Digital Bits Indy DVD news: "...aliens and Hobbits still hold far more interest..." (1 Viewer)

[Dave Scarpa]

I Know with Paramount one thing will be certain excellent transfers. That and four hours of extras, and a fairly low price. I'm Happy.

 

[Scott D S]

I'm so looking forward to this set and frankly, I wasn't expecting commentaries or DTS, mostly because of Lucas' association with Dolby and the fact that Paramount just released their first DTS title yesterday and the sales of those titles will probably determine any future DTS releases from the studio.

I'm still waiting for an updated list of specs for the 4th disc. We literally have no idea what's on it. It could be the best 3 hour documentary ever filmed! It could be anything so I think we should keep an open mind.

As for what Lucas and Spielberg have been doing for 6 years, I think it's safe to assume that they haven't been working on this title for all that time. They probably just started last year. The reason why it took this long is probably the same for any other title we're all clamoring for: condition of the elements, time to produce bonus materials, availability of the cast and crew for interviews, etc. Yes, Spielberg and Lucas can delegate and, like Bill said, every DVD producer in town would do it but I guess not. Also, other than the original making-of docs, artwork, trailers, and deleted scenes, we don't know what else there is. Lord of the Rings was being documented from day 1 with the sole purpose of putting it all on DVD and Peter Jackson does seem like one of those filmmakers intent on taking advantage of the format for all it's worth (like Michael Bay, Ridley Scott, or Kevin Smith). I hate to say it but Spielberg and Lucas don't stike me as that type of person. They seem to aim for quality of presentation and information over quantity.

As for a re-release, I won't believe it until I see it. I did see a post on DVDTalk with a cool idea: Maybe they can offer the original docs (and that Stunts documentary I've heard so much about) as a bonus disc at Best Buy and it's affiliates, just like the bonus discs that are included with the TNG and DS9 sets.

Bill, I eagerly anticipate your book as well as the Alien Quadrilogy set. All I know is, this time next year, I'll be dirt poor.

 

[Dave_P.]

Give me the movies with anamorphic transphers and Pro-Logic or above soundtracks and I'm a happy camper.

 

[Jon_W]

Hey, Mike I am glad you two love birds were able to agree to disagree. I think if you re read my post I did not state that we should all be bits loyalist. What I suggested was that opening another thread about Indy for the sole purpose of venting your anger at a website was not needed. If every member here did that we would spend more time talking about the politics of reporting DVD news then the actual news itself. We are all glad to be getting Indy with the simple exception that some believe that other releases hold more potential this year.

 

[Nigel McN]

Did you not know that several discs have been compromised or cancelled for this very reason? Would you rather get a great DVD, or one that's been compromised by -- oh wait... I forget. You're just happy to have movie only discs.

That boggles my mind, any examples?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

On the DTS on Indy question:

The films were released in 70mm 6-track I believe, which would likely be the source for the 5.1 sound. Lawrence of Arabia was released in 6-track, and this was ported to DTS for the new prints

vBut yet you championed the recutting of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and booed Paramount for their decision to not allow Shatner to recut the movie as he saw fit for the upcoming SE.

It is publically and widely known that both films were never completed to their director's satisfaction. Wise got rush-jobbed on ST:TMP, and Shatner got his budget cut. Whether the resulting movie is any better (I feel TMP is) is up for debate, however when the theatrical version is not a finished film, IMO we shouldn't complain.

 

[Tim Mauldin]

I absolutely DETEST LOTR...

Me too.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

To each his own. I'll be happy to own the Indy films, but I know that I'll be returning far more often to the LOTR discs.

 

[Seth Paxton]

With all due respect to everyone, I think this topic is unnecessary.

Well I certainly wouldn't have started a complaint thread on the topic at all, but the idea that Bill and the bits guys are assholes for that comment is pushing it too I think.

This is the HTF Software section and Bits is a site about software. No one is doubting the appeal of the movie content, nor really debating it I don't think.

So that made me want to step in and defend their comments.


And something to keep in mind regarding content...who says it has to be commentaries by the director and behind the scenes EPK crap anyway. Citizen Kane has a documentary about Wells vs Hearst as well as a Roger Ebert commentary. Many other films feature film expert commentaries rather than artist commentaries, and many of those are the best commentaries around.

Also, features could certainly included documentaries on the real Lost Ark, real archeology and treasure hunting, location features, etc.

What the DVD's need is a full-blown DVD SE producer to build up a serious package for them. At this point it SEEMS a bit more like an off-handed release. I'll take it and gobble it all up, but I could certainly come up with much better packages that would be REALISTIC to put together.

If Raiders doesn't warrant a package better than T2 or The Mummy, then I don't know what does. Had they come out 3 years ago this would be moot point of course.

