"The Poseidon Adventure" DVD re-issue coming? (1 Viewer)

[FrancisP]

Now we just need a EARTHQUAKE SE

Only if it includes the extra tv footage. You could do it in a way similar to what Paramount did with Airplane minus the interview. But this is Universal and they could mess up a free lunch.

 

[Tino]

Only if it includes the extra tv footage

Oh my God why??? Those scenes were terrible and cheesy and definitely soiled the film.

Please...no TV scenes...unless they are included as a supplement only.

 

[seanOhara]

Now we just need a EARTHQUAKE SE and I'd be set with old school disaster movies....

For the sake of completism, I'd like When Time Ran Out (AKA, The Earth's Final Fury, AKA The Day the World Ended), about an island resort that just happens to be built on top of a volcano. It may not be the best of Allen's disaster flicks, but it scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid, especially the scene where the survivors have to cross a rickety bridge over a river of lava.

 

[RobertSiegel]

Please.....let them restore the good stereo tracks. Towering Inferno in 70mm had one great 6-track, saw it 6 times and the stereo was fantastic, especially in the 70's.....

There is already a remastered version of Earthquake, it was released in Brazil, it's 2:35:1 and enhanced for 16:9 displays. I own it. It has no extras but is 4.1, and the .1 track is labeled as sensurround, and it is one great bass track! The picture and sound are also very good, best I've seen and heard Earthquake since the Sensurround showings.

 

[SteveJKo]

If I'm remembering correctly, those scenes weren't even extra footage that didn't make it into the final print. They were actually made several years later, simply to pad the time slot so that the showing of the film would take up the entire night.

Glad were're finally going to have Poseidon in stereo. I saw it that way as a kid. I've purposely avoided buying the original DVD because of it only having a mono sound track as well as no 16 by 9 enhancement.

 

[Jason Gordon]

Well...I guess my still sealed mono version purchase from last year, of "The Poseidon Adventure", now becomes a gift to give.

 

[Haden]

If I'm remembering correctly, those scenes weren't even extra footage that didn't make it into the final print. They were actually made several years later, simply to pad the time slot so that the showing of the film would take up the entire night.

What exactly was in these extra TV scenes? IMDB doesn't mention a thing.

 

[FrancisP]

Several Charlton Heston/Universal films had extra footage added into the films and were run on cable tv in that format.

Earthquake - Jody and punks and young couple coming to California on job interview.

Midway - Scenes with Heston and Susan Sullivan as his girlfriend and Coral Sea battle

Grey Lady Down - About a hour added which lengthened some scenes.

I've seen theses versions on tv so much that seeing the movie versions is like watching a cut movie for me. Those are the versions that I've kept. Would love to see seamless branching used to let people see whichever version they want to.

 

[Steve JD]

I think the worst scenes added to a 70s disaster flick for TV was for TWO-MINUTE WARNING. In the new scenes, Charlton Heston seems to be wearing a wig that had been thrown in a blender!

 

[Tino]

Would love to see seamless branching used to let people see whichever version they want to.

I agree with this statement when it applies to scenes shot during the filming and edited out later, NOT scenes that were filmed exclusively for a television broadcast usually by people not originally involved with the film.

The Earthquake TV scenes (not the deleted scenes) are horrendous and should never have been filmed. Same for the other films mentioned.

 

[Steve JD]

Happily, The Poseidon Adventure never did get some awful

"new-scenes-shot-for-TV".

It did have some scenes filmed that never made it to the final cut, but these appear to have been destroyed. Apparently some stills are all that remain. I hope they show up on the new Special Edition DVD...

 

[FrancisP]

The Earthquake TV scenes (not the deleted scenes) are horrendous and should never have been filmed. Same for the other films mentioned.

That's your opinion. I know from a previous thread that some want the extended version of Midway at least. I don't

care what the source. Why are you opposed to giving people options?

 

[Tino]

Why are you opposed to giving people options?

I'm sorry, but where did I say not to give people options???

Let me make this clear. I am against altered versions of films where TV scenes were shot later just to pad out broadcasts.

If people want these TV scenes (and that's all I'm talking about), fine, but they should NOT be incorporated into the film since they weren't part of it originally and should only be available as a supplement.......in my opinion.

