And to back up my assertion, look at these screen captures.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare6/sting.htm

Yes, look. There is no improvement to the picture with the very slight amount added to the sides. In fact, in some of the screen shots all it adds is wall. And, it loses some of its atmosphere with the backgrounds cut off.

When making the widescreen transfer for the 2005 release, they had to decide whether to cut off the top or the bottom of each scene.

From High-Tech Productions:
As Alcoholiday said, The Sting was filmed in full screen format and originally shown that way to make it have the feel of an old film.

That is the important part.

Only one that can recall what they saw when during its original theatrical release can state for certain but, outside of definitive knowledge of that, it is unlikely it would have been screened that way given the majority of theaters wouldn't been able to show it in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio. George Roy Hill would have been aware of that and, at the very least, composed for a 1.85 aspect ratio and then protected for a 1.37 one.

I agree that the intended aspect ratio of The Sting is 1.85:1 but it was shot using the full 1.37:1 frame, as many films are shot that way, and then matted to their intended aspect ratio. Many modified full screen releases open up the mattes and expose the entire negative camera frame to achieve the 1.33:1 "full screen" transfer. Others pan and scan from the intended 1.85/2.39 aspect ratio to achieve. Different methods of achieving the same goal of modifying the intended composition to fit a 1.33 aspect ratio.

The 'new widescreen transfer' line is meant to convey just that, that it is a new widescreen transfer given that the previous release was a fullscreen one and the transfer on the newest release wasn't recycled from that. Not that Universal modified the aspect ratio to create a 'new widescreen version' instead of using the intended composition.

The only claims stating that 1.37:1 was the intended aspect ratio are from hearsay of George Roy Hill selecting that aspect ratio to fit the period, which seem dubious given the majority of theaters wouldn't be able to show it in that ratio, and/or based on conjecture because of something like, just as an example, using the animated 1930's style logo to fit the period. Or coming from people that may be most familiar with the film from the open matte full screen version and preferring that aspect ratio and that the matted 1.85:1 aspect ratio feels more cramped to them.

If one wants the full screen version, at least do so knowing the odds of that truly being the intended aspect ratio is very remote and that it is exposing the entire 1.37:1 frame in order to achieve it rather than it being the intended composition. There is much more concrete evidence to suggest 1.85:1 is the intended aspect ratio.

Huh?

Am I the only one here who remembers theatres that had one screen instead of 150?

Huge curtains on either side of the screen that opened and closed depending on the aspect ratio of the film being shown. As time went on, the curtains would be moved to accommodate the wide-screen previews and closed up when the full screen movie came on.

If I recall correctly the 1.37:1 aspect ratio was used before 1952, and rarely after then, as CinemaScope and newer widescreen formats became popular.

It's a great HBO miniseries! I hope it shows up here in Southern California.

I know what you are talking about, Journeywoman. There were a lot of older theaters back in the 70's and 80's that were indeed capable of showing films open matte - that is, the projectionist would inspect the film upon arrival and if there was a 1.37:1 image on the film, he would adjust the screen ratio and show it just that way.

The other members are arguing that is wrong. The projectionist was supposed to trim the ratio down to 1.85:1. But in a lot of smaller markets the projectionist did it his way and nobody corrected him.

So yes the aspect ratio was incorrect, but Journeywoman you are right it did happen.

Thank you. In the end I really believe that this particular film loses nothing by being viewed in full screen, no matter what the original aspect ratio. I don't state that view lightly, I'm a fanatic for wide-screen. The Sting just happens to be a favorite of mine and I don't think anyone should pass up the copy at Big Lots based on the full screen issue.

Anyone know if the dvd is anamorphic? Not labeled, so doesn't appear to be. Not sure I want to open it.

Also, Risk appears non-anamorphic too. Anyone know for sure?

Finally found the $2 display at Sterling, VA.
Picked up:
Permanent Midnight
Employee of the Month
Hit Me
Swimming With Sharks: SE (which everyone seems to be talking about..)
Shanghai Surprise: SE (happy to find)
Dummy
The Cooler
Dt. T and the Women
Babar: The Movie
Dogville
A Good Woman
Would like to have found The Sting: SE, Dog Day Afternoon: SE, Pan's Labyrinth: SE, Moonlighting: Season One, The Big Red One: SE, Panic Room: SE, Beetle Juice, Mel Brook's Life Stinks, Tabitha: The Entire Series, etc.
Lots of William H. Macy B/TV movies - that guy rules.
*HOLY SHIT! THE CORNER for $3?!?!?!*

Heading out in the morning to Christiansburg, VA to finish up some Christmas shopping. They haven't stocked anything new in a couple weeks so hopefully I can find something tomorrow.

