I don’t get Turner Classic Movies anymore, and I found out on another site that they’re showing STAR WARS tonight (for the first time, I think).
Anybody watching? Is it 1977 or SE???
It’s basically the exact same broadcast master TNT/TBS has been using (the 2011 version with everything after the opening shot cropped to 16:9).
Damn. 😦 I should have known, considering that TCM showed the special edition of THX-1138 as well. The “classic” in Turner Classic Movies, evidently doesn’t mean much.
Yeah, although I did appreciate the TCM host mentioning in her intro how Universal, United Artists and Disney all passed on the script and that “their lack of faith was disturbing.”
That’s interesting-- I knew that Disney passed on Back To The Future, but I didn’t know they passed on SW as well. Kind of ironic.
Someone was saying that the 20th Century Fox logo and fanfare was intact.
Someone was saying that the 20th Century Fox logo and fanfare was intact.
It was. The logo was never removed from the first film because Fox financed and owned the film up until the Disney sale. Same reason the logo still appears on the digital version of the film.
It’s on again tonight. Part of a salute to 20th Century Fox. One bright spot in the Disney deal is they already have a relationship with TCM which shows deep catalog Disney films and tv specials every few months. We might see all sorts of obscure things from the Fox vaults now.
Where were you in '77?
This is disappointing indeed since TCM generally shows films in their original aspect ratio. One time they showed MY FAIR LADY (filmed in Super Panavision) in a modified 16x9 ratio before they finally aired it in the correct ratio. Similar situation with AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS where they first aired it full frame (standard 4x3) before that finally aired in its 2.2:1 proper ratio. A rare case where TCM breaks the rules on its exhibition policy.
“Hear you nothing that I say?”
-Yoda
They have inexplicably run a pan and scan version of Close Encounters more than once in recent years. I can see grabbing the wrong tape on the shelf, but why would they even have a full frame version in the first place?
They have also let their standard definition feed go to pot. It often looks like someone turned on the soap opera effect on, and some widescreen movies get cut off on the sides or academy ratio ones get stretched and squeezed.
Where were you in '77?
What irritates me the most is that the cable synopsis always says “Star Wars (1977)”. If they’re going to show the 1997 version, it should say so.
I may just shoot TCM an irate email later tonight. LOL.
What irritates me the most is that the cable synopsis always says “Star Wars (1977)”. If they’re going to show the 1997 version, it should say so.
I may just shoot TCM an irate email later tonight. LOL.
They’ve done that with THX-1138 as well.
Where were you in '77?
Joe Dante even Tweeted about the film being aired in the wrong aspect ratio!
https://twitter.com/joe_dante/status/1156729611796926464?s=20
Wow. Good for Joe. I wish more industry-types would get on the bandwagon and make a stink about this sort of stuff.
What irritates me the most is that the cable synopsis always says “Star Wars (1977)”. If they’re going to show the 1997 version, it should say so.
I may just shoot TCM an irate email later tonight. LOL.
They’ve done that with THX-1138 as well.
I know, I’m sure I sent them a nasty email about that at the time. A lot of good it did, lol.
EDIT: Charles Tabesh (TCM programmer) responded to Joe Dante on Twitter:
“You’re right - I apologize. We have the wrong version, learned about it last night and it was too late to obtain the correct one. Definitely a mistake on our end but not intentional.”
Joe Dante even Tweeted about the film being aired in the wrong aspect ratio!
https://twitter.com/joe_dante/status/1156729611796926464?s=20
Steven Soderbergh too.
Joe Dante even Tweeted about the film being aired in the wrong aspect ratio!
https://twitter.com/joe_dante/status/1156729611796926464?s=20
Steven Soderbergh too.
What did SS say? I can’t find it.
Joe Dante even Tweeted about the film being aired in the wrong aspect ratio!
https://twitter.com/joe_dante/status/1156729611796926464?s=20
Steven Soderbergh too.
What did SS say? I can’t find it.
https://twitter.com/Bitchuation/status/1156718314330238977
Then there’s this reply from someone at TCM
https://twitter.com/ctabesh/status/1156747612935954438
Sigh.
Mocata said:
https://twitter.com/Bitchuation/status/1156718314330238977
Steven Soderburgh is “bitchuation”? LOL. No wonder I couldn’t find him!
Mocata said:
Then there’s this reply from someone at TCMhttps://twitter.com/ctabesh/status/1156747612935954438
Sigh.
Yeah, that was his reply to me.
Maybe Disney wants Turner to be stuck with an inferior copy of the movie (a cropped-to-1.78:1 transfer of the 2011 master) so they can show off their own new 4k master on Disney+.
I think it was cropped bc they figured the TBS version would be fine and they didnt double check.
I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.
I think it was cropped bc they figured the TBS version would be fine and they didnt double check.
Exactly.
Turner (TNT, TBS, TCM et al) currently has the tv broadcast rights to I-VI. If Disney had wanted to, they could have provided tcm with a better master, at the very least one that was 2.35:1 throughout the movie, but they didn’t bother.
Most people don’t realize that TCM was based on the MGMUA and then WB video libraries and still shows LD era masters for titles without anything else available. In fact they still run DVD masters when there are BDs available-but sometimes things just don’t get updated and they have great upscaling algorithms. I will agree their SD broadcasts have gone downhill but there are many times that the HD version is still uprezzed SD.
Rare no-DVD titles like Raintree County, The Crowd-LD masters. Titles on BD from WB or Warner Archive: usually still the DVD master.
But BUY OUR TCM WINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Subscribe to backlot for $99999999999!
I love them. I grew up on them. But they never upgrade properly which kills me. However I like seeing the really, really old masters so I’m weird.
Also, I love Joe Dante to death. I love him far more than his pictures which I merely enjoy and find decent. Trailers From Hell is like a desert oasis especially now that DVD Savant is there.
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