains to be seen as to whether this will be successful.

The second point of this thread is this: I constantly hear one website after another declaring that Pan and Scan discs are not a big deal - that OAR will be dominant no matter what happens, and we aren't in danger of losing our favorite movies in OAR. Take a look at the list people. It grew faster than I thought it would, and I assure you - somebody's favorite film is on this list.

Please keep contributing. I'm thrilled that I've had as many posts as I have. As much as I wish there were no more to add, I want to keep this list going until a) There are no more titles to add or b) all of the titles are released properly.

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[David Lawson]

As noted in the linked thread, Artisan's Traveller is "full frame" 1.33:1.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Disney titles at 1.66. I've stated before that I beleive that this _IS_ the intend ratio for the titles it has been applied to. I've consulted with others who confirm this for me. We can argue about this, but it may be better served in another thread.

John,
Then why not add them to the list and footnote them and name your sources? Is not the point of this thread to be an objective public resource, and not a list of what is non-OAR in John Berggren's subjective opinion (corroborated by others or not)? Despite what you might think, I'm not trying to be incendiary or offend you, I have no such intent. I just think that you have created a valuable public resource and I think subjectively filtering it instead of annotating it reduces its value, and that's a real shame.
Footnotes are a good thing! What is wrong with something on the order of:
(1) While Kubrick films such as 'A Clockwork Orange' and 'Full Metal Jacket' were intended for theatrical presentation in the USA as 1.85:1 (and 1.66:1 in Europe), he preferred they be opened up to 1.33:1 for home video presentation, even on 16:9 screens. Source: DVDFile interview with Leon Vitali.
(2) Contemporary, non-Scope Disney feature films such as 'Tarzan' and 'Hercules' are animated with guide lines showing the animators both 1.66:1 and 1.85:1 frames for their drawings. Disney employee XXXXXX, who worked as key animator on YYYYY, asserts that the drawings are composed with the 1.66:1 frame as the intended ratio, and that the 1.85:1 theatrical presentations are non-OAR.
(3) 'Justice League' and 'Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker' are/were animated for both 1.33:1 and 1.77:1 presentation. However, according to ZZZZZZZ interview with producer Bruce Timm, 1.77:1 is the intended ratio.
Why should one have to go to other posts to get this type of information. After all, you did choose to use the word Comprehensive in the subject header...

 

[Ted Todorov]

Largely my scope is 1.33 formatted films that should be otherwise. I've included Star Trek 6 as I know the specifics of this instance. Before I include other films that are in widescreen but misframed, I need to do more research. Please bear with me.

What's the story with Cannonball Run, which you included on the list? That DVD is anamorphic wide screen (great transfer, too). What is the OAR supposed to be?
Ted

 

[Jodee]

As an FYI, Heavenly Creatures is a R1 disc but is only available in Canada. I'm pretty sure once this is officially released in the States that Buena Vista will put out a nice widescreen disc.

I beleive there are quite a few Canada exclusive, but P&S only, titles out there, such as Lost Highway.

I'm not sure if titles like those fit the scope of this list, since the US (and likely widescreen) versions have yet to be released.

 

[John Berggren]

Cannonball Run has been removed

Traveller has been added.

Michael:

Let me research the Disney issue and think about it. Although the Disney AR situation is settled in my mind (insomuch as I buy the 1.66 DVDs with the feeling that I'm getting the proper presentation), your comments and your passion on the subject encourage me to seek out more facts. I'll get back to you on what I find.

 

[Ted Todorov]

technically, the first AUSTIN POWERS dvd is not in the OAR.

You know, I always wondered about that one. The scene with "and don't forget to feed my fish" was letterboxed within the 16:9 frame -- was that the proper AR for the whole movie?

Ted

 

[Mark Palermo]

Jodee, he asked for R1 titles that have been released but not in their proper ratios. Heavenly Creatures and Lost Highway both fit this criteria. What's with the U.S.-centricism?

Mark

 

[John Berggren]

R1.
Canada is included. I don't really mean to be anything-centric, I just need to keep some limits to retain my sanity . Also, it should be somewhat of a quick reference - having additional regions would mean sorting through the list for "your" region.
Also, I buy Canadian titles that aren't available in the US (Sorceror's Stone anyone?). Surely others with R1 players do the same.
R1 it is. Lost Highway will be added.

 

[Jodee]

Mark--

Sorry for pointing out the info, not trying to be "US-centric". It's just a fact that the US DVD studios are bigger here, and a film like Heavenly Creatures has not yet gotten an official release here. The official release will likely be OAR.

I had heard that Canada has quite a few pan & scan only releases for some reason. Apparently Alliance or whoever was big into doing that. If a title was OAR in the US, but not in Canada, should it be listed here as well? I'm just asking the question.

I'm just pointing out that it's not as if Buena Vista released this in the wrong format; it just hasn't been released here yet. I am assuming they were the studio that the Canadian company probably licensed this from to begin with.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Actually, Austin Powers was transfered to DVD at 2:1 at the request of the director.

It's simply undermatted. (It's a Super-35 film.)

This list should ONLY include non-OAR titles that are not matted or letterboxed correctly. I'd call the undermatted ST 6 wrong OAR, but since it is Super-35, it's possible that the director or cinematographer asked for it to be undermatted. If it's undermatted because of an error, it should be regarded as non-OAR. Titles such as Vegas Vacation (unmatted 1.85:1) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (pan & scan from 2.35:1 from 2.21:1) are definately non-OAR.

 

[Aaron Thomas]

1. The Disney films that are presented at 1.66 on DVD were presented that way in theaters ... in Europe.
(Probably due to technical issues. Will search for confirmation.)
2. Vision Quest is all squarescreen.
Aaron Thomas
cares that Vision Quest is not in its OAR.

 

[Mark Palermo]

Jodee, I agree that there's no way these are the definitive DVD releases for Lost Highway and Heavenly Creatures. But until they're released properly, I think they belong on this list as these versions are the ones available in R1.

Alliance has put out several poor releases of good films in Canada, but some nicely done stuff too--their versions of Good Will Hunting and Existenz are better than Buena Vista's. I just wish they weren't so inconsistent.

Mark

 

[Robert Floto]

I've updated again.

You left Psycho II off the list.
Besides being a pretty good sequel, it is the only theatrical Psycho film not in OAR (the original Psycho is OAR, as is Psycho III. Psycho IV: The Beginning is not yet on DVD, and wasn't a theatrical film.

 

[Cynthia]

Bruce McCulloch's Dog Park, which is a Canadian exclusive, is pan and scan.

 

[Cynthia]

Here are some more unfortunate pan and scan victims:

Head (The Monkees)

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

My Life as a Dog

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking

Princess Caraboo

And I think these might be pan and scan, but I'm not completely sure of their OAR. Maybe someone else can find out for sure?

Cannibal! The Musical

Kill by Inches

Love Come Down

Maze (Rob Morrow's directorial debut)

Midnight Madness

 

[Rob Dwyer]

Sadly, the OAR to this one is lost forever...
Rhino tried to get it for the R1 release, but the source materials seem to have been long-since destroyed...

 

[Joe Schwartz]

I'll mention True Stories again. And by the way, Ginger Snaps is OAR in the Canadian special edition.

 

[John Berggren]

Updated again. Removed Ginger Snaps.