Widescreen Version?


Hey, I just purchased this movie on Laserdisc, since this is one of my all time favourites and the DVD is only pan-and-scan. Are there any plans for a widescreen DVD release at some point anyone knows of?

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Nope, doesn't look like it yet, but you never know, it could be in the works in the future, I am thinking the one that Amazon.com has is 1. something, and I thinking that would be fullscreen or pan and scan, but keep your eyes peeled, they may have a widescreen version coming out soon.

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I have the DVD and it is actually open matte full screen, not Pan and scan. So basically, if you put some tape at the top and bottom of your TV, you can see it in the correct widescreen. (I have made a 1.85:1 cardboard cutout that I put over my TV for movies like this.)

"You're not from the IRS, you just glued my pubes onto your face!"-Scott Tenorman, South Park

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With the use of video editing software, I made my own widescreen DVD of this from the full screen version, 16x9 encoded too, so on a widescreen TV, it fills the whole screen.

As I said in my last thread, the full screen version is open matte, so all I did was put the matte's back in, and presto, back to 1.85:1 ratio.

"You're not from the IRS, you just glued my pubes onto your face!"-Scott Tenorman, South Park

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I know this is an old thread. But, good to know! Thanks for sharing!

P.S.
How did you figure out that it was open-mat rather than pan and scan? Just want to know, in-case I can diagnose other movies as such too.

Please excuse typos/funny wording; I use speech-recognition that doesn't always recognize!

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Question for FirebirdCamaro (or whoever else knowledgeable about this):

Please explain "open Matte." Do I understand that this movie was originally shot higher in proportion to what was shown in the theaters? If so I wouldn't mind the 4:3 ratio. But if the 4:3 ratio trims out the sides then I mind.

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It was originally shot in 1.37:1, which is essentially 4:3, and then the top and bottom were masked for the theatrical presentation.

L: I'm talking about a little place called Aspen
H: I don't know Lloyd, the french are a ssholes

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[deleted]

Thanks. So the DVD that I have has the original screen composition by the director. Theatrical release or not, I always prefer the original composition.

Thanks again for answering promptly.

BTW, do you know of any website that lists what movies where shot open matte and released to theaters in WS?

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Warner Archive is re-releasing the dvd in July 2016 - they indicate widescreen on their website although they dont always get the specs right until the dvd is actually available. If the old dvd is open matte, all you have to do is zoom in and that should give the correct widescreen view.
http://www.wbshop.com/product/my+fellow+americans+%281996%29+%28mod%29+1000617791.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=&from=fn

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It is indeed widescreen.

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