Friday The 13th SEs/Box Set Info Coming on September 19th!? - Page 34

New Line is included in the "every studio but...".

*Sigh*

Mike, Paramount dropped the ball. They really blew it with this one. I really don't see the solution to be found in defending Paramount at any and every cost as if they can never do any wrong.

Not bothering to ask certain F13 people to participate in the extras... denying people access to the materials ... getting impatient and not waiting it out for Steve Miner ...
JASON LIVES' director having to practically beg for some time on the commentary ....

outrageous.

Since it seems they are going the budget route, I guess there aren't going to be any new a/v transfers. I think they would have mentioned it as a selling point if there were.

Yet, you're buying it. Again, you haven't said one good thing about the set so I'm still not sure why you're wasting money on it. Wait for the third release, rent the bonus disc on this one.

How many times we going to say the same thing? Perhaps your opinion will change after you've actually seen the thing. Perhaps some opinions will change when reviewers post their reviews and people get more detail about what's here.

Fairly simple. People are going to buy it or not. However, it appears you think Paramount is forcing you to buy this. If you really feel they are ripping you off then be like the others and don't buy it. We know a third release is coming so save your money for that one. It's clear this is a "half way" job just to keep fans busy until that next release comes. Skip this and double dip on the next set.

What?! Where did you hear this?

Read the thread. It was just discussed in the past couple of days.

Okay. I found it. Thanks.



I don't know what to do now. I held off on buying the singles for a box set and now there's talk of single SE's.

Decisions...Decisions....

We've been through this before and I've answered you many times on it. But you seem to gloss right over people's responses. So here it goes again: Yes, I'm still buying the set because I'm a big fan of the series and I'll have to take whatever I can get, whenever I can get it. I've also told you again and again that there is no "guarantee" AT ALL that there will ever be anymore sets, for 100% certain. Since I'm not clairvoyant and don't have a crystal ball and cannot read the future, I'm going to buy the set now under the assumption that this is all we'll get. And perhaps the biggest thing you keep ignoring is rather simple: people have a right to complain if they choose, and it doesn't mean they can't buy the release even if it's imperfect. It's not a matter of "one or the other".

Also, you keep insisting that I've got nothing good to say about this release, and again you keep ignoring whenever I've told you that I'm happy to get the 50% of extras. I'm glad to have the cast reunion on Part 3, for example -- but that doesn't mean I can't be disappointed that there wasn't any attempt made for a reunion for parts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 ! Ditto with the four out of the eight commentaries.


As long as it will take for it to register I keep addressing your same comments over and over. I'm sure you'll ask me again in the not-too-distant future why I'm bothering to buy the set!


That's YOUR interpretation. I've never said any such thing.


Well, NOW you're saying this. But you weren't convinced of it before Paramount spoke up in that article! As I said earlier, I am not guaranteed that there will ever be another set down the pike, and even if there is, there may be extras on THIS release that won't be on the next. So I'm going to buy it for as low a price as I can find -- but I'm still entitled to say what I don't think is right about it.

MOST RIDICULOUS THREAD EVER

(Someone had to say it)

My stomach continues to churn at every bit of new info. Joe, I think it's been pretty obvious for sometime now that Michael is just not going to budge. We obviously disagree with him, but regardless, I really appreciate all this additional info. If anything, I'm getting a better sense of the supplement license/production market and my respect for Don May continues to tear through the roof.

Another bit that's obvious is that people are going to buy the set, just as people bought the originals, and will probably buy whatever crap that comes out next. There will always be a slightly more signifigant dropoff of upgrade consumers when the special features (for an "Ultimate edition no less) aren't enough incentive... but overall, the reason Paramount consistently abuses it's market is because they think they can (and usually do) get away with it.

