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MGM - Why are you releasing full frame only titles? (1 Viewer)

Jay E

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I was very upset to read at DVDFile that the films Bank Shot and How to Beat the High Cost of Living will be released full frame only, 2 films I would have purchased, but not anymore. This news, coming after January's slate of full frame titles, is a big blow to your credibility in my eyes as well as those of others here at the forum. Whatever savings in money you expect by going with this strategy will be more than offset by the lost sales and negative word of mouth.
Please reconsider your strategy!!!
 

Patrick McCart

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And the term "Full Frame" must STOP being used!
Yes, and call it "Cropped from 1.85:1 to 1.33:1 to fit standard 1.33:1 TV's on DVD"
That'll make it a lot easier on the average DVD buyer. :rolleyes:Fullframe is exactly that and is the easiest to understand. Which is more important? Making widescreen supporters look superior or making aspect ratio designations the easiest to understand? When I see fullframe, I think of either it being OAR for a pre-1950's film or a wrong AR movie on DVD. If it says widescreen, I'm assured it's OAR.
Besides, most full screen titles have "Formatted to fit your screen" on the back anyways.
MGM should do dual-sides or at least just widescreen for titles like this. They've been really good about OAR on DVD for the most part.
 

Rain

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Yes, and call it "Cropped from 1.85:1 to 1.33:1 to fit standard 1.33:1 TV's on DVD"
Well that wouldn't be entirely accurate, since most 1.85:1 films are not cropped to 1.33:1, but are open matte transfers.

However, that doesn't make the practice of reformatting movies acceptable.

Continue to release DVDs in "reformatted"-only versions and I will continue to ignore them when they go up for sale.
 

Joel Vardy

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I was going to start a separate thread -- but my plea here is for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to be rereleased in it's original aspect ratio. This is a 'high visibility title' that my family has had to refrain from purchasing until you rerelease it in the corrected aspect ratio that doesn't compromise the information presented on screen in theaters. So called 'family titles' are also appealing to adults who for the most part where children at some point in their lives :) .
Joel
 

Jeff Ulmer

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No 1.33:1 film is formatted to fit my 16x9 screen. :rolleyes
I do wish MGM would go back to the good old days when they were supplying both OAR and "foolscreen" on the same disc. That way Walmart is happy, and they might actually sell discs to those who know better. If a choice has to be made, stick with OAR.
 

CharlesD

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No OAR = No Sale
Why is it so difficult to release the original version of the film along with the cropped,scanned or open matte version? Why is the money of the people who made DVD the most successful media format ever now no longer worth taking?
Surely the studios can't be so stupid or arrogant as to think that we will start buying defective versions of films just because we no longer have the option to purchase the real version of a movie.
No OAR = No Sale
 

Phil E

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Dec 23, 2001
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I,too have been frustrated by the fact that "full-frame only" titles are still being allowed onto the marketplace by studios who should be showing more respect to their libraries and those who made the titles in them. With regard to MGM, I was angry to hear about several upcoming titles, especially "Bank Shot", that were getting a pan and scan only release. C'mon studios, do right by your libraries and you'll do right by yourselves AND your customers.
On a slight aside, while I find dvds released in widescreen to be a godsend over pan and scan, I would like to know why titles are still being released without anamorphic enhancement, such as the recently released "Dead Of Winter"-- a film only 15 years old. And though most of MGM's Elvis Presley library is noticeably absent from dvd shelves, the ones that are there, while are happily not p&s only, are lacking in anamorphic transfers. This is while Universal, Paramount, and Fox have all done anamorphically enhanced widescreen transfers of their Elvis flicks on dvd. Paramount even sprung for a 5.1 on "Blue Hawaii", for crying out loud. What I guess I'm saying is that you should be releasing original aspect ratio at the very least but wherever possible release said OAR with anamorphic enhancement.
 

Matthew Watson

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Aug 11, 2001
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I guess it's time for me to pipe in on this topic. I am disappointed to hear that The Missionary (with Michael Palin) and Miracle Mile (recently announced) are supposedly not going to be released in their OARs. These would have been two immediate purchases for me, and I'm sorry to say that neither one will be added to my library in their current editions.
I suppose there is still a chance both will have the OAR version along with the unnecessary 1.33:1 version, or that they will be revisited in the near future. Unfortunately, it seems like MGM will be missing out on two enthusiastic sales here. Again, very disappointing.
No OAR = No Sale indeed.
 

Greg_M

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Mar 23, 2000
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Why doesn't MGM/UA release widescreen versions of their more popular sales titles?

Moonstruck
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

I'll never buy these film in Pan and Scan (Though I would upgrade my current widescreen laserdiscs as I'm sure others would also)

get with it MGM/UA this is the 21st century
 

Jeff Kleist

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To be fair, these titles COULD be ones that they only distribute, and the rights owner neglected or had no desire to pay for a new transfer

If they belong to MGM proper, fire away
 

Eugene Esterly

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MGM,

Please release all of your movies on DVD in their original aspect ratio.

NO OAR=NO SALE.

I will not purchase any DVD's which have been modified from their OAR. If a movie is Widescreen, it must be presented on DVD in widescreen espically anamorphic Widescreen.

MGM,

Please re-release your fullframe (aka pan & scan/fullscreen) titles on DVD in their OAR. MGM, your one of my favorite companies when it comes to DVD's. But I refuse to purchase any title which is not in OAR.
 

Walter Kittel

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Very disappointed to hear that Miracle Mile is full frame only. This would have been an automatic purchase, but not anymore.
- Walter.
 

SteveGon

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I would have picked up Miracle Mile as well. Not any more. Sorry. :thumbsdown:
 

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