Star Wars: Episode I in P&S (1 Viewer)

[ArnaudP]

Fox announced today that Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace will be released in fullscreen on 11/12. Apart from the altered aspect ratio, the 2-disc release will be the same as the widescreen version.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Well that sucks the big one. Atleast the widescreen version was released first (and will presumably stay on the market?), and we're getting a widescreen Episode II, too.

 

[JeremySt]

The only reason to release a title in p&s AFTER the Widescreen release is b/c a studio thinks they are missing a sale.
Is there REALLY someone out there going "It's not pan and scan, so I'm not going to buy it."

 

[John Sullmeyer]

Now wouldn't it be something if Lucas made alterations to the new fullscreen version?
Come to think of it, it wouldn't be funny, as I'm sure someone would buy it...
Greedo did NOT shot first.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Is there REALLY someone out there going "It's not pan and scan, so I'm not going to buy it."

Yes, Wal-Mart

 

[Brenton]

As soon as I saw the announcement for a pan-and-scan Episode II, I knew this was on the horizon.

EDIT: I've just added the blue strips on the top and bottom of fullscreen Episode II to a picture of Episode I (so that I can see what fullscreen Episode I will look like), and God is it ugly!

 

[Sean Moon]

I think the trend of dual releases is just going to get bigger. I dont particularly care that it is getting bigger, but I can live with it, provided a few considerations.
1:That an anamorphic OAR version is released either FIRST or at the same time.
2: The packaging between versions at least be easily identifiable, like Episode II will be. Beautiful mind and LOTR are big offenders for similar packaging(LOTR is slightly different, Beautiful Mind looks the same, except the one word difference)

I would like studios to at least put explanations of OAR in the front of DVDs

 

[oscar_merkx]

sad but unfortunate

 

[Ricardo C]

*cuddles his OAR Episode I DVD*
Hey, J6P can have his hacked-up aberration for all I care. I have 2 hours of widescreen Star Wars goodness right here

 

[Wes C]

Who is the Ad Wizard that came up with that one?!?!

 

[Brad Eisenhauer]

Who is the Ad Wizard that came up with that one?!?!

I'll bet he was the same one responsible for "The NEW Coke." :rolleyes

 

[LukeB]

I figured this was coming. Lame, but oh well...at least we still have our widescreen discs and we got them 13 months earlier.

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

I doubt there are many who passed up a Star Wars DVD because it wasn't P&S. Star Wars Episode X sells regardless. As stated above, at least there is an OAR version. But my problem with this is how proud Lucasfilm was in proclaiming that OAR was the ONLY way they wanted to release the DVD, and now this. Why don't Directors lobby for and demand their work be shown only in OAR? My other concern is that this will be just another example of a rental shop carrying only the wrong version.
All that said, given P&S releases are going to happen I would rather they be separate so as not to waste bandwidth for the OAR version.

 

[Richard Kim]

"The shroud of the dark side has fallen, begun the OAR war has."

 

[John_Berger]

Is there REALLY someone out there going "It's not pan and scan, so I'm not going to buy it."

Just look at how many people there are on HTF who will not buy a movie if its not in widescreen, and then consider that we're the minority.

 

[Jussi Tarvainen]

Doesn't Lucas have any say over this?

Oh wait, he probably saw his 2-year old kid point at the black bar and sneeze violently, and immediately called Fox.

 

[AllanN]

"The shroud of the dark side has fallen, begun the OAR war has."

Damn someone beat me to it.

"Fear, anger, P&S, these are the paths to the dark side."

My standard view on P&S buyers:
[rant]I am going to start laughing in hysterics screaming "I told you so" the first time I hear J6P say "whats are thems gray bars on the side fer?" In reference to when J6P gets "one of dem new fengled wide-screen TV's" and plays his/her old P&S DVD.[/rant]

 

[John_Berger]

I am going to start laughing in hysterics screaming "I told you so" the first time I hear J6P say "whats are thems gray bars on the side fer?"

Unfortunately, I was witness to one person at a local specialty store who said that he has NO PROBLEMS with bars on the sides. They just don't want the bars on top and bottom!

I restrained myself from allowing my militant widescreen zealotry and desire to physically knock some sense into him from taking over, although he was a distinct verbal target between myself and the sales rep after he left.

 

[GlennH]

I think the trend of dual releases is just going to get bigger. I dont particularly care that it is getting bigger, but I can live with it, provided a few considerations.
1:That an anamorphic OAR version is released either FIRST or at the same time.
2: The packaging between versions at least be easily identifiable, like Episode II will be. Beautiful mind and LOTR are big offenders for similar packaging(LOTR is slightly different, Beautiful Mind looks the same, except the one word difference)

Sean, I'll add #3:

3. That the OAR version is available locally to rent.

If you purchase there's no problem and I prefer separate versions so I can buy widescreen. But I don't necessarily want to buy every title. I still haven't seen A.I. because when I went to rent it locally the whole shelf was full-screen only. Then I just never got around to pursuing the widescreen version elsewhere. I'm sure I will some day.

 

[Kenneth Cummings]

Maybe this lame release is doomed to be only soul on Amazon.com because no store wants to rebuy the same movie twice. Still, it a crap release, but the widescreen verison is still here, and nothing stopping me from owning the widescreen AotC DVD.