 

[Seth Paxton]

BTW, its a straw man argument to say "you shouldn't be let down as long as the transfer is good".

You are equating items of different priority that are also not mutually exclusive. No different than me saying "sure the framing was wrong on BTTF, but the SOUND was great so nevermind". (actually wasn't there a sound fix too, oh well)

"Hey, this P&S version has perfect OR audio so stop bitching" or "this 5.1 only version of Citizen Kane with new special effects laser sounds has a great transfer, so don't be a whiner".

The point is that obviously the FILM COMES FIRST. Now that we have that, then what else am I paying for? And adding to that, what else was I WAITING for?

THEY TOLD US to wait, we didn't make them wait. Reasons given were that they needed time to do it "right". If right means a good transfer with OAR and original audio then so what? TONS of DVDs, both OLD and new get done "right" all the time, without waiting on some special signiture.

If I said "oh boy, wait till you see this you won't believe it" and then handed you a pencil, you might be just a little underwhelmed, you know. Why the hype, why the dramatic wait?


NOW, the new news that their could be more to the set gives me hope.

Oh, and I'm damn sure that none of you on the PRO side of this are going to complain if you get doubled dipped on Indy next year....right?


I'm also not pissed except at the attitude toward Bits when it wasn't warranted. Indy DVDs I'm thrilled to be getting, but my secondary reaction was "hold on, why did I have to go so long without them again?"

 

[Paul Case]

Indy DVDs I'm thrilled to be getting, but my secondary reaction was "hold on, why did I have to go so long without them again?"

Because that's how long it took for all the parties involved to get around to putting it out. That's the bottom line, and it has nothing to do with any bonus features you may or may not get.

 

[TheLongshot]

I can certainly understand the frustration. It is the natural reaction to "We waited 6 years for THIS". Course, it could get better when the final stats are put out.

What hasn't been mentioned, tho, is the fact that for some of us, the excitment has been dulled so much that we don't care anymore. That's true for me about Star Wars and Indy. I just don't care anymore. I might pick it up eventually, but it isn't a first day buy for me anymore.

It is also kinda disappointing that we are kinda stuck with a box set. Individual releases would be nice, particularly for those who don't want all the films.

Jason

 

[Scott Calvert]

Can't people be dissapointed without the Lucas Gestapo breathing down their necks?

I think it looks like an extremely mediocre set in terms of extra material. The Lowry digital restoration is a big plus, though.

 

[Jon Robertson]

Doogan: What types of title suggestions do you guys get?

Becker: We don't really comment on them. Because as soon we say, "Oh, yeah that sounds great" or "I'm really interested, we're actually pursuing that" or "We're looking at that or we're working on that", then that information would make its way through all of the usenet groups, bulletin boards and all that stuff. Two bad things can end up happening. One, is that we have four new competitors in the marketplace, who weren't looking for it until they were reading the boards and saw this excitement over the fact that Criterion was trying the land the rights. The other problem -- which is even worse -- is that very quickly it would go from "Oh, thanks for that great suggestion, we're actually looking into those rights" or "We're in negotiations for those rights now" to "Criterion has it scheduled" or "Criterion has it coming out next month" or even still, "I went to pre-order it my store, and my store doesn't know anything about it." After that, 48 letters go to Jon Mulvaney, me and to our sales staff saying, "Where is this title? Why do you keep announcing this vaporwear?" That's the fundamental reason that we no longer comment on title suggestions. As much as we love to receive them, and tell people to keep sending them (as helpful as they are), it very quickly feeds a rumor mill that is already willing to believe that we're working on things that we may not be working on. And that just causes disappointment in the customer base.

The biggest disappointment for all of us right now is Eraserhead, which is a title that we never announced. We were in year-long conversations with David Lynch. And it's one of these things where David Lynch is a very particular person. He has very peculiar ideas about how he wants to do things. And he doesn't want to be rushed to make up his mind. And he wants to do what he wants to do, in the way that he wants to do it. He doesn't want his privacy infringed, and he doesn't want to be reading about himself. We were in very protective conversations with him about Eraserhead that were all positive, over a long period of time. Suddenly, there's a rumor on the web that we were actually doing it, and had announced it. At some point, I even saw street dates posted for it. You know, this is something that never even made it on to our actual production load. It had been, at one point, penciled into a schedule -- if we could finish up negotiations in time. But that's as close as it ever come. We had certainly never announced anything about it. That's upsetting.

I remember seeing this very disc announced at DVDFile.com and up on DVD Empire for a short time for pre-order (listed as "TBA"). So let that be a lesson to you rumour-mongers!

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Fun thread :frowning:

In truth, I understand a bit of the disappointment, but I am quite happy. No doubt 2005 will bring a new release. It doesn't make me angry at all, because the price is so reasonable on this set. That'll make the double-dip, if required, even easier to take (or ignore).

