Hi there Mass,
Thanks again for all the inside information
.
Ha, there's always more than one side to issues, and lots of exceptions to the rules I guess! But that's what makes life interesting, doesn't it? It's really nice that the distributors took the time to upgrade
The X-Files in this way, and I must say I wouldn't be completely averse to vertical cropping, provided that it's not too radical.
Yes, like BBC2 said, some people believe that MITM underwent some film format changes during its run, but I really don't know. I hope we can ask cinematographer Levie Isaacks again some time, preferably in person and on screen, which would make a great later-season DVD bonus! When you look at the production stills in our Behind the Scenes Gallery, like these ones (large versions in our Gallery):
5x09 Dirty Magazine still - Panavision Panaflex 16 camera
6x04 Pearl Harbor still - Panavision Panaflex 16 camera
you see that 16 mm cameras were still being used during the 5th and 6th Season, so I doubt it. Of course, by that time they may have filmed primarily for the widescreen format, and cared less about 4:3 cropping.
Yes, I think it's true that all physical media, be it printed photographs, CDs and DVDs, paper books and magazines, games in boxes, paper maps, postcards etc. are quickly on the way out. CD sales are now less than 20% of what they were at their peak in the year 2000, and after the record shops, all game stores are closing now. Relatively recent BluRay releases can now be bought for about 5 dollars or euros.
So far, the digital medium on its own has never been really profitable, and legal downloads and streaming have not made up for the loss of physical sales, because they're so much cheaper - and have to be, because no physical production and distribution is involved. This also kills a lot of their 'intrinsic' or 'keepsake' value, and completely obliterates any resales, and on top of that, it makes illegal distribution a piece of cake, technically and, I guess, morally.
It's a tough issue, but I can only hope that downloads will appear that are as just as carefully and dare I say lovingly produced as books, CDs and DVDs.
Rich