My biggest gripe on this thread, which will continue now and forever as we're never going to get anywhere, is how anyone can defend that mentality. Well, that's *my* perspective. I don't respect Michael's very much (based on his logic), but it is his and he's not going to budge. If I were you, I would take all this information and build some kind of article or editorial and submit it to one of those DVD news/review websites. Clearly, as the Paramount defense from a DVD reviewer is annoying you too, perhaps a more constructive approach would your own comparable offense. Include all those postings from DVD producers and Friday cast/crew, as there are a lot of people would be interested to know these things and are not reading this thread. Who knows, maybe someone from Paramount will read it and at least then someone with responsibility over the set will see the other side of the argument.

Rich - yes, this IS a ridiculous thread.

Drew - you're right. It's a waste of time going at this back and forth with Michael. Neither of us is going to budge, and both of us will be getting the set anyway. Believe me, Mike and I have had our share of debates over the years regarding Paramount and Warners.

Michael - there isn't much more to say at present (unless more revelations of Paramount's indifference come to light). So until more details come up, or until I see the new set for myself, I guess there is nothing more to say on it for now. You can be sure of something, though - when I see the set, I'll be sure to talk about the pros as well as the cons.

I hope this doesn't come off too mean but you really don't know what you are talking about and you pretty much insulted anyone who reviews discs.

Do you think we get paid to do this stuff? Do you think we enjoy putting our lives on hold so we can review something for you? Do you think I like spending a week going through 8 films, comparing them to another version, going through the extras plus writing about it and in the meantime posting here where people are throwing claims around when they haven't even seen the product? Have you seen a single extra on this set? Listened to any of the commentary tracks? I believe the answer is no so how exactly are you being constructive?

If you are trying to say I'm supporting Paramount because I review discs then you are insulting not only me but this site, those who review here and everyone else who reviews. It's a lot easier posting about things you've never seen than actually having to sit down and review them. Perhaps you've never read one of my reviews so that's why you said this. I'm certainly not going to kiss up to a studio especially if I've got a job to do in reviewing a title that they have sent. At the same time, I'm not going to be some fan boy who wants more and more and more.



And your logic is that anyone who is happy is defending Paramount. Anyone who enjoys what is listed is causing trouble because they don't agree with you. You my friend are in the minority so don't try a simple way out of saying those who enjoy this set are just kissing up to the studio or don't have any logic. Do you have any connections to any studio? Do you know how these things work? Ever worked on a DVD release or been involved in the process? Once again, I believe the answer is no. You probably don't even care about the business aspect and you probably shouldn't but if you're going to be constructive then you should take a look at it.

Would you like me to repost all my logic on this set? Have I not repeatedly said it could have featured more? Did I support Paramount with the Best Buy deal? Did I not say $100 was too high? My logic, or anyone else's logic is wrong simply because you believe everyone should be throwing a hissy fit over what's not included. Once again, the big bad studio screwed you out of something you wanted and yet you constantly come here and waste your time over something that isn't going to be changed. Perhaps you should read what Ron wrote in the Star Wars thread. Anyone can complain all they want but in the end, what's done is done. If you aren't happy and don't plan on buying the set then so be it. Those who are buying it are probably sick of hearing the reasons why you aren't buy it. I doubt they care if you buy it or not and I'm sure the studio is the same way. You've made your point. Nothing is going to change. The set is final.



Out of all the studios, major and small, Paramount is the one that doesn't go double dipping all the time. They are the last studio you should mention when it comes abusing a market. A second or possible third release of this series is still a few releases behind various other titles out there by the "small" guys who fans claim really care about the fans.

I know you weren't addressing me, but I'd like to say ...


First, people don't have to see the product in this case to realize what ISN'T included.

Second, why do you do these reviews, then? If it's not for payment (and I obviously understand it isn't), if it's not for enjoyment (you say you don't "like" putting "your life on hold" and "having to spend a week going through 8 films") ... then quite simply asked -- why do you do it? There must be a reason. You mention that you review things "for" the fans. Are you saying you derive pleasure out of helping us out and doing us a favor, then? I'm genuinely curious.


In all fairness, just as people have criticized without seeing the finished product, so too have you lapped it up and accepted it, also without seeing the product (I'm referring to way before any screeners even came around).


