More American Graffiti (1979) - June 12, 2018

[badfingerboogie]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

It switches ratios?

The different time periods have scenes that use different ratios and splitscreen for dramatic/stylistic effect.

If Universal had wanted to go the extra mile they could have had all the different ratios taking up maximum real estate on your screen, but they went the lazy route and just matte everything within the main 2.35:1 ratio.

[Dailyan]

It reminds of what Fox did that with “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. The 2.35 scenes are fine but the 1.85 and 1.33 are in a similar situation to “More American Graffiti”.

[Mose Harper]

Originally Posted by badfingerboogie

The different time periods have scenes that use different ratios and splitscreen for dramatic/stylistic effect.

If Universal had wanted to go the extra mile they could have had all the different ratios taking up maximum real estate on your screen, but they went the lazy route and just matte everything within the main 2.35:1 ratio.

Sorry, but for some of us with constant height front projection set ups, what they did here is perfect.

I can see where that might be annoying for someone with a more common, fixed screen display. However opening up all the ratio's lower than 2.35:1 has the opposite effect from the filmmakers intent.

It's one thing to open it up when those are IMAX insertions- those are supposed to be more impactful than the normal scope dimensions.
Here it's the opposite for the most part. The material with Smith's character, for one example, is supposed to bring people back to how they likely first encountered Viet-nam back in the day- on their small TV screens, on the network nightly news.
As a projector owner, and someone who still enjoys the film, I'm happy it was done the way it was. Whatever the reason for it.

[iamnoone]

Originally Posted by badfingerboogie

The different time periods have scenes that use different ratios and splitscreen for dramatic/stylistic effect.

If Universal had wanted to go the extra mile they could have had all the different ratios taking up maximum real estate on your screen, but they went the lazy route and just matte everything within the main 2.35:1 ratio.

But isn't that how it was shown theatrically? I don't want the smaller aspect ratios opened up to fill our current tv screens. I'm all for preserving the various ratios, just as it was originally shown - that was the point of them using various ratios to begin with.

[GuruAskew]

I don’t believe the intention was to make certain footage “bigger” or “better” than other footage, just different, so I don’t really see the value in maintaining the 2.35:1 stuff as the standard when large parts of the movie have unnecessary framing. In Kill Bill the aspect ratio changes when The Bride is buried alive and it’s similarly-framed on DVD and Blu but to re-optimize that footage would defeat the intention of the scene which was to make everything smaller and more claustrophobic compared to the rest of the film. There’s nothing in More American Graffiti that would be compromised in that way. It would be a lot less distracting than the current presentation and currently there’s obviously lost resolution.

We’re also talking about a movie that is a sequel to a movie that is only available on the format as a modified version and produced by someone who has modified most of his films. Expanding the 1.33:1 and 1.85:1 stuff to meet the top and bottom of the screen would easily be the least-controversial Lucasism.

That reminds me, wasn’t some of the pop music soundtrack of MAG modified for previous TV and video versions? I could have sworn that was the case but a few weeks ago when I watched the Blu I couldn’t find anything online about it.

[Youre My Boy Blu!]

I never felt compelled to see the sequel,
but after watching some of the uploaded HD clips like the one below,
I have to admit it's worth a watch just for the photography/cinematography by Caleb Deschanel.

American graffiti 2, John Milner life - YouTube

[Youre My Boy Blu!]

Originally Posted by Youre My Boy Blu!

I never felt compelled to see the sequel,
but after watching some of the uploaded HD clips like the one below,
I have to admit it's worth a watch just for the photography/cinematography by Caleb Deschanel.

American graffiti 2, John Milner life - YouTube

...also of some significance...

Be on the look out for Uncle Rico @10:56 and @23:59.

[Brayden96]

Since it's AVC encoded does that mean it will be better quality than the European release which is VC-1?

[badfingerboogie]

A new double pack is being released in Australia on August 31, for anyone who might be looking for a collection.

[zepol]

The blu-ray is top notch in both video & audio.
Movie may be not good but the blu-ray is very good.

[Stanis]

It is, watching the blus back to back MAGraffiti looks incredible, sounds great too. AG is contrasty and dim, with muddy audio. The 4k is supposed to be dnred to death as well. More tho is an incredible upgrade from my old flipper disc