Why not get a 2.35 screen since most movies are in that format, then you won't get black bars on the top and bottom. Since the height of the screen won't be as tall as a 16:9 screen, you could get a wider screen that would work better with your 8ft ceilings, and allow the center to be higher.
The Panny 3000 and 4000 have a built in technology that will adjust the picture for 2.35 movies and 16:9 movies. This way you get a "true" feeling like being in the movie theaters for cinemascope movies. When watching 1.85 movies, or HD tv, you would have some black bars on the side, but still get the full height. Much less distracting, and easier to mask off with curtains or whatever, if you want.
