Which Godzilla films were shot in widescreen?

[Mothman]

Sorry if this seems like a basic or obvious question, but I am just now getting into expanding into more Godzilla films and with so many versions available, it gets confusing and I want to get the right ones. In particular with the Showa series, which films were shot in widescreen, starting with the original Godzilla? I am a laserdisc collector also, and it seems that Toho issued some films panned and scanned and maybe later did them in proper aspect ratios. Does anyone know what laserdisc versions were released in widescreen, and how to tell if you can't tell from the cover art (since they are in Japanese)? Were all the films in the 50s and 60s shot in widescreen ratio (ie as opposed to full frame 1:33 to 1)?

[The Dark Uniter]

All the movies after Godzilla Raids Again are shot in widescreen.

[goji1986]

All the movies after Godzilla Raids Again are shot in widescreen.

Don't forget about Rodan.

[tymon]

Also, the Heisei series is in VistaVision, which is widescreen but not as wide as Cinemascope (I forgot the aspect ratio numbers). Why they chose to do this, I'm not sure - but its nice having no black bars on my 16x9 TV for once.

[Mothman]

So Rodan was not shot in widescreen? Any other 50's-60s Toho monster films not shot widescreen? That makes me feel better about a recent laserdisc purchase, as it was not widescreen and I thought I might have bought the wrong version.

I guess this forum doesn't allow you to post 2 in a row for some reason....?

[Tamura]

The TV version of VARAN was supposed to have been 1.33:1 through and through, but the theatrical version is an amalgam of new footage shot in scope and TV version footage cropped down to scope.

Do open-matte versions of the Heisei films and GODZILLA 2000 exist?

[Malchik]

Also, the Heisei series is in VistaVision, which is widescreen but not as wide as Cinemascope (I forgot the aspect ratio numbers). Why they chose to do this, I'm not sure

Because the majority of cinemas are equipped to show 1.85:1 at the time of the Heisei releases. CinemaScope was initially created when cinema feared television would take away business, so they needed a new hook. Most cinemas were specially built for CinemaScope in mind, and when the sixties past, most grand cinemas were closed down in favor of smaller multiplex theaters.

[Monsterzero 1965]

Also, the Heisei series is in VistaVision, which is widescreen but not as wide as Cinemascope (I forgot the aspect ratio numbers). Why they chose to do this, I'm not sure - but its nice having no black bars on my 16x9 TV for once.

I don't think the Heisei series was shot in VistaVision Widescreen.

[tymon]

I don't think the Heisei series was shot in VistaVision Widescreen.

It was, same with the Gamera trilogy.

Malchik - that's good info, thanks. I need to read up more on aspect ratios.

[Monsterzero 1965]

I don't think the Heisei series was shot in VistaVision Widescreen.

It was, same with the Gamera trilogy.

Malchik - that's good info, thanks. I need to read up more on aspect ratios.

The Heisei Godzilla films were shot in standard Anamorphic Widescreen, not VistaVison.

For this situation, Anamorphic Widescreen's Aspect Ratio is 1.85:1. Tohoscope is 2.39:1.

[tymon]

Remind me to stop using IMDB..

[Malchik]

I've always wondered if they had "Toho licensed theaters" back in the day. Toho's ridiculous ratio, I'd assume, be uncommon.

[Legion1979]

I've always wondered if they had "Toho licensed theaters" back in the day. Toho's ridiculous ratio, I'd assume, be uncommon.

Toho wasn't the only studio using that type of aspect ratio back then.

[Monsterzero 1965]

I've always wondered if they had "Toho licensed theaters" back in the day. Toho's ridiculous ratio, I'd assume, be uncommon.

Toho wasn't the only studio using that type of aspect ratio back then.

That's right, there was also Cinemascope, Shaw Scope, Daiei Scope, and Toei Scope.

[Mothman]

Also, the Heisei series is in VistaVision, which is widescreen but not as wide as Cinemascope (I forgot the aspect ratio numbers). Why they chose to do this, I'm not sure

Because the majority of cinemas are equipped to show 1.85:1 at the time of the Heisei releases. CinemaScope was initially created when cinema feared television would take away business, so they needed a new hook. Most cinemas were specially built for CinemaScope in mind, and when the sixties past, most grand cinemas were closed down in favor of smaller multiplex theaters.

There is nothing like seeing a cinemascope picture projected on a true large widescreen like that, instead of being in a little bandbox. I recall seeing Ben Hur and Lawrence of Arabia at an old theater that still had that size screen at a revival of some of those epic 60s films, and it is simply spectacular. Now I see these geeked up techy 20 somethings watching movies on a tiny little phone screen, and I just heartily chuckle. They have no clue what they are missing re the movie experience.

[The Dark Uniter]

I wish I could I see a "scope" picture one day. Sure, there's regular widescreen at my local theatre, but not any theatre with a scope screen unless you count IMAX.

[Tamura]

I wish I could I see a "scope" picture one day. Sure, there's regular widescreen at my local theatre, but not any theatre with a scope screen unless you count IMAX.

IMAX is closer to 1.66:1, IIRC.

[Monsterzero 1965]

I wish I could I see a "scope" picture one day. Sure, there's regular widescreen at my local theatre, but not any theatre with a scope screen unless you count IMAX.

Actually, many films are still made in Scope. For example, the James Bond movies have been made in scope since 1977. The "Scope" you're talking about is the 70mm film processes like Super Panavision, Todd-AO, Ultra Panavision 70, and the 3 35mm film system, Cinerama.

IMAX is closer to 1.66:1, IIRC.

IMAX's aspect ratio is 1.44:1.

[Mothman]

A true scope picture is not only so wide that you have to turn your head sometimes to watch the action from end to end, but it has the entrance, intermission and exit music etc. I remember thinking how cool that was for the Lawrence of Arabia intermission, which gave us a chance to hit the john and grab more popcorn in the midst of that almost 4 hour movie.

One of my big regrets is not paying close enough attention to catch any Godzilla revivals at a theater over the years, since I have never seen a Godzilla picture in the theater. Too young in the 60s, and not into Godzilla in the 70s. My childhood memories of Godzilla are anchored solely from black and white Saturday afternoon TV versions, Americanized of course.

[Monsterzero 1965]

A true scope picture is not only so wide that you have to turn your head sometimes to watch the action from end to end, but it has the entrance, intermission and exit music etc. I remember thinking how cool that was for the Lawrence of Arabia intermission, which gave us a chance to hit the john and grab more popcorn in the midst of that almost 4 hour movie.

I think that's because Lawrence of Arabia was a Road Show Release. It was shot in Super Panavision 70, which means it's not a "scope" film. A scope film is any derivative of the Cinemascope process which has a ratio of 2.35:1 or 2.39:1.