Well, now THIS could be called a general insult to every passionate fan of film and DVD on HTF who really enjoys their movies and appreciates extras, bells and whistles and so forth...


One may also simply look at other studios and see how much better they've been at releasing "ultimate" sets. Fox and ALIEN is an example. All the same, "business aspects" might be of concern to those of us who are involved in that side of things; but for the overwhelming numbers of us average hard-working people who are simply DVD consumers and nothing more, I think we should be much more concerned from how it appears to us from the buyer's angle, not the seller's.


Well, you're spending an equal amount of your time doing the same, but on the opposite side.


Add me to that list. I do believe the small fellas care more about the fans. However, I've often taken note that you don't mind bashing the little guys because -- well, -- they're not the major players.

Yep, I bashed Synapse to hell and back for not including more on THRILLER. I bashed Artisan to death for their open matte transfers. I beat Rhino into the ground for their cut, VHS transfers in their recent set.



Well then the truth hurts.



It's about two weeks before the release date and we know who's buying and who isn't. This thread can continue into 2050 but hopefully those not buying will back out and let those who have actually seen the thing discuss it.



You hard working DVD buyers will spend your money how you see fit. The same with a studio spending money or releasing what they see fit.



I agree 100%. Paramount doesn't even care enough to give us the 4th release of F13 considering how old DVD is. Hell, I've had at least 4+ copies of EVIL DEAD, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, DAWN OF THE DEAD and HALLOWEEN with more to come. Thankfully the studios left all of these open to "more" extras so I could keep buying them instead of having an ultimate release.

Michael -- so why DO you review DVDs...?

And did you bash Paramount for releasing the first F13 on disc with the climactic money shot missing?


Ditto for what Drew wrote.


Which I intend to do, both good (if applicable) and bad (if applicable). That's good AND bad - not just the positive aspects. Hope this is going to be okay.


The first Elite version of EVIL DEAD had more to offer as extras than any of Paramount's F13 discs did.

The first Elite version of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, ditto.

And I am still perfectly happy with the HALLOWEEN disc with the hologram cover. It once again contained more than any of Paramount's efforts.

*And none of these were ever called "ultimate collection".

Jeez, the thread degenerated even more.

Michael, I echo Joe's feelings...why are you even reviewing DVDs? I like reading your reviews, but the way you write about it, it sounds like a real chore that you don't want to do. So, why do it? And if we're all simply whiny fanboys...then, why post in this thread?

You act like you agree with us that the set could and should have had more to offer, and yet you continue to argue. What's there to argue about? ...the fact that us fanboys expect too much? God forbid we have high standards.

The only reason I mentioned "DVD reviewer" is because that is what you are and you make an impact, for better or worse.

And Michael, I only expressed my loss of respect because I came into this thread with nothing *but* respect, due to your reviews and constant presence to discuss DVD. When I discovered your basis of logic for defending that which I find most detrimental to the industry was to blame us, the fans, that included me. Instead of listening to my point, you just labeled people (like me) as the bad guys. I have never attacked you, that was your interpretation.

If you need to continue to force me and my views into some kind of box that sits outside your window of viable opinion, by challenging my knowledge of your reviews, or DVD producing, or the industry, or whatever... you're welcome to. However, I'm not going to involve myself in a personal battle for message board honor with you. You've clearly established yourself as a dependable reviewer, hence my concern over relevance of the issues discussed. But just because I read this board doesn't mean I should have to pledge alliegance to your views and opinions, or be forced to accept my place because of your generalizations.

Otherwise, no harm done...

Here are a few screen shots from the uncut selections and how they will be displayed. Just a few. Nothing really major yet is shown either.

