SCREEN-L Archives

May 2000, Week 3

SCREEN-L@LISTSERV.UA.EDU

Options: Use Proportional Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Leo Enticknap <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 14 May 2000 23:07:53 +0000
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (41 lines)
In reply to Ken Mogg & others:

All the prints of PSYCHO I have shown have an Academy matte throughout,
apart from one or two of the shots of Janet Leigh in the shower, which have
a 1:1.66 mask - I guess, in order to avoid showing any cleavage.  I have
measured the matte on these shots on several different prints by holding
them against an RP-40 test film and they're definitely 1:1.66.  For that
reason, I have always shown the film in 1:1.66, even though the version
re-released by Artificial Eye in 1998 had 1:1.33 labelled on the cans.
However, that matte could have been the result of British or European
censorship, and thus might not be anything to do with Hitchcock's
intentions.  But we're back to the old story - if film-makers won't tell us
what ratio they want their films shown in (by marking the cans, or, more
preferably, the leaders) then we have to make a (hopefully, intelligent)
guess.  I'd be very interested to hear of any evidence to suggest that
anyone actually wanted PSYCHO to be shown in 1:1.85 (as opposed to a
shoot-and-protect decision).  I haven't seen it for almost a year but from
memory I think it would look badly cropped.

The 'looking up' I did was ringing a projectionist friend at the National
Film Theatre.  They keep detailed notes on all the prints shown there,
including the results of a rigourous examination procedure which is done
whenever a film comes in without any ratio labelled and where there are a
number of possibilities.  THE BIRDS and MARNIE have also been shown in
1:1.66 for as long as anyone can remember.  Whether this is because of a
printer matte or some other reason I could not say.

L
------------------------------------
Leo Enticknap
Technical Manager
City Screen Cinemas (York) Ltd..
Coney St., York YO1 9QL.
United Kingdom
Telephone: 01904 612940 (work); 01904 673207 (home); 0410 417383 (mobile)
e-mail: [log in to unmask]

----
For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives:
http://bama.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2