Pan n Scan: DVD vs. AMC, TCM and IFC (1 Viewer)

[Nick Graham]

I would hope that they are changing their name,as I was not aware Desperately Seeking Susan or The Omen 2 were "classics". This network is now a useless pan and

scan heap of crap, while TCM, IFC, Sundance, and FMC have become so great that I am switching back to DirecTV as soon as we move in 2 weeks.

 

[Christopher_S]

I've searched the forums and haven't seen any mention of this...

Watching TCM yesterday, I saw not one but two times a 5 minute-or-so promo that attempted to explain why widescreen movies should be shown in letterbox, and why TCM chose to show them that way. It included interviews with several directors, including Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard, talking about what is lost in a P&S version of a film.

My folks were here this weekend, and between watching "The Sting" in OAR on TCM, and "Cast Away" and "The Mummy" on DVD with my homemade mattes on the TV... well, I think they've been properly educated in the benefits of OAR. Dad may well build some mattes of his own.

Just another reason I have become a TCM devotee.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

the only problem is tcm and ifc are only avilable on digital cable or satellite so those of us with regular cable are stuck with amc.

Luckily, we receive TCM as part of our basic analog cable package. We do not receive IFC, though.
I agree with everything that's been said regarding TCM and AMC. I rarely watch AMC anymore due to all the pan & scanning, and I was shocked to see commercial interruptions appear the last couple of times I tried to watch a 1.33:1 aspect ratio film on AMC.
TCM is great. They try to show films in OAR whenever possible, and actually have a "why letterbox" feature with Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard and other prominent filmmakers discussing the virtues of letterboxing, along with examples shown from some films. My only complaint is that this feature is not shown often enough.
I was able to watch The Sting on TCM in its OAR yesterday, while the only DVD release of this film in not in OAR. What a great channel!

 

[Dick]

TCM is actually an offshoot of TNT. The latter, which started up in the late 80's or early 90's, originally ran quite a few OAR films at night (including the uncut PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID, and unedited foreign language films such as THE TIN DRUM and COUP DE TORCHON)and featured silent films, etc. Remember that? Then TNT began to go more "middle of the road," but just in time TCM was started up, which took the best concepts of TNT and ran with them to the max. I wish TCM had enough saturation to be listed in the main text of TV Guide, as AMC is. Well, on the other hand, that might spell disaster - TCM might decide to go for the demographics AMC now caters to. Guess I'm happier TCM remains a "niche" channel, the way Laser Discs were a niche video format - truly developed for the film lover. I don't like Sundance anymore, specifically because they run that f***ing bug all the time now, which I find ruins the experience for me. Fox Movie Channel is looking better every month, becoming what AMC no longer is. Patrick - if you're reading this - do you know whether or not TCM plans to re-run the widescreen version of AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS again? I blew my recording when they ran it the first time, and I cannot seem to get through to TCM by email, letter or phone anymore (the one thing I now dislike about the channel. Oh...except for the fact that they pre-empted Jack Clayton's OUR MOTHER'S HOUSE in OAR - wich they run only once in a blue moon - with the billionth showing of another movie). I keep sending in the requests!

 

[Randy A Salas]

AMC is crap with MAR presentations and now commercials.

Dow Jones reported recently that, while AMC is repositioning itself to compete with USA and TBS, "classic films will be featured prominently instead on AMC Hollywood Classics, a commercial-free sister outlet designed for digital cable and slated to debut this fall." This will set up the two channels to work much like TNT and TCM do.

 

[Brian Kidd]

I have this to say for FMC: They showed BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS uncut and in OAR at 9am in the morning! YEAH BABY!!! This is my scene and it freaks me out!!!

 

[Scott Merryfield]

do you know whether or not TCM plans to re-run the widescreen version of AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS again? I blew my recording when they ran it the first time, and I cannot seem to get through to TCM by email, letter or phone anymore

Dick,
You can search TCM's schedule by film title for a few months in advance at their website. Just follow the link Link Removed

 

[Patrick McCart]

About Around the World In Eighty Days...

The first airing after the Dec. 12 LBX airing was the P&S, but uncut version. I think TCM had to switch to the uncut print for the Oscar month (it's also possible that the LBX print isn't well known around TCM...they may have needed to fill 3 hours instead of 2 1/2)

Also, I think WB is putting a lot of money into the restoration of this film (They had to develop a new process to remove lacquer from a reel from the 30fps negative) since it's the second 70mm restoration they've financed, I think. (The first was 2001, but wasn't nearly in the awful shape 80 Days is in)

They're also planning a 70mm re-release for the AMPAS Best Picture festival (70mm, 30fps!) and later a late 2002/early 2003 DVD release.

If you want an OK VHS (With Dolby Surround sound) of the 154 min. LBX version, I might be able to make a dub of my tape. I might even be able to edit in the complete prologue using my uncut 180 min. tape (P&S...but the prologue is windowboxed)

I'd actually go for the AMPAS screening or the DVD instead of the VHS (which used a very clean and vibrant print, but is missing about 30 minutes, plus transitional music)

 

[Dick]

Thanks, Patrick - you seem to be the resident guru around here for this movie. I will gladly await the DVD, since you indicate definite progress is being made on the restoration. It wasn't that long ago when Robert Harris basically said such a restoration (on film) wasn't even viable. Nice to hear it is after all.