Good Boy!: Aspect Ratio Question

[drfsupercenter]

Hi,

This post regards a non-Disney movie called Good Boy!. It was made in 2003, and there has only been one release anywhere... the region 1 DVD.

The DVD is fullscreen (the opening credits are letterbox, but then it zooms in to 4:3), and has the usual "This film has been modified from its original version" disclaimer. I was surprised to see the film in widescreen (original theatrical aspect ratio) on iTunes, so I bought it and decrypted.

However, I'm a bit surprised by the results. Here's what came up:
First scene:
DVD iTunes

Second scene:
DVD iTunes

So the DVD appears to have a little more on the top and bottom, but less on the sides. What does that mean? Is the DVD an open matte version? Or is it just some hybrid one like Terminator 2 that presents a different view entirely? IMdB lists the original aspect ratio as 1.85:1 and doesn't present anything suggesting that it was shot in Academy...

[Escapay]

So the DVD appears to have a little more on the top and bottom, but less on the sides. What does that mean?

It means that there is more on the top and bottom and less on the sides, as it common in nearly all open-matte presentations.

Regardless if it's Super35 (like Terminator 2 or other Super35 films) or just regular ole 35mm film (the majority of films), widescreen matting is not just a flat cut-off of the top and bottom, and open matte is not just a flat not-cutting-off-anymore of the top and bottom. The image will be cropped either vertically or horizontally, so image will always be lost one way or another.

It's entirely possible for studios to provide the complete camera negative (such as the 1999 DVDs for the Stanley Kubrick Collection) instead of an open-matte crop, but most opt for open-matte crop if they had to provide it. And of course, even more will opt for the theatrical widescreen matte.

Example: (from MuppetCentral's article)

Matte removal cropping is less drastic than traditional pan-and-scan, but Kermit's sock, Frank's head and other unintended elements are visible. Widescreen is obviously the intended format.

Albert

[JiminyCrick91]

MGM for one has done this lots of times before. Here is a (fuzzy) cap from A Fish Called Wanda in Widescreen.


Here is the same frame in an Open Matte Fullscreen.


As you can see this ruines the joke of John Cleese's character lack of clothes in front of this family by showing he is wearing shorts. With a film like Good Boy! I doubt it is much of a problem but still not the OAR.

-Sky

[DisneyLover27]

I own the movie and i have seen it many times i belive that its 1.33 : 1 and Pan And Scan let me know if i am right or wrong.

[drfsupercenter]

Well, I guess neither is the original ratio, if it's like one of the Disney movies where both formats are correct.

The only version available on DVD is the 4:3 one, which says it has been modified from its original version. On iTunes, though, they offer it in widescreen, so I wasted $10 trying to compare the two.

I do remember it being 1.85:1 when I saw it in theaters, but what's odd is that parts such as the opening credits are letterboxed on the DVD (making both versions have the same amount of picture)... you'd think they could open matte those too... unless it was a low-budget author, which it just may be (The movie didn't do very well, and for that matter, since it was only released in America, I doubt many people even know about it)

[FrankV]

It was made in 2003, and there has only been one release anywhere... the region 1 DVD.

The film has been released on DVD in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and other countries in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The UK release has the same extras as the US release, but the Dutch release has less extras .

[drfsupercenter]

Woah, I never knew it had an international release! Did it just come out or something? Last time I checked amazon.co.uk, the only available option was to import the region 1 DVD.

[Escapay]

Woah, I never knew it had an international release! Did it just come out or something? Last time I checked amazon.co.uk, the only available option was to import the region 1 DVD.

http://www.play.co.uk

Albert

[FrankV]

Woah, I never knew it had an international release! Did it just come out or something? Last time I checked amazon.co.uk, the only available option was to import the region 1 DVD.

It's been out in the UK and The Netherlands for 4 years.

[drfsupercenter]

Ah, I guess they just didn't announce it anywhere. The official site still only mentions the region 1 version.

I'll see about importing it - I can make my own special edition with choice of aspect ratios! (and now I feel like I wasted $10 on iTunes LOL)