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From: reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: Cinema vs TV
Message-ID: <1275@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 26-Sep-84 01:24:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.1275
Posted: Wed Sep 26 01:24:00 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 07:27:53 EDT
References: <3661@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: UCLA CS Dept.
Lines: 27

As far as I'm concerned, the cinema's major advantage is picture quality.  Out 
here in LA the projectionists are pretty good, by and large.  Thus, the image 
you see on a movie screen is much clearer and sharper than TV.  Also, many films
are made in wide screen format.  Wide screen doesn't fit on a TV set, so, 
perforce, they chop the edges off.  This necessary but abominable practice, 
known as scoping and scanning, can totally change the way a film is constructed,
as long two shots with the characters on either side of the screen become clumsy
montages of one shots, cutting back and forth.  Then there's also the matter of 
color.  Color TVs aren't up to the kind of color you can get on a big 
screen.  Let me tell you, "The Wizard of Oz" is a very different, and much more
beautiful, film in theaters than on TV.  The size of the screen itself is 
important.  I just don't seem to find films as important on a 19" screen as on 
a 80' screen.

A totally separate point is the matter of distractions.  When I'm in a movie
theater, there is nothing else to do but watch the movie (unless some 
particularly interesting people are seated nearby).  At home, I'm surrounded
by distractions.

The upshot is that I watch movies I don't care too much about, or missed in
the theater, or just can't see anywhere else, on cable.  Anything I'm really
interested in I see in a theater.
-- 

					Peter Reiher
					reiher@ucla-cs.arpa
					{...ihnp4,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!reiher