Say what you want artistically, financially ITV's management are doing very well at the moment, so to criticise their decision making skills is silly...

I sat down to watch Licence to Kill, as it's one of my favs, and coupled with the dog, bad compression rates on Freeview and the aspect ratio issue, I just put the DVD on instead! Plus I expect ITV cut it up a bit as it was a 15 on at 4pm-ish.

Yep a couple of edits for the splattery moments.

Yeah a few edits, nothing overly bad but they cut the whipping of Lupe, few uses of "shit", a head explosion, Sanchez being lit on fire and trimmed some of Felix being maimed by the shark.

It baffles me why they put it on at that time though, GoldenEye never gets a Sunday slot but LTK always seems to.

(Unless otherwise indicated, all films in the following list were projected at 2.35:1 prior to 1971, and at 2.39:1 thereafter)

* = May not be screened in all areas (check your local listings).

Scope and 3-D movies across the Freeview platform for the coming week (10 - 16 May):


Saturday (10 May)

• Backdraft (ITV 4)
• Battle of Britain (C5)
• Bolt (BBC 1) [3-D] [1.85:1]
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (C4)
• The Dilemma (E4)
• Earthquake (Film 4)
• The Eiger Sanction (ITV 1)*
• I, Robot (Movie Mix)
• Man on a Ledge (C4)
• Next (5 USA)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (BBC 3)
• Premonition (Film 4)
• Proof (Movie Mix)
• Seven Pounds (Movie Mix)
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (ITV 2)
• St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (Film 4)
• Telstar: The Joe Meek Story (BBC 2)
• Torpedo Run (C5)
• Wanted (Film 4)


Sunday (11 May)

• 27 Dresses (Film 4)
• Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (C5)
• "Crocodile" Dundee [Crocodile Dundee] (Film 4)
• "Crocodile" Dundee II (E4)
• Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (movies4men)
• Earth Girls Are Easy (Movie Mix)
• Ever After (C4)
• Expired (BBC 2)
• The Fighting Fist of Shangai Joe [Il mio nome è Shangai Joe] (movies4men)
• How to Train Your Dragon (CBBC) [3-D]
• I Dreamed of Africa: A True Story (Movie Mix)
• The Iron Giant (ITV 2)
• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (C5)
• License to Wed (ITV 2)
• Long John Silver (movies4men) [2.55:1]
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (BBC 3)
• Seabiscuit (ITV 3)
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (ITV 2)
• Tin Cup (ITV 4)
• U-571 (5 USA)
• Underworld: Evolution (C4)
• Zookeeper (ITV 2)


Monday (12 May)

• Carry On Admiral (movies4men)
• Huge (Film 4)
• Keoma [Keoma il vendicatore] (movies4men)
• My Super Ex-Girlfriend (5*)
• The Prince and the Pauper (Film 4)
• Skyline (Film 4)


Tuesday (13 May)

• 17 Again (E4)
• Caesar the Conqueror [Giulio Cesare: Il conquistatore delle Gallie] (movies4men)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (ITV 1) [IMAX DMR 3-D (partly)]
• License to Wed (ITV 2)
• Magnum Force (5 USA)
• Seven Pounds (Movie Mix)
• Spy Game (ITV 4)
• Starman (Movie Mix)
• Suicide Commandos [Commando suicida] (movies4men)
• Unknown (Film 4)


Wednesday (14 May)

• 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (More 4) [2.55:1]
• Chaos (5*)
• "Crocodile" Dundee [Crocodile Dundee] (Film 4)
• Definitely, Maybe (More 4)
• Dragonfly (BBC 1)
• I Dreamed of Africa: A True Story (Movie Mix)
• Josh (C4)
• Men of Honor (Movie Mix)
• Nowhere Boy (Film 4)
• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (5*)
• Tomorrow Never Dies (ITV 1)*
• X-Men (Film 4)


Thursday (15 May)

