Turner Classics has disappointed me
 

TCM was going to air Poltergeist tonight (2/23), and after years of P&S presentations on TNT or AMC or wherever, I figured this would be a good opportunity to catch it in its OAR. Tuned in to find... the same P&S version I could see on any standard cable channel.

I thought TCM was consistent with regard to OAR. Be it 1.33:1 or 2.55:1, I actually entertained the idea that TCM was a network that respected the art of filmmaking, and aired each movie in the format the director intended. IFC is another one, but is also guilty of showing an occasional movie "full screen."

--THX

There are a few people discussing this very topic on the TCM boards.

TCM has a terrific track record of doing right by the film fan.

But instead of a more forthright thread title of 'Poltergeist P&S on TCM' we get the teaser of TCM "disappointing" you. How you've been "entertaining the idea" they were a network that respected the "art of filmmaking" ... blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

If you know of a better cable outlet that has more interesting and diversified content for the film fan, please let us know. Otherwise lose the long face and rhetoric and get off your high white horse.

Btw, a TCM programmer already has commented that the Poltergeist viewing was unacceptable and they were looking into it.

As long as they don't start showing commercials during their movies (I'm looking at you, AMC!) I'll let an occasional P&S showing slide.

Where I live, TCM has always had commercials running through their movies!!

I don't believe you.

It's a national feed. Where you live is irrelevant. Perhaps you're thinking of TNT or TBS.

'fraid so! There are always breaks through movies on TCM in UK



In the UK, I have been watching and recording movies on TCM for years with DVD+RW discs, and afterwards always have to use other software programmes to cut out the breaks. And no, I'm definitely not thinking of TNT or TBS!

:thmbsdwn:

TCM has shown Poltergeist in letterbox format before, hopefully they will show it properly again in the future.

how ironic, I've watched movies on UK broadcast (BBC channels) and they are uncut and commercial free, yet with TCM you guys get shafted - wow, that truly sucks.

TCM has been getting wonky of late.
It's one thing to P&S Skidoo or Green Slime (not sure if there are LTBX transfers of those out there), but Poltergeist?
Dirty cricket on that.

The UK version of TCM is rubbish. Apart from the commercial breaks, many of the prints are of very poor quality. They don't show any films in digital widescreen and have no facilities for playing stereo films in stereo. With the resources of Time/Warner behind the channel you'd think they could do better.

Perhaps I was a little "high and mighty" that night. However, I had never seen TCM air a film in anything other than its OAR, be it scope or academy, I knew them to be a network that honored OAR, and that's why I was stunned to see a P&S presentation. Looked as if they were starting to slide. And that's what came through in my words.

--THX

No worries. :)

Looking at what I wrote was unnecessarily harsh as well.

I get a little tired of some of the posts over at TCM's forum. Too many silent films, not enough mainstream films, too many mainstream films ... etc. etc.

TCM strikes a nice balance of giving the film lover some rarely seen films along with those films people really know and love. It's a tough balance that.

Cheers