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Info Wanted: Fullscreen versions of James Cameron's movies? — Page 2

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Originally posted by: pittrek
Hi, are there any projects preserving James Cameron's movies in the original for in which they were planned to see ?


Yes. It's called the widescreen version. That's the original form in which they were planned to be seen.
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^Testify!


This notion that Cameron prefers the P&S versions of his films is one that needs to be killed good 'n proper. All based on a decade-old notation in a laserdisc booklet.
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Yes, I thought it's a common fact, that JC prefers the fullscreen versions of his movies ...
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I for one understand the whole idea of the director's original aspect ratio. I just think it might be interesting to see some versions of films with more image. Just as a curio.

To contact me outside the forum, for trades and such my email address is my OT.com username @gmail.com

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Originally posted by: pittrek
Yes, I thought it's a common fact, that JC prefers the fullscreen versions of his movies ...


That's ridiculous. He's one of the few directors that hasn't allowed a single film of theirs on DVD in anything but widescreen. Now, he did OK fullscreen versions for TV and VHS (with his full supervision), but that's just not true. Besides, 16x9 is the current norm, so he wouldn't prefer 4x3 fullscreen versions anymore. Maybe 16x9 unmatted versions (which wouldn't affect The Terminator or Aliens), but keep in mind that the best that can be compromised without cropping the sides would be 2:1. It's just a compromise in the laserdisc era when everything was low resolution (which is why Kubrick was fine with keeping mattes off on his films back in 1991 when he made his last approvals for video transfers).

"I was a perfect idiot to listen to you!"
"Listen here, there ain't nothing in this world that's perfect!"

- from The Bank Dick
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Can directors really stop full screen releases of their movies on dvd if they want? I thought it was decided by the studio home video dept. I mean why would Paramount release all three Indiana Jones movies in pan & scan? Why would George Lucas who is so insistant on having his "original vision" allow his Star Wars films to have the sides whacked off each of their 3 dvd releases?
Those films lose about half the picture in full screen since they can't be unmatted. And I thought Spielberg tried to prevent Raiders from being released full screen for the orginal vhs and betamax release way back in the 80's, before widescreen vhs or laserdisc existed. Yet Titanic was shot so that it could be also shown in 4x3 and still look good and Paramount only releases that in widescreen on dvd. Does that make any sense?

Take back the trilogy. Execute Order '77

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I think it's safe to say that Cameron preferred full screen presentation for video and tv in the early 90's. IIRC, he did host a SciFi channel airing of "The Abyss" back then which featured a demo of a scene with and without matting. Obviously that would no longer now be the case with DVD and widescreen tv's.
To the best of my memory, Spielberg successfully threw his weight around enough that "The Color Purple" and "InnerSpace" (which he was producer of) were letterboxed on VHS. (E.T.'s first ever video release was also offered in a separate widescreen version, but I've never seen a VHS copy.) The only director I know of that prevented any pan and scan presentation of their film would be Woody Allen with "Manhattan". It has been letterboxed on video from the beginning, (with gray bars on early copies) and even the rare tv showings as well. It is often mistaken as the first movie ever to be letterboxed on home video as a result.
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Where were you in '77?

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Check WalMart They have a "Dump Bin" 2 for $11. Quite a bit FS DVDs.
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Originally posted by: OgOggilby
As for other mistakes caused by not correctly framing for widescreen, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure has two shots ruined. You can see road signs being pushed along a track and a chain being pulled out of a hole.

Hah. I always thought the road signs on the track were a deliberate gag.

BTW, I've got a FS vhs of T1 if someone still wants it. PM me and please be patient.

Pink Floyd -- First in Space