Slinging arrows at Bill for having different tastes (really liking the extras) is rather cheap, but hey, that's the internet for you. I thought he sounded a bit strong myself, but it's his site, and he's earned the right.

The usual Lucas back and forth is as expected. The investment of self into a loved movie is common among us film nuts.

As for the LOTR comments...I have no problem calling a film not even 18 months old "classic". It earned that title rather quickly and deservedly. All three sets will be in my home in November. With no complaints. But maybe (and maybe not) a little wishful thinking.

Take care,
Chuck

 

[Chris Atkins]

I just wish the franchise wars would end. I see this as another battlefield in that war.

That's the only thing that rubbed me the wrong way about Bill's comment. It just seems like people keep propping up one franchise to down another one.

I am pretty sure that the only reason I hated Spider-Man the first time was because of the rivalry between it and AOTC. I know now how immature that was...but I see it happen all the time around here.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

I don't recall anybody at Lucasfilm or Paramount ever saying anything even remotely like, "Wait until you see this, you won't believe it!" In fact, they have all been pretty mum on the subject. I would even go so far as to say they have been nonchalant about it. There hasn't been any hype or a dramatic wait. The only drama that has ever been associated with the wait has come from the fanboys, not from the studios who actually own and manage the films. I'm sure that they had their reasons for waiting, some of which were apparently legal in nature. In any case, they never made any promises and they had no obligation to release the films in a timely manner. Any expectations that you or anybody else may have had for this release were created by you, and you alone. Paramount, Lucas, and Speilberg certainly can't be blamed for not operating on your preferred timetable.

Very well put, Paul; I agree wholeheartedly.

The way I look at all the DVDs I buy of classic films is that I should be damn grateful I'm even getting them at all, never mind the fact that for the most part, they are transfered from the best film elements available and that they are cleaned up digitally and that the sound is presented brilliantly. Any 'bonus' material is just that - bonus. Sure it's great to have audio commentaries, 60-minute restrospective 'talking heads' documentaries and deleted scenes, but at the end of the day, it comes down to the FILM itself, that is what is important. You'll never forget the film, but I bet that after a while you forget about the extras.

Frankly, I think that a lot of DVD buyers are very greedy. They demand too much for thier $15-20. And how much will the INDY BOXED SET cost them anyway? I bet that it will be available for $50/55.

You should count your blessings, Lucas, Speilberg, Paramount etc could easily just say: "Oh, we won't be releasing INDY on DVD as we are all too busy these days, so we'll wait until HD-DVD becomes popular - if it becomes popular."

And the same might be said about $TAR WAR$.

DVD geek: "I want 5 audio commentaries, a 4-hour making-of doco, all 36 deleted scenes...

- "You'll get NOTHING - and like it!", to quote Judge Smails (Ted Knight) from Caddyshack!




Gordy

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

I think it looks like an extremely mediocre set in terms of extra material. The Lowry digital restoration is a big plus, though.

What about it is "mediocre" exactly? Mediocre implies poor quality not low quantity. Why not wait until you see and hear the bonus materials before you pass judgment? Boy, oh, boy. :frowning:

On another point, why does Lowry Digital need to work on these films? I don't recall previous VHS and Laserdiscs being of poor quality. Strange. Maybe the Onegs are in worse condition than you would think. :frowning:

Peace out.


Gordy

 

[Robin Warren]

As consumers does that not give us the right to vent frustration and point out shortcomings on our favourite movie dvd releases? Is the fact that Spielberg has never done a commentary before supposed to placate me? Hell no. I want commentaries on classic films. That is what I wish for and as a potential consumer I have the right to voice that opinion in the hopes that the producers will notice and implement commentaries on future releases. Don't tell me I should be happy with the movies themselves. What gives you the right to tell me to shut up and take whats coming to me and be happy?

What it boils down to is the fact that it is my money I will be spending on a product and I want to (at the very least) ensure that the companies I plan on dealing with are aware of what I am hoping to see on their products.

And did I just read a post above that stated he agreed with someone else that LOTR sucks? Someone actually took the minute and a half to post that remarkable insight? Yowzers.

 

[Conroy Tesa]

Personally, the only thing that kinda bugs me about the Indiana Jones set is the lack of DTS option but no biggie.
Raiders is my favorite movie of all time so bring it on.

The Alien treatment is getting out of control.
How many times will studios parcel out releases?

And I think the LOTR movies are 2 of the best movies I have seen the past 10 years and I have seen my fair share.
In my mind have passed the Star Wars original trilogy (the new butchered verions which is what will probably be release on DVD if ever) in quality film making.

For the best example of a directors cut LOTR:EE should be a template.