Full screen version

[Kamdan]

Then found this thread about the laser disc which seems to confirm it is 1.85:1 anamorphic:

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/batman ... tio.49855/

This thread is referring to the initial DVD release, not the LaserDisc.

[Ben Bentley]

As I don't have my copy of the movie on VHS to hand, I will throw this comparison below into the mix...

(Click to enlarge)

Does anyone happen to have their copy of the Batman movie AND a still have a VHS copy to hand?

[Batfanman]

Then found this thread about the laser disc which seems to confirm it is 1.85:1 anamorphic:

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/batman ... tio.49855/

This thread is referring to the initial DVD release, not the LaserDisc.

Sorry, got my threads mixed up during research. This is what I found related to the LaserDisc:

[Batfanman]

Researched the packaging/cartridge labeling of the various U.S. VHS & Betamax releases and found no A/R data other than on the 1994 & 2001 Fox releases.

VHS releases:

1985 Playhouse Video: No aspect data on package or cartridge

1989 CBS Fox: No aspect data on package or cartridge

1994 Fox: “This film has been modified from it’s original version. It has been formatted to fit your screen.”

2001 Fox Special Edition: “This film has been modified from it’s original version. It has been formatted to fit your screen.”

Betamax release:

1985 Playhouse Video: No aspect data on package or cartridge

I don't own any of these so it would take someone to find/view to determine differences, if any. Perhaps there may also be non-U.S. releases that are different.

For fun, I also searched but couldn't find any confirmation that the movie was released on the early 80s RCA Selectavision Video Disc format.

[Therin of Andor]

A good example of this was Superman The Movie from 1978. And in the case of these types of widescreen movies, you'd be absolutely right. Seeing them "full frame" on a TV set would involve chopping off the sides, unless they were letterboxed with black bars across the top and the bottom.

The alternative that used to happen a lot: "pan 'n' scan". When debuting on TV, the image on screen moves back and forth across the widescreen image to focus on the (hopefully) most interesting part of the action. Sometimes a person speaking can be cut off the edge of the squarer screen. Different screenings of the same movie can even have different "pan 'n' scan".

[Larry A.]

I've kept out of this for a while. But as a former movie theater manage and projectionist, I can honestly say that batbelfry is absolutely DEAD SPOT ON!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks batbelfry. I could not have said it better (or more comprehensible ).


Cheers!

[AndyFish]

Thanks for clarifying Belfry-- makes sense.

[Kamdan]

I can confirm the LaserDisc is open matte. The movie scenes from this featurette utilize the same remastered 4X3 version.

[rocketboy]

This isn't about full screen version. But if has to do with the movie. Are you still working on your locations book, or was it released? Anyway, I was wondering if the locations special features on the blu ray for the movie helped with your search for Batman locations.

[Scott Sebring]

This isn't about full screen version. But if has to do with the movie. Are you still working on your locations book, or was it released? Anyway, I was wondering if the locations special features on the blu ray for the movie helped with your search for Batman locations.

The short answers are:
1) Yes working on locations book
2) No. Not released yet. We're 95% - 99% percent finished with the research to our satisfaction with minor OCD nitpicking as we move forward and deal with details along the way. We're in the earliest stages of outlining, writing and designing now.
3) Not really. The movie location stuff is some of the easier areas to find info on. One example though is that it's easy to find out that the Batcopter hanger was at the Van Nuys airport. But which hanger and is it still standing in some capacity? That's where our research on that subject begins and we've been successful on that sort of thing.
4) Thanks for asking but let's get back on topic.

[batbelfry]

I've kept out of this for a while. But as a former movie theater manage and projectionist, I can honestly say that batbelfry is absolutely DEAD SPOT ON!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks batbelfry. I could not have said it better (or more comprehensible ).


Cheers!

Hey, thanks Larry! High praise from someone who actually worked as a projectionist...I'll take it!



And to Andy--Glad to help. You've certainly posted more than your share of into to the board, happy to give back, even this tiny bit!

And to Therin...you're absolutely correct of course, many widescreen films of that nature would have been pan and scanned for 4x3 viewing. A friend and I used to joke that Harold Ramis wasn't actually in Ghostbusters, because in some of the old pan and scan versions, it always seemed like they worked to keep Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd in the frame, which left Ramis practically panned and scanned out!


And to bring this back to the original Batman issue...in the absence of a true 4x3 version of the film handy for comparison, isn't the footage of the run from the base of the batpoles to the batmobile, "atomic batteries to power", etc, the identical footage in both the TV show and the feature film? If that's the case, then you can compare the shots from the DVD/Blus of the show (which are 4x3 fullscreen) to the 16x9 cropped widescreen shots from the movie. That would show how much of the top and bottom was cropped out in the film version.

[Scott Sebring]

And to bring this back to the original Batman issue...in the absence of a true 4x3 version of the film handy for comparison, isn't the footage of the run from the base of the batpoles to the batmobile, "atomic batteries to power", etc, the identical footage in both the TV show and the feature film? If that's the case, then you can compare the shots from the DVD/Blus of the show (which are 4x3 fullscreen) to the 16x9 cropped widescreen shots from the movie. That would show how much of the top and bottom was cropped out in the film version.

The run from the Batpoles was new footage shot for the updated Batcave set for the movie.
"Atomic batteries to power..." was stock from the pilot. As was the Bronson cave exit and the Batsignal footage.

[Batfanman]

I took a scap from one of the first occurrences of the new Batpole landing pads from S2 of the TV series and overlaid it atop the landing pads in the movie scap. Got them extremely close in scale and am convinced they shot this sequence twice (1 each Movie & TV) as the angles are a bit off, not to mention the extreme distance of the camera in the movie vs TV series. If I lined up Batman's Batpole, the cave wall didn't line up and vice-versa. The TV shot also has significant floor visible immediately in front of the landing whereas in the movie shot, there is obstruction of this area by Bat-equipment.

Haven't finished skimmng S2 & S3 for a different shot but have already found that "The Cat's Meow", "The Impractical Joker" & "The Puzzles Are Coming" use the same Batpole landing insert. More skimming to come.

[Batfanman]

So the Batpole landing pads alter between old & new versions throughout S2 & S3. Batcopter footage from Surf's Up Joker episode doesn't match movie but the Batboat footage from S2 "Walk The Straight And Narrow" matches movie footage and you can see that some info is missing from both cuts.