2/3 the Bond and all the Poker

I went to my local Wal-Mart the other day to pick up the latest Bond adventure, "Casino Royale". I was particularly excited about getting it at Wal-Mart because the DVD box set came with a limited edition poker set that was designed after the cards and chips used in the movie. I'm not a poker player but I like having the occasional Bond collectible around. Man was I disappointed.

The only version of the movie that came in the box set was the full-screen version. What a rook! When will people realize that movies should be seen the way directors and cinematographers intend them to be seen? Listen people, uncle Mike is here to educate. Love the black bars on your TV set or get a 16x9 set. If you go pan and scan, you only get 2/3 of the shot. Here's an example from Star Wars:

Pan and Scan:


Original Aspect Ratio:

images from widescreen.org

So, as you can see, you are missing a good deal of the shot. So let's get with the program and view the films the way they were meant to be viewed. There is a reason the shots are framed a certain way. The film maker is telling a story. Think of it this way: How would you feel if you went to the book store and got a book but when you get home to read it you find that 1/3 of it is missing?

Needless to say I didn't get the poker set. That's okay I got all the Bond though.