in another topic we were discussing AR and, pertinently, the letter-box bars that usually are hard-coded in to, essentailly, any film that is not 4:3 but is presented in a 4:3 medium.

Which led me to cast my own mind back to the actual cinema experience.

Lovers of cinema around the world will be familiar with the Italian "Cinema Paradiso". To a degree, I was that boy since my dad, since amongst his various jobs, was a cinema projectionist at two places both of which still exist yet neither show films these days.

Which meant I could get in to screenings without paying. Not that it worked for X-rated films

But as I grew up and actually paid for my ticket I can well recall the influence of AR on the work of the projectionist. In those days one got two features, trailers and adverts all for 1 shilling and 9 pence in the best seats (late 1970's). Yet the lights always went up went the projectionist had to change the masking due to different AR (somewhat also hindered those in the best seats who were not there to watch the film(s) )

Which, itself, leads me to appreciate that for one reason or another that there will be some members that have little to no experience of watching film in the medium it was intended.

So pls share your own memories.