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New Outland DVD?

post #1 of 32
11/15/07 at 6:56pm
Thread Starter 
Stumbled upon this at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Outland-Bill-B...5181565&sr=8-2

Looks like it is just a re-packaging. Would be great though to finally have a 16x9 version, even if it is just in standard DVD. The first release is beyond terrible, even by early DVD standards.
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post #2 of 32
11/15/07 at 8:48pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

I guess we can always hope it's a barebones 16x9 remaster...
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post #3 of 32
11/15/07 at 8:54pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

What a great, overlooked film. It certainly deserves a new edition that does it justice.

I would buy a 2-disc full-fledged loaded collector's edition in a minute, but I don't know about just an anamorphic reissue.
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post #4 of 32
11/16/07 at 5:21am

Re: New Outland DVD?

HDNet ran Outland in high definition and it looked and sounded very good. I recorded a copy and even though it is a very dark movie the recording came out really nice. If the title came out on SD dvd I would buy a copy without reservations.
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post #5 of 32
11/16/07 at 3:49pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

The original DVD (and the LD master that came from) both sucked. I'll wait for the HD version before getting it again.
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post #6 of 32
11/16/07 at 5:36pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

OUTLAND needs a restoration probably. It would be a great HD / BD release.
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post #7 of 32
11/16/07 at 6:53pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

The necessity of restoration would depend on the condition of film elements. I don't recall any complaints about elements used the previous transfer, so I don't see why restoration is necessary. Since an HD transfer exists, it's largely a question of downconverting for DVD.
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post #8 of 32
11/17/07 at 7:11am

Re: New Outland DVD?

I believe OUTLAND was always 16:9-enhanced, just badly done. Enchancement doesn't guarantee a good transfer.
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post #9 of 32
11/17/07 at 7:20am

Re: New Outland DVD?

Every catalog release doesn't need to be a monster.

Look at the recent single-disc reissues of Blade Runner & Poltergeist.

Very solid, pleasing transfers. Outland be should similarly released
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post #10 of 32
11/17/07 at 8:19am

Re: New Outland DVD?

The previous Outland disc was a port from the LD master, which wasn't great to begin with. This doesn't need any 10 disc release, just a properly done anamorphic transfer.
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post #11 of 32
11/17/07 at 1:35pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephen_J_H
I don't recall any complaints about elements used the previous transfer, so I don't see why restoration is necessary.

Your recollection is insufficient.
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post #12 of 32
11/17/07 at 2:04pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

How so? The movie is only 26 years old, and has been stored in Warner's vaults, not privately held by the producer (see any of John Wayne's Batjac Productions films, most of which required heroic measures to rescue and still may, like The Alamo) or the director (the restorations required for the Alfred Hitchcock films now distributed by Universal).

Just because a transfer is crap doesn't automatically mean the elements are. I could point you to numerous examples of modern films improperly transferred with oodles of edge enhancement and mosquito noise. Does this mean the elements are no good? Hardly. As others have pointed out, and unless you can show me evidence to the contrary (like screencaps), all Outland really needs is a properly done transfer.
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post #13 of 32
11/17/07 at 2:23pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

Wasn't Outland labled as anamorphic on the jacket, but actually on 4:3 letterbox on disc?

I've wanted to own this for years, but have been scarred off by the bad word of mouth. I was hoping that Warner would remaster it and release it as an HDM as they did Road Warrior earlier this year. I personally wouldn't need or expect it to be any kind of 'deluxe' edition either. The movie sorely needs a respectable representation on any home video format- that would be the draw of the release in and of itself.

And Stephen is absolutely right.
I don't know if it is just a case of a semantic misunderstanding, but too many people rail about films needing resotrations, when all they really need are re-masterings or new, proper transfers.
When you say resotration, you are talking about going back to the original film elements and trying to fix issues with them, rather than issues that are the result of their digital conversion for home consumption.
Thats a big difference.
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post #14 of 32
11/18/07 at 12:18pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

Fair enough--I'll concede that remastering will do the trick, alleviating the murkiness and filth throughout the presentation (hell, remastering will do the trick for anything; see NORTH BY NORTHWEST, which looks pristine on DVD but, allegedly, the actual film print is still in dreadful shape), but if the print used on the current DVD is the best at hand, then yes, a restoration is clearly in order.
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post #15 of 32
11/18/07 at 12:21pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

This and 2010 both need a redo IMHO.
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post #16 of 32
11/18/07 at 4:39pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

If a high def transfer already exists, I'm sure this will find its way out sooner or later.
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post #17 of 32
11/18/07 at 9:37pm
Thread Starter 

Re: New Outland DVD?

The DVD is 4x3. I just checked. Truely terrible, even for its time. It's not even watchable on a portable DVD player. It's that bad. I think the VHS looked better.

Hopefully Warner Bros. will do something with this soon (I am still skeptical about this "new release"). An underrated classic to say the least. I would gladly settle for a SD release, but Blu-Ray would be great....
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post #18 of 32
11/19/07 at 4:59am

Re: New Outland DVD?

Damnit. I learned of this release a few months ago after watching my VHS and doing some research. I was very excited. Now I'm not.

I was wondering if a DVD will reveal too much about the limitations of the effects. The VHS went a long way in covering up "stuff" and keeping me immersed as when I first saw it. I'd certainly jump at the chance to see if the effects hold up to a clearer image.
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post #19 of 32
11/19/07 at 8:21pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

There already IS a remastered version available -- alas it's overseas.

