BlackholeForever

I don't know what it is with this trend, but I figure someone at the definitive site for DVD discussion would know.

Why are theatrical cuts being released as Full Screen only?

I've seen this with a number of titles recently, including Dark Water a few months back, and Derailed this past month.

I don't get it...?

mbs

Simple answer: because some people still buy (and prefer) them to widescreen.

If it's going to make the studios money, they will do it. Even if it seems like a butchered up hack job to us.

Julie Walker

I think in this case he is questioning theatrical versions being released in pan & scan and the unrated versions in widescreen.

Now remember not all 'unrated' versions are 'superior' and 'true directors/original cuts'. Some like many Sony 'extended' releases are just various deleted scenes slapped back into the film to fill out the running time.

So in cases like that,I really think it's stupid for the theatrical version to be released in pan & scan only.

Thus regardless all versions of a film should be presented in their original aspect ratios!

Peep

I agree! Sometimes the cuts were right to begin with and the "unrated" version is not as good. I know that the studios want to save money but we really need the option of buying the theatrical release (should we choose) in OAR. And is seemless branching still that problematic?

NatrlBornThrllr

Wait a month or two. If 40 Year Old Virgin is and indication, the WS theatrical will hit eventually.

-JP

NitroJMS

40 Year Old Virgin was a big hit though. Dark Water and Derailed... not so much.

dvd_luver

I think that studios in general make stupid choices. I picked up on that months ago when I bought Dark Water on dvd, I noticed the theatrical cut was FS only. I think to be honest, the studios think that consumers won't even care all that much, they think Unrated is far more superior to Theatrical. So they make UR available in WS and Theatrical available in FS only. Studios really think Unrated editions will sell the most.

Julie Walker

I'm happy that the upcoming Hills Have Eyes remake will have the R version available in widescreen and P&S on the same release(from what I can gather). While the unrated version will be available in widescreen only.

In that case,since the film was heavily cut down in graphic explicit content to get an R rating instead of NC-17. I will have no problems picking up the unrated version. But I do think all versions regardless of 'merit' should be available in the correct aspect ratio.

This in my opinion is what the 'unrated version' should be all about. The original intended cut before MPAA interference.

But the studios are abusing it by releasing everything in an 'unrated extended version',99% of which are pointless and don't 'enhance' the film.


I still have'nt been able to find the widescreen R rated 40 Year Old Virgin in stores yet. But it is available online at least.

Peep

Well, hopfully the theatrical edition will be a 2-disc set otherwise picture quality will suffer jamming both versions onto the same disc - and that's without any extras!

grundle

The DVD of "Drop Dead Fred" is open matte and I don't have any problem with that. It just means there's more of Phoebe's head and feet for me to see!

I hate pan and scan, of course.

Julie Walker

Like most dual-aspect ratio Fox releases. I suspect it will be a flipper!

Also the thing that annoyed me the most about the rated-P&S/unrated-widescreen trend. Ia the fact that studios usually made the unrated version available in both formats. While the theatrical was only available in the worst format(pan & scan)!

If they were trying to 'save money' on costs of producing numerous editions of a film. Then why make the unrated version in both formats?