1.85:1 films being cropped to 2.35:1 in cinemas?

Leon Liang · February 1, 2016

Hi everyone,

I recently watched Spotlight in a cinema in Sydney and it had been cropped to 2.35:1 from its original 1.85:1. The same thing happened when I watched Boyhood in 2014.

I emailed the cinema chain regarding this and they replied:

"All films are sent to us directly from the distributor and in the format and viewing that they intend the film to be shown. Unfortunately, this is something that we do not have control over."

Is there any reason why 1.85:1 films might have been distributed in 2.35:1?

Leon Liang

Phil Rhodes · February 1, 2016

If that's really the case, I would suspect they had a technical fault. Screen masking and lens change systems can fail, after all.

Manu Delpech · February 1, 2016

Reminds me when my first showing of The Avengers was cropped to 2:35, all heads were cut off, I told one of the main guys over there at the end, and he told me the projectionist told him it was 2:35 scope, I was like "yeah well bro, the trailers are 1:85 and all heads are cut off", don't know if it was fixed but I'd just say it's plain incompetence, which is scary.

Tyler Purcell · February 1, 2016

There really aren't very many projectionists anymore, just people who push buttons.

Matt Stevens · February 2, 2016

Yes, exactly. if there is a problem it will NOT get fixed.

Jeff L'Heureux · February 2, 2016

Trailers are the worst when I go to the movies. I've seen as much as five feet of clearance/cropping between the horizontal edges of the screen and where the projected image begins. Basically, they project the image smaller and using less of the total screen that is available, and it jumps all over the place in terms of image placement between different trailers. I shook my head at how the image can be butchered so bad, and this was with trailers for the big movies.

Michael LaVoie · February 3, 2016

That sounds ridiculous. I was a projectionist in high school and back then it was all film prints. You couldn't project a scope movie without changing the aperture plate and the lens. It was also quite a challenge to keep the films in focus from edge to edge on the older projectors. Those aperture bands needed constant adjusting. How anyone could screw it up now is just scary. Then again, we're talking about a place where people still get paid to rip ticket stubs in half.

As an aside, I just set up a brand new Optoma 3D HD projector, a 7.1 surround system and a 9 foot screen. I watched a few 3D bluray titles and was blown away with the quality. 3D TV's never really caught on. But projected? Wow. It's awesome. Best advice, stay home, build your own theater. It's totally affordable now. Whole thing was under $2,000

Chris Burke · February 3, 2016

You are entitled to your own opinion but, do not build a home theater system. Go out and support as many cinemas that you can. Complain as much as you can. They will listen. Do not give your money to Best Buy. Cinema viewed in a communal setting is much better. Get out of the house.

Michael LaVoie · February 3, 2016

You are entitled to your own opinion but, do not build a home theater system. Go out and support as many cinemas that you can. Complain as much as you can. They will listen. Do not give your money to Best Buy. Cinema viewed in a communal setting is much better. Get out of the house.

Building your own theater doesn't mean watching alone. Quite the opposite. It's more a reason to gather friends to watch a movie. Best buys sells flatscreens mostly. I got everything from B&H and vendors online. I still hit theaters occasionally and I will admit, Force Awakens at the Zeigfield in 3D was stellar. Prior to that, I had 3 moviegoing trips that were awful. Bad sound, dull lamps. Hard to support that. I've found complaining about it to be as effective as pounding sand.

Jan Tore Soerensen · February 3, 2016

You are entitled to your own opinion but, do not build a home theater system. Go out and support as many cinemas that you can. Complain as much as you can. They will listen. Do not give your money to Best Buy. Cinema viewed in a communal setting is much better. Get out of the house.

Honestly, people have no manners in the theatre, so I usually prefer to watch films in my private theatre. People are eating crisps, talking and using their cellphones. It's ridiculous really.

Chris Burke · February 3, 2016

True, not all cinemas are the same. I am fortunate to have a hand full of cinefile houses about town where the audience is there to watch the movie, not tweet. Megaplexs are basically a school playground on the weekends. Having a grand movie night at home is great and all, but if you can support indie cinemas.

J. Winfield Heckert · February 5, 2016

Honestly, people have no manners in the theatre, so I usually prefer to watch films in my private theatre. People are eating crisps, talking and using their cellphones. It's ridiculous really.

Your going to the wrong theaters. Megaplexes hardly count as theaters anymore they are a joke.

I went to see Hateful Eight 70mm at UA Riverview in "IMAX". The screen was not masked, showing the edges of the frame, scratched 2 day old print and the lower half of the screen was completely out of focus. I was so pissed I had to drive two hours to see it at the AFI Silver in Washington DC, which had a flawless presentation, masking, focus and scratch free print. They even had a projectionist performing change overs and they closed the curtains during intermission.

I have too great theaters near by The Colonial theater which plays Art films and has a great cult cinema program mainly shown on 35mm and the mahoning Drive In theater which only shows 35mm retro films!