DVD Technical Detail Errors
Dear Gary: The films released on April 2, Turner & Hooch, Three Fugitives, 3 Men And A Baby, and 3 Men And A Little Lady listed in your mag as anamorphic are in fact not anamorphic. Also, the March 19 listing for 2001: A Space Travesty is not anamorphic widescreen but full-frame.
William L. Johnson,
Staff Writer & Research Editor Michael Coate comments:
I’m guessing you’re referring to the information included in the DVD Release Schedule featured in every print issue. Due to the nature of compiling this data, every issue will include a few “errors.” In most cases, however, the mistakes are attributable to erroneous, misleading, conflicting, or incomplete data provided to us by the companies releasing the DVDs. Sometimes they are simply an oversight or error in judgment on my part or a detail or two overlooked during proofing. As far as the Buena Vista titles you listed, the mistakes are based on incomplete or conflicting data provided to me by Buena Vista, as well as information available from retail stores. In short, the widescreen/anamorphic widescreen/full-screen (and soundtrack) status of the April titles could not be confirmed by our deadline. It turns out that while Taking Care Of Business and 3 Men And A Little Lady have indeed been released in 1.33:1 full-screen format, the other titles you mentioned (Three Fugitives, 3 Men And A Baby, and Turner & Hooch, as well as Dick Tracy, Tin Men, and Ruthless People) ARE in fact anamorphic widescreen. Their jackets (except for Three Fugitives and Tin Men), however, fail to indicate the anamorphic/enhanced for 16:9 TV status. I’m guessing you do not own any of the titles in question and merely observed the misleading/incomplete jacket notations in a store or while scanning through an online retailer site or DVD review site. I’ve viewed each of the titles since receiving your email and can confirm the information mentioned above. (3 Men And A Baby also erroneously includes a “modified to fit your screen” disclaimer, and the Taking Care Of Business jacket erroneously indicates it has a Dolby® Digital 5.1 soundtrack; it's 2.0.) In a troubling trend, Buena Vista has joined other studios (such as Columbia TriStar and Artisan) in picking and choosing which titles get released in their original theatrical aspect ratios, resorting to offering many of their titles in full-screen-format only. [See “Buena Vista And 1.33:1” in this issue’s “From The Editor’s Couch”] There are a bunch of late-April, May, and June titles that are included on the current Release Schedule whose picture format isn’t confirmed. There is a good chance that some of them will be released in full-screen only. WRITE, WRITE, WRITE letters to Buena Vista (and the other companies) with your concerns. As for Columbia TriStar’s 2001: A Space Travesty, you are correct, it is a 1.33:1 full-screen version. HOWEVER, the reason I included the title in the DVD Release Schedule is because the studio’s press release issued for the DVD stated it would be available in a widescreen version on the disc. Of course, when the disc arrived and I had a chance to confirm the actual picture format presentation, it was too late to make the correction in that issue. Those things happen. In addition, the 2001: A Space Travesty jacket states “Anamorphic Video” (well, the DVD menu was anamorphic...). Numerous DVDs from Columbia TriStar of late have erroneously indicated “Anamorphic Video” when in fact, the discs included only a full-screen version. It appears to have been a simple typesetting error during the creation of the jackets. But you’d think someone during the QC/proofing phase would catch it. It would be nice if the marketing and technical services departments of the studios communicated better with each other. Most reasonable people can accept (I think) an occasional error or misprint on a DVD jacket, but the number of errors has become a bit troubling. If I wasn’t so swamped with my various WSR-related work (which includes our own challenging amount of details) I would volunteer to do the QC for the studios. It can be frustrating since we rely on their work being correct so that it can be correctly incorporated into our magazine and Web site. In the end, all you can do is hope for the best, accept the occasional error, and politely bring them to the studios’ or our attention. As for what appears in Widescreen Review, readers are always welcome to e-mail either Editor Gary or me, and I will look into any possible errors or items of confusion, and will make any necessary changes or corrections. I’ve provided my e-mail address (mike@ widescreenreview.com) in the details box at the tail end of each DVD Release Schedule, though the number of e-mails I’ve received to this date regarding the list can be counted on one hand. Surprised? Yeah, me too.
You can E-mail Widescreen Review @ mailto:editorgary@widescreenreview.com