The Region 2 (PAL) DVD has a dramatically better transfer than what we got here in Region 1. The 16:9 transfer is outstanding, as is the 5.1 audio.

It's been available for some time as well. I highly recommend it to anyone with a region free player (you can still find the disc cheap overseas).
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post #20 of 32
11/20/07 at 10:02pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Cashill
I believe OUTLAND was always 16:9-enhanced, just badly done. Enchancement doesn't guarantee a good transfer.

Sorry for the newb query, but I just watched this for the first time, picked it up for a few bucks. Though the package says it's anamorphic, the version I got (WS/P&S flipper) sure isn't. It even says it's "modified" before the movie plays...I don't know how it's modified exactly, unless they used a crapifier filter or something. Are all non-anamorphic like this version? The PQ is like OTA from a very far away station. I have seen a few worse DVD transfers of higher profile movies though.

Edit: Further investigation showed that only the very first part of the movie is non-anamorphic (??). I have my display set up to NOT adjust for this automatically (so I know what's up), and I manually zoomed it. Bummer...no wonder the tops of heads were cut off so often...next time.
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post #21 of 32
11/21/07 at 9:06am

Re: New Outland DVD?

Quote:
Are all non-anamorphic like this version? The PQ is like OTA from a very far away station.
As I mentioned earlier, this DVD was derived from the laser disc master, which was bad to begin with and made worse with compression.
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post #22 of 32
11/21/07 at 11:44am

Re: New Outland DVD?

Jeff - my query really had to do with the anamorphic labeling on the package and me mistakenly thinking it was non-anamorphic. Probably should have just deleted my whole post after I figgered it out! I don't think I've ever seen a movie start out non-anamorphic then switch after a few minutes...sure caught me out, the way I have the display set up. But I did notice the PQ in many scenes was way too "good", did not have that typical look of zoomed non-anamorphic, why I went back to check it later on. For instance, at the end when the two guys were fighting outside, the closeups of their faces/helmets (too bad the rest didn't look like that).
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post #23 of 32
11/21/07 at 11:48am

Re: New Outland DVD?

I haven't watched this disc in years, but my recollection is that this was indeed nonanamorphic (incorrectly labelled), and a straight port of the LD transfer.
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post #24 of 32
11/21/07 at 12:26pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

The copy I got (WS/P&S flipper) definitely changes to anamorphic starting (edited) just after the opening setup with green typing on the screen. What they meant by "modified" is it's supposed to be 2.35:1 and it isn't after that part (it's 1.78-1.85:1). So guess what?, imdb was mostly wrong about the DVD AR...my goodness, have NEVER seen that before...

Edit: got another chance to look at this on the weekend. You guys are right, whatever the AR is, and I couldn't exactly figure that out, it is definitely not as specified on the package. And AR/format does change (on my version) just where I mentioned. The first 5-10 minutes were frightening as to PQ, but once past that I found it tolerable.
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post #25 of 32
11/25/07 at 2:19pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

After reading this thread, I went to Amazon UK and found Outland WS along with Amazon Queen. I didn't notice that my order at DeepDD was for a full screen version. Even though I couldn't cancel my order, I appreciate the heads-up on Outland. (I also got some good info from DVDcompare.com.)
Pete
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post #26 of 32
11/28/07 at 12:15pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike_Richardson
There already IS a remastered version available -- alas it's overseas.

The Region 2 (PAL) DVD has a dramatically better transfer than what we got here in Region 1. The 16:9 transfer is outstanding, as is the 5.1 audio.

It's been available for some time as well. I highly recommend it to anyone with a region free player (you can still find the disc cheap overseas).

Are you talking UK R2 or some other release? I have the original R2 anamorphic release of Outland and the transfer is atrocious. One of the worst looking DVD's I own. Sure it's anamorphic but that's not saying much. So unless they got a new release with a new transfer then our ideas of acceptable are a bit different. How much better it is over the R1 I don't know because I haven't seen the R1 version but the R2 is nowhere near acceptable.

I don't know about restoration but a huge clean up to remove spots and scratches similar to what films like Raiders and Star Wars received is surely needed before it gets it's HD release.
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post #27 of 32
11/28/07 at 1:26pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

a post over at amazon said the new DVD is nonanamorphic. it's probably just a reissue
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post #28 of 32
11/28/07 at 11:10pm

Re: New Outland DVD?

I have both versions of this dvd, and it is the same sucky transfer. save your money and hope for a re master eventually. cause this one really blows.
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post #29 of 32
11/30/07 at 10:40am

Re: New Outland DVD?

I was really excited when they announced a reissue. So i picked it up. Well you guys were right. Same old NON ANAMORPHIC transfer, and the quality is sub-Vhs picture wise. I could deal with the anamorphic issue, but its so grainy and dirty, its like watching it on youtube. And I am using a 34 inch widescreen HDtv...

For shame Warners. You even label it as anamorphic. The movie deserves a decent transfer even if its bare bones release. This disc isn't even up to early dvd standards.

But it did come with a ticket to see I AM LEGEND. So thats good I suppose.
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post #30 of 32
12/5/07 at 7:27am

Re: New Outland DVD?

I just rewatched this DVD that I've had probably since it came out. It is without a doubt the worst transfer of any dvd I have ever seen, & I have over 2000 dvds. I can't believe I even watched it when it came out, but I guess I didn't know any better back then. I also can't believe they are reissuing this garbage in 2007.
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