 

[RobertSiegel]

How do we know Poseidon is true stereo? There's been plenty of Fox releases that turned out to be fake stereo, for films that had true stereo on release. As for the extra scenes from the tv showings on Earthquake, I thought they were pretty bad, and I would rather have just the film as issued in the theater with those scenes as extras, or a 2nd version on disc 2. But how could they do a 2:35:1 film and add 4:3 extra scenes anyway? By cropping the 4:3 picture (oy vey!).
I have a scan of the EARTHQUAKE disc cover (from region 3, the sensurround remastered edition) ....click link and scroll down a bit, notice the features:
Ingles "(English) 4.1 Sensurround"
Espahnola (Spanish) 2.1 Sensurround"
Portugues 2.1 Sensurround
Plays on Region 1,3 and 4
122 Minutes, and includes the original trailer, although NOT the sensurround trailer, and the sensurround announcement at the begining of the film has sadly been removed. The quality is outstanding, both sound and video, and has a VERY strong bass track. LINK (scroll down some on link):
http://hstrial-rseigel.homestead.com/

 

[Steve JD]

Robert, there has not been any announcement yet if this new Poseidon Adventure DVD will have true stereo, fake stereo, or mono. And when they do make the announcement it will most likely be the wrong info (seems like half Fox dvd announcements have the wrong info when it comes to the sound mix).

If it will be in true stereo or not is anybody's guess. The last time this film was heard in true stereo on home video was the first LaserDisc release back in 1991 (and it sounded great! Directional dialogue and all). From the second LD on, it's been awful fake stereo or mono...

A lot of folks are anxious about this Special Edition's sound mix... Fox better do all they can to locate the stereo tracks, or many people will be quite disapointed. After all, the very first thing that matters in a S.E. are the quality of the picture and the quality of the sound.

What the hell did Fox do with the stereo tracks anyway? Dump the 4-track and 6-track mag masters as well as the 2.0 mix-down into the Pacific Ocean in 1992?!!

 

[RobertSiegel]

I also hope they remaster from scratch the audio on Towering Inferno. What I saw in the theaters(or should I say heard) when it was released was absolutely fantastic stereo including surrounds. Ever since, each home video version has had very lackluster stereo separation. I remember the glorious theme song filled the theater, in the last dvd version and the laserdisc, it was very poor quality.

Steve, I couldn't answer that for you....the studios, I don't think, research much (some of them anyway). How can a dvd come out in mono when the same film is playing on cable the same month in full stereo? Sounds impossible but I've seen it many times, including Amityville Horror (first dvd issue) among others. I think that also hapens within the studio. Bad labeling, people who don't care, people who don't want to spend the money, and people who know nothing about these classics, I would assume those could be reasons. Too bad the heads of all the home vid departments are not film fanatics. Warner is a different story, thank God.

 

[Steve JD]

Really?? And I thought Inferno sounded great on video...

Well in that case I too hope they pay appropriate attention to the sound! I was five when it was in theatres, but I remember my parents going and being very impressed. Seems like EVERYONE was talking about that movie at the time.

Yup, most video divisions seem to be run by people under 30 who don't care about classics.

They make sure crap like "Return of the Fog - Part 5" looks/sounds glorious on dvd, but screw classic blockbusters that came out prior to 1990!

I was VERY disapointed when Warner was not able to get the UA library, even more so when I learned Sony got it...

Anyway, I hope someone at Fox Video reads this thread.

Fox! Please give us excellent true stereo on both Poseidon and Inferno. They made a fortune and deserve REAL Special Editions!

 

[RobertSiegel]

Steve, I should be more clear, the previous version of Inferno I thought looked great, it was the sound that bothered me, because I saw it many times in its opening month in theaters, and this is one of the movies that made me a movie sound freak. I remember it so well, the helicopter going from left to right to the surrounds, the explosions, ect,..but what I really remember vividly is the musical score and how it sounded then like a cd does now. I never felt the video transfers were up to par as far as the sound, especially of the score.

I have a feeling, though, we are in for the same transfer that has been running on HDnet movies channel. The film is in high-def and it looks beautiful, but has the same old audio transfer. I wish they would have at least taken the music score sessions recordings and mixed them back in for today's home stereos. In any case, I know I heard a MUCH better version in the theater.

I also agree with you Steve on the UA library. I've never been very impressed with what Sony has done with the Columbia library. The final straw for me was the reissue of Oliver (the musical) in a brand new edition that included a soundtrack cd, but it was the same old terrible transfer with less-than-poor sound. This was an Academy Award best picture, and needed a great special edition. We never got it, in fact, I have read that many people double dipped on the same transfer.

If Poseidon is really in stereo, then I am really excited, but I wonder how long before HD discs come out and we are tempted to triple-dip (not including the VHS and laser releases).

 

[Steve JD]

Robert, as long at the geniuses at Fox don't give us a lovely fake-stereo mix on Inferno! ;- )

Ever since Annie came out in DTS but in Pan&Scan only, I have considered Columbia/Sony "the bottom of the barrel".

Had you seen The Poseidon Adventure in 70MM? If so, was the sound impressive?

 

[Dennis H]

Long time lurker, here.
As one who saw THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE in its first run in glorious 70mm Six-Track Stereophonic Sound at the Alabama Theatre in Houston I would just like to add that it was spectacular for its time. If I do not hear alarms ringing in the rear speakers on the forthcoming DVD as the tidal wave approaches I will be heartbroken.:frowning: