MattFini
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- May 7, 2004
- Messages
- 607
Hello all,
I apologize if this thread is a repeat, I did a search and couldn't find this topic so I thought that I would post a heads up regarding Tango's November release of the 80's revenge classic, The Exterminator. I posted this brief review over at the IMDb as a heads up to all the fans. This is a pretty weak release with a lack of 16x9 enhancement and the same old print from Anchor Bay's old DVD despite a promise on the box of "digital remastering":
I excitedly picked up the new Tango release of "The Exterminator" this past week. Being a huge fan of this sleazy revenge thriller, I had to grab this new edition since it boasted claims of being a "digitally remastered" version. WRONG!
Let me begin this review slowly...I'll start with the box cover.
First off, as I stated, this film isn't remastered. I find it a little off putting when a company flat out lies about the quality of their release right on the box. Not only do I find it to be an unscrupulous business practice, but ensures that I will NOT buy any future releases from these guys.
To add to the confusion, the box does not state which aspect ratio "The Exterminator" is presented in. For all I knew, I was going to get rooked with a full frame release, but thankfully, this movie is letterboxed at 1.85:1. But that takes me to my next issue:
This movie is NOT 16x9 enhanced. How can a 2005 release not be enhanced for widescreen TVs? This tells me that the guys at Tango took the cheap way out in releasing this title. I have a widescreen TV so when you spend all of that money to have the most optimum viewing experience possible, it's obnoxious when a company doesn't go with the 16x9 anamorphic widescreen.
So does that mean if you don't have a widescreen TV, than the letterboxed image is just fine? Unfortunately, no. This is the same print from Anchor Bay's previous Out of Print release. You get the same yellow scratches on the print at the same exact place on the picture. Now, this print isn't horrible, but when the box claims that you'll be getting a "remastered" version for your hard earned money and you don't, I call that a rip off.
Another problem that I encountered was that the audio cuts out for split second intervals at least four or five times throughout the film. I can't be certain if this is the case for all of the DVDs or if mine is a freak occurrence. Either way, this is just one issue among many.
I can't recommend this release because it's hardly an improvement over the old Anchor Bay disc (although the older release has the excuse of being over 5 years old...what in the hell is Tango's excuse). Moreover, I would encourage consumers to avoid Tango products until they become more reputable. Lying to your consumer base isn't a good idea, it doesn't build trust and it certainly doesn't make them come back for more.
"The Exterminator" is a great piece of 80's low budget cinema that deserves a far better release than what was given here. Seriously, try and hold out for a better release...vote with your dollars and send Tango a message. Hopefully a real company like Blue Underground will be able to give us a better version of this movie in a few years...there's always hope.
I apologize if this thread is a repeat, I did a search and couldn't find this topic so I thought that I would post a heads up regarding Tango's November release of the 80's revenge classic, The Exterminator. I posted this brief review over at the IMDb as a heads up to all the fans. This is a pretty weak release with a lack of 16x9 enhancement and the same old print from Anchor Bay's old DVD despite a promise on the box of "digital remastering":
I excitedly picked up the new Tango release of "The Exterminator" this past week. Being a huge fan of this sleazy revenge thriller, I had to grab this new edition since it boasted claims of being a "digitally remastered" version. WRONG!
Let me begin this review slowly...I'll start with the box cover.
First off, as I stated, this film isn't remastered. I find it a little off putting when a company flat out lies about the quality of their release right on the box. Not only do I find it to be an unscrupulous business practice, but ensures that I will NOT buy any future releases from these guys.
To add to the confusion, the box does not state which aspect ratio "The Exterminator" is presented in. For all I knew, I was going to get rooked with a full frame release, but thankfully, this movie is letterboxed at 1.85:1. But that takes me to my next issue:
This movie is NOT 16x9 enhanced. How can a 2005 release not be enhanced for widescreen TVs? This tells me that the guys at Tango took the cheap way out in releasing this title. I have a widescreen TV so when you spend all of that money to have the most optimum viewing experience possible, it's obnoxious when a company doesn't go with the 16x9 anamorphic widescreen.
So does that mean if you don't have a widescreen TV, than the letterboxed image is just fine? Unfortunately, no. This is the same print from Anchor Bay's previous Out of Print release. You get the same yellow scratches on the print at the same exact place on the picture. Now, this print isn't horrible, but when the box claims that you'll be getting a "remastered" version for your hard earned money and you don't, I call that a rip off.
Another problem that I encountered was that the audio cuts out for split second intervals at least four or five times throughout the film. I can't be certain if this is the case for all of the DVDs or if mine is a freak occurrence. Either way, this is just one issue among many.
I can't recommend this release because it's hardly an improvement over the old Anchor Bay disc (although the older release has the excuse of being over 5 years old...what in the hell is Tango's excuse). Moreover, I would encourage consumers to avoid Tango products until they become more reputable. Lying to your consumer base isn't a good idea, it doesn't build trust and it certainly doesn't make them come back for more.
"The Exterminator" is a great piece of 80's low budget cinema that deserves a far better release than what was given here. Seriously, try and hold out for a better release...vote with your dollars and send Tango a message. Hopefully a real company like Blue Underground will be able to give us a better version of this movie in a few years...there's always hope.
