MovieChat Forums > Homicidal (1961) Discussion > Why is the DVD not widescreen

Why is the DVD not widescreen

posted 18 years ago by Allardyce99
12 replies | jump to latest

I've got all of the William Castle DVDs available, and all of them are widescreen EXCEPT "Homicidal", one of his best. This is infuriating!! Why would Columbia do this? Anybody know what happened?

DSS

[–] CJ_076 18 years ago

I think it was shot in 1.37:1, which is fullframe anyway.

[–] marlenebomer 18 years ago

CJ's correct. Widescreen movies didn't come around until 1952, but it looks like movies weren't consistantly released until the mid-60's. I really haven't found a source which definitively stated when all movies were released in widescreen format.

[–] Allardyce99 18 years ago

I'm not sure that I buy that. I mean, it makes sense and I know about the history of when widescreen came about. But the fact remains that Castle directed several movies prior to Homicidal that were shot widescreen (The Tingler and House on Haunted Hill (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960)), so it doesn't make sense that in the middle of his run of films he would suddenly shoot one 1.37:1. What makes more sense is that Columbia Tristar Home Video screwed up. I dunno. We'll probably never know for sure.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] scion777-554-857756 8 years ago

1953 - "The Robe" - first WS film

[–] alfiehitchie 17 years ago

As with Columbia's Dr. Strangelove, the first DVD release was presented in 'full frame' format. Stanley Kubrick said in a later interview that the original negative of Strangelove was damaged so all new prints were struck from a pieced together existing one. Whe the film was properly restored in 2004, the 'widescreen' version was finally released on the new 2 disk DVD release. This could be the reason for the full-frame release of Homicidal, as it was indeed shot in 185.1, just as Castle's other Columbia releases were filmed. It could also be the reason that the videocassette was never released in the United States. Columbia probably couldn't locate a decent print of the film at the time.

alfie

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] filmo70 17 years ago

found this dvd at a BIG LOTS store for $2. Can't beat the price.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] sleepy_angel 17 years ago

Me three! You never know what you'll find in there. I love Big Lots!

http://fathersloveletter.com/fllpreviewlarge.html

[–] lmcsjb 8 years ago

I'm no expert, but I read recently that 1.85:1 has (always?) been a cropped view of a 1.37:1 film, sometimes done in the projector - just so the film can be viewed in a wider format. I read this in an explanation for why some officially 1.85 films are released on DVD in full screen which is just the original 1.37 film (cropped slightly to 1.33) and not a pan-and-scan or just cropped version of the 1.85 image. In other words, the image shows the extra picture above and below the intended 1.85 image.

Someday I'm going to see if I can verify this with two different versions of a film, like a DVD and a TV recording, or two different home video versions.

Please forgive me if you know this isn't the case with this movie.

[–] oldblackandwhite 7 years ago

What imcsjb says in correct. In the 'fifties and 'sixties many movies were shot at 1.37:1 with the intention of being cropped with a projector attachment. Homicidal was intended to be displayed at 1.85:1, but an old, mom & pop theater with a small screen could show it at 1.66:1, and it would still look good. Uncropped, it fit a TV screen. One of the tips you have an uncropped 1.37:1 (as opposed to pan & scan) version is that there will be hardly any real closeups. By 1961 all theatrically released movies were shown widescreen. I state this from both written sources and my own experience -- I saw Homicidal when I was in high school, and it was most assuredly widescreen.

By the way, the Mill Creek/Columbia blue ray, which I recently aquired, is widescreen, 1.85:1, and is otherwise beautifully restored.

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He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good... St. Matthew 5:45