
Your Wisdom O' Wise Ones
Erm...? Not really; it's only full screen that cuts off part of the picture - not just backgrounds, but people, as well. And while I do agree that it's all about personal taste, I'm with those who prefer Widescreen - the format which incorporates the filmmaker's entire artistic vision.Carla wrote:I DON'T care for the other way because it tends to cut people O_O heads off just so you can see more background

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What makes you bad?

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- duotrouble
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I'm chiming back in to say I do have to agree with Krafty in that in my experience people who prefer pan and scan over widescreen either have bad eyesight or don't fully understand movies. It's not about just cutting off a portion of the image. The image itself speaks. We cel collectors should know that.
You're not seeing anymore of the actor's face in a pan and scan than you are in widescreen. Actually, you're usually seeing a blurred image in the pan and scan since the film wasn't supposed to be viewed that close. Most of the images shown in the LOTR example are showing the hopelessness of no one coming to help, how far away everyone is or just plain being out-numbered by a vast majority. I find pan and scan the worst when it's two characters talking to each other in a close-up. ICK! I can't even start to describe how terrible that is.
I'm not trying to tell anyone they are right or wrong. The pan and scan vs widescreen debate is just like the sub vs dub controversy. You're never going to get everyone to agree. But the good news for widescreen fans is the director's guild is suing the companies for producing pan and scan versions. So who knows? There may not have to be a debate in a few years.
You're not seeing anymore of the actor's face in a pan and scan than you are in widescreen. Actually, you're usually seeing a blurred image in the pan and scan since the film wasn't supposed to be viewed that close. Most of the images shown in the LOTR example are showing the hopelessness of no one coming to help, how far away everyone is or just plain being out-numbered by a vast majority. I find pan and scan the worst when it's two characters talking to each other in a close-up. ICK! I can't even start to describe how terrible that is.

I'm not trying to tell anyone they are right or wrong. The pan and scan vs widescreen debate is just like the sub vs dub controversy. You're never going to get everyone to agree. But the good news for widescreen fans is the director's guild is suing the companies for producing pan and scan versions. So who knows? There may not have to be a debate in a few years.

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- otakusin
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Wow... it's nice to see I am not alone with the Letterbox preference!!
I do have to say in my husband's defense, I think bad eyesight is the reason for his preferrence. He has Keratoconus of the eye, one eye is cured so to speak due to surgery but his other is in bad need of the cornea transplant. I suppose Full Screen most likely helps him to enjoy the movie more.
Thanks for your thoughts everyone
I do have to say in my husband's defense, I think bad eyesight is the reason for his preferrence. He has Keratoconus of the eye, one eye is cured so to speak due to surgery but his other is in bad need of the cornea transplant. I suppose Full Screen most likely helps him to enjoy the movie more.
Thanks for your thoughts everyone

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In our house, I buy the widescreen format because I don't want to hear the husband's detailed rant of what the other version will look like on his sacred all mighty theater room screen. However, after many years of being "trained" (as if!) to buy widescreen, I stood there at Target yesterday for 10 minutes trying to pick out Ratatouille.
Looks like Duotrouble is spot on! After scouring the DVD box forever, I found in tiny print "Original Theatrical Aspect Ratio" in microscopic lettering. Looks like Disney Pixar released one version of Ratatouille - the director's choice! I think the debate is already over.
Looks like Duotrouble is spot on! After scouring the DVD box forever, I found in tiny print "Original Theatrical Aspect Ratio" in microscopic lettering. Looks like Disney Pixar released one version of Ratatouille - the director's choice! I think the debate is already over.