These were borrowed from the F13 site message boards. ***No rights given or implied***

Look at Part 1. The footage was obviously in perfect and very usable condition. Looks to me like the Region 2 DVD footage. It's brighter as is the Warners edition. No work would have had to be done on this at all. No reason whatsoever for it not to be used in the movie except for triple dipping in the future. People will say well Paramount doesnt have the rights. Wake up and smell the coffee folks. If Paramount didnt have the rights, they wouldnt have been able to use it in any part of the box set whatsoever. Definate re-release in the future most likely. CHi-Ching.

Part 6. Looks to be of aged VHS quality, but restorable to some extent. Could have been worked on. Possible Re-release. Chi-ching.

Part 7. Oh poor Part 7. This has to be a workprint several generations old from what it looks like. It looks barely useable at all. Shame too as it is said to have some really nifty moments. Hopefully one day they come across the negative. In present shape, no way it could have been put into the movie. This one would definately need the negative.

Why Side by Side on Parts 1 & 6, but not 7? Maybe they were afraid people would make their own uncut versions with 1 and 6. You know who you are. Part 7's footage it too bad of shape to use at present anyways. Cant have that for when they release them again one day.

Am I against the eventually re-releases whenever they may happen if they do? Cant say as I am.





"Some of the deleted scenes appear in split screen only."



"...with a big "X" where the edit was made."



" The "You 'aint Dirty Harry..." scene from part 6. The female death shows a lot more blood."



"All the cut footage from part 7 appears to be from an incredibly poor quality VHS video tape. It's unfortunate, because the violence is amazing! This would-be beach swimmer got his face split WIDE open, then thrashed around and gargled on the beach for a while."

Edit: Not Very Nice

Eric,

If you think it's a wasted and poor series, why even keep posting in a thread regarding it? I would never spend time on threads I had no interest in. I have too much to do as is.

This is a thread for the series. You must come to expect praise & complaint (no matter how many times the same thing is said) just as you would if you went to a Simpsons site, Star Wars Thread, or even a thread dedicated to Breakin 2' Electric Boogaloo. People in a Star Wars thread are like animals. They would maul you like a lion if you went against their beloved.

The thread dedicated to it is the right place for it. It's not like anyone is going into a Shrek thread and discussing this.

The nay sayers and thread farters get old after awhile. Thats for sure. And I mean on both sides. Pro's and Con's. The thread in general is nothing but the same thing over and over again until someones head will expload.

If your sick of the thread and dont want to read complaints. Do what I did. Avoid it altogether like I did for many months until something of importance comes up or something dfferent comes along.

Good series? Arguable depending on who you ask. Fun series? To those who like it. One of the best money makers for the early 80's? Absolutely. Beat out most other movies in general for the time.

Maybe not grosses like that of Star Wars and Titanic. But, how many movies reach those totals? Um. Not very many in general. Nothing has even neared Titanic yet. Maybe 10, if that have been near the Star Wars types of grosses. Thats why they were considered some of the most financially succcessful movies made.

No Alien film (not even the first two great films) has crossed the 100 million mark or neared it less inflation domestically.

I mean FVJ only made $82 million, but is as of right now the 13th highest R rated movie opening of all time. That shows you right there R rated films in general are not usually box office monsters. In the top 30 or 40 of highest gross R rated movies. There have been thousands of R rated movies released.

Also, the last 3 Alien films only did fair with higher budgets. An Alien film has not been a big box office hit so to speak since 1986 just as a traditional F13 hasnt been a average BO hit since 1984. Every single one since has made some form of money or has done well for their budget, but none were considered Box Office Successes or so called hits in nearly or over 20 years for either series.

Alien vs Predator made less than FVJ with a PG-13 rating. On name alone it should have kicked ass. Guess what? It didnt. It also had a higher opening. It still lost to the so called inferior horror bros.

And really who are you to say who deserves what anyways? Are you one of the higher powers now? Do you work at a studio? Do you make movies? You giving us money? I mean do you really do anything whatsoever that gives you the right to say what we deserve? If not, you really have no place to say who deserves what.

Family Guy (a good enough show) had bad enough ratings to get cancelled off the air at one point. Same with a little show called Angel as well as others. Try telling those fans they dont deserve DVD sets. Bring a neck brace with you when you journey into those threads.

