Friday, January 09, 2004
Original Aspect Ratio
I have a quandary. A moral dilemma, you might say.
The reason I have it is because I really like my movies. I'm pretty anal-retentive about owning DVDs, not so much regarding my tastes (I definitely have some questionable titles, but I got them for free as far as you know.) but in the quality, condition and presentation. However, despite some people's best intentions, they are not as serious about their movie collecting as I am.
So my dilemma is this: How do I accept a DVD as a gift when I am given the full-frame edition, not the widescreen one?
OK, it's seemingly meaningless in the grand scheme of things. And I realize it seems a tad bit ungrateful. But being given a film on DVD in full frame is slightly annoying.
You, dear reader, probably know this. After all, if you're reading this site, you must be of above average intelligence. Therefore, you know that a movie in full-frame is 90% of the time a movie with the sides cut off. The other 10% of the time it's a movie where you're allowed to see a top and a bottom that the director did not intend for you to see (in which case, if you like that idea, I hope you enjoy seeing the shadow of the overhead boom microphone and that it ruins the illusion of the film for you).
But there are those of you that cry, "Goddamn it, Jon...I have a 48" TV and those stupid black bars are reducing the functionality of the screen that I paid good money for." Well frankly, if that's how you feel, then you just make sure that you keep your movie collection full of pseudo TV movie of the weeks like "Pretty Woman," "My Best Friend's Wedding," and "Miss Congeniality." Because I don't want you defiling the quality of the home theatre presentations of "The Lord of the Rings," "X2," or any of the Indiana Jones films that demand to be shown in all of their glory, not just the middle third of the overall video.
Oh and by the way, I can't exchange the DVD that started this tirade. I already opened it not knowing it was full frame, and I never did get a gift receipt with it. Besides, it wasn't that great of a movie anyway.
