Up First from NPR
Episode: Hollywood’s Love Affair with VistaVision
Date: February 22, 2026
Host: Ayesha Rascoe
Guests: Mandalit del Barco, Charlotte Barker, John Dykstra, Lowell Crawley, Michael Bauman, Giovanni Ribisi, Yorgos Lanthimos, and others.
Overview
This episode of NPR’s Up First Sunday Story dives deep into the resurgence of VistaVision, a classic widescreen film format from the 1950s that’s enjoying a surprising comeback in contemporary Hollywood. As two current Oscar-nominated films—One Battle After Another and Begonia—catch eyes for their stunning visuals, the episode explores why filmmakers are turning to this vintage technology, the technical artistry of VistaVision, and the cultural moment it represents for moviegoers and the theater industry.
Key Themes & Discussion Points
1. Why VistaVision, Why Now?
[02:56 – 04:52]
- Ayesha Rascoe opens by asking NPR culture correspondent Mandalit del Barco why old-school film techniques like VistaVision are appealing in the streaming era.
- Mandalit explains the difference between today's ultra-clean digital images and the more organic, immersive visuals of VistaVision, emphasizing the dramatic impact of seeing these films in a theater.
Quote:
“VistaVision is kind of different. It's a special widescreen format that uses 35 millimeter film, and it really turns the viewer's experience up a notch or two.”
— Mandalit del Barco [03:32]
- There’s an implicit admission that part of VistaVision’s revival is to lure audiences back into theaters, which are still struggling after COVID-19.
Quote:
“Movie theaters have been in really bad shape since the COVID-19 pandemic shut them down and they still haven't fully recovered... But filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson... and Yorgos Lanthimos... are betting that VistaVision will attract people back.”
— Mandalit del Barco [04:18]
2. VistaVision’s Historical Impact
[05:10 – 09:00]
- Originally launched by Paramount in 1954 with White Christmas, VistaVision was a deliberate response to television’s growing popularity.
- It was part of a broader widescreen “craze,” alongside technologies like Cinerama and CinemaScope.
Quote:
“Back then, movie theaters were also feeling threatened by the growing popularity of television... People watched those shows on tiny old black and white TVs before color came along.”
— Mandalit del Barco [05:10]
- Charlotte Barker, Paramount’s student director of film restoration, shares her archival passion and surprise at the format’s revival.
Quote:
“I feel like I'm living in some crazy, weird alternate reality where people are interested in this weird format that I like.”
— Charlotte Barker [06:36]
3. Widescreen Rivalries and Technical Innovation
[06:43 – 08:54]
- Barker recounts how competing widescreen technologies (Cinerama, CinemaScope) faced issues: multi-screen seams in Cinerama, “mumps” facial distortions in CinemaScope.
- VistaVision’s unique horizontal feed doubled the image size, reduced grain, and avoided distortion.
Quote:
“There's no grain. And the image clarity is beautiful. It showed the full view of your eye, like what your vision sees in your peripherals.”
— Charlotte Barker [08:42]
4. The Fall and Afterlife of VistaVision
[09:18 – 12:16]
- Innovation continued and VistaVision faded as newer lenses and formats emerged (Panavision, etc.).
- Paramount’s last VistaVision film was One Eyed Jacks (1961).
Quote:
“They just couldn't justify spending the extra money... it was twice the amount of film costs.”
— Charlotte Barker [12:07]
- VistaVision was repurposed for visual effects, lying dormant until the late 1970s.
5. Star Wars and the VFX Revival
[13:59 – 15:45]
- George Lucas’s team at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) brought VistaVision back for the original Star Wars to achieve unprecedented realism in space effects.
- John Dykstra describes customizing “big, clunky” VistaVision cameras for the job.
Quote:
“We did modifications on existing VistaVision cameras. They were basically legacy devices. They were big, clunky.”
— John Dykstra [14:33]
- The format’s high fidelity enabled seamless layering in special effects, contributing to the Star Wars Oscar for VFX.
6. Contemporary Renaissance—The 2020s
[15:56 – 19:51]
- Directors like Brady Corbett (The Brutalist), Paul Thomas Anderson, and Yorgos Lanthimos (Begonia) choose VistaVision for its distinctive look.
- Cinematographer Lowell Crawley credits the format for its period-appropriate aesthetic and high-resolution, undistorted images.
Quote:
“The VistaVision camera enabled us to shoot these incredible, you know, high resolution images and avoid this sort of distortion of a wider angle lens.”
— Lowell Crawley [16:38]
- However, these cameras are notoriously finicky: loud, heavy, and unreliable.
Quote:
“You gotta be gentle with them. It's just kind of like I will roll with the punches with these cameras because they're just beautiful pieces of machinery, you know, and you have to forgive them their failings.”