Saying that F13 isn't as good as another movie is an old, tired argument. No one is saying that Paramount owes us anything, but we are allowed to criticize studios when we see fit. That's the wonderful thing of forums like this.

If you think the set is what you want, then fine...buy it. Some of us think it's a half-ass production, and we are allowed to express our opinions.

BTW, I can't believe how this thread keeps going in circles. I'm going to try not to post anymore, unless I have something new to say

I watch it because I like seeing the different deaths that are set up for it And personally I like the genre of slashers but I can step back and tell you these are bad movies. But my anger stems mainly from seeing fans trash every thing a studio or person does for an older franshise. Star Wars fans bash the hell out of Lucas, Star Trek fans bash the hell out of Rick Berman, Comic fans bash the hell out of DC for every little thing, etc... So I apologize for responding so insultingly but fans act like studios owe them something, when they don't.

For the readers of course and I'm sure the other five reviewers here would say the same thing. There's a big difference writing for a site like this one over a smaller, less known site, which I was involved in for five years. The biggest difference is that here you do not just review what you want. Meaning, I go to BB and buy one of my favorite films (F13) and I then get to go home and write about it. At a site like this, the studios send what they feel and sometimes I get films that I'm not interested in seeing. The perfect example was me buying FREAKS only to have to put it on the back burner so I could watch LAWS OF ATTRACTION.

Did I want to watch LAWS? No way but I did it so the fans of that film would know the quality of the DVD. The studios make a killing off these reviews but the reviewers nor the site makes anything back off of it. Why does a site bother having reviews? So they can get readers and this site has a large group of them. The studio sends me a disc to give them money, the site gets readers and the readers get to see if they should spend their money on a movie. It's that simple.

Us reviewers don't get any money. We do have to put our lives on hold sometimes. We sometimes have to watch stuff we normally wouldn't watch. I think most people think reviewing would be "fun" because you'd get free discs but would it matter if you're not interested in any of those discs? Would you be thrilled to get 5 movies you wouldn't buy on your own? Of course not. So, why do I do it? For the readers, plain and simple. I sat through 16 films 2 weekends ago. I would have watched all 16 throughout a few years but I packed them into a couple days so the fans would know the quality of the package.

Reviewing is a hard job and no money is involved. The studio is making money but I'm not making a dime and HTF isn't making a dime. The studio is getting all the money so it would be downright crazy for myself or HTF to suck up to the studios. We (HTF and I) are doing a service for the readers and that's it. If I review F13--and I'm still not sure if I'm going to post it or not--it will be for the fans and not Paramount. I keep telling people to wait for the reviews and I think they should. With the screenshots posted, it's clear that many have seen the extras now and I'm sure the reviews will be out soon.

Now, am I trying to make Paramount $60? Nope. Am I trying to prevent you from wasting $60? Yes. If it's bad I'm not going to tell a hard working person to waste money just so a millionaire can get $60. I'm sure any other reviewer from this site to Colin to The Digital Bits would do the same. We do this not for money but for the readers.


My posts in this thread are as a "fan" not a "reviewer". If my "job" comes into play then there will be a HTF REVIEW in the title. In this thread I'm simply a fan boy giving my opinion and I believe everyone here is overacting. Trust me, I wish there was more but there's nothing that can be done at this point. We can burn Paramount down and nothing is going to change. Everything is done, ready to be viewed so we must buy it or wait for the next release.

My logic might not match yours but it's not easy to release this stuff or gather people. If you want to hear some stories simply send me a PM and I'll tell them. I'm certainly not going to post them on a message board but these things don't always work out as easy as they seem.

Paramount certainly could have delivered more from this "Ultimate" collection and I've said that since day 1. The BB thing is B.S. but what can we do? A $100 price tag was way too much. However, the pros are eight films looking and sounding great, which makes this a no-brainer for those who don't own the singles. Also, there is a lot of good extras here that fans should enjoy if they buy this. They certainly could have been more but for what's here, at $60 the set isn't too bad.

