Agreed. Funny how nobody has a problem with a strip of plastic (i.e. the TV casing) above, below and to the left/right of the picture. Their eyes can ignore that, but not a black bar on the actual screen. All psychological imo. They can't ignore the part of the screen that doesn't have picture, but seem to be happy to ignore the part of the original picture that doesn't have screen...

But if C4 can make the effort to replace films within contract - since they must've done to make such a change in one go (although some would've been around since they were bought in for Film4), then surely they all can?


They made the effort for the first two Narnia films, and I'm sure at least one of the Pirates films has been 2.35:1 on BBC3 before, around Xmas time.

Currently on BBC2 in OAR

On BBC1 now in 2.35:1

I doubt that C4 made any extra effort.
Since the subscription days of Film4 and beyond C4 have usually shown films in their correct ratio anyway.

When Film4 became free I did see a number of films appear in the wrong ratio but I think it was the exception rather than the rule so they are likely to have far less movies that need upgrading unlike the BBC which would require an upgrade for virtually their entire catalogue pre late 2010.

There's no way they could justify getting in all new copies of every single film . It would be very costly and there's likely nowhere near enough viewers who actually care enough for them to spend that.

The sensible thing to do is what they seem to be doing.
Replacing notable movies , those getting an HD premier and brand new purchases.

I must say I'd prefer them to get as many ready for HD regardless of ratio rather than get in films just to change the ratio.

For example , I'd be more interested in an HD version of Whistle Down the Wind than buying in some 90's thriller in 2.35:1

There used to be a number of occasions when BBC HD would show a film in 2.35:1 but BBC1, for example, would show the same film in 16:9 or, in the case of the Indy films, 4:3, so they must have a fair catalogue.

To show some premieres as cropped prints, however, is unforgiveable.

Cropped as in 16:9 ?
Perhaps these films were purchased before they decided to show 2.35;1.

No, because these were shown after other premieres in 2.35:1.

I doubt thats an accurate indication.
The BBC usually buys films in packages and those packages will often include movies that they cannot screen for a considerable time so I don't think we can say that just because they started showing 2.35:1 late last year that every single film premier from now on will follow suit.

The range of movies in 2.35:1 seems to show that they are not just sticking to big films or important films and that they have made a conscious decision to show films correctly so if one is cropped that does not necessarily mean they've deliberately chosen to show it in an incorrect ratio - it's what they chose at the time of buying that film which was probably before the 2.35 decision was made

I think this is true. What we're seeing right now - and this is something other posters have mentioned earlier in the thread - is a mix of films that were purchased before the decision to go 2.35, along with those purchased AFTER that decision was made. Right now, it's pot luck if the film(s) you want to see are screened OAR.

The excuse the BBC once gave me when I enquired about the decision to crop scope movies down to 16:9/1.78 was that they were contractually obligated to screen cropped versions, because the broadcast AR is one of the things that's negotiated when a TV company buys the rights to any given film. They were also worried about the way that 2.35 presentations would impact on the 'significant' number of people still watching films (at the time of my enquiry) on 4:3 sets. That was a couple of years ago, so I'm assuming the Beeb feels 4:3 TV's are now a minority, and they're able to accommodate the majority.

I doubt whether most people with 16:9 sets even notice that a CinemaScope film is shown with black bars top and bottom, since the vast majority of the wider screen is covered by the image itself, unlike 4:3 TV's, where the image was too small and the bars too big...

Plus the fact that fans of films will be used to black bars anyway on DVDs and it's used on adverts, pop videos, etc. all the time.

The short film Spider was shown in 2.35:1 on Film Four last night.

You can rely on C4 and it's subsidiary channels to get it right most - if not all - times, which is why so few of us mention the way films are broadcast on those channels. It's when anyone else does it that it's surprising enough for us to mention it here!!

Interesting to see the 2.35:1 version of MONTE CARLO OR BUST! went out under the alternative title THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES...

It's only really noteworthy when it happens on BBC ONE, BBC TWO, ITV 1 or Channel 5.

A good few films have made it on to ITV 2/3/4 in 2.35:1 but strangely only a very select few on ITV 1. BBC are getting there and Channel 5 have barely started with only a handful getting the 2.35:1 treatment.

Assuming it was HD then there must be one HD master which is under the correct title and the same master used for the US Bluray of the movie just released under that title

It may not have played in every region, but ITV 1 screened HELLO, DOLLY! in the middle of the night at a fair approximation of the original 2.21:1 ratio. They clearly used 70mm elements, because the print credits the Todd-AO photographic process (for most films shot in this format, only the 70mm release prints featured any such credit). So we weren't given a 35mm element, cut down from the 70mm original, further cropped to 'imitate' the Todd-AO original. Nope, we got the real deal...

The presentation was signed, which may have been a deal-breaker for some people, but I'm sure an unsigned version will get an airing in due course. If you're in the mood for old-fashioned Hollywood moonshine, you can't do better than this one. I saw it theatrically in 35mm a few years ago, and the Big Screen really DOES make a world of difference.

