New editions of 4 Muppet movies coming soon! Widescreen confirmed. (1 Viewer)

[DaViD Boulet]

I am just thrilled. I concur about the AWFUL sound and picture of the current Sony discs (though they are OAR). The audio on the laserdiscs was GREAT which makes it even more strange.

I can't wait to see what Disney does...Muppet movie and muppet caper are 2 of my all-time FAVORITE films...

and seeing Christmas Carol and Treasure Island in OAR for the first time will be such a joy.

 

[Brandon Conway]

davisdvd.com says 1.85:1 anamorphic:

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I can't *wait* to review these discs...it will be one LOOONNGGG night of DVD watching!

 

[AndrewWickliffe]

We've got a confirm on the aspect ratio.

All are pan and scan.

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=58274

 

[WillG]

That really is too bad. I'm glad I have the Columbia versions of Movie and Caper. However, These new versions don't look like they have anything too exciting on them anyway judging from the specs. But there's no chance I'll rebuy now if this news is indeed true.

 

[Bingo]

Think I'm going to hold off judgement until I see an office press release...

....and for a R1 release, a R1 website at least.

I'll be very angry if the 1.33:1 turns out to be true though....

 

[ThomasTreasure]

No, we don't. We have two different conflicting sources.

 

[AndrewWickliffe]

Wow. I love how I post something here, totally innocently, and I automatically get at least one moderately rude, certainly confrontational, response. Always makes me feel warm inside.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

That's not confirmation...that's the "current" info as reported for the UK discs...

let's wait a while yet folks before we get up in arms...we won't know for sure for a while...

Of course...if any of you want to call that little 1-800 number on the back of your Disney DVDs and tell the PR folks how much you and YOUR FAMILY would enjoy WS 16x9 OAR versions of these upcoming discs...I won't try to stop you...

 

[Chris Bardon]

Not necessarily, dvdfile could have meant that the titles are anamorphic pan & scan...

 

[Jake Yenor]

Someone who has connections over with the Muppet division at Disney(He had info on TMS Season 1 and Fraggle Rock Season 1 among others before it was annouced and has proven himself right many, many times had this to say):

"I have e-mailed Disney and have gotten both sides of the story. DisneyDirect e-mail customer support said they will be fullscreen; and whereas the Disney-DVD support e-mail told me they would be widescreen; and Disney consumer service phone hotline said this information was not released or final yet. But other people I've talked to have said widescreen for sure.

It is hard to say which way it will be in the end. Sometimes people get untrue information from the customer services. Due to the high amount of inquires processed and the high use of standard form responces mistakes happen (I've seen it 1,000 times). Maybe the person responding at Disney Direct looked at the old 2002 Muppet DVDs for the specs, maybe they have wrong information in there database. Who knows? Until the official Disney press release is out (which should be soon) it is hard to tell for sure what will be on the discs.(I remember a while back the DisneyDirect people responded with DVD features for "The Muppets Wizard of Oz" that were 100% wrong - such as "'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' Ashanti Music Video?")."

 

[ThomasTreasure]

For what it's worth, there was a trailer for these 4 special editions on the Muppet Show season 1 DVD, and while no specs whatsoever were revealed, there were clips showed from all 4 films (though mainly the post-Jim Henson ones) and the clips were in widescreen. This of course isn't any kind of certainty, but it's some small hope, which I'll cling to until we get more information.

 

[TonyD]

that wasnt rude or confrontaional.
just matter of factly stating other info has been given previously.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

The press release indicates fullscreen transfers.

 

[Brandon Conway]

*sigh*

I hope the Press Release is wrong, but I have little hope that it is. Stupid, stupid move by Disney if true. Saves me $$ to buy other things, though.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I'm sending an email to my Disney rep asking for clarification. I would encourage those of you who care to be non-passive about this news if it turnes out to be true.

 

[AndrewWickliffe]

Yet another source for Fool Screen only--The Muppet News Central--

"...However they do make it clear that the aspect ratio on all four DVDs is a butchered 1.33:1 transfer..."

 

[Dale MA]

What are they playing at?

I'm hoping this is some sort of mix up ala the Ghostbusters fullscreen packaging slip-up.

 

[AndrewWickliffe]

There's some anecdote, somewhere online, that Brian Henson called them up for the first Muppet releases (Christmas Carol and Treasure Island) and pleaded with them for OAR releases....

At that point, Henson wasn't just the director, he was also the guy running the Jim Henson Company.

... and they said no.

I think the Muppet Season One set, which no one expected, got everyone thinking Disney was going to do right... it lulled us into forgetting it was Disney.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

Ohmigosh. I just Ebayed my old Muppet Movie DVD. What a dope I am not waiting for the official specs.

I just don't believe this.

It's time for a massive campaign on our part, a la Willy Wonka from a few years back.