Perhaps we'll get uncut versions one day but as a "fan", I grew up loving these films as they are and I'm not about to forget about them or not watch them because there isn't extra footage. If extra footage gets released then I'll buy that too. Until then, I will enjoy what I've enjoyed the past 20 years. As for the uncut footage on the set, as the screenshots show, the quality of part 7 could not be put back in the film. The quality is pretty bad and it appears to be from a VHS tape that has been shown hundreds of times. The rest doesn't look "too bad" BUT...there's a big quality dropoff from the actual films.


As other's have said, there's nothing new here so we might as well let this thread die until the 5th when people actually see the thing. I'm sure there will be much more to say then and I personally can't wait, as a fan, to hear what others think. If you refuse to buy the disc then at least rent it so you can see the extra gore and featurettes. At the very very least this set is worth $10 to rent.

There's no hard feelings towards anyone here. Even though we're going in circles, no insults have been thrown, which is rare for this type of thread.

I feel the same way, Michael. Thanks for the clarification, I understand where you're coming from more now.

Was it that hard to figure out? Like myself, It sounds like Michael is happy with what he will be getting which is certainly alot better than 8 bare bones DVDs. More can be done but it isnt right now. I am quite excited about anything that is new for this series. Praise the product, not the studio.

Also I think to rent just the bonus disc is a good idea as well for some.

I was referring to the DVD reviewing comments. Of course I've always understood that Micheal was happy with the release, but realized it could have been better.



That's what I've been planning on doing since I found out the retail is so high (considering it's only 5 discs).

Nah, I'm in it for the money. And the chicks - don't forget the chicks!

I indeed feel it's my responsibility to give fans the most honest appraisal of a set I can. It friggin' drives me nuts when some folks opine that DVD reviews will recommend some titles just to kiss up to the studios and keep the screener gravy train coming. I've written plenty of negative reviews and never had that affect the screener pipeline one iota. I honestly don't think the studios even look at most of the reviews - they want our links to prove that we're reviewing the stuff, and that's good enough for them.

(Major exception: Martin Blythe DOES read the reviews, and he'll make comments to us. He doesn't do this to bitch about negatives, but he'll stand up for something he believes in.)

While I feel a definite obligation to the readers, I won't pretend that I ONLY write for them. There have to be other perks involved, and my site satisfies me in a variety of ways. Even after six years, I still get a charge out of free and advance DVDs, and there's more than a little ego involved plus quite a lot of pride. And for the record, I AM making money off the site - not enough to quit my day job, but it more than pays the bills. As a smaller site, it's cheaper to run than something like TDB or HTF, but it's still an expenditure, one that our Amazon links more than cover.

This has nothing to do with Friday the 13th, though I WILL be reviewing that set - from the perspective of a non-fan of the series. (Don't dislike the flicks - I wouldn't have requested them if I did - but not someone with a vested interest in them.) FYI, the screeners have gone out, so people will start to post reviews next Friday...

I completely agree. I'm going to wait for the reviews before I even bother to think about it again.

I also want to throw my hat in on how impressive it is that no one has started shouting at each other yet. This board really amazes me sometimes. It's so rare to find people (on the Internet no less!) who can let something go on this long and keep it focused, despite repetition. Michael, Joe, everyone, thanks for keeping it mature and insightful.

Later.

I just wanted to say that the screen shot from part 7 with the guy's face split open looks like the footage that Kane Hodder was showing at conventions. In case anyone missed this when I mentioned it earlier, Hodder was showing comparison clips from the kills of 7 and the unedited versions were extremely gory and just the kinds of gore shots that fans of this series thrive on. They had the meter numbers on the screen, just as in the photo here. I pretty much figured this would be what would be featured on the new collection.

I believe Kane also showed uncut gore footage from part 8, but it was going to be saved for the following day and I didn't go to the convention that day.

As for the screen shot of Part 6, I can't even make it out.