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New editions of 4 Muppet movies coming soon! Widescreen confirmed. - Page 8

post #211 of 242
11/15/05 at 8:08pm
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You mean the difference between the director's preferred edition and the edited edition?




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The flashback to Scrooge with the girl in the snowy park. She sings or she doesn't. There's nothing "extra" about it.

Ok...sounds like we're talking about when he's talking with the Ghost of Christmas Past outside his old school...I'll check that part out in particular...
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post #212 of 242
11/15/05 at 8:11pm
I think it's after the party at Fozziewig's.
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post #213 of 242
11/15/05 at 8:30pm
On the case...watching the P/S version with Brian's commentary which ought to make mention of the scene when it comes up...
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post #214 of 242
11/15/05 at 11:54pm
i wish i would have kept those disc for the commentaries....man it burns me...
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post #215 of 242
11/15/05 at 11:57pm
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but have you seen the Muppet Wizard of Oz? I watched it through the other night and was shocked to find it played right into that adult-oriented sense of humor just like the old stuff. It was VERY funny, and didn't feel watered down for "kids" at all. "Subversive" would be the perfect word to desribe the *wacky* humor in Muppet-Oz.

That's very surprising to hear. Considering that Muppet Wizard of Oz was made for network television, I assumed it would be horribly tame and bland. I suppose I should give it a shot. I saw that Ashanti was the main actress and didn't think I would be able to stomach it. I will check it out on your recommendation, David. It will be interesting to see Quentin Tarantino's cameo as well.
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post #216 of 242
11/16/05 at 7:33am
Barry,

I was shocked as anyone by how good it turned out to be. Quentin Tarantino's cameo was brilliant. A Stroke of genious.



BTW,

Muppet Movie review posted:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...postid=2855408

Working on the rest!!!
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post #217 of 242
11/16/05 at 12:54pm
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Muppet Movie review posted:

Great review (as usual). Looks like I saved some $$$ because I basically already have the same DVD from Columbia. No point double-dipping for the same film.

Now, don't leave us on the edge of our seats. What about the main Muppet Christmas Carol differences???
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post #218 of 242
11/16/05 at 2:10pm
The quick answer is:

* Muppet Movie and Caper are better digital masters of same Columbia film-tape transfers (so it appears).

* Carol and Treasure Island are stunning new film-tape transfers that look downconverted from hi-def and are breathtakingly beautiful...no ee, natural, filmlike, gorgeous (issue of extended version in P/S only on Carol not withstanding).

Look for posted reviews very soon!

dave
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post #219 of 242
11/16/05 at 2:25pm
Got my copies as well and David's spot on.

MUPPET MOVIE and GREAT MUPPET CAPER are as exactly as David mentioned -- still grainy and soft. Somewhat better than the Columbia discs, but anyone expecting a whole sharper or healthier looking print on either picture is going to be disappointed.

MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL may be the first time in history that a DVD has boasted "Includes Widescreen & Extended Full Screen Version With Deleted Scene!" Yes, just what the purists want -- the Extended Version in FOOL screen.

A terrible move by Disney, made even more infuriating by the fact that the 16X9 transfer is obviously remastered at that. Why they didn't put the proper Director's version in 16:9 is inexplicable, but we've been down that road before. Such a shame, too, because we're unlikely now to see a "proper" release of the longer cut in this format.

Good work David!
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post #220 of 242
11/16/05 at 6:30pm
DaViD Boulet wrote:

Quote:
Carol and Treasure Island are stunning new film-tape transfers that look downconverted from hi-def and are breathtakingly beautiful...no ee, natural, filmlike, gorgeous----

Thank you David!

I'm only going to concentrate on the above description of "The Muppet Christmas Carol" and get my hands on it as soon as it's released!
I'm glad that it's at least the original theatrical release and nothing less.

What a joy it will be to project this in my theater during the Christmas season!

Paul
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post #221 of 242
11/17/05 at 9:09am
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I'm glad that it's at least the original theatrical release and nothing less.