I got to go check my local big lots. Too bad closest one is 30 min from my home.

Found some great stuff I think this time out.

Brick
Adaptation. (jonze)
The Band Wagon 2disc (minnelli)
Dog Day Afternoon 2disc (lumet)
They All Laughed (bogdanovich)-great great film! haven't seen this listed by anyone I don't think. Felt lucky to have gotten this.
Hotel (figgis)
All the King's Men (rossen)
Singles (cameron crowe)

No, I'm actually north Jersey. I just happened to stop in that Egg Harbor BL on the way to Atlantic City.
Stopped in the Springfield BL today & found:
"Mary Mother Of Jesus" (Bale) $2
"Man With The Golden Gun" $4
Can't believe there was still this one stray Bond lying around there.

FWIW.

The DVD Talk review by Holly E. Ordway, whom if memory serves is usually accurate with tech specs, states that Bread & Roses is anamorphic even though it doesn't mention it.

Digitally Obsessed has a review that states anamorphic for Risk also.

My copy of "Bread & Roses" (which I also got at Big Lots) is indeed anamorphic. I just played it on my computer to confirm.

^Thanks folks. I opened mine and can confirm they are both anamorphic. Will need to be added to my non-anamorphic thread.
abintra, thanks for the Digitally Obsessed review, I'll have to add that site to the list of resources to use. (I'll be adding a section to the other thread)

FYI - Even tho the slipcover says it's 16x9, The Snow Queen is NOT anamorphic. Once you slip the cover off, the actual back cover says it's 4:3 letterboxed. Popping it into the player, letterbox is confirmed.

Found the following at my store:
The Hitchhiker Volume 2
Cracker Series Three
Dog Day Afternoon
The Big Red One.

Looking to trade The Hitchiker Volume 2 for Volume 3
and Cracker Series 3 for either Moonlighting Season 3 or Tabitha: The Entire Series
Please LMK if anyone wants to trade. Thanks
Also looking for any of the UFC titles except UFC2

If it helps any, DVD-Basen and DVD Compare are both excellent resources for reviews and tech specs info. Rather than search individual sites looking for specific reviews, those two can be utilized as methods of seeing whether or not reviews/info exist over a number of sites.

Occasionally, neither of those sites will turn up results for a title but something like IMDb's external reviews section or MRQE may list a DVD review also. Then there are always sites like DVD Empire, Laserdisken, AxelMusic, etc. if one is looking for a back cover scan.

Thanks for the anamorphic confirmation on Risk.

Hit up the Ft. Myers, FL location which had the most recent $3 assortment.
Picked up:
The Sting (did not have the SE), Dog Day Afternoon: SE, The Big Red One: SE - still looking for:
Pan's Labyrinth: SE, Moonlighting: Season One, Panic Room: SE, Beetle Juice, Mel Brook's Life Stinks, Tabitha: The Entire Series, etc.

Its Season 3 Of Moonlighting not 1

Found a couple of new titles today at the Kingshighway store in St Louis

Universal:
HONEY (Jessica Alba)

HBO:
LEFT OF THE DIAL

More new stuff in Shelby, MI.

An American Werewolf in London - CE, WS
Capturing the Friedmans - 2 disc, WS
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles - Anamorphic, subtitles
Salvador - James Woods, Jim Belushi, Michael Murphy, Joh Savage - SE, WS
The Big Red One - Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill - 2 disc SE, WS matted
Dogville - Nicole Kidman - WS
Birth - Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Anne Heche - WS
An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder - 2 disc, UR
Mr. Fix It - David Boreanaz - WS
True Stories - David Byrne, John goodman - FS


ps: Tried to watch Kevin Smith last night - God-Awful. Self-pandering, smug, wandering waste of his time and ours.

I haven't seen Beetlejuice at bl yet. It's one I've always meant to pick up.....