A List of Top Films to View in Widescreen

[stillakid]

Philips and Acclaimed Directors Promote Viewing Movies in Original Format At UCLA Film and Television Archive Festival of Preservation Kick-Off Event

LOS ANGELES, July 24 /PRNewswire/ -- 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968, dir. Stanley Kubrick) and THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957, dir. David Lean) are included in a list of the best movies to watch in widescreen issued today by Philips Electronics and The Film Foundation. Compiled by The Film Foundation's Board of Directors that includes acclaimed directors, Woody Allen, George Lucas, Sydney Pollack and Steven Spielberg, the top fifteen list is a collection of classic and contemporary films best viewed in their original widescreen format, including (in alphabetical order):

* 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968, dir. Stanley Kubrick)

* THE 400 BLOWS (1959, dir. Francois Truffaut)

* THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (1965, dir. Gillo Pontecorvo)

* THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957, dir. David Lean)

* COOL HAND LUKE (1967, dir. Stuart Rosenberg)

* THE DEER HUNTER (1978, dir. Michael Cimino)

* DELIVERANCE (1972, dir. John Boorman)

* DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID (1964, dir. Luis Bunuel)

* DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965, dir. David Lean)

* EAST OF EDEN (1955, dir. Eli Kazan)

* JULES AND JIM (1961, dir. Francois Truffaut)

* THE LAST TANGO IN PARIS (1972, dir. Bernardo Bertolucci)

* LOLA MONTES (1955, dir. Max Ophuls)

* ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968, dir. Sergio Leone)

* THE ROBE (1953, dir. Henry Koster)

The list was created in conjunction with the world premiere of the newly restored THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA (1954, dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz), starring Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner and Edmond O'Brien, hosted by Philips and The Film Foundation to kick off the UCLA Film and Television Archive's 11th Festival of Preservation at the Directors Guild of America theatre complex in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 25.

The widescreen film list and screening are part of Philips' ongoing efforts with Martin Scorsese's The Film Foundation to promote the preservation of film and the viewing of films in their original format -- as the director intended them to be seen.

With a line up of award-winning digital widescreen televisions, Philips is committed to providing consumers with a home cinema viewing experience that comes as close as possible to actually being in the theatre. Widescreen televisions display a more rectangular image in a 16:9 aspect ratio, with most widescreen movies filling the entire screen without distortion and without losing any of the film footage. With more than 75 percent of new home video releases available in widescreen format, Philips' digital widescreen televisions allow consumers to enjoy movies the way the director intended them to be viewed.

About Martin Scorsese and The Film Foundation

In addition to his filmmaking accomplishments, Martin Scorsese has been an outspoken advocate for film preservation and artist's rights. He is the founder and Chair of The Film Foundation, a non-profit organization created in 1990 by a group of prominent filmmakers dedicated to raising awareness and funds for film preservation projects at the nation's leading U.S. film archives. The Film Foundation's work over the past decade has helped to encourage the major studios to establish in-house preservation programs as well as cooperative preservation projects with the major archives. Through events and national educational programs such as The Story of Movies project and the Save Film campaign, the foundation raises public awareness and concern about the fragility of film and the need to preserve it for future generations. The Film Foundation's prestigious board members include: Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, George Lucas, Stanley Kubrick (in memoriam), Sydney Pollack, Robert Redford, and Steven Spielberg.

About Philips

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE:PHG) is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of $ 28.8 billion (EUR 32.3 billion) in 2001. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, and one-chip TV products. Its 184,000 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, components, semiconductors, and medical systems. Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located at www.newscenter.philips.com/usa

[JON9000]

Lawrence of Arabia. But I guess having 3 David Lean films would have seemed a little overboard. I have found that Pulp Fiction requires widescreen as well- the cameara darts all over the place otherwise

[pthfnder89]

Originally posted by JON9000
Lawrence of Arabia. But I guess having 3 David Lean films would have seemed a little overboard

I agree, Lawrence of Arabia seems like an odd choice to leave off, with it's amazing epic shots.

But then again, this whole list is just strange. What does it mean that these are the best movies to watch in widescreen? Are they only judging by the quality of the movie? Or by what is cut off in the Pan N Scan transfer? It's just strange.

This is like making a list of which cars are the best in the color red? What criteria are you using?

Plus, what movie is NOT best served by watching in widescreen? What could you possibley gain by NOT watching any movie in widescreen?

Well, I guess with any Adam Sandler movie, the less you see the better

[stillakid]

Originally posted by pthfnder89
Plus, what movie is NOT best served by watching in widescreen? What could you possibley gain by NOT watching any movie in widescreen?

Well, I guess with any Adam Sandler movie, the less you see the better

Good question. Though I only know what you do about that list based on the article, I can offer a answer to your question (in my opinion). While the 1:1.85 is the most popular (most used anyway) format, in addition to 1:1.66 and 1:2.40, many directors don't really use the format to it's fullest potential. They have been brought up in television which uses 1:1.33 and weren't really "conditioned" to set up shots with a bigger aspect ratio. Whereas the old-timers went to set without years of television bogging down their internal creative process.

On the other hand, I've witnessed many times over the decision to concentrate the action primarily in the "tv safe" area even though the movie is going to be originally presented on the big screen. That saves the post production effort of having to pan and scan and decide what stays and what goes. That kind shooting decision goes on all the time.

Take a look at the All The President's Men the next time it is shown on tv. There are scenes where the noses are poking out of the sides of the screen. That was made in a time when features pretty much only played at the theater, so no consideration was taken to play the action in "tv safe." In this age of Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, while I wasn't there, I can almost guarantee that some brief discussion took place before shooting began on any Adam Sandler movie that ultimately favored the "tv safe" area over creating wide Lawrence of Arabia type shots.

[pthfnder89]

Originally posted by stillakid
I can almost guarantee that some brief discussion took place before shooting began on any Adam Sandler movie that ultimately favored the "tv safe" area over creating wide Lawrence of Arabia type shots.

It's too bad they didn't favor not making them. Would have saved many peoples sanity

[DeadEye]

Black Hawk Down. There's so many soldiers fighting that it needs widescreen. Saving Private Ryan, too.

[Beast]

Any film that was originally shown in widescreen format or filmed with widescreen in mind, should be presented that way on DVD/VHS. Everyone knows how much I dispise the Pan and Scan format. It destroys the Director's intended vision of the film by chopping the sides of the frame off, and creating an artifical camera move that never existed, to pan the picture back and forth.

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[darthvyn]

yeah, why would you make list of films to watch in widescreen, as if only some should be watched that way? every film should be watched in the original aspect ratio it was filmed in. this article denotes that only some movies deserve to be preserved in thier original state...

[stillakid]

Personally, I'd like to petition HBO to devote one of their channels to showing ONLY widescreen versions of films. Sure, Joe-Sixpack would whine about "the top and bottom" of his movie being "cut-off" but they have like 5 channels or something. One being set aside for intelligent people shouldn't be too much to ask.

[Master Goeweins]

Then we could all enjoy "Joe Dirt" as it was meant to be in the comforts of our own home.....