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DVD Talk review of 'The Shield: Season 4'

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DVD Talk review of 'The Shield: Season 4'

Old 12-20-05, 07:18 PM
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DVD Talk review of 'The Shield: Season 4'

I read Preston Jones's DVD review of The Shield: Season 4 at http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=19308 and...

How weird that only one episode is in widescreen. My understanding is that all seasons have aired in widescreen in the UK and all the UK DVD releases are also anamorphic widescreen.
Old 12-20-05, 07:27 PM
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It is odd ... and as I understand it, the UK sets are indeed anamorphic widescreen. Usually, the lack of a widescreen presentation would be highly annoying but in the case of The Shield, I think the fullscreen presentation actually adds something to the overall vibe of the show; it makes it that much more intense and claustrophobic.
Old 12-20-05, 10:37 PM
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I don't think s1-3 were widescreen in R1....
Old 12-21-05, 07:32 AM
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Nope, they weren't; we're discussing the UK sets ... R1 s1-s4 are all 1.33:1, with the exception of one episode in s4, which is 1.78:1.
Old 12-21-05, 09:16 AM
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Yeah, I realize you were talking about the UK discs...but in relation to the R1 discs. I'm pretty sure the show aired in FS on TV in the US too though. I know it definitely did in S1, but I can't verify s2 or 3 because I didn't see those on TV.

Aside from the oddity of that one lone WS episode in s4, I also find it strange that episodoes that aired FS in R1 somehow aired WS in R2. Were they just matted for R2, or were they shaved for R1? That's what I'd like to know.
Old 12-21-05, 10:20 AM
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Yes, all seasons of The Shield have aired fullscreen on FX, except for the episode "Back in the Hole."

I don't know if they were matted for either region ... but it is odd that with more and more shows broadcasting in WS, The Shield remains fullscreen (particularly when you consider that Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me, as well as Over There are all broadcast in WS).
Old 12-21-05, 04:15 PM
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Originally Posted by soonercineaste
Yes, all seasons of The Shield have aired fullscreen on FX, except for the episode "Back in the Hole."
Was that episode aired in letterbox? I don't recall that it was.

I don't know if they were matted for either region ... but it is odd that with more and more shows broadcasting in WS, The Shield remains fullscreen (particularly when you consider that Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me, as well as Over There are all broadcast in WS).
I think the production team on The Shield prefers 4:3 to emphasize a cramped and claustrophobic atmosphere.
Old 12-21-05, 06:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Josh Z
Was that episode aired in letterbox? I don't recall that it was.
Yup, it was ... "Back in the Hole" was the "extended episode" ... the teasers made a big deal out of it, but it was only 65 minutes long. It was the only season four ep to air in WS.

Originally Posted by Josh Z
I think the production team on The Shield prefers 4:3 to emphasize a cramped and claustrophobic atmosphere.
Great minds think alike and all that: "I think the fullscreen presentation actually adds something to the overall vibe of the show; it makes it that much more intense and claustrophobic." - earlier in this thread. All I meant by my WS vs. FS comment is that with the surge of TV on DVD, it seems a lot more current shows are gravitating towards WS, perhaps without concern for the visual impact it has (or doesn't) on the show's content. Some stuff just functions better in 4:3.
Old 12-21-05, 10:42 PM
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So that sorta brings up the question (sorry if I'm veering too far off topic) of why are the R2 dvds shown in WS when that is not the intended aspect ratio? Is it just because people assume WS is correct no matter what?
Old 12-22-05, 02:11 PM
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Originally Posted by mifuneral
So that sorta brings up the question (sorry if I'm veering too far off topic) of why are the R2 dvds shown in WS when that is not the intended aspect ratio? Is it just because people assume WS is correct no matter what?
Similar to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer controversy, the show is protographed for compatibility with both aspect ratios. It airs in the US in 4:3 but in the UK in 16:9.
Old 12-25-05, 09:39 PM
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Was there a particular reason that one episode was shown in widescreen?
Old 12-26-05, 12:49 PM
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To sort of veer back on the track of reviews, I ended up really liking this season. I thought that the one thing that was hurting the show was that they were breaking up the Strike Team, so as they started pulling back together, the show got better.

It seemed that the writers also didn't know what to do with Glenn Close's character, either. When she finally got established, though, she was just as good in playing off of Vic as Aceveda was, maybe even better.

Speaking of Aceveda, if season 5 is really the last one, I hope he gets everything he has coming to him. Watching him get gunned down would be great. He's a great example of a politician - he started out wanting to do the right thing, and now he's been turned into just another corrupt bastard, even more corrupt than Vic because at least most of Vic's illegal dealings protect the innocent.

I just got to work w/ season 4 in my hot little hands, and I'm planning on listening to the commentary tracks today as I do my inventory. The commentaries have always been a big part of the season releases, with all the show's stars joining in.
Old 12-26-05, 05:15 PM
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the episode "back in the hole"" did not air in widescreen (or at least when i watched it. it aired as an hour and a half episode.

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