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Interestingly, TCM-HD ran CLOSE ENCOUNTERS again a couple of nights back - this time the picture quality was better but it was presented in 4:3 pan-and-scan. What happened to TCM always playing films in their theatrical aspect ratio?

A lot of people on the FB page have a hard on for a possible Robert Downey Sr. Eclipse set - TCM is airing Greaser's Palace this Friday night as one of their TCM Underground features (3:30am)....there definitely seems to be a correlation between new stuff and airing on TCM, wonder if this bodes well for more on Eclipse? I've got the DVR set...any opinions on this one?

Putney Swope is a must see!

Roger Ryan wrote:Interestingly, TCM-HD ran CLOSE ENCOUNTERS again a couple of nights back - this time the picture quality was better but it was presented in 4:3 pan-and-scan. What happened to TCM always playing films in their theatrical aspect ratio?

On TCM's site they explain this as an error (& the second time they've done it within a couple months, I believe). Apparently all the Turner stations (including TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network) share common facilities, computers, etc. The wrong version was loaded onto the server.

This sounds incredibly petty coming from a kid immersed in the digital age, but I just wish every HD channel would just show every movie they get in their OAR, and we could do away with the full-screen crap forever. Worse yet, I just got the IFC HD channel and the movies are formatted like it's a SD channel so it looks like I'm watching a non-anamorphic DVD.

Napier wrote:Putney Swope is a must see!

Screw that...it's a must OWN!! And I already do....in a mighty fine R1 release at that - which always adds to the frustration of people demanding criterion release it just so it has a whacky C when it's already got a perfectly good DVD out there. drives me nuts over there.

flyonthewall2983 wrote:This sounds incredibly petty coming from a kid immersed in the digital age, but I just wish every HD channel would just show every movie they get in their OAR, and we could do away with the full-screen crap forever. Worse yet, I just got the IFC HD channel and the movies are formatted like it's a SD channel so it looks like I'm watching a non-anamorphic DVD.

Agree, although TCM-HD is also starting to show certain 1.33:1 films in a 1.66:1 or 1.77:1 ratio by cutting off the top and bottom of the screen (STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. for example). I don't want to lose "full-screen" when the film was originally intended to be viewed that way.

You're right about IFC HD; it's useless. They only seem to use 4:3 masters (even of programming originally shot in 16:9) and stretch them to "widescreen". TNT HD and TBS HD used to do this as well (or they would use the "expanded" approach of cutting off the top and bottom of the frame somewhat and stretch the edges to fake a widescreen image), but they've come around the last couple of years.

TCM is celebrating Leslie Caron's birthday July 1st by showing three of her films, all unavailable on DVD in any region: Raoul Walsh's Glory Alley and her two musicals with Charles Walters, Lili and the Glass Slipper. I can vouch for the two Walters films but I'm quite interested in the Walsh

Roger Ryan wrote:

flyonthewall2983 wrote:This sounds incredibly petty coming from a kid immersed in the digital age, but I just wish every HD channel would just show every movie they get in their OAR, and we could do away with the full-screen crap forever. Worse yet, I just got the IFC HD channel and the movies are formatted like it's a SD channel so it looks like I'm watching a non-anamorphic DVD.

Agree, although TCM-HD is also starting to show certain 1.33:1 films in a 1.66:1 or 1.77:1 ratio by cutting off the top and bottom of the screen (STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. for example). I don't want to lose "full-screen" when the film was originally intended to be viewed that way.

Well, neither do I. I'm not bothered by the bars on the side as long as it represents the original OAR.

RE: IFC HD. Luckily it's not every movie that has that non-anamorphic look I alluded too. The New World, Garden State and a few others were shown in their OAR.

TCM just had Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala on and i have seen it many times on Criterion's laserdisc, Kino dvd, and the Ruscico dvd and now it was shown on HD and it's the best looking version i have seen. On the Ruscico version there was too much shimmering and not a sharp copy and then the Kino was better looking but not anamorphic but TCM did show it wide screen 16:9 and it looked good and it was the Kino version they were showing. It was nice to see that TCM HD was showing a better copy of the movie then on my dvd versions.

He seriously is defending Around the World in 80 Days. I mean, I didn't know that was mathematically possible

That is a bit odd, but at least it gives the image of Osborn acting like Shaft with the slapping comment.

domino harvey wrote:He seriously is defending Around the World in 80 Days. I mean, I didn't know that was mathematically possible

Haha, his argument is basically "Of course it's good! There are a lot of famous people in it!"

TCM is airing Alice by Gabriel Benattar on 2/15. Has anyone seen the film or anything else the director has done? I can't find anything online.

It's a mistake, they meant the Woody Allen movie

I want to thank TCM for ruining their website. I used to be able to tell in one quick glance whether any films airing on a given day are unavailable on DVD, thus allowing me to prioritize my DVR. Now you have to click every goddamn film's article to find out?

domino harvey wrote:I want to thank TCM for ruining their website. I used to be able to tell in one quick glance whether any films airing on a given day are unavailable on DVD, thus allowing me to prioritize my DVR. Now you have to click every goddamn film's article to find out?

Maybe they thought they would sell more subscriptions of Now Playing. Which by the way, makes for great bathroom material. And it's only $24 for two years.

Napier wrote:

domino harvey wrote:I want to thank TCM for ruining their website. I used to be able to tell in one quick glance whether any films airing on a given day are unavailable on DVD, thus allowing me to prioritize my DVR. Now you have to click every goddamn film's article to find out?

Maybe they thought they would sell more subscriptions of Now Playing. Which by the way, makes for great bathroom material. And it's only $24 for two years.

The worst thing about Now Playing is that it doesn't (and can't) allow for the schedule changes that result either from memorial tributes or the various issues relating to rights and available materials. I don't remember who it was that died during Joseph Cotten's Star of the Month reign but it prevented the showing of The Halliday Brand and, months later, that film still hasn't reappeared on the channel.

That's exactly why I stopped subscribing to Now Playing. The number of schedule changes -- and mistakes -- made it pretty worthless. There were a surprising number of times when I set a movie to record from, say, 8:30 to 10:30 as it was listed in the magazine, but the movie actually aired from 8:45 to 10:45, so the ending was cut off (the correct time was often available online, which I didn't realize until after the fact). If I literally have to look at the online schedule every time before recording a film, there's no point in shelling out money for Now Playing.

domino harvey wrote:I want to thank TCM for ruining their website. I used to be able to tell in one quick glance whether any films airing on a given day are unavailable on DVD, thus allowing me to prioritize my DVR. Now you have to click every goddamn film's article to find out?

They definitely managed to make it flashier without actually making it any more useful. I do appreciate the addition of Leonard Maltin's mini-reviews, though. I can't say I love or hate Maltin, but for a relative film n00b like me, it's nice to have quick access to a modern critical opinion when checking out their schedule.

Let's hope it's not Ben that is one of the subsitutes.

Robert Wagner was doing a pretty good Osborne impression during the Tab Hunter night

domino harvey wrote:Robert Wagner was doing a pretty good Osborne impression during the Tab Hunter night

It's a little eerie how much they look alike now and how similar their mannerisms are.

I know that Osborne shoots several nights' worth of intros at once, so he's probably actually been out for at least a couple of weeks already. I was shocked by the steep decline in his appearance and speech over the past few months (so much so that I found it difficult to watch his intros), so I hope he's getting the best of whatever treatment he needs.