early Bond movies...

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italy12

Jan 9, 2009 - CST 2:32 PM

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September 2004

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Hey guys, a while back I asked a question about the older Bond movies which were framed at 2.35:1 and their odd pillarboxing during the opening credits...after thinking I was going crazy since nobody had noticed it (I only noticed it on the Ultimate Editions of a few years ago), I just happened to see this today from High Def Digest...

'Thunderball' was the first Bond picture photographed in Panavision anamorphic widescreen. The 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer is presented in the original scope 2.35:1 aspect ratio, though the opening titles are a little narrower, measuring closer to 2.20:1 with some pillarboxing on the sides (the entire movie has consistent top and bottom frame lines). I expect that the titles montage was likely shot and composited on 65mm stock, which would account for that ratio.

If anyone goes back and checks the title sequence on Thunderball DVD or Blu-ray, I'd be surprised if you do not see it.

Sorry if nobody cares

John J. Puccio

Jan 9, 2009 - CST 5:27 PM

says... "It's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide." --A.E. Neuman

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I think most people noticed it but, as you say, didn't care. The title sequence in "Thunderball" is, indeed, framed at 2.20:1, while the rest of the film is 2.35:1. It was undoubtedly like this in a movie theater, too, but nobody noticed or cared then, either. Unless filming in Ultra Panavision, a 65-mm process that uses frame sizes of 2.76:1, most 65-mm (70 mm print size) film uses a 2.20:1 ratio. So the filmmakers probably used 65 mm for the title sequence in order to make it clearer and sharper.

John

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