• Dragonfly Squadron (movies4men) [3-D] [1.85:1]
• Firefox (ITV 4)
• Forty Guns (More 4)
• Killer Elite (5*)
• Mirrors (Film 4)
• Space Cowboys (ITV 4)
• To Hell and Back (5 USA) [2.55:1]
• Twilight (Film 4)
• X-Men: The Last Stand (Film 4)


Friday (16 May)

• Along Came a Spider (More 4)
• The Dilemma (E4)
• Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (movies4men)
• Earthquake (Film 4)
• The Gauntlet (ITV 4)
• Lone Star (BBC 2)
• The Lost World (More 4)
• New Moon (Film 4)
• Scary Movie (Film 4)
• Seven Pounds (Movie Mix)
• The Thing (ITV 4)
• The Wings of the Dove (ITV 3)
• The World is Not Enough (ITV 1)*
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Film 4)

Did EXPIRED get the OAR treatment on BBC 2 last night, I wonder? Anyone see it?

Meanwhile, movies4men screened the alternate 1.37:1 version of LONG JOHN SILVER, filmed at the same time as its 'definitive' CinemaScope version. This happened a few times during the very early years of the scope revolution.

I didn't last night, but I've still to get round to watching my Sept 2013 recording, which was definitely OAR.

Anyone know if Underworld: Awakening was OAR for its premiere, please? I missed it when it was on, but No.3 was cropped to 16:9.

Skyline tonight in a letterbox, why can't they show it full screen? Same with Blu Ray letterboxed.

Do you mean it has black bars at the top and bottom? That's intentional. They can't show it full screen because that would compromise the director and cinematographer's artistic vision.

It is FULL image, not your full screen!

There is probably a zoom mode on your TV if you want it bigger, the rest of us want it in the correct aspect ratio.

In that case, the other night's broadcast was probably OAR too. Ta very glad.

KEOMA screened OAR on movies4men last night. It's nice that a channel such as this exists, showing a broad range of incredible old tat that other broadcasters wouldn't touch (and really SHOULD!).

Two points, though: I know m4m isn't really aimed at the 'perfectionost' or 'movie buff' demographic, but I'd still prefer films in their original language with subtitles. But if dubbed stuff is the way they're going, I'm surprised and disappointed that they don't show kung fu movies from the 70's and 80's. Those movies are a natural fit for such a channel...

Movies4Men, always use to show martial arts films up until about 2 years ago, then Sony bought a chunk of the channel so it could use the transponder space for its Sony TV and Sony Movies service.

Speaking of M4M, Somebody Killed Her Husband (1978) a long forgotten Farrah Fawcett vehicle is being shown in 2:35:1.

I didn't see the broadcast, but the film itself is 1.85:1. There's a 4:3 copy of the film on YouTube (with Japanese subs) and that demonstrates emphatically that the film was shot 'open matte', with plenty of head room and legroom at the top and bottom of the 4:3 frame (lopped off when projected at the intended 1.85:1 ratio). Are you sure m4m didn't screen a 4:3 letterboxed print, stretched across your 16:9 screen?

Elsewhere, SPY GAME and STARMAN were both screened OAR on their respective channels yesterday, while CAESAR THE CONQUEROR was cropped to around 1.95:1, which would have looked virtually 'full-screen' due to overscan on most 16:9 displays.

Oh, and a word out to DVDfever: I checked my recorded copy of UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION and it was indeed broadcast OAR. Enjoy!

It was not stretchy-vision, bars top and bottom with the image filling the horizontal, the image was not distorted at all.

edit - IMDB sez

Showing all 8 technical specifications Runtime 1 hr 37 min (97 min)
Sound Mix Mono
Color Color
Aspect Ratio 2.35 : 1
Laboratory Movielab, USA
Negative Format 35 mm
Cinematographic Process Panavision (anamorphic)
Printed Film Format 35 mm

Nice one, ta. It's a pretty entertaining entry in the series. Good in 3D, too.

If I'm wrong on this one, I'll hold up me hands and say so, but I'll be surprised in this particular case. I'll have to check it out when when the film is screened again on the 21st. Watch this space!

