CertifiedTHX

What's up with the current releases of The Fog? Since the copy with the blue-tinted cover art arrived, I have found what appears to be a reissue of the previous, green-tinted cover. I wanted the latter, but I wanted the one with the P&S version on the flip side. But I thought the back of that one indicated a "full screen" transfer. The current green-tinted copy shows no such thing.

Anyone with the double-sided release--can you check to see what it does actually say on the back? Does it show 2.35:1 anamorphic AND 1.33:1, or am I just remembering something that never actually existed?

Thanks!

--THX

rdodolak

The Fog's (green cover) back cover lists both the 1.33:1 and the 2.35:1 anamorphic version on the back cover. The disc is dual sides w/ the 1.33:1 version on one side and the 2.35:1 version on the other.

EDIT:

The rerelease was just market hype to promote the theatrical release for the remake of The Fog.

RocShemp

I recently purchased the one with the blue tinted cover since it was an SE. What's the big deal with the green tinted version? Is the fullscreen side open matte or something?

Julie Walker

No it's a literal pan & scan severely croppsed transfer. The only good thing it shows is how bad pan & scan is

collven

Why would someone with the username CertifiedTHX want a P&S copy of anything?

CertifiedTHX

This I know. They re-released it with the blue-tinted cover, which boasted the featurette about the remake, but they also evidently created a new release of the green-tinted cover, which lacks the remake featurette and the P&S version on the flip side of the disc. Don't know the purpose of the new green-tinted edition, but it does exist. No one has yet addressed this.

Thanks for the information.

No, The Fog was filmed anamorphic. But this is just a matter of personal preference. The green-tinted edition feels like an overall nicer release to me. I like the idea of having the film in both formats, and I don't care about the tie-in with the remake.

Not a bad question. Let me put it this way: Sometimes it's fun to watch a P&S version just to see how much you lose from the original composition. I didn't appreciate OAR until I saw how badly films are treated for "full screen" presentations. (Saw Superman on the Sci-Fi Channel years ago, and suddenly had full awareness of what widescreen was really about.) I've since grown into an OAR purist. But I always enjoy the modified aspect ratio so I can appreciate all over again the original.

--THX

Drexl

I think the green-tinted release without the P&S came before the blue-tinted one, as I saw it on the shelf before I saw the blue one. It was another one of MGM's reissues of DVD-14s without the flip sides, which they have done with Fargo, Thelma & Louise, and some others. I don't know when this was released, as it's not the kind of thing they publicize.

John-In-VA

Interesting. I have way too many films to watch in their correct OAR before I start going down that path.

Mr. Cinema

It's fun to watch a movie butchered?

Julie Walker

Mr. Cinema,it is a good thing to see the extent of damage done to appease certain people who want all films in the same aspect ratio.

This is why I myself also prefered studios issuing both versions of a film on the same release,rather than separately.

Since you would have the before and after demonstrations available immediately in case anyone wonders 'what's the point of the black bars?'.


With the lack of both versions being made available on the same release. I am never going to give away my copy of The Outsiders(theatrical) among a few other early dvd releases I own.

Since more often than not,they have worked beautifully if I showed someone a sequence in both formats. They are usually blown away and 'get it' finally.

CertifiedTHX

Perhaps I should clarify my statement. No, I don't watch movies in P&S (on DVD), nor do I find that particularly enjoyable in and of itself. What I do find entertaining is taking P&S versions and comparing them with OAR. Watching scenes in P&S and then in OAR. Or side-by-side; done that with a few films (Ghostbusters, Twister, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, etc), and it's great fun watching the camera pan across what was a perfectly composed shot on one screen while that whole shot is preserved on another. This is why I like to collect MAR from TV broadcasts. (Wouldn't buy them unless they came with OAR.)

Julie Walker: Great points. I quite agree.

--THX