So you're glad the Director's Version -- the version every previous video release has been -- is chopped up in full-screen while the studio-abbreviated theatrical release is in 16:9?
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post #222 of 242
11/17/05 at 9:34am
Some people prefer theatrical cuts over director's cuts. I am not one of them but some do and it isn't all that weird.
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post #223 of 242
11/17/05 at 10:47am
Mike_Richardson wrote:

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So you're glad the Director's Version -- the version every previous video release has been -- is chopped up in full-screen
Didn't say that Mike., but your sarcasm about it is understandable.
No, I'm not glad we're not getting the extended version in 1.85:1 ratio this time around.

Instead, I'm looking at what we are getting.

A glass can be either half empty or half full depending how you look at it.

What is coming this time around, is the "original" theatrical exhibition release with its 1.85:1 OAR and as David mentioned of the picture quality: "no ee, natural, filmlike, gorgeous----".
Anyone, who went to the movies for its first theatrical engagement, saw this version. I definitely want this in my collection! That is not saying, as a collector, I would not crave to own personally, a director's cut too, in its OAR.

Paul
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post #224 of 242
11/17/05 at 11:49am
Paul!

WATCH OUT!!!! I just finally washed off the last residue from the tar and feathers they covered me in when I dared mention "glass half full" a few pages back.



Beware of taking a moderate position like that on the forum...it's only safe in the corners of the extremes around here...

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post #225 of 242
11/17/05 at 12:09pm
I already have the extended version of Muppet Christmas Carol in widescreen, so I'm happy that I'll finally be able to add the original theatrical version to my collection, as well. I never saw the film during its theatrical engagement, and I've been very curious to see how it plays without "When Love Is Gone." I'm looking forward to giving this new disc a spin.

Ideally, this DVD would include both versions in widescreen. Sadly, this is not the case. Nevertheless, I am interested in adding it to my collection in addition to—not instead of—my widescreen laser disc.
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post #226 of 242
11/17/05 at 12:25pm
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WATCH OUT!!!! I just finally washed off the last residue from the tar and feathers they covered me in when I dared mention "glass half full" a few pages back.


Too late, I'm sure.


Quote:
I already have the extended version of Muppet Christmas Carol in widescreen


Is that the laserdisc edition or an import DVD? If a DVD, from where did you order it?
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post #227 of 242
11/17/05 at 2:22pm
Quote:
Beware of taking a moderate position like that on the forum...it's only safe in the corners of the extremes around here...


I think the issue with Muppet Christmas Carol is that Disney took the film away from Brian Henson and made changes to it. I stand by my comparison to a remastered version of the colorized King Kong....
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post #228 of 242
11/17/05 at 9:34pm
so iut looks like the commentary for Xmas carol is only on the full screen side....which makes sense seeing as its the full cut.
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post #229 of 242
11/18/05 at 6:24am
Correct.

Review up soon!
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post #230 of 242
11/18/05 at 7:47am
Quote:
Is that the laserdisc edition or an import DVD? If a DVD, from where did you order it?


It's the laser disc.

There are several foreign DVDs of The Muppet Christmas Carol available in widescreen, but as far as I'm aware, all feature the truncated version, just like Disney's new DVD.
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post #231 of 242
11/18/05 at 12:19pm
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It's the laser disc.

There are several foreign DVDs of The Muppet Christmas Carol available in widescreen, but as far as I'm aware, all feature the truncated version, just like Disney's new DVD.

Darn. I was hoping an foreign widescreen extended DVD release had slipped by me somehow. Oh well.
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post #232 of 242
11/18/05 at 1:18pm
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I never saw the film during its theatrical engagement, and I've been very curious to see how it plays without "When Love Is Gone."


Let's see...insert jarring edit where characters go from being calm to suddenly crying in the next shot for no reason whatsoever...then eliminate half the effectiveness of the climactic "When Love is Found" since the song it's connected to has been excised.

I'd be very surprised if you found it to be superior for any reason.
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post #233 of 242
11/18/05 at 2:14pm
It's very sad, because as it happens, and to my surprise when I first watched it, this version of A Christmas Carol is one in which the character development of Scrooge, the explanation, is shown at its clearest.