— Lowell Crawley [17:00]
- Bauman (DoP for One Battle After Another) describes fixing constant jams and noise, but says the payoff—such as car chase scenes with the camera just inches off the road—justifies the pain.
Quote:
“You're trying to resurrect a great format back from the dead, and it can be frustrating at times, but the visual value... was well worth the pain and misery.”
— Michael Bauman [18:05]
7. Creative Uses and Iconic Imagery
[19:51 – 21:07]
- Techniques like soundproof camera blimps—originally used by Hitchcock—are revived to address noise issues for dialogue scenes.
- Yorgos Lanthimos deliberately subverts expectations by using VistaVision’s expansive scope in cramped settings (e.g., a basement in Begonia), making actors’ faces iconic landscapes in themselves.
Quote:
“It’s called VistaVision. So you think you’re going to get all this landscape photography, but the landscape in Begonia is the face.”
— Cinematographer (Ryan) [20:44]
8. The Enthusiast: Giovanni Ribisi
[21:14 – 23:11]
- Actor Giovanni Ribisi is revealed as a collector/restorer of VistaVision cameras, lending his own to productions.
- Ribisi demonstrates his camera’s loud, mechanical operation and compares VistaVision’s appeal to vinyl records.
Quote:
“Honestly, I think that there's just something that is very emotional about it when you watch it. It has this sort of analog feel to it that nothing else is like.”
— Giovanni Ribisi [22:43]
- Ribisi laments the loss of artisanal camera-building knowledge as new generations turn digital.
9. Is the Comeback Enough for Theaters?
[23:20 – 25:59]
- The hosts discuss whether nostalgia and film craft can actually revive the movie-theater experience, with many cinemas now experimenting with events, amenities, and spectacle beyond film.
- Mandalit expresses cautious optimism that cinephiles will embrace VistaVision, but acknowledges most viewers won’t notice the technical change even if they feel the artistry.
Quote:
“Even though most people in the audience won't even realize a movie they're watching was made in VistaVision, they might feel that it was shot with a lot of thought.”
— Mandalit del Barco [24:01]
- Notably, recent high-profile productions (Wuthering Heights, Narnia, Tom Cruise’s new film) were shot in VistaVision.
10. The Magic of Film
[25:35 – 25:59]
- Lowell Crawley encapsulates the romance of analog moviemaking.
Quote:
“There's something about the fact that every frame is different, is made up of a different collection of silver halides. There's something very analog and organic... for me is a magical process that creates better images.”
— Lowell Crawley [25:35]
- The episode closes with Mandalit and Ayesha reflecting on the lasting power of craft, artistry, and the shared cinematic experience.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“My whole office is nothing but VistaVision items and a camera. It is a VistaVision museum of sorts.”
— Charlotte Barker [06:24] -
“Actors didn't want to go to the edge of the lens because their face started to look a little funny. They called it the mumps.”
— Charlotte Barker [08:01] -
“It was kind of like a... back alley drug deal where I went with a bag of cash and we just traded.”
— Giovanni Ribisi [22:15] -
“The magic of the silver screen.”
— Mandalit del Barco [25:55]
Summary Table of Important Segments
| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:56 | Introduction to VistaVision’s appeal in a digital age | | 04:18 | Cinema's post-pandemic struggles and VistaVision as a draw | | 06:43 | Cinerama, CinemaScope, and technical fixes offered by VistaVision | | 08:42 | VistaVision’s unmatched clarity and lack of distortion | | 13:59 | Star Wars and the VFX legacy of VistaVision | | 16:38 | Cinematic craft and period appropriateness (Lowell Crawley, The Brutalist)| | 17:00 | Mechanical frailty and personality of VistaVision cameras | | 20:44 | Using VistaVision for close-ups: “the landscape is the face” | | 22:43 | Giovanni Ribisi on the emotional analog feel of VistaVision | | 24:01 | Can nostalgia and craft bring people back to theaters? | | 25:35 | "There's something very analog and organic... a magical process." |
Tone & Style
Throughout the episode, the tone is nostalgic, warm, and conversational, balancing technical discussions with stories from passionate practitioners. Both hosts and interviewees share genuine wonder for the craftsmanship of traditional filmmaking and an optimism that artistry still matters—even in an era dominated by digital convenience.
Conclusion
"Hollywood’s Love Affair with VistaVision" offers a rich blend of movie history, behind-the-scenes craft, technical geekery, and cultural commentary. VistaVision’s revival is presented not just as a technical choice but an act of faith in the power of big-screen magic. Whether or not it can save struggling theaters, it’s clear that the love of film—analog, imperfect, and handmade—remains alive in the hands of today’s most daring storytellers.