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Smokey and the Bandit *aspect ratio*

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Also one of my all time favorites. I've got the PAL DVD for quite a while now and always disliked the fact that it was a full-screen (1.33:1) release. Now I just discovered there's a NTSC release in widescreen (1.85:1). But on the verge of ordering it I read that in this case the widescreen version is actually missing picture information compared to the full-screen version. The reason would be that the film was shot in open-matte (aspect ratio 1.33:1). So my question is, does anyone here have that widescreen release? If you do could you post some random screenhots, I'd like to get to the bottom of this Thanks.

That's no moon. It's a LaserDisc.

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I've never seen it but you might just have to make a compromise here. They might have matted it to (1.85:1) so that people with widescreen TVs don't have to deal with or bitch about stretching and/or zooming making the movie less than desirable to watch. Taking overscan and the matting into perspective, you'd be loosing very little picture and probably nothing important at that. If you have a 4:3 TV and want what was originally put to film, stick with the PAL, otherwise the NTSC probably would look nice on a good 16:9 TV.

Hey look, a bear!

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Of course I have a 16:9 TV! It's just that if it turns out the NTSC release won't give me more picture information, I won't bother getting it. Then I could just as easy zoom in on my PAL DVD. But it's also the first time I've heard of this thing, matting off a full-screen film to make it widescreen. Ridiculous if you ask me. Or the director must have intended it to be shown in widescreen in the first place, it was probably shown in theatres that way.

That's no moon. It's a LaserDisc.

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Its all about OAR. Shooting open-matte does not mean its supposed to be full frame, it just means that the theaters were responsible for cropping it. The 1:85 release is almost assuredly the correct aspect ratio--especially since widescreen TV's are actually 1:78 and not 1:85.
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They go great together.

It brings back good memories of the time my cousin came to visit during summer vacation in 1978.
He was nine, I was twelve, and SW was already entrenched as my favorite movie.
He wasn't buying it. He kept insisting SatB was better. I hadn't seen it yet.
When I finally did I liked it a lot, but SW remains my fave.


Except the third screenshot, the others are each the first frame of their respective shots.

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/9643/5588kg7.png

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/9315/6983mt8.png

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/9964/37599ui6.png
Last glimpse of wedding gown through the rear window.


http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/1143/86064ab9.png
^ Continuity error! BTJ's door should be open at that point.


http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/3275/110893op3.png

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1665/132959yd5.png


Images do not accurately represent the quality of the R1 DVD. They're only meant to show aspect ratio and framing of the shots.

So what's the verdict? Is your full-screen DVD pan/scan or open-matte?

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r

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I'm pretty sure that this screenshot is 16:9.DEAD SEXY

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/2020/znaniburt20reynoldsbs3.jpg

HARMY RULES

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Not that this has anything to do with the above picture, but I need to put this DVD in my player and watch it again.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Those screenshots are from the single-layer, letterboxed 1998 DVD.
Deepdiscount.com has the SE (DL, anamorphic) on sale for $5.98. Mine shipped today.
I'm looking forward to better picture quality, but I hope they didn't go overboard on the remixed 5.1 soundtrack.

Don't forget, Smokey was the second-highest grossing film of 1977.

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r