To all and sundry, I'd advise against reliance on the IMDb for tech specs on anything. They get it right a lot of the time, but they get it wrong so often, it's best to double-check their tech info at other sources.

I had to double-check this one, just in case, but I think you got it mixed up with UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING, the 3-D one. Easy mistake to make, since they all seem pretty interchangeable.

Nurse, the pedants are revolting...

Rented THE WEE MAN the other day on Blu-ray, watched it last night. Good film, UTTERLY CRAP disc.

For a start, it was formatted at 1080i/50 rather than 1080p/24. The pic seemed OK, but 'good enough' just doesn't cut it in the HD arena - either full strength, or not at all.

But worse still, the film - shot HD, framed for 2.39:1 - was cropped to 16:9. And not 'opened up' either, but cropped at either side from a scope print. I know that most filmmakers these days don't take advantage of the scope frame the way they did in the 1950's and 60's, but THIS looked cramped and cropped from start to finish. It looked bloody awful! And just to kick us all in the nuts, the 'Making of' feature contained copious clips from the film, all of them OAR.

To say I was disgusted is an understatement. It's a pity we can't swear on these forums, because I'd like to cut loose and say what I really feel about this rip-off shiece of pit...

(I know I only rented rather than bought the thing, but this was a major UK film which deserved better on home video. How can the filmmakers themselves be happy with this colossal travesty?!)

(Unless otherwise indicated, all films in the following list were projected at 2.35:1 prior to 1971, and at 2.39:1 thereafter)

* = May not be screened in all areas (check your local listings).

Scope and 3-D movies across the Freeview platform for the coming week (17 - 23 May):


Saturday (17 May)

• 633 Squadron (C5)
• Absolute Power (ITV 4)
• AVPR: Aliens vs. Predators: Requiem (Film 4)
• Dangerous Mission (BBC 2) [3-D] [1.75:1]
• Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (movies4men)
• Eclipse (Film 4)
• Enchanted (BBC 1)
• Firefox (ITV 4)
• Fistful of Dollars [Per un pugno di dollari] (5 USA)
• Glengarry Glen Ross (True Entertainment)
• Hanover Street (Movie Mix)
• The Iron Giant (ITV 2)
• Joe Kidd (5 USA)
• Kelly's Heroes (ITV 4)
• Lake Placid (Film 4)
• Men of Honor (Movie Mix)
• Mesrine: Killer Instinct [L'instinct de mort] (BBC 2)
• Monsters (Film 4)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (BBC 3)
• River of No Return (More 4) [2.55:1]
• Starman (Movie Mix)
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (ITV 2)
• Top Gun (C4)
• X: First Class (C4)


Sunday (18 May)

• 17 Again (E4)
• 21 Jump Street (C5)
• Absolute Power (ITV 4)
• Around the World in 80 Days (C5)
• Bird on a Wire (ITV 3)
• Catch a Fire (BBC 2)
• CutThroat Island (C5)
• Dragonball: Evolution (Film 4)
• Edge of Darkness (BBC 2)
• Five Bloody Graves (movies4men)
• Hanover Street (Movie Mix)
• Just Wright (Film 4)
• Letters to Juliet (Film 4)
• Nanny McPhee (ITV 2)
• Nim's Island (5*)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (BBC 3)
• Salt (Film 4)
• Seabiscuit (ITV 3)
• Space Cowboys (ITV 4)
• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope [Star Wars] (ITV 2)
• X2 (C5)


Monday (19 May)

• Fast Five (Film 4)
• Four Fast Guns (movies4men)
• The Lady Vanishes (More 4)
• Starman (Movie Mix)
• Sunset (Movie Mix)
• X-Men (Film 4)


Tuesday (20 May)

