Lord of War: 2-Disc Special Edition 1/17 (2 Viewers)

[BrandonJF]

Surprisingly, a local Best Buy did have the stickered versions of the 2-disc set. The 1-disc set looked the same. Luckily, I never opened up the 2-disc set I bought on release date and BB let me exchange it.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Dang! I've checked a bunch of stores and no luck. Tried a Walmart that had 20 copies but none were stickered. I hope they don't leave it up to the store to do the stickering.

I'll keep checking my Best Buy's, since most all 3 of the ones I checked only had one copy, and they should hopefully restock soon.

 

[James.G]

I'm glad I waited for this. If true, it's the best news of the day.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

You know it's almost worse right now, because I REALLY want to see this film.

I had resigned myself to watching it cropped, but now that I know it's available properly, the disc I have might as well be a coaster AFAIC.

If LG would just announce a damn exchange program already, I could get the disc, but for now I'm going to have to hunt for it.

 

[Joel C]

I hope they do an exchange program! Man, this really sucks. I'm glad I will be able to get the correct version, but I paid $18 for a coaster at this point.

 

[Will_B]

Call me crazy (actually don't, that's offensive) but I'd want to get the 1.78:1 version. The release of the 2.40:1 version will actually spur me on to buy or at least rent the larger version while I still can! (I imagine all the rental stores already bought the 1.78:1 version so maybe I'll wait for their used sales).

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Will,

I'm curious to hear your reason for this.

Also, if you find the 2.40:1 version, I'll trade ya!

 

[TonyD]

well i can see it if you wanted to have the full version only due to the image being opened up but this was a crop job, not opened.

you'll be seeing less image on the full version.

essentially it's a pan and scan widescreen dvd.

 

[Joel C]

The 1.78:1 version is indeed cropped, not "larger" in any way except the amount of space it will take up on the TV, and then... why not just get full frame?

But regardless, I too have the 1.78:1 version and I'd be willing to part with it, since I definitely want the proper one. Stupid Lionsgate. Just for that, I'm going back to calling them Lions Gate!

 

[Will_B]

Well I've seen the frame comparisons on this thread and noted that they opened up the top and bottom a bit, and lost some of the sides - though not losing as much as if they hadn't opened up the top and bottom. It appears that some thought and care went into this. So the question is, whose thought and care? Maybe the director? I'd like the director to weigh in, but until then I'll assume that both versions were "ok" with the director (if not with the fans!). That being the case, I'll take the version that fills a widescreen display.

Probably if I'd seen this in the theatre I'd feel differently.

 

[Will_B]

That'll show 'em!

 

[CraigF]

I'd appreciate knowing if anyone ever gets the stickered (2.40) version from amazon.com in the future, so I know that's what they're shipping (same UPC apparently, buggers). It's kinda like the BTTF sticker thing for the corrected versions, generally only safe to buy in person for quite a while. Thanks. No luck finding them here yet.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

I very much doubt this was intended to be shown at 1.78:1. All other regions got a 2.35:1 release, so I chaulk this up to Lionsgate screwing up the Region 1 transfer. The framing is much better at 2.35:1; it has nothing to do with "filling up your TV." Also, any effects shots would more than likely have been rendered at 2.35:1 as with effects heavy Super 35 movies like the LOTR trilogy or the Harry Potter franchise, so there would still be a lot of cropping or panning and scanning done on the full frame version.

Sony also mistakenly transferred Silverado at 1.78:1 (another Super 35 film) and quietly re-did it at the correct 2.35:1 ratio after many complaints.

Paramount released Top Gun at 1.85:1 and then finally released the SE with correct aspect ratio. This was also a problem with their laserdisc transfer of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The DVD finally received the correct aspect ratio.

This is a problem with Super 35 films when the telecine artist doesn't get the correct information. Yet another reason why I like anamorphic Panavision (scope)... besides being far less grainy (or not grainy at all if you use fine grain stock) as the whole frame is used rather than a blow up of a portion of it as with Super 35.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Well my quest is over. Found a stack of 12 corrected copies at Best Buy tonight. Seems like they're the ones restocking this the most right now.

I popped it in to check it, and it was immediately apparent that 2:40.1 is right. The framing and composition is very cool, whereas the cropped version lost a lot of its "pop".

I still don't understand why Lionsgate is staying mum on this. For them to have corrected copies out this fast (less than 2 months after release) suggests they either knew about the issue before release, or were spurred into action pretty quickly after release.

 

[Patrick H.]

I was shopping for 'Howl's Moving Castle' at my local WalMart this evening, and noticed the two-disc 'Lord of War' a couple of spaces down on the shelf. I took a look out of curiosity, and ALL copies did indeed have the 2.40:1 sticker. If this was turned around so fast that these are already in MY remote neck of the woods...well, I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume that 1.78:1 wasn't ANYBODY'S intended aspect ratio for this film. While I agree that a simple exchange program is in order, I do have to give Lionsgate some credit for turning this issue around so fast. There have been more than a handful of other discs out there from bigger studios with QC issues that were just ignored.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Well if they don't announce an exchange soon, I'm just going to return my 1.78 disc on my Best Buy receipt as defective and get another copy of the 2.40. At least I can trade that away.

 

[Robert Holloway]

Yet another reason I decided to stop buying DVDs in 2006 , rent Netflix and wait for HD to get their act together
Rob

 

[Nathan V]

I sent off a thank you email to Lions Gate ( [email protected] ). They deserve a word of thanks for taking care of this, and so quickly, even if it was done without fanfare.

Regards,
Nathan

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Well Nathan, I'd like to share that sentiment, because I am happy a corrected version is available, and this quickly, but having to pay for it twice is not fair.

I kind of feel like shaking their hand and kicking them in the nuts at the same time.

 

[Magnus T]

So... is there any other differences between the new 2.40:1 version and the other 1.78:1 version? Is the DTS track still intact?