JOSHUA TREE / ARMY OF ONE (Vic Armstrong, 1993)

[Jox]

I'm not sure but it's at least a letterboxed widescreen so there are trics we could do anyway, which is better IMO than using the US pan and scan 4/3 version.

[Gieferg]

No need to argue on it now anyway. Let's just see what we can do, then compare it

btw, I think the 4:3 version is open matte not pan & scan, but I am not sure.

[Jox]

btw, I think the 4:3 version is open matte not pan & scan, but I am not sure.

It's not, you'll see compared to the French edition

[Gieferg]

well...

Just compare this:
http://www.dolph-ultimate.com/files/JT8.jpg
and shot at 8:10 here:


then this:
http://www.dolph-ultimate.com/files/JT4.jpg
and this at 7:22:


4:3 version shows much more which wouldn't happen in pan&scan. Looks definitely like open matte to me. Which means it may be reframed to get 2.35:1 frame, of course with much worse quality, but laserdisc also wont be so good in terms of picture quality like french edition is.

[Jox]

Looks to me like there's more in the left and right which is what we want. To have more on top and bottom on 4/3 transfer is normal since it was shot on Super 35 (same as TERMINATOR 2): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_35

[Gieferg]

To have more on top and bottom on 4/3 transfer is normal since it was shot on Super 35

And that's what open matte is.

There is almost always a LITTLE more on sides in widescreen than in open matte, but it's almost unnoticeable here. If it was typical pan & scan, then it would be something like 40% image more in widescreen version and there is not.

[CyrusDarkane]

The OOP Artisan DVD may be open matte, but the UK VHS from 1994 was still a pan and scan of the proper 2.35:1 image.

[leigh1975]

Yeah, I heard the UK VHS was open matte too

[Jox]

I had the UK VHS definitely not open matte, but panned and scanned, the framing looked quite bad. Now for those interested in a proper widescreen 2.35:1 transfer, please PM me or 'Sec'.

[Jox]

Scan from French magazine of my collection, Cine-News, #46, July/August 1993

[Jox]

Japanese laserdisc

[Gieferg]

French DVD has just arrived. Looks pretty good but the cut in love scene is really bad.
Anyway, I'll try to reintegrate missing scenes from Artisan DVD, let's see what I can do.

[Jox]

Impact (French) preview, December 1992


Impact (UK) review, December 1993 issue

[Gieferg]

I've just reframed those missing scenes to 2.35:1 and added them to the rest of the movie taken from french DVD with english audio from Artisan DVD and polish subtitles & audio from VHS/TV. Example:



I am planning to add some more subtitles (maybe even trivia text track if there would be enough trivia for this) menu and alternate ending & theatrical trailer as the extras for this custom DVD

[Jox]

Great Gieferg!