Three Cheers for Pan n' Scan!

First, let me clarify: I am not a moron.

I know Widescreen rules, and having worked in a music/movie shop for many years, I've had to explain the difference to many a knothead. Anyone who doesn't understand why Letterboxing is the best just doesn't care about movies.

However.

I watched Blade Runner tonight. A movie I've seen, oh, 200 times or so. But this time, I said to myself, 'let's flip the disc over and watch the pan n' scan side, just for giggles... after all, I'm alone, and if I cover the windows, I won't have to worry about living this down later.'

Well, despite the missing 2/3 of the picture, I was treated to seeing the remaining 1/3 in a detail I've never seen before. For instance:

Did you know, in the last exterior shot as Gaff's spinner is approaching the Tyrell building, you can see the interior of Tyrell's office from the outside, through that big window?

Did you also know that there's a tiny little Tyrell logo on the lapel of Eldon's bathrobe? (And here I thought they made that logo up, just for the ball cap!)

Okay, maybe you all knew that already. But I didn't, and I'm just thrilled I got to see a few new things in this movie I've been watching since 1982!

Okay now, back to the Widescreen Edition...

Cool, I'll try that next time

I know just what you mean. Four years ago I saw the the voice-over version in a theater that's always showing classic / vintage fims. I was blown away form all the details I was able to see on the big screen that I had never noticed before on the TV screen.

^Where was the showing and does it still play?

This was in San Francisco at the Castro Theater. I think they play it every 2 or 3 years. I live in NYC now, so I'm not sure if they've played it recently.