Lion's Gate purchases Artisan... Will this affect their DVDs? (1 Viewer)

[Adam_S]

Of course Paramount holds most of the film materials to the REpublic library and if Artisan wants to release any versions of those titles they simply take whatever Paramouint decides to give them. Since Paramount sees extremely little profit from the Artisan releases, and thir products are essentially competing against one another, Paramount sees no reason to provide quality sources to Artisan for film's like The Quiet Man or High Noon. Especially not when they'll be able to make loads of profit off those titles in a few years anyway. So Paramount saves lots of money not making a new high def transfer for Artisan to use and benefit from now and also benefits by giving Artisan an extremely bad name. I doubt things will be much different when Lion's Gate takes over. The finger pointing blame game has been focused unfairly on
Artisan for a while, I'm glad this merger means I can at least tell people that it's not entirely their fault

Btrw this is not meant to bash Paramount, they're simiply taking an intelligent move that will maximize profits on their end. Unfortunately it also means that these films get bad DVD treatment, tand that Artisan's reputation is damaged. But artisan has not been a saint either, telling people that nthese new special editiosn were restored and remastered when they were essentailly given the new transfers and only rant hem through digital clean ups that were not especially beneficial to the final lookof the material.

 

[Jesse Blough]

I'm kind of mad at Lion's Gate for reissuing Happiness for it's Signature Series with the exact same disc as the previous version. What's the point of reissuing a DVD if you're not at least going to remaster it? Oh well... *buys it anyway because his VHS copy is broken*

 

[Vincent_P]

I second the vote for an anamorphic THE DOORS- maybe a DTS edition to boot?

I read sometime back that Artisan supposedly held the rights to Argento's TRAUMA as well as SLEEPLESS. Maybe Lion's Gate could release an "Argento Double Feature" DVD featuring TRAUMA and SLEEPLESS both in anamorphic widescreen? That'd be nice

Vincent

 

[Yumbo]

Does KINGPIN Season 2 exist?

How about a CD with the cool theme?

thanks

 

[Matt Stone]

Does KINGPIN Season 2 exist?

The NBC show? No, it ended up just playing as a 6 episode miniseries.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I don't know about the US, but in Cnada I avoid anything with Lion's Gate on it, since it is most likely MAR and a poor transfer at that. Of course, Artisan wasn't really a banner of quality either, and MAR on any second tier title.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Not all Lion's Gate releases in Canada are bad; it's just that, in inheriting CFP's library, they wound up with a lot of subpar MAR titles. Where I live, most of those Lion's Gate releases are nearly gone, and much of their recent output (not the bargain bin crap) has been pretty good.

 

[Joshua_W]

I can't say I've been overly impressed with Lion's Gate's track record.

They have a nasty habit of releasing "R" rated cuts only -- see "Monster's Ball," "Rules of Attraction," and "American Psycho." Sure, they double-dipped with the unrated cut of "Monster's Ball" later, but I expect better from an "indie" friendly studio.

And then there were the problems with "Irreversible."

And re-releasing "Happiness" in a new "director's series" but just including the same old non-enhanced transfer, with shrunken Dan Clowes cover art to top off the package.

 

[Vincent_P]

I thought AMERICAN PSYCHO was a Universal DVD, and was released in an unrated cut?

Vincent

 

[Will K]

I thought AMERICAN PSYCHO was a Universal DVD, and was released in an unrated cut?

Universal did put out two seperate DVD's. I guess the rights reverted back to Lion's Gate and they apparently chose only to release the R-rated theatrical cut. Who knows why.

I'm just ready now for Lion's to correct Artisan's shoddy treatment of horror/catalog titles.

 

[Greg Black]

Oh please let there be newly restored versions of The Quiet Man and High Noon on the way.

 

[Mark_TS]

im waiting for the STARGATE "Ultra-Ultimate-finally done right" edition.

Just purchased LGs CHINESE BOX and it, among other things , had Wangs first short-LIFE IS CHEAP-TP IS EXPENSIVE...as a bonus..

 

[Eugene Esterly]

This is great news. I really hope that Lions Gate re-releases these movies on DVD in OAR such as:

Drop Dead Fred
Cujo

These are 2 movies which Artisan released on DVD in Pan & scan. I want to see Drop Dead Fred & Cujo re-released on DVD in anamorphic Widescreen.

 

[Bob Cashill]

First order of business: THE LAST EMPEROR director's cut in amamorphic widescreen with as many bells and whistles as can be mustered. A two-disc set, surely. Go for it, Lions Gate, and best with the acquistion.

 

[Douglas Bailey]

Agreed about The Last Emperor and High Noon. I'd also like a widescreen release of The Hit (I might actually buy it if it's in OAR).

But most importantly, four words for a title that I believe Artisan holds the rights to and that I desperately want a good-quality R1 disc of: Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. It's a great film, and my crappy over-compressed PAL/R2 disc just isn't cutting it for me.

 

[Jeff Swearingen]

Oh come on the Quiet Man DVD wasn't that bad for VHS quality...

oh wait we're on a new technology here...DOH!!!

 

[Kenshiro]

All the requests and complaints I second them.

If Lion's Gate is following this thread, a complaint for them.

Why no liner notes?? Just a shoddy catalog of upcoming product, if you release a title under the Signature Series banner at least include a chapter search card instead of putting it on the back cover.

 

[Robert Floto]

Speed Racer Volume 2?

 

[EdwardKarlinski]

I would also like to see the rest of Speed Racer. The first set seemed to fly off the shelves in my area. I was surprised that a second set did not follow shortly after.

With regard to High Noon and The Quiet Man, I really don't see what is wrong with the transfers. They look fine to me.

 

[David Lambert]

Speed Racer 2, last I heard, was tentative for spring '04. I have no idea how the sale may or may not affect that.