Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick" (1 Viewer)

[John Hodson]

And of course the opposite is true; if they don't get enough complaints we'll simply get more of the same...

 

[AndrewWickliffe]

I've got "Varrick" and I've seen the widescreen "Iceman." It's a whole different film...

I e-mailed Universal back when these were first announced and got a generic, thanks a bunch for your interest.

Universal is the worst company for OAR. I've known this for years, since I met their sales reps while working at a video store. They don't see a point to it.

Columbia seems to have learned a little (or, if you really wanted a title, you could always just go to R2), but Universal is getting worse. And they were the best laserdisc company...

This is very disappointing, as I would have at least rented most of the titles and definitely bought a few. Not anymore.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Yet, they anamorphically remaster Silent Running, Andromeda Strain, Scarface, Animal House, Field of Dreams, The Thing, Dracula '79 and so on. So they are obviously committed to video presentation. So why are they releasing bona fide cult gems in open-matte and pan and scan? Laziness, probably. Like Randy says, they probably had TV masters lying around and used them. Bad working practice.

Of course, there is always the chance that the R2 editions will have new anamorphic PAL masters created for them.

Looking forward to next year when Sometimes a Great Notion gets a 1.33 presentation...

 

[AndrewWickliffe]

I think the catalog culture is changing at companys. Columbia releases an obscure catalog title and gets suprised when people want it in OAR. Universal was good (heck, even their Goodtimes licensed titles were okay--"Halloween 2" has a great non-anamorphic transfer), and now they aren't.

Aren't these companies planning for HD?


Oh, has the open-matte been confirmed on any of these titles? I'm not above taping construction paper onto my TV...

 

[Glenn Overholt]

I just got done reading that RAH interview, and I think that they are just using their television master, which is probably less worn out than the OAR master.

However, this still doesn't make it right. It's Colossus that I am worried about. Get me a negative answer on that, and I'll protest. I think we could easily get a petition together for that.

Glenn

 

[John Hodson]

It was Glenn Erikson over at DVD Talk who put the boot into Columbia for the Castle Keep travesty, which was subsequently re-released in OAR, and now DVD Savant is sounding a warning again:

"With Castle Keep now being released in Widescreen in response to the outrage engendered by a Pan-Scan disc last July, I'm informed that Universal may be pulling the same thing with at least two new releases under their 'Studio Selections' banner (like, somebody else would do the choosing?). Colossus: The Forbin Project is a Panavision film that looks crummy Pan-Scanned, and Charley Varrick: The Last of the Independents a very wide 1:85 film that also needs to be letterboxed and enhanced. If my information is correct, both discs due out next month will be flat-adapted to 'fit' outmoded 4x3 television screens. One's a superior science fiction movie and the other a terrific Don Siegel thriller, but neither have a high-profile talent like Sydney Pollack to cause a ruckus and get some changes made. Universal's been very good about aspect ratios and the like in the last couple of years, and we hope they don't intend to start dumping cruddy flat transfers on the market as a common practice.

"I have to stress that my information is from a reader and isn't verified by Universal, so this alarm possibly qualifies as uninformed web gossip. Just figured it was in our own best interests to pass this info along ... and I hope it's incorrect!"

 

[ArthurMy]

"I have to stress that my information is from a reader and isn't verified by Universal, so this alarm possibly qualifies as uninformed web gossip. Just figured it was in our own best interests to pass this info along ... and I hope it's incorrect!"

Obviously the most important statement made by the Savant. As bad as it seems, I'm still giving the benefit of the doubt to Universal and will be patient and non-panicked until I have the disc in hand or read an actual review by someone who's actually seen it.

 

[Bill Huelbig]

I sure hope Arthur is right, and I'll keep my hopes up, but it doesn't look good. I e-mailed Universal twice when the full-frame COLOSSUS was first announced and didn't even get the generic reply. At that time there was a blurb about widescreen on the Universal DVD website, about why the original aspect ratio is the best way to see a film. I quoted from this in my e-mails, but now I can no longer find it on the site.

 

[John Hodson]

If/when you have the disc in hand it will be far too late; Universal has your dollars and by implication you have given the thumbs up for a non-OAR release (should the worst come to the worst of course ). Don't buy it; wait for a review.

At the risk of becoming a bore, I'll reiterate; there is absolutely nothing wrong in telling Univeral now, poiltely but firmly, that we don't want movies released in the incorrect aspect ratio, that we won't buy them.

If the website is incorrect, all well and good; at the very least someone at Universal will get a kick up the arse for putting out misleading information and situations like this won't arise again.

Sorry for sounding like a stuck record chaps...

 

[Amy Mormino]

It is definitely worthwhile to send complaints to Universal. On their TV front, one of their execs recently mentioned in an article that they had listened to fans regarding sound issues on the release of Miami Vice to DVD (I believe it was regarding whether 5.1 would be used). If they listen on their TV releases, hopefully they will listen to fans regarding their movie releases as well!

 

[Larry Schneider]

It woule probably be more effective to write the appropriate executive within Universal, or better still his boss. Does anyone know who we can write to?

 

[Randy A Salas]

Just to be clear before people get too worked up, the executive was responding to fan *rumors* that the DVDs would not have DD 5.1 and confirming that indeed they would. The sound wasn't added in response to fans; it was already planned.

But your point remains that some executives do sometimes turn to the net to monitor fan reactions.

 

[ArthurMy]

The point with the DVDs in question in this thread is that they're already done and maybe are even pressed. So, while it's fine to send complaints, they may not be valid. I agree they should fix their website if their info is incorrect - and that's not just Universal, it's several other studios that put out mis-information. From my point of you I will damn them when there's something concrete to damn them about. I'm an optimist, I guess.

 

[AndrewWickliffe]

How is don't disrespect the letterbox an invalid argument?

The point is that there shouldn't even be a thread like this one. Universal never should have released the titles pan and scan.

We shouldn't complain about that? Let's appease them, what a good idea. I'll order up all the titles and replace all my fine widescreen Universal titles with pan and scan versions. Maybe even VHS tapes.

These titles are coming out pan and scan. That isn't in question anymore, you can pretend it is, in Never-never-land, but here in Region-1, they're pan and scan.

How doesn't Universal deserve to be damned?

 

[John Hodson]

...or (grasping at straws) in some cases open-matte.

 

[AndrewWickliffe]

But which ones?

(As I said before, taping construct paper on the TV is fine for me...)

 

[ArthurMy]

I'm sorry, but no one has offered up concrete proof to me that ALL of these titles are being released incorrectly. I'm not condoning Universal if they are releasing them incorrectly, and I don't live in Never Never Land, and I find that comment offensive and unnecessary. Mr. Crawford has "slapped" me down twice for being much less offensive than that - where is he now?

Pardon me if I wait to be upset until I read something that's concrete - like someone actually having the DVD in hand and viewing it. That's my way, and I'm sorry it doesn't please you.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Andrew,
First off, let's cease with the personal comments towards other members like living in a "never never land".

Secondly, let's keep our perspective here, without this discussion being deviated from the alleged issue of Universal releasing dvds in a non-OAR format.

Arthur,
Thirdly, if you have a problem with post or thread then report it and one of the moderators will reply to the situation, but remember, we have day jobs too so give us time to address the situation.






Crawdaddy

 

[AndrewWickliffe]

Robert,

Sorry about that.

 

[ArthurMy]

I saw the "report post" feature after I posted. Now I know how to use such a thing.