Yeah, that’s a good point. Maybe could have two different versions for whichever folks prefer. Either no picture loss for the problem shots w/ black bars on the sides or the presentation I had outlined.
The only reason I remember the issue being present at the theater was because I remember thinking there was something wrong with the projector, haha.
This is even MORE obvious in 4K. There are some scenes where you have consecutive shots with the same characters but radically different geometry. The first and second shots with Riker is a strong example. The fact this happens throughout the film and isn’t just the result of a bad day of filming is even more confusing.
When I was working on the latest version of Amadeus theatrical cut, I noticed the original Blu-ray resolution was 1920x794, an unusual aspect ratio of 2.42:1, and then I noticed that everything looked squished. Not squished as badly as this, but enough to look off. I stretched it to 1920x804, a more standard 2.39:1. It makes a huge difference. Thankfully no cropping needed.