Films that need DVD Releases with their Original Aspect Ratio, anamorphic if need be! - Page 5

Zombie
Wild Zero

+1
Been waiting a long time for this one.

I want anamorphic DVDs of the following:

BLOOD AND ROSES (1960)
THIEF OF BAGHDAD (1961)
THE MINOTAUR (1960) (It was released in Spain on DVD, but with no English)
THE SLAVE (1963)

For us here in R1 land, off the top of my head (and with some rambling)....



MIRACLE MILE (1988) - The current DVD is fullframe. Needs to be 1.85:1.  Kurt Fuller's eyes melting out in 16:9 is something I hope to see one day.

DROP DEAD FRED (1991) - The current DVD is fullframe. Needs to be 1.85:1.   The R2 DVD is OAR/anamorphic

K2 (1991) - The current DVD is fullframe. Needs to be 1.85:1.......(and include the added scenes everyone else but the U.S. got, and options for both soundtracks). The R2 DVD is OAR/anamorphic, and has the extra scenes, but is currently out of print.

THE WIZARD OF SPEED AND TIME (1988)- Needs to be 1.85:1 (with Mike Jittlov's previous short films pillarboxed within the frame as they come up in the film). There has never been a DVD release of this film. The VHS release has been out of print since the early 90's, and the laserdisc only had a few thousand copies made; both were fullframe.

SOLAR CRISIS (1990) - The current DVD is fullframe. Needs to be 2.35:1... Its got iffy scripting, acting, and directing. Its one saving grace is great effects work throughout...50% of which is removed on the current DVD. A previous VHS release, claiming to be letterboxed, was only letterboxed to a 1.75:1 ratio (approx.), and does not count. There has been no true widescreen release on any format.

COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT (1970) - The current dvd is fullframe (a really, really bad Pan&Scan effort). Needs to be 2.35:1

ON THE BEACH (2000) - The current DVD is fullframe. Was filmed at, and broadcast at, 1.77:1 / 16:9  

ON THE BEACH (1959) - The current DVD is letterboxed. Needs to be anamorphic 1.66:1 

THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT 2 (1993) - The current DVD is fullframe. Needs to be 2.35:1 . There has never been a widescreen release for this film on any format.

MOON 44 (1990) - The current DVD is Pan&Scan. Needs to be 2.35:1. --------
So few people have actually seen this in its OAR I felt like typing out a bit of a review. -------- I have the German OAR DVD (there is now a UK release in the OAR, as well), and its almost a different movie. The shots are carefully framed, close up on the actors and inside cramped sets with low lighting. Every part of this kind of frame is important for coherency (ie, cut any part of the image off, and you risk things not making any sense). In fullframe, this early Roland Emmerich flick is a disaster; borderline confusing and visually awkward, with bad edits and blurry pans to cover lost image (the side-effect of which is making the sets look cheap).  In its OAR, its an entertaining, surprisingly dark, visually interesting B-Movie.  (note: the dialogue and corny elements are not helped by the proper aspect ratio... this is darker than usual for Emmerich, but those two hallmarks are to be expected)
Edited by Tim_Prasuhn - 12/30/09 at 9:25pm

Tim I'm glad to discover I'm not the only fan of late 80's to 90's sci-fi movies. I totally agree with you on Miracle Mile - it's a great and fun End-of-the-World movie and it deserves not only a widescreen release but some extras as well. With all these Post-Apocalyptic type movies coming out these days this should be a no-brainer candidate for re-issue. Another favorite of mine is Philadelphia Exp. 2 but this one was made for video - perhaps it was shot in1.33:1? I have Solar Crisis on DVD but it doesn't look panned-and-scanned to me  - you sure it was shot in Scope? Now I'm waiting for Radioactive Dreams, Neon City and Damnation Alley to make their way to disc. (In Widescreen, please!)

Hasn't ZOMBIE been available in its OAR for years? 
Edited by Bob Cashill - 12/31/09 at 9:57pm

Philadelphia Experiment 2, and the original, got a lot of play when I was younger. IMDB says part 2 was shot anamorphic/ 2.35:1.   I can believe it, because from what I understand this film was intended for a theatrical release, and filmed accordingly (it even has some decent CGI effects at the beginning and end). Sadly, like a lot of independent cinema that aims for the big screen, it just didnt quite make it out. According to the IMDB, it was released on two screens, for about a week. So we've got a scope production that, aside from being in a theater for a week, went straight to fullframe DVD....I think i'll cry a little.

Close to the same thing applies for Solar Crisis. It was a BIG Japanese/American co-production, with something like a $55 Million budget. IMDB lists it as anamorphic/ 2.35:1, and although I can't find it currently, an interview with DP Russell Carpenter mentions/verifies this as well. Look at the sequences with the hologram of the sun being watched by the ships crew, for the more obvious examples of the awful cropping. I guess the films cast/crew had problems communicating with each other, and along with a big cultural divide at the story level (relating to the future society/character actions), kept everyone from seeing how far south the movie's plot was going until it was done filming. It had a theatrical release in Japan, and might have had a screen or two here in the states for a week (the US release is unverified, I can't say with certainty), but because of the admittedly flimsy final product, for all intents and purposes it went straight to DVD, and fullframe oblivion. Its apparently based on a book, too.

Films That Need To Presented In Their Widescreen Formats For Future DVD/Blu Releases:

-Piranha II: The Spawning

-Fright Night II

-The Powerpuff Girls Movie

-The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland

-It's A Very Merry Mupept Christmas Movie (shot in 1.78:1)

-The Muppets Wizard Of Oz (shot in 1.78:1)

-Thomas and The Magic Railroad

-The Thief and The Cobbler

Its 2010. Are Soccer moms and Joe Sixpacks still complaining that there are black bars on their TVs and they're returning them or something? Is Walmart still dictating to Hollywood how to release movies? I can't even remember the last time I saw a square-shaped TV for sale.

Edited by elDomenechHTF - 5/12/10 at 7:02am

Lionsgate is putting out a JOHNNY HANDSOME Blu-Ray in July, so that's one off the list. Still waiting for EXTREME PREJUDICE and MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON, though.  And BEAUTIFUL GIRLS! I so want an SE of that movie.