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Spielberg Titles? (1 Viewer)

Camper

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I know Spielberg favors Bluray, but what titles does he control as far as what is released....

Juarassic Parks
Indiana Jones
E.T.
Jaws

How about stuff like Gremlins & Back to the Future where he only produced?

Does anyone know for sure??
 

TravisR

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No one seems to be able to locate a quote where Speilberg actually says that he favors Blu Ray so that's probably more of an urban legend than anything. As for more of his titles coming, I'd say you'll be waiting for ALOT more players to be sold (of either format) before you see the big guns get released.

He may not officially control his earlier stuff but no studio is going to release his movies if he doesn't want them out.
 

Camper

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Okay?

So it's a legend and the only Spielberg hidef title released that i know of is Close Encounters (not a big gun?), so does anybody KNOW if Gremlins and Back to the Future are considered HIS movies by the studios??

Thanks.
 

David Wilkins

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I wonder how the release of 'Close Encounters' figures into the ongoing Spielberg-Hi-def saga. That was not a minor release of a lesser title.
 

Douglas Monce

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I know that Spielberg controls all the films that he has directed from E.T. on (with the exception of the Indiana Jones films). As to the films he has produced such as Back to the Future, that really depends on the deal that was made with the particular studio for that particular film. Knowing how long it took to get Back to the Future on DVD, I suspect he controls those films as well.

Also Universal could release Duel, The Sugarland Express, Jaws and 1941 if they wanted too, however I don't think they will with out Spielberg's okay. They have a very good working relationship with Spielberg and they trying to get him to bring Dreamworks to Universal.

Doug
 

Douglas Monce

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Actually Sony has a long history of releasing Close Encounters with out Spielberg's okay. They did it with the single disc release on Laserdisc and the single disc release on DVD. Spielberg was not happy at all with those versions of the film. I suspect that he only participated in the Close Encounters blu-ray release to make sure that Sony didn't screw it up yet again.

Doug
 

Camper

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Gremlins is a Warner title, so it wouldn't have the stigma of being released on a format that might fail since they support both formats.

Pretty sad when your so desperate for hidef catalog titles you are obsessing over Gremlins, isn't it??
 

Jeff Adkins

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Sony originally announced CE3K and Men In Black for DVD back in late 1997. Men In Black was going to be day-and-date with VHS and Laserdisc. Spielberg stopped both releases and it was several years before either title surfaced on DVD. He also held up the Laserdisc release of 1941 for about 3 or 4 years because he didn't like the transfers that had been done. He also held up the DVD of Duel for almost a year for a reason that now escapes me. Gremlins was pulled from DVD for a long time after it was released once Spielberg found out. If I remember right, it was out of print for about 2 years.

FWIW, he has reportedly given the green light to a Men In Black Blu-Ray release. Sony insiders are saying it'll be playing at CES.
 

Douglas Monce

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The original DVD release of Close Encounters wasn't so much stopped as Spielberg convinced them to do a two disc special edition.
I know that he didn't hold up the release of the single disc Close Encounters because of a conversation I had with Vilmos Zsigmond. Nether he nor Spielberg approved of the single disc laserdisc or the single disc DVD of that title and they were not at all happy that Sony released them.

Duel was actually held up because of rights issues with the author of the original story Richard Matheson. 1941 was delayed because they decided to do a full out special edition laserdisc with extra features, it was originally going to be a movie only release.

As to men in black like I said the control that Spielberg has over the title is directly related to the deal that was made for that particular film. Spielberg was not ready to jump into DVD quite that early.

Doug
 

Adam Barratt

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If we include films he executive produced on the list then there are already several available in addition to directed CE3K: Monster House and The Legend of Zorro on Blu-ray and Transformers on HD DVD. He also had full producer credits on Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of our Fathers. He's a regular Kevin Bacon of films (six degrees of Spielberg)!

Adam
 

Scott Calvert

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Isn't the single disc release of close encounters the same as disc 1 of the two-disc version? It came out a few years later, like lots of 2-disc sets that were "downgraded" to single-discs. I've never heard of Spielberg not approving of that release, it's the same as the earlier release.
 

Ray_R

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It's fairly likely we'll be seeing a HD DVD Trilogy/Quartet of the Indiana Jones films. Soon as KotCS hits home media of course.
I'd love to see a Back to the Future Trilogy release too. Perhaps the films being HD and the rest of the extras SD? Two discs each to maintain quality.
I'm actually format neutral but I sorta favour HD DVD more due to the BR player I use is my best mates. Convenience over anything, really.
 

TonyD

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can someone with the power fix the spelling in the TITLE of this topic?
 

Douglas Monce

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Yes it was basically the disc 1 of the DVD version. The Laserdisc was a CLV version of the movie only. Spielberg never wanted the single disc version to be released and he wasn't pleased about it. Again I got this from the Director of Photography of the film.

Doug
 

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