MovieChat Forums > Lost Horizon (1973) Discussion > Textbook Case for Widescreen vs. Full Sc...

Textbook Case for Widescreen vs. Full Screen

posted 17 years ago by merek-3
9 replies | jump to latest

I saw this movie a few years ago while home sick.

I forget what channel it was on - but it was a full screen version - not widescreen.

The song "Things I Will Not Miss" was a textbook case for the value of Widescreen vs. Full screen. Or perhaps just an example of a VERY lazy editor who cut the full screen version.

During about 3-4 partso fo the song - there is NO ONE on the screen. They are at opposite sides of the table or whatever - and the editor who created the Fullscreen version just left the focus on the center of the screen.

It really was pretty hilarious.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] towerman123 17 years ago

Yes, being lazy with pan & scan controls.

[–] babyfir77 17 years ago

I can't stand watching movies that are not in widescreen if they are available
in that format. Especially those at 2:35 to 1. Interestingly I just came
to this film from re-reading the Medved book 50 Worst films. I've never
seen Lost Horizon and I actually never want to!

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] geode 15 years ago

Good call.

Oh Lord, you gave them eyes but they cannot see...

[–] hiramto3 11 years ago

babyfir77, the film is far from the worst 50 list.

Look closely and it reveals a discourse on changing times in the early 1970s and how those values and aesthetics changed as they affect taste. Given a 40 year time space between then and now, one can value how the makers and actors tried but the combination failed with all great intentions.

[–] hiramto3 11 years ago

[–] msaiu78 15 years ago

The problem is that many of the so-called 'pan-n-scan' versions are not pan-n-scan at all! They're simply chopped off at the sides. I could never understand how art could be butchered this way.

[–] pazuzu-2 12 years ago

In the 1980's, I saw a bit of American Grafitti on a local station. It was obviously just framed in the middle with the sides cut off with no panning of scanning. So, a scene in a car had both characters mostly cut off at the sides, for instance.

It makes me wonder if in the days of sending out 16mm films the studio would sometimes accidentally send out a widescreen 16mm print and the telecine person would just slap on an anamorphic lens and broadcast it framed in the middle.

16mm rental catalogs would offer the option for standard pan scan and widescreen 16mm prints for some titles that could be rented for events.

The focus of real greed lies with unrestrained Government.