It makes us understand why this sensitive and witty boy became someone who wants to believe that it's not necessary to show kindness and compassion towards others - even if he's still a rather humourous person. And who also believes you can be strict and seemingly heartless and still successful in life and a useful member of society.

And why he so readily accepts his nephew and his nephew's attitude, as well as how it is possible for him to turn so "easily" (to his true self again we now understand) after what basically is a bad night.

In this version of the story, to this brilliant and effective part (very effectively played by a watching Michael Caine), the song "When Love Is Gone" is pivotal. It tells us what it's all about.

I always suspect that it was removed in one of the studios by a spiteful Scrooge-type, who cannot accept that seemingly losing the love and acceptation of the ones you depend on mostly, in your childhood, can be responsible for this devastating and sad development - but also that it is your own responsibility, strength and determination to make a difference, to change it all back again.

Scrooge's revelation is, to realize where he's heading while all love is gone, but also to discover and remember he was loved in his youth after all, and he still is.
"When love is found". Indeed.


Cees
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post #234 of 242
11/18/05 at 3:11pm
Does the cut song have any Muppets in it? I don't remember if it did but if it doesn't that probably explains why it was cut.
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post #235 of 242
11/23/05 at 8:14pm
HTF Review of Christmas Carol...

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...21#post2862946

I encourage all of you to carry on discussion there and don't be shy, but do be polite, as the review threads get studio attention and are also archived and searched by future readers.
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post #236 of 242
12/25/08 at 8:53am

Re: New editions of 4 Muppet movies coming soon! Widescreen confirmed.

I wanted to post the following about The Muppet Christmas Carol....

Quote:
Is The Muppet Christmas Carol on Region 1 uncut? That may seem like a daft question as the Muppet films (and the TV series) are for all ages. But on Region 2 the film is cut. A song was removed from the film when it was shown on a UK channel called Five. And the same version is on the Region 2 DVD. Just wondered if it was the same with the Region 1 disc.

....but have seen from the posts on this page that it's rather confusing which version is on DVD! It looks like the theatrical and director's cut are both available on Region 1.
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post #237 of 242
12/25/08 at 12:17pm

Re: New editions of 4 Muppet movies coming soon! Widescreen confirmed.

The "New" 50th Anniversary disc includes both the Theatrical 86 minute version of the film in a nicely restored Anamorphically Enhanced 1.85 ratio.

It also includes an 89 minute 1.33 Pan Scan version of the film which includes the 3 minute song "When Love is Gone" that was not on the original theatrical release but was put in the film for its TV broadcast. There is also a Director Commentary audio choice only available on the unrestored 1.33 version (supposedly the same transfer from the first DVD release). Apparently the song was deemed too slow for pacing for the theatrical release and cut and was never available in 1.85 ratio though this wouldn't seem to be a difficult thing to fix.

For a detailed review:
The Muppet Christmas Carol: Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition DVD Review
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post #238 of 242
12/27/08 at 9:47am

Re: New editions of 4 Muppet movies coming soon! Widescreen confirmed.

Thanks. This link works compared to another one for The Muppet Christmas Carol which was posted in this thread.
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post #239 of 242
12/27/08 at 12:05pm

Re: New editions of 4 Muppet movies coming soon! Widescreen confirmed.

For those here that own it, what's your opinion of the currently available "The Muppets Take Manhattan" DVD? Is it as good quality as it's ever going to be, or is there room for improvement (and therefore, theoretically a possibility it may receive a new edition someday too)?
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post #240 of 242
12/27/08 at 4:05pm

Re: New editions of 4 Muppet movies coming soon! Widescreen confirmed.

It's an OK transfer from 2000 or 2001 -- Anamorphically enhanced 1.85 plus the P/S version as well. The Video was pretty clean, the audio is monoaural (I'm assuming that's the way it was recorded initially).

I'm assuming there should be room for significant improvement if someone wants to bother restoring and re-transferring the original elements to BluRay.
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