OK, show of hands: Who wants Popeye (1980) on DVD? (1 Viewer)

[Mikal Haydn]

Just to add to the show of hands and that i'd pre-order the second it was announced!
(i was 7 when i first saw it, while it was quite lengthy, i could not take my eyes off it while it unfolded... i recall it had a very intriguing look in the set design)

 

[Brian Kidd]

I still treasure my paperback copy of "The Making of Popeye". It's brown and well-worn, but a really decent book about the making of the film.

I remember when I was a kid, my big brother cut out the full-page color ad from the sunday newspaper and hung it on his bedroom door.

I also had the 8-Track of the songs.

You could say I was a fan.

I haven't seen the film lately, as any and all copies on home video are in terrible condition. I'd buy the dvd in a heartbeat, if it was in its OAR.

 

[Marc_E]

In! I saw it in the theater as a kid with my dad and loved it!
Marc_E

 

[John_Berger]

Count me in as well!
This is starting to look like one of those really sad "Me, too" threads on Usenet.

 

[Glennica]

I would buy Popeye, but only if it is released in Widescreen.

 

[Bill McA]

I'd buy the DVD!
I'll admit to not liking this film at all when it was first released...but it has definitely grown on me over the years.
I still own the soundtrack and the large Popeye Movie Novel - featuring over 800 OAR frame blow-ups

 

[Lafe F]

The last Studio Day report said that Paramount was planning to release Popeye in 2003.

Popeye is tops on my most-wanted on DVD list. I love this movie. Widescreen, please! Has any Paramount DVD been pan-and-scanned ?

 

[HenrikTull]

Has any Paramount DVD been pan-and-scanned ?

Only a handful. But be pleased to know that they recently released the kids flick "Andre" in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, so there is hope!

 

[streeter]

I'd definitely buy this. This film also has some beautiful sets, and there are few comic book adaptations that have been as close to the source material (visually, of course) as Popeye.

Also, how about if Robert Altman did a commentary with Robin Williams? Granted, Williams probably doesn't care for the film, but I'm sure that he'd do it out of respect for a master filmmaker. Plus, he would bring a perfect mix to making the commentary enjoyable - he'll make up for the sparing comments that Altman tends to make.

 

[mike_decock]

-Edited out previous post.

My apologies folks. Never intended to be rude.

-Mike...

 

[Brian Kidd]

*Nevermind* I'll leave it to an Admin to explain why Mike's post is a tad rude.


--Edited to remove snide remarks. Sorry.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

OK,
Now that that minor hiccup is passed:
Who ELSE wants Popeye on DVD? I'm thrilled to see so many others who'd buy this one!

 

[Matt Wallace]

Hey Scott- why don't you get an admin to move this over to the Studio Feedback spot? I understand that it is well read in the industry. Or maybe a petition? Just thinking...

Matt

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Good suggestions, Matt, but
A - I was hoping to get a nice response (which I feel I definitely did), and while the Studio Feedback Forum is a fantastic resource, this forum gets a lot more attention from DVD fans. (Although maybe a move over the Studio Feedback once the thread dies down would be a good idea!)
B - Petitions are great to rally around when people are excited about something big, but I doubt they really do that much. (The Wonka Movement would have delivered a Widescreen presentation without the petition. It was the outcry on sites like HTF and DVDTalk, and all the excellent DVD sites (and enthusiasts) out there.) My thinking was that a thread like this might catch Mr. Blythe's eye more effectively than another boring petition would.
Thanks for your suggestions, and if those reports of a 2003 release are accurate, well then color me tickled.

 

[Keith Paynter]

I remember going to this film at a very young age - I just don't remember the film.

I seem to remember the sea monster being not unlike the rubber octopus in Ed Wood. I could be wrong.

I'd give this one a rental just to see what all the fuss is about.

 

[David Lambert]

As far as moving this thread to Studio Feedback goes, I doubt it's necessary. If Martin Blythe is gonna see it, he'll see it here as well as he will there. He monitors this area just as frequently, methinks!

 

[Matt Wallace]

Cool! You guys are probably right Mr. Blythe ? LOL...
Matt

 

[JulianK]

I'd be interested in seeing this, especially if it was a fully-fledged Special Edition. I believe the film had a troubled production history, which should make any supplements that could be included quite fascinating.

I recently saw a copy of the home video transfer made for Walt Disney (probably dating back to the early 90s), and, horrible, horrible transfer aside, it seemed that the film itself (and therefore possibly the negative) was in pretty poor shape.

This was a recording of the shorter European edit (it was cut by about quarter of an hour here), so it's possible that the damage was caused when it was hacked about. My guess, though, is that some restoration work might well be necessary.

 

[Jim Ogilvie]

I would *love* to have this film. I thought I was the only one!

I remember seeing this film when it was released, and being quite intrigued with the look of the whole movie. I believe this was the very first film in my memory that took a cartoon based world and transferred the ideas so surreally to film.

When I saw "The Flintstones" live action for the first time, there was something about it that looked familiar. I realized after thinking about it that Popeye really set the stage for films like these, making improbable sets with huge gawky gimmickry and the like. I loved it!

It would be a shame to discover that this film is in need of restoration in order to make it to DVD. I fear that would immediately nix any effort to bring it to DVD, as it most certainly wouldn't be a huge seller. Having said that, it would be a shame to lose the film, period. Making it available on DVD would keep it alive for a long time indeed.

I corresponded with Paul Dooley, who plays Wimpy in this film. He seemed to have fond memories of doing the film and playing the character. I love Williams and Duvall in it.

I'd definitely buy it!

 

[Brian Kidd]

It's quite possible that the film was not very well taken care of as it came out around the time that home video was still small potatoes. Until studios came to their senses and realized that home video was a cash cow, non-blockbuster films were often left to rot. POPEYE wasn't exactly a studio darling. I would imagine that the original negative would need a bit of work to make it acceptable for DVD. I wouldn't count on seeing this one anytime soon, especially if Paramount still owns the home video rights to it.