A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Thank you Robert. As someone who was engaged in a maddeningly nonsensical e-mail exchange with North Hampton Partners about the DVD version, it is wonderful to know I was not out of my mind. This is an incredibly poor disc (either format) and everyone involved should be embarrassed, not defending it.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

that bad, eh? whoa...

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

If you're up for some reading, Michael, I posted all the e-mail's Peter Rosenberg and I exchanged over the title in my blog. There's a fair amount of tech talk-not to mention double talk, back speak and plain stupidity-but it should explain everything.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

My slightly hipper suggestion would have been "Fail".

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Wow. The ignorance in that email exchange (not on Jason's side) astounds me. I guess this is what can happen when a public domain film gets handled improperly.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Amazingly, a soft-core internet porn "star" who also works at Koch sent out an e-mail to all her "fans" imploring them to post 5-star reviews of the GULLIVER'S TRAVELS Blu-ray on Amazon, and a bunch of them did just that. There's a thread in the Blu-ray software forum on AVS that goes into this.

Vincent

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

I think the best part-for me-was the "conspiracy" between AVS, Bluray.com, HTF, DVDBeaver and DVDTalk to defame this "stellar" release. Or how we're all out to make names for ourselves by discrediting the work done...or how the screencaps do not come from the actual retail versions of the disc...

I'm just happy I kept a record of the conversation so I could share it with as many people as possible. No one would have believed me!

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

My favourite part was how Peter Rosenberg, the president of the company, refers to the technology as "Blue Ray," multiple times.

The amount of ignorance and idiocy in that exchange (and not by Jason, as has been stated above) is astonishing. For instance, when Jason posts the link to a Buffy screenshot, and says "Notice the picture pillarboxed and the size of the bars." To which Mr. Rosenberg responds with "Nope." Further the line (again, quoting from Jason's blog) "i just went to the store with my disc and tried it on Sanyo, Sharp, Panasonic, Toshiba and Pioneer tvs, with a brand new DVD player hooked up to all of them and it worked perfectly on each" smacks of a flat-out lie.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

What's the disc art like? If I can get this used for under $3, I'd like owning a Gulliver's Travels coaster.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

I read your exchanges. None of the people you were dealing with seem to know what they are talking about.

I couldn't figure out what the fellow from Echelon Media Group was trying to say when he said, " The reason why I put the bars is to nicely cover the black bars that are already present on your tape." What is he mumbling about? Was the original tape pillar boxed already and he zoomed and cropped the picture to hide the bars?

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

This is real Shame,Too bad Lionsgate(?)Paramount(?) can't do a
real 1.33:1 version

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Almost all of the 5 star reviews for the Blu ray said, "the blue ray DVD looks...."

"Blue Ray DVD"


mmmhmmm...

And amazon removing the truthful reviews is shameful.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Wow, that exchange would've been hilarious if it wasn't so sad. I thought a guy like that should have an idea what he's working on, or is it his secretary who's answering for him? It would make a lot of sense. The best parts about this whole thing are the 'conspiracy' and the part time porn star debacle. Someone should make a movie of all this .
Oh, does anybody have some decent screenshots of the 1.33:1 version of Gulliver's Travels? I'd like to know how much of the picture was cropped and how much was stretched.


The first part I don't understand at all. But the part about enlarging the video should be wrong, because they're claiming to have restored it from the 35mm original negatives. Those have a greater quality than HD, so reducing quality wouldn't be a problem. And he admits that the video was cropped . But I think I'm taking this person way too serious.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Robert, then who does? Well, it's kind of confusing since here in the U.S. the film is in the public domain anyway, and the elements should be with Paramount, or rather Republic, since in a sense it is part of the Republic holdings, and Lionsgate owns the home video rights to the Republic feature library anyway (except "It's A Wonderful Life").

After researching the reviews of the new Blu-Ray release and other past DVD issues, it is clear that the definitive home video version of "Gulliver's Travels" is yet to come.

So, why doesn't Lionsgate/Republic release such a version in the original screen ratio (1.33:1), and free of edits? Or, for that matter, the Fleischer cartoon classics? Nothing would please me more than to see such a release.

If anyone can explain who "owns" the film better than me...well, thank the Maker for this forum.

Too bad Richard Fleischer is no longer here to give his opinions...

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Hi, the bottom link should give some idea....

Gulliver’s Travels on DVD | Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation


The two heads of Gulliver | Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

A little high, don't you think?

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Per Jason...

