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Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

#91
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11/19/04 at 10:12am
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I was really looking forward to seeing COLOSSUS in widescreen for the first time ... probably never will, now. Unless Pete Apruzzese gets a print for the Lafayette Theater in Suffern, NY someday!
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#92
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11/19/04 at 11:28am
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This makes absolutely no sense. Who at Universal is making such decisions? Heads should roll!

Even at a low price of around $5, there's no way I'll buy COLOSSUS this way. I would have paid premium price for a proper presentation, but there's no way I'll support this kind of shoddy P&S release. I know some fans will want to pick it up anyway because that's all there is and it is cheap, but we need to show Universal we won't stand for it. I'm sure it's just a dumb catalog title to those Universal execs (how do these nitwits get their jobs anyway?) and they probably don't even really care how well it does sell, but at least we can get satisfaction knowing that we can make them have warehouses full of unsold P&S COLOSSUS discs. Piles and piles of shiny silver landfill.
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#93
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11/19/04 at 11:46am
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Quote:
(how do these nitwits get their jobs anyway?)


Universal probably culls them from people thrown out of film schools for complaining about black bars...
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#94
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11/22/04 at 2:33pm
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Geez, I really wanted to add this to my collection - but I did pickup Missing as well as Cloak and Dagger which were under a " Studio Selections " series that I assume Universal also used with Colossus. Try to figure out why Missing and Cloak & Dagger are anamorphic ( 1:85 ) and another title The Cure - also 1:85 is released full frame along with Colossus. What a hit and miss lineup! Two out of four - not bad! Makes you wonder if they just release a widescreen film p&s by having a draw out of a hat. Well, I sure hope that they listen and correct this problem. If they can release the Airport series OAR than what gives?
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#95
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11/22/04 at 7:32pm
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For those interested, all of these will be in a certain $5.50 bin (including the OAR titles).
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#96
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1/2/05 at 12:16pm
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Universal's Studio Selection series

There have been some really great titles released in this budget line. It's sad that apparently Universal is just going with the cheapest transfers they have access to. There's no consistency, some titles are coming out OAR widescreen enhanced, others appear in full screen horrible pan and scan process.

It's frustrating because now that these movies are in print on DVD, it's unlikely they will get released again in any better version for a long time to come.

My question is if any of these titles are actually edited versions. To me, as horrible as the full screen process is, if there is no other choice, I may have to accept a full screen version simply because i want to see the movie.
It would, however, be unacceptable to find out that the movies are actually cut versions, edited for TV broadcast or for some other reason.

Does anyone know if any of the releases in this series have been edited differently from the theatrical versions? (and for the sake of saving time, let's agree that a film being shown not in it's OAR is technically an "edited" version but that I'm referring to time edits where actual scenes are deleted or trimmed)
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#97
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1/2/05 at 6:20pm
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Does anybody know where I can find a laserdisc copy of Colossus: The Forbin Project? I'd rather have a homemade DVD-R than a panned-and-scanned abomination of this classic. If anyone knows, please drop me a line or PM me.

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#98
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1/28/05 at 7:28pm
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For those of us with DVD Burners, CHARLEY VARRICK will be shown letterboxed on Turner Classic Movies on Monday, January 31 at 11:15 PM (EST) and on March 17 at 9:30 PM (EST).
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#99
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3/29/07 at 10:17am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

Hello all, from another Charley Varrick fan. I still have my LD WS copy (thank goodness ) I have a question about open matte vs pan/scan. What's the difference between these formats? I read a CV review at Amazon from a guy that recommended this DVD and said that there is no scene/picture lost from its pan/scan format. I was somewhat confused at that guy's review post. Here's the complete post from Amazon:
[start]
According to www.dvdtalk.com the picture was shot in 4:3 and then cropped on the top and bottom to get the widescreen 1.85:1 format. A bit counter-intuitively, but with this full-frame version you actually get more picture than with the widescreen version, namely on the top and the bottom. Nothing is lost on the left or right.
[stop]

What do you all think?

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#100
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3/29/07 at 11:08am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

Quote:
I read a CV review at Amazon from a guy that recommended this DVD and said that there is no scene/picture lost from its pan/scan format. I was somewhat confused at that guy's review post. Here's the complete post from Amazon:

What he's saying is the film isn't pan and scan but open matte. This is fairly common for movies that aren't anamorphic widescreen -- the 35mm frame is actually squarish and the widescreen is created by matting off the top and bottom of the picture. Some directors only care about the part of the frame that will be shown in theaters, and they don't care if boom mics or other equipment is visible in the rest of the frame, but others "protect" for full screen by keeping the entire frame clear. Some full-screen DVDs are made by opening the matte, but while there is more picture on screen, the extra image is superfluous and ruins the composition. It's just as bad as pan and scan, just in different ways.
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#101
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3/29/07 at 11:13am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

With no alternative in sight, I caved and bought Charley Varrick; zoomed to something approximating OAR it looks surprisingly good.

I promise to be a good boy, however, and stay away from Colossus: The Forbin Project...
So many films, so little time...
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#102
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3/29/07 at 11:29am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

Quote:
Does anybody know where I can find a laserdisc copy of Colossus: The Forbin Project?
I'd try ebay. I'll continue to keep my eBay purchased WS Laser of "The Forbin Project" until a proper WS DVD is released, if ever!

