"Colossus:The Forbin Project" IS full frame!
 

I can't believe Universal has released this great film pan & scan. It is particularly horrendous seeing how it's a 2:35:1 ratio film!!!

Looks like Universal's website is correct so Charley Varrick, Raggedy Man, Tank & Iceman (another 2:35:1 film) will all be full frame.

You can go to Universal's website and send an e-mail complaining about this travesty, just click on contact us and follow along: http://homevideo.universalstudios.com

Bah! I was hoping against hope that it would end up being OAR. Oh well, I have my widescreen laserdisc and will continue to watch that.

Universal, you have lost a sale. Nice move.

Damn. I'm in the middle of rereading the book, and was looking forward to seeing the movie again. Guess I'll have to scare up a copy on ebay.

What do you expect Colossus to but full frame, it was NOT a theatrical release, it WAS an ABC Movie of the Week. So it is OAR.

Skip

Wel. my list of DVDs to buy always exceeds my budget, so I'll simply scratch this one off and spend my $$ on other titles.

NO OAR = NO SALE.

Uh, no.

Skip... move to Earth, it's nice here. :)

Well, it's MOSTLY nice, except that Universal Home Video has been putting out full-frame releases of movies that should ONLY be released in widescreen. Despicable.

That's very disappointing; I voiced my concern with Universal, but they looked to have ignored me (no surprise there...)

I'm more disappointed with Charley Varrick, but I suppose that will be open matte rather than p&s?

This movie premiered <i>theatrically</i> in April 1970.

Technical Specifications for
Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
Laboratory
Technicolor, USA
Film negative format (mm/video inches)
35 mm
Cinematographic process
Panavision (anamorphic)
Printed film format
35 mm
Aspect ratio
2.35 : 1

yes, it is a open matte presentation, as I always thought it was a scope movie, but when I played my WS LD side by side with my old vhs tape, the vhs was just a open matte presentation.

However, the new vhs edition stated "home video version" over the older vhs tape, so some music cues or songs in the background might have been altered, not sure about the DVD release though.

I have the LD and it is a scope movie, therefore you are losing 50% of the films image on full screen. DVD therefore is pan and scan

I saw this in the theater when I was 9.

i thought this moview was cool - but a panand scan isn't fun.

I read this on dvdanswers.com, and was very disapointed. I was wanting Tank and Iceman in OAR... guess not :( Tank is only 1.85:1, but Iceman was 2.35:1, ouch.

A travesty. It is truly stupid and pointless to release a movie that fans have been waiting for 20+ yrs in a butchered P&S form!

I just can't see how this is a good business decision on Universal's part. They are better off financially to have not even released the title at all than have 100,000+ unsold copies because of this assinine decision.

Same with ICEMAN, another film deserving of so much more. No sale from me and many of my aquaintances.

How many more years will we have to wait, Universal?

Correction, it was released in widescreen on LD about 7 years ago, so it was not a 20 + year wait,

Damn, I never have seen this movie, but I was going to buy it blind based on all I have read about it and actually was looking forward to seeing it. Thanks, Universal, for killing that hope.

I've emailed them twice and still no reply...they could give a s---!

I have just eMailed Universal myself and below is what I sent. I know people are mad about this situation but please try to keep it civil and to the point so it actually get read.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have just heard confirmation that Universal is indeed releasing a Full Screen only DVD of Colossus: The Forbin Project. I am totally baffled as to why Universal would released a DVD that will be bought by film enthusiasts like myself but released it in a aspect ratio that I (and other enthuaists) will NEVER buy it in! I thought we had got past the days when studios released DVD's in the full screen only aspect ratio, appealing to those less informed as to the true butchering a film receives when released in FS. The viewing public has become much more aware of the benefits of the OAR (Original Apsect Ratio) and the comparative sale of dual FS and WS releases bare out the fact that WS DVD's are much more preferred. With more and more consumers buying 16x9 TV's it further proves the more prudent reason for WS releases of DVD's.

I have purchased hundreds of Universal DVD's (I have over 1200 overall) and am very pleased with the quality of the WS DVD's I have bought but I will tell you upfront that know matter how much I want a particular film I will NEVER purchase a Full Screen DVD from any studio (accepting of course a film's OAR is 1.33:1).