The Movie Rambler: "Max Fleischer's Gulliver's Travels" Aspect Ratio Part 5


And here is where the the failure of Koch and their producing partners is complete. My first BD player was a Samsung unit that would not, I repeat, NOT, play any 4x3 source DVD in any way except "full" on a 16x9 TV, no matter how many settings I tried, and I was using my HDMI connection. After the machine refused to keep up-to-date in terms of firmware, and more of my new discs refused to play, I bought the Sony BDP-S550. My 4x3 discs now look correct, not stretched.

Ditch the Samsung, and get a player that works. Then get back to us about your product.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Rosenberg is either a liar or a lunatic. I'm hoping for the latter since I've never seen people at studios be this pathetic.

From what I can find, Gulliver's Travels is owned by Republic, so it's in the package currently licensed to Lionsgate by Republic's parent company Paramount (or Viacom, whichever is the official one).

UCLA holds original film materials, along with tons of other elements to the Fleischer library owned by Republic. This includes original negatives, positives, soundtrack negatives, original nitrate prints, etc. Not just Fleischer, either. It's funny how studios like Warner are proud to mention they were able to restore films from the camera negative, yet even when those prime materials are available they're left on the shelf. I'm fairly sure UCLA restored The Quiet Man years ago, despite the same elderly transfer from the 1980s is all that appears on TV and video. (or was it only preserved?)

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Thank you, Patrick! That's what we want to know. BTW, I'm no liar or lunatic.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Jason, I'm currently reading through your blog, and want to respectfully point out that YOU are at fault in your analysis of FULL SCREEN. FULL SCREEN is a term used to describe an image that completely fits the screen, so in the case of a 16x9 TV FULL SCREEN is 1.78:1, NOT 1.33:1, as you allude.

I'm not saying that Mr. Rosenberg is correct in defending his product, but your analysis of it is also flawed.

You confuse full screen with 1.33:1. They are not one and the same when viewing on a 16x9 TV. And that makes me question your overall analysis, as some of your key starting points and statements on and in which you assess and analyse Mr. Rosenberg's comments are flawed and simply incorrect.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

According to Wikipedia:

"Pan and scan is one method of adjusting widescreen film images so that they can be shown within the proportions of a standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio television screen, often cropping off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects."

Full screen was designed to fit a 4:3 frame, not 1.78:1 or any other widescreen AR.


Which is fine. Then you should also disagree with RAH above, the people over at AVS and the reviews at DVDTalk and DVDBeaver. The fact remains the picture was butchered by Koch and whoever else. The fact remains this is a sub-par release. The fact remains this should be a fullscreen or, if you prefer, 1.33:1 picture.

I find it odd you’re the first person to point this out when I know for a fact people here at HTF and at AVS have read the e-mail’s. I also find it puzzling you have one entire post here…this one.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

full screen means full screen. Full screen is NOW being used to also describe images designed to fit 16x9 TV's.


I don't disagree with THEM at all. I am pointing out YOUR flawed analysis. I will be avoiding this release because I agree with THEM. I also agree with you in the sense that I AGREE that it is a botched release.

Think what you want. I am a fairly prolific poster on many HD forums and found this thread via a link from another forum. You might also note that I have been a silent member here since Jun 2008, so please don't start entertaining any conspiracy theories - I am not a Koch "plant".

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

According to who?


Which I find funny, considering THEY didn't point this out at all. Especially Mr. Harris, not to put the spotlight on him. If he or Bill Hunt/Jeff Kleist at the Bits called me on this, I'd bow to their superior knowledge.

BTW: no matter what definition of "full screen" we use, the release is still wrong. It doesn't "fill the screen" nor is it pillarboxed. So, in the end, does it really matter?


I'm entirely too trusting of a guy, but if you say so...rock on.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Educate yourself. You call academy ratio films "full screen', and that is WRONG terminology right there. Your misuse and misunderstanding of terms snowballs from that point on.

I won't continue to argue with you as I don't want to derail the important message in this thread, which is that this is a TERRIBLE Blu ray.


At least we can AGREE on that.

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

The term "Fullscreen" is commonly used when describing a 1.33:1 or 4x3 image. I would even dare say it is an established term in the industry. Jason is not the one being confused here.

It is odd that Mr. Rosenberg should misinterpret the term "full screen", I wouldn't expect that of someone in his position.

In light of the nature of the ongoing debate, the fact that "iDarren" appears out of nowhere to confuse the issue, is suspect. The "lawyer-speak" phrasing also raises alarms. There are already indications that the studio are using schills to promote this release, and you, "iDarren" must realize you appear as one too. (Justified or not.)

Re: A few words about...™ Gulliver's Travels -- in Blu-ray

Commonly used - YES. But it also refers to images that FILL a 16x9 set in modern analysis.

Schill - funny schill that says the Blu ray in question is TERRIBLE