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#103
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3/31/07 at 3:19am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

eBay sometimes lists a copy of this title, and it comes as a second feature to Douglas Trumball's SILENT RUNNING in a gorgeous gatefold jacket. Both are letterboxed and include trailers. Pretty decent picture quality. I did a laser-to-DVD transfer of COLOSSUS and that process, for whatever reason, seems to improve the image a tad. Same with ICEMAN, another DVD abortion on the part of Universal. Makes a good laser-to-DVD copy. So, yes, it is worth keeping (or acquiring) a laser disc player...
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#104
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4/1/07 at 9:47am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

Quote:
So, yes, it is worth keeping (or acquiring) a laser disc player...
Indeed!

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#105
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3/16/08 at 10:03am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

Tip from a poster at the DVD Forums.

Not the most reliable of sources I know, but a poster on IMDB says Colossus; The Forbin Project is being released in the U.K. as an OAR anamorphic 'Special Edition' with audo commentaries from director Joseph Sargent and star Eric Breaden. Now it would be easy to dismiss that without corroboration, but Amazon.co.uk has a U.K. release listed (no details) as coming from 'Fabulous Films' May 19...
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#106
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4/7/08 at 2:31am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

The above rumour has (pretty much) firmed up; DVD Times has the details and art here.
So many films, so little time...
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#107
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4/7/08 at 9:22am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

Colossal news John! Colossus: The Forbin Project has always been one of my favorites, I've managed to acquire various widescreen copies of the film over the years, one of them off the SF channel. But this will be my first dvd purchase, love the use of the original poster art for the cover, commentary too? Luverly!

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#108
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4/7/08 at 10:23am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

Thankfully I have a multi-regional player.

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#109
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4/7/08 at 2:04pm
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

The movie is of course based on the novel Colossus by D.F. Jones, but it's not commonly recognized that the Terminator movies were heavily leaning on this novel too.
"Skynet" is Colossus. Part of the Skynet "background" story is very similar as well.

(Harlan Ellison sued the Terminator production for plagiarism, citing The Outer Limits episode "Soldier", but IMO he was totally wrong. He got paid, though. That money should have gone to D.F. Jones.)

The Forbin Project is an interesting movie, well-played.
Quote:
What he's saying is the film isn't pan and scan but open matte.................
It's just as bad as pan and scan, just in different ways.
We lose the resolution an anamorphic DVD would render. But the good news is: it's not exactly as bad as P&S, because you could put mattes on your screen yourself, if you want to.

That said: I'll order the new European anamorphic version (I hope it is) on Amazon UK!


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#110
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4/7/08 at 3:11pm
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick

BTW, the German DVD of Charley Varrick is in 1.85:1.
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#111
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4/8/08 at 3:00pm
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

Universal really took the ball dropped it then stomped the air out of it. I wonder who works their that doesn't like film? Or knows the correct way of watching them. They need replaced I'm sorry to say. If you can't do your job right you have no business there.

I really wanted these titles in WS on DVD but now they will just float to the Wal-Mart bargain bins. Good job UNIVERSAL.

They have yet to release a decent DVD of even Death Becomes Her .. I still have the WS laserdisc.
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#112
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3/3/09 at 10:52am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

According to a poster at DVD Times UK, the Oct '08 UK release of Charley Varrick is anamorphic OAR. The distributor is "Fremantle Home Entertainment" .

Amazon UK and a couple other UK stores don't include the format info on this one but I might take the chance on that poster's info.

Amazon UK's price is £5.98 $8.40 USD at today's exchange rates.

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I'm a 50's - mid-90's TV/DVD Collector. Two DVD shows since '96: Firefly & Smallville

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#113
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3/3/09 at 11:20am
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Willis
According to a poster at DVD Times UK, the Oct '08 UK release of Charley Varrick is anamorphic OAR. The distributor is "Fremantle Home Entertainment" .

Amazon UK and a couple other UK stores don't include the format info on this one but I might take the chance on that poster's info.

Amazon UK's price is £5.98 $8.40 USD at today's exchange rates.

Was that my post you're referring to? You don't have to take a chance, it is anamorphic OAR.
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#114
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3/3/09 at 3:59pm
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Re: Universal releasing Non-OAR dvds including "The Forbin Project, "Charley Varrick"

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hodson
Was that my post you're referring to? You don't have to take a chance, it is anamorphic OAR.

John

Yes, it was your post. I looked it up again to check the poster's name. Thanks for the confirmation. There's nothing like getting the "scoop" from an HTF member

I've been wanting this one (anamorphic) for a long time. When that 4:3 release came out in R1 I figured I would have to wait for a "Walter Matthau" R1 collection to get this one released.

Sometimes it's frustrating when these sites (Amazon UK, Play.com, Sendit.com, etc) don't publish the films' AR info.

"Checkmate King Two Out"  "Combat! A Selmur Production"

I'm a 50's - mid-90's TV/DVD Collector. Two DVD shows since '96: Firefly & Smallville

My 2 all-time favorite TV shows: "Combat!" & "The Fugitive"  My 2 all-time best blind-buys: "Smallville" & "Donna Reed Show"

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