I notice that IMDb is claiming that TIE was filmed at a 2:1 widescreen aspect ratio (look at the 'Technical Specs'). This is news to me- the movie's credits certainly don'r indicate that it was filmed at 2:1, and there's no evidence of cropping on my full screen (1.3:1) DVD. Do any experts out there know about this? Dejael?
It IS in fact, 2:1, and this is direct from the source (Universal). I've run a 35mm print of the film and it plays quite comfortably widescreen. Universal's DVD of it is somewhat cropped.
-J. Theakston
The Silent Photoplayer
http://www.thephotoplayer.com/
Thanks, J.
When you said that Universal's DVD is somewhat cropped, I assume you referred to the upcoming August release, and I assume you didn't mean that they had cropped it all the way down to 1.33:1. However, that is at odds with this info that I got from Universalstudios.com at
http://homevideo.universalstudios.com/details.php?childId=36387
Release Date: 08/29/2006
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Picture: Full Frame (1.33:1)
Oddly, IMDb used to say that the film was shot at 1.33:1 (a few years ago). I don't know when they changed it to 2:1.
Well, I sure hope you're right and that the new release is some kind of widescreen.
Cropped as in the image is ever so slightly zooed in on certain shots in order to "fill in" the head room that's quite apparent otherwise. The color is also extremely muted compared to the original Technicolor prints.
The new DVD is 1.37 because it's the same old transfer that was done ten years ago for the old DVD. It was done in an era when preserving the original aspect ratio was not high on the studio's list. Unfortunately, this is the way people have been seeing this film since the '50s on television and on video, and many just assume that's the way it should be seen.
-J. Theakston
The Silent Photoplayer
http://www.thephotoplayer.com/
Just to calm everyone's nerves, simply go to the "Widescreen Museum" online at http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/lobby.htm and click on any one of the several widescreen processes displayed, then click "Filmography" to see a thorough list, by year, of every movie shot in that particularly format. There's no mention of "This Island Earth" ANYWHERE. Meanwhile, I'm just happy to see that Universal is finally releasing this movie after the Image Entertainment debacle. (Well, semi-debacle...I was one of the few who managed to buy a copy at Best Buy for $12 and sell it on Ebay a couple of years later for $115; one of the few times in my life that I was ever on the better end of a deal, believe me, so I have no regrets!) I still love the movie, avarice notwithstanding.
shareThanks, ccbaxter. That's a good site.
See my comments on another parallel thread entitled "This Island Earth re-release 8/22/06" at
imdb.com/title/tt0047577/board/flat/44052836
Having both film production and exhibition experience, and knowing something about aspect ratios, I can clear this up easily. After Cinemascope came along, the studios wanted to in effect "widen" the standard aspect ratio without the need of special optics. This was done by simply cropping the top and bottom of the standard 4:3 aspect frame. The cropped (or "matted") aspect ratio varied from 1.66:1 to 2:1 until they arrived at a standard (in the US anyway) of 1.85:1 - which is what it is at present. When the films were shot, they allowed extra head and foot room to accomodate cropping. Theatres had the option to project cropped or full frame. Television of course always ran these films full frame.
"This Island Earth" is one of my favorite sci-fi films and I know for a fact that it was shot in this manner. I recently saw it in a theatre in "cropped" 35mm widescreen. If you have the previous DVD or any other video release of "This Island Earth", look at the opening credits and notice how much space there is above and below the text. Also notice the amount of headroom throughout the film.
And presenting movies full-frame that were meant to be matted at 1.85:1, or whatever aspect ratio the director and DP intended, can be just as disastrous as panning-and-scanning movies made in anamorphic widescreen (Cinemascope or Panavision). One example is the opening scene of Bonnie and Clyde, in which Faye Dunaway is supposedly naked. When shown full-frame, a couple of shots clearly show her modern, 1967-style bikini undies! Kind of spoils the illusion.
All the universe . . . or nothingness. Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be?