I would ask that Universal please consider the possibility of a second Wide Screen DVD release of Colossus: The Forbin project. This would not be without precedence as Warner had a similar situation a coupe of years ago with Willy Wonka and 4-5 months later relented by releasing a WS version that was very much appreciated by us film lovers.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anybody see a copy of this yet? Is it confirmed full screen? (yes, I am holding out hope to the end!)

It's confirmed pan & scan. Universal is run by monkeys.

http://images.dvdempire.com/gen/movies/628564bh.jpg

I iwsh they would remake this movie. Just to see how the modern version would look. Don't get me wrong I love the old one, but I would be interested in how the computer as we know it today would be portrayed.

<br>Not looking good...

http://seymouru.home.mindspring.com/Colossus1.jpg



Maybe?

http://seymouru.home.mindspring.com/Colossus2.jpg



http://members.aol.com/nightdog35/im...iley_splat.gif

http://seymouru.home.mindspring.com/Colossus3.jpg

Ahh thats too depressing. Universal, why bother?

It NOT formatted to fit MY SCREEN (16x9)!!!!!

Mine either, but at least if it's open matte I can just use the zoom function and get a sort of wide screen. I'm not thrilled by this, but since it's so cheap, I'll probably get it anyhow.

And it is not only irresponsible, but actuallly EVIL to have a letterboxed credit sequence in a full frame movie.

The unions may legally require the credits to be shown in widescreen so all the names are fully displayed. Too bad there's no union to legally require the film to be fully displayed. -ohbfrank-

If it was shot anamorphic as stated at IMDB then I don't think there can be an open Matte version. There was no matte involved, the image was compressed on 35mm and decompressed to a widescreen AR. There's no matte to open. That's why you have to Pan and scan it to get a full frame AR, there's no choice.

Only hope would be that the imdb info is wrong and it was shot with a spherical 35mm and matted. Then open matte would be possible.

Am I right about this?

A framegrab from the LD would solve this.

Doesn't the WS credit sequence indicate P&S?

Folks, I *own* the laserdisc for this. It is not -- repeat NOT -- open matte. This is a widescreen 2.35:1 film. Just like Star Wars or any other Panavision, widescreen film. This DVD is a travesty, plain and simple. It's PAN & SCAN. Without a doubt. 100% positive.

Universal droppped the ball on this. Avoid this release. You can't solve this by zooming in on the release. That will just make the problem worse.

They fucked up. Write letters, send e-mails. But don't buy this piece of shit because it's 'only' $7. They need to know that this is unacceptable.

I just received the Colossus DVD. I had preordered this disc awhile ago. The disc is a Universal disgrace. There is no main menu or any menu at all. The DVD autoplays when placed in the player. There are chapter stops. The print isn't very good. The VHS tape is just as good. I just can't believe Universal would put out a DVD like this. This is a great sci-fi film it doesn't deserve this treatment.

I wish I had picked up the LD when I had the chance.

This has to be some test marketing nonsense. Get these titles out with minimal investment, sell them cheap and make the profit. What a shame.
worth posting this link, I just wrote to them myself.

Email Universal

Everybody needs to go to every website they can find that sells this DVD and write reviews ripping the DVD (NOT the film)! Warn people about this garbage DVD and how studios will only change their ways if we don't buy these bad DVD's!

Thanks for the link. Here's what I wrote:

This really disappoints me. I'd planned to buy Collossus and charley varrick not only for myself but for my mother for christmas. Now I won't; that's four purchases Universal won't make. My mom hates black bars so she'd probably be fine with it, but I just won't give universal that satisfaction. I'd feel dirty doing it;)

Michael

I urge everyone again to write an e-mail to Universal complaining about this. Universal really needs to be swamped with e-mails telling them what an outrageous decision they have made.

Even if this is not a film you are interested in, you should send them an e-mail as Universal may end up doing the same hack job on a film you really want.

I just sent them an e-mail, expressing my disappointment with their decision in releasing one of my favorite classic sci-fi flick in Pan&Scam. :mad:

I hoped they got all our notices, I however I doubt that Universal really ever cared about us anymore. This is one sorry studio. :(

Good to have some clarification on this. Thanks!

Just fired off a stern, yet polite, email. Hopefully, someone there will catch on.