A Fish Called Wanda SE K-K-Ken! (1 Viewer)

[WillG]

I really just don't get it. Why do studios release Special Editions in R2 and withhold them here in R1. I just don't understand. (I would somewhat understand if it was Fox's alleged strategy of playing ball with a rental windaw) but AFCW SE has been available in R2 forever and you would think it would make it's way here by now. I also hear that R2 has had an SE of "Misery" for quite some time. There is a thread here that says that "Neighbors" is being released by Columbia in R2 but "no plans" for R1.

Can someone explain this because I just don't know. This is America for Christ's sake (no offense to anyone in another country, but you would think that America would get these SEs)

Please someone explain.

 

[Bruce Morrison]

I would like to know the answer to this as well - and I live in the UK where these titles are available! But I don't like PAL speedup so I buy R1 DVDs for movies. I do have the R2 Misery SE but I'm regarding it as a stopgap until it's (hopefully) released in the US.

The Deer Hunter is another title that's been done as a newly remastered SE here but not in the US. The original R1 release was so bad that I did buy the R2 SE, again intended to be a stopgap - but so far there's no sign of Universal releasing it in the US. It's very frustrating.

 

[TheLongshot]

Please someone explain.

Well, in this case, it could be because the main people responsible for this film were British, so therefore they care about this a bit more than the American studios, which look at it as just another comedy.

Personally, I've been holding out until they do release another version. No point in me buying it until then.

Jason

 

[WillG]

Well, in this case, it could be because the main people responsible for this film were British, so therefore they care about this a bit more than the American studios, which look at it as just another comedy.

That may be, however, the film does star 2 popular American actors. But still, if there is a SE out there, I just don't see the point of not releasing here as well.

 

[Sean Richardson]

The Deer Hunter is another title that's been done as a newly remastered SE here but not in the US. The original R1 release was so bad that I did buy the R2 SE, again intended to be a stopgap - but so far there's no sign of Universal releasing it in the US.

Actually, it was announced as one of a half-dozen of double-dip titles Universal is doing this year, same time they said '12 Monkeys' and 'Big Lebowski'. (There were a few others, those are off the top of my head.)

But I think the R2 commentary will be exclusive, because it's a different distributor (WB, right?).

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Please someone explain.

Perhaps the original bare-bones releases (and previous VHSes) sold better in the UK than in the US, so the studios perhaps felt that not enough people are willing to fork over the extra bucks for an SE version versus a "$9.99 and under bargain bin".

Unless it's a mega-blockbuster, there's a little bit of a bias against "older" movies here in the States.

"Wanda" did good box-office in its day here, but I don't imagine your average Wal-Mart zombie is waiting for an SE to show up.

 

[Geoff S.]

Count me in as another one who would love to see the UK SE of Wanda released over here.
I'm sure it'll happen eventually, knowing how these companies work. It would just be nice if it would happen quicker
While they're at it, they need to bring the Misery SE over here too. I'm dying for an anamorphic transfer of that.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Perhaps the original bare-bones releases (and previous VHSes) sold better in the UK than in the US, so the studios perhaps felt that not enough people are willing to fork over the extra bucks for an SE version versus a "$9.99 and under bargain bin".

That's one likely reason why they wouldn't port over a foreign SE. I seem to recall that being mentioned as the reason R1 doesn't have a special edition of Starman...

 

[Steve K.H.]

Crap, with the rash of re-releases on titles we really want I was reminded of this thread.... sucks greatly that this is only R2.
---
Keith - what are you smoking? (see below)

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16x9???
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
144
6x9???
Fourty-two

Ummm... what's 6 x 7 then?

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

I'd love to see this out in a special edition with the title cards intact, and, along with whatever other extras they throw on, John Cleese's hilarious Schweppes ad that accompanied the original issue VHS release, one of the select few ads included on video releases that I've officially approved of.

 

[Rachael B]

Reading this thread, again, and stille no We-jun Uno we-lease. I'm auh, auh, auh, ga, ga, ga, gonna call, ka, ka, ka, ka, Ken to relay my disappointment.... I stille watch the LD of this title because the first DVD was crappie... I'd like to dangle somebody out a window over it.

 

[Jay Pennington]

John Cleese's hilarious Schweppes ad that accompanied the original issue VHS release

Was it on that release, too? Because a note I made at the time indicates it was on a James Bond release. (No, I suggest no connection to his much later involvement in the Bond series.)

Or, come to think of it, I think there might have been more than one ad...

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

That was a different ad that Cleese did for Schweppes, with a action-adventure theme (natch, since it was slapped onto a Bond film), featuring a ninja if I'm not mistaken. Wasn't that on LICENCE TO KILL?

 

[Christian Preischl]

And here it is:

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced a new special edition of A Fish Called Wanda which stars John Cleese, Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Palin. This much-loved hit will be available to own from the 14th March, and should retail at around $24.96. The film itself will receive a newly remastered anamorphic widescreen transfer, along with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Extras will include an audio commentary with John Cleese, deleted scenes with an introduction by Cleese, a John Cleese behind-the-scenes documentary, and a trivia track.

Source: DVD Active
Seems to be pretty much the same as the R2 release. DVD Active also have the artwork, which is craptastic as usual for Sony and/or MGM.
Chris

 

[Jeff Whitford]

 

[Jake Yenor]

Heh. I just bought the barebone one in December after giving up hope of this ever coming to America. Fun eh?

 

[Ric Bagoly]

FINALLY!!!
-"You know what your problem is Arch? You don't like winners."
-"Winners?"
-"Yeah, winners."
-"Winners like, North Vietnam?"

 

[Matt Stieg]

Great news! A minor complaint, one can only hope the artwork will be changed before it hits stores. Other than that, fantastic!

(Here's hoping Universal will someday give us a widescreen Fierce Creatures).

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

(Here's hoping Universal will someday give us a widescreen Fierce Creatures).

And if they do, it would be nice if they included the original preview cut of the film, which was reportedly too morbid for the preview audience, so a third of the entire picture was reshot. I'd love to see the original cut, as I found the released version a bit tepid; fun, but certainly nowhere near the quality of its predecessor. For a detailed report of the film's troubled production and version differences:
FIERCE CREATURES reshoot details

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

"Hellooo, K-K-K-Ken's P-P-P-Pet's!"
"You pompus, stuck-up, snot nosed, english, giant, twerp, scumbag, f**k face, d**k head, asshole!"

Oh yeah, i'm getting this, one of my all time favorite comdies.