Film4 seem to be airing Phantom in the OAR...

Was it not in HD on ITV1HD.
Movies signed on ITV1 are not signed on the HD channel if the film is in HD

Would be very strange if ITV had obtained an OAR copy of a film that wasn't in HD, all their deals before have insisted on a pan and scan version of any 2.35:1 films.

Hardly fair on deaf and hard of hearing people! They already have to wait until the middle of the night to get a signed version of any given film or programme. Now they're deprived of seeing 'em in HD?! Sounds like a form of discrimination to me...

2.35:1 movies across the Freeview platform next week (21 - 27 May):

As with the 1979 version of THE LADY VANISHES, Channel 4 insists on running a cropped 1.78:1 version of KIDNAPPED, and I'm not expecting anything different next week - though I'm open to being surprised!!

As for SOLO on Wednesday - forget it! Open-frame version of a Super 35 movie, as always. Crap, in other words, and not worth your time or
attention.

On the other hand, the Radio Times provides a '(W)' indication for THE RAINMAKER on BBC 1, which indicates we might get something better than the cropped 4:3 version they've been flogging for the last few years!...


Saturday (21 May)

• AIRPORT (5 USA) [2.21:1]
• ALFIE (Film 4)
• ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (E4)
• CINDERELLA MAN (BBC 1)
• DEJA VU (BBC 1)
• EVER AFTER (Film 4)
• GHOSTBUSTERS II (5 Star)
• THE HEROES OF TELEMARK (BBC 2)
• THE ITALIAN JOB (Film 4)
• JUDGMENT NIGHT (BBC 1)
• LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER (BBC 3)
• THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (Channel 5)
• THE LOVED ONES (Film 4)
• MOONRAKER (ITV 1)
• SCARY MOVIE (Film 4)
• SWIMFAN (C4)


Sunday (22 May)

• FUN WITH DICK AND JANE (Channel 5)
• INSIDE I'M DANCING (ITV 3)
• THE ITALIAN JOB (Film 4)
• LAST OF THE DOGMEN (Channel 5)
• NINE MONTHS (E4)
• PROOF OF LIFE (Channel 5)
• TIN CUP (ITV 3)
• VINYAN (C4)
• ZODIAC (BBC 2)


Monday (23 May)

• BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON (ITV 2)
• BROKEN LANCE (Film 4) [2.55:1]
• ENOUGH (Channel 5)
• THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (5 Star)
• LITTLE SPARROWS (Film 4)
• MARS ATTACKS! (ITV 4)
• MIRRORS (C4)
• THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Film 4)
• TANGO & CASH (ITV 1)
• WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS... (Film 4)


Tuesday (24 May)

• THE BLACK WINDMILL (ITV 4)
• CARLITO'S WAY (ITV 4)
• CAROUSEL (Film 4) [2.55:1]
• CELLULAR (Film 4)
• ERASER (5 USA)
• THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (Film 4)
• WARLOCK (More 4)


Wednesday (25 May)

• CARLITO'S WAY (ITV 4)
• CHANGING LANES (More 4)
• ELECTION (E4)
• FANTASTIC FOUR (Film 4)
• THE HIDE (Film 4)
• KIDNAPPED (C4)
• KISS THEM FOR ME (Film 4)
• LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER - THE CRADLE OF LIFE (BBC 3)
• SOLO (5 USA)
• THE SUNCHASER (C4)
• TIN CUP (ITV 3)


Thursday (26 May)

• THE ENEMY BELOW (Film 4)
• ENTER THE DRAGON (ITV 4)
• THE INNOCENTS (Film 4)
• THE ITALIAN JOB (Film 4)
• JAWS: THE REVENGE (ITV 4)
• QUENTIN DURWARD (More 4) [2.55:1]
• WHITE FEATHER (C4) [2.55:1]


Friday (27 May)

• ALFIE (Film 4)
• THE BLACK WINDMILL (ITV 4)
• BROKEN LANCE (Film 4) [2.55:1]
• THE HITCHER (ITV 1)
• JOY RIDE (Film 4)
• LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN (Film 4)
• PAYBACK (5 USA)
• THE RAINMAKER (BBC 1)
• THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES (Film 4)
• UNFORGIVEN (ITV 4)

Actually, CINDERELLA MAN is on BBC 2.

A pox on the lack of an edit button!...

Deja Vu currently on BBC1 in 2.35:1 whilst Cinderella Man is on BBC2 in 2.35:1 at the same time

Deja Vu on BBC1 and Cinderella Man on BBC2 are both being screened at there original ratios at the moment

Deja vu is being shown cropped to 16:9 on bbc one Scotland. Started an hour later than in the rest of the uk so must be different print. Think there was an occurrence of this a few weeks ago as well mentioned a few pages back.