• 5 Days of War (movies4men)
• Big Momma's: Like Father, Like Son (5*)
• Code 7 Victim 5! [Victim Five] (movies4men)
• Duplicity (ITV 2)
• The General's Daughter (Film 4)
• Glengarry Glen Ross (True Entertainment)
• Hanover Street (Movie Mix)
• Jindabyne (BBC 1)
• The Last Wagon (Film 4)
• Romancing the Stone (E4)
• That's Life! (Movie Mix)
• Timecop (5 USA)
• To Hell and Back (5 USA) [2.55:1]
• Universal Soldier (5 USA)
• X-Men: The Last Stand (Film 4)


Wednesday (21 May)

• Alfie (Film 4)
• Along Came a Spider (More 4)
• American Beauty (ITV 2)
• The Boston Strangler (movies4men)
• Entrapment (5*)
• The Gauntlet (ITV 4)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (ITV 1) [3-D]
• Hot Fuzz (ITV 1)*
• Idlewild (C4)
• Knock Off (5 USA)
• The Lincoln Lawyer (Film 4)
• Lion's Den [Leonera] (Film 4)
• The Lost World (More 4)
• Machine-Gun Kelly (movies4men)
• Point Break (5*)
• Runaway (Movie Mix)
• Saanghuro [साँघुरो] (C4)
• Starman (Movie Mix)
• That's Life! (Movie Mix)
• Twilight (Film 4)


Thursday (22 May)

• 5 Days of War (movies4men)
• Bad Education [La mala educación] (Film 4) [scope and 1.85:1]
• Blind Date (Movie Mix)
• A Bullet for the General [El Chucho: Quien sabe?] (movies4men)
• Crooks in Cloisters (Film 4)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (ITV 1) [3-D]
• Kelly's Heroes (ITV 4)
• New Moon (Film 4)
• The Next Three Days (5*)
• The Pursuit of Happyness (5*)
• Sunset (Movie Mix)
• The Thing (ITV 4)
• When a Woman Ascends the Stairs [女が階段を上る時] (Film 4)
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Film 4)


Friday (23 May)

• Big Momma's: Like Father, Like Son (5*)
• Bird on a Wire (ITV 3)
• Die Another Day (ITV 1)*
• Eclipse (Film 4)
• Extreme Measures (ITV 4)
• The Fifth Element [Le cinquième élément] (5*)
• The Fighting Fist of Shangai Joe [Il mio nome è Shangai Joe] (movies4men)
• Gun for a Coward (5 USA)
• Kingpin (C4)
• Law Abiding Citizen (Film 4)
• Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1 [Mesrine: L'ennemi public n°1] (BBC 2)
• Monsters (Film 4)
• River of No Return (More 4) [2.55:1]
• Salt (Film 4)

That's what I mean, I have to adjust the TV setting to show it full on my screen without black bars top and bottom, same on some Bly rays.

This particularly useful site went up, recently, documenting the changeover of the US major studios to widescreen in 1953. According to it, DANGEROUS MISSION is in an OAR of 1.66:1. (1.75:1 is what the IMDB says.)

I'm willing to bet it will be shown in 4:3 and flat though.

But why would you crop the screen, deliberately missing some of the image? It makes no sense to me, I see no logical reason why anyone would crop, zoom, pan and scan or otherwise alter the image just so their screen is full...

That IS extremely useful - many thanks for bringing that page to our attention. I was aware of the site in the past, but so few updates have been added in recent years that I forgot all about it. The writer of that article, Bob Furmanek, is a movie historian with a particular interest in 3-D movies of the 1950's, and his info is as reliable as it gets, based on real, ultra-thorough research. I don't recall where I got the 1.75 ratio for DANGEROUS MISSION, but it was probably from him, or someone using his info (certainly not the IMDb), until new research finally proved the actual ratio.*


Kee-rect on every count!

* The opening credits on BBC 2's 4:3 print simply bolster Furmanek's new info about a 1.66 - rather than 1.75 - ratio for DM, with plenty of headroom at the top and a smaller sliver at the bottom. Cropped to 1.78, it looks far too tight, but 1.66 would be ideal. This needs to be remastered for 3-D Blu-ray, pronto.