2008 Woodie Awards
Entertainment review: "The Good , the bad and the ugly"
Brad Barrett
Issue date: 2/2/05 Section: Life
- Page 1 of 1
Why-oh-why does TV suck so badly? The other day, one of my favorite movies of all time, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" was on American Movie Classics, and they did not show it in letterbox format! That makes me want to say "poop" very loudly, for all to hear. A lot of movies are not affected much by showing them in 'Pan and Scan', but when a movie is affected, I want to kick someone hard.
Here's how letterboxing works. When a movie is shown in its original format on the TV, there are black boxes on the top and bottom of the screen. The Pan and Scan method is when the movie fits your TV screen, but cuts off the picture on the sides. Sometimes it's especially annoying because it pans from one side to the other, effectively cutting off a lot of what you see, and reminding you how bad it sucks. Grrrrr.
So, here's my advice. Go rent "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and watch it the way it was meant to be watched. Check the box to make sure it says 'Letterbox Edition'. The director, Sergio Leone, was a master of using the wide lens. He used beautiful panoramic views and the effect is wasted in 'Pan and Scan'.
This movie was part of Leone's trilogy of westerns shot in Italy and/or Spain but take place in the old american west. More commonly known as 'Spaghetti Westerns', these movies stared Clint Eastwood back when he was young and occasionally acted. He starred as 'the man with no name' and kicked some serious butt. The trilogy consists of "A Fistful of Dollars", "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." Eastwood stars in all of them and they're all good. But, "Ugly" is by far the best. Clint (the Good) stars with Eli Wallach (the Ugly, and one of my favorite character actors) and Lee Van Cleef (the Bad, duh) who is passable as the bad guy.
The movie would never get made by today's standards. It's long, and you don't even know the plot until you're an hour into it. The guys are after gold, and it's all played out during the Civil War. It's a thin premise, but that doesn't get in the way of Leone's orchestration of silence and posing. There are lots of moments where people just stand around and look at each other while Ennio Morricone's soundtrack fills in the blanks. It's beautiful to see what can be done onscreen when people aren't talking. A recent example of this being done, brilliantly, I might add, is Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation". But that's a story for another day.
Recently, this film was re-released with an additional 18 minutes of footage. To say it's long is an understatement. But there's not a wasted shot in this film. This is one of my favorites of all time, it's not just a great western, it's a great film.
I could foam at the mouth for hours about this, but I won't. Just go rent it.
I am a little anxious to find out if Turner Classic Movies(TMC) is going to show the letterboxed versions on its "31 Days of Oscar" series. This is one channel that usually gets their stuff right. A few weeks ago they showed "Casablanca", my all time favorite movie, uncut and unedited. That is what TCM plans on doing during the months of February and March. Check it out. You won't be disappointed. Unless they use the pan-and-scan. Grrr. For a full schedule and time listings visit their website at www.turnerclassicmovies.com.
Here's how letterboxing works. When a movie is shown in its original format on the TV, there are black boxes on the top and bottom of the screen. The Pan and Scan method is when the movie fits your TV screen, but cuts off the picture on the sides. Sometimes it's especially annoying because it pans from one side to the other, effectively cutting off a lot of what you see, and reminding you how bad it sucks. Grrrrr.
So, here's my advice. Go rent "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and watch it the way it was meant to be watched. Check the box to make sure it says 'Letterbox Edition'. The director, Sergio Leone, was a master of using the wide lens. He used beautiful panoramic views and the effect is wasted in 'Pan and Scan'.
This movie was part of Leone's trilogy of westerns shot in Italy and/or Spain but take place in the old american west. More commonly known as 'Spaghetti Westerns', these movies stared Clint Eastwood back when he was young and occasionally acted. He starred as 'the man with no name' and kicked some serious butt. The trilogy consists of "A Fistful of Dollars", "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." Eastwood stars in all of them and they're all good. But, "Ugly" is by far the best. Clint (the Good) stars with Eli Wallach (the Ugly, and one of my favorite character actors) and Lee Van Cleef (the Bad, duh) who is passable as the bad guy.
The movie would never get made by today's standards. It's long, and you don't even know the plot until you're an hour into it. The guys are after gold, and it's all played out during the Civil War. It's a thin premise, but that doesn't get in the way of Leone's orchestration of silence and posing. There are lots of moments where people just stand around and look at each other while Ennio Morricone's soundtrack fills in the blanks. It's beautiful to see what can be done onscreen when people aren't talking. A recent example of this being done, brilliantly, I might add, is Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation". But that's a story for another day.
Recently, this film was re-released with an additional 18 minutes of footage. To say it's long is an understatement. But there's not a wasted shot in this film. This is one of my favorites of all time, it's not just a great western, it's a great film.
I could foam at the mouth for hours about this, but I won't. Just go rent it.
I am a little anxious to find out if Turner Classic Movies(TMC) is going to show the letterboxed versions on its "31 Days of Oscar" series. This is one channel that usually gets their stuff right. A few weeks ago they showed "Casablanca", my all time favorite movie, uncut and unedited. That is what TCM plans on doing during the months of February and March. Check it out. You won't be disappointed. Unless they use the pan-and-scan. Grrr. For a full schedule and time listings visit their website at www.turnerclassicmovies.com.