Now that Universal is releasing their Franchise Collections, I am wondering if we will be seeing Earthquake coming out anytime soon in a better transfer than what Image did?
I don't think Image released the dvd US version. I have purchased the Region 2 PAL version and it is 16x9 2.35:1, the audio is 4.1. The picture has serious digital artifacting problems, DVNR dirt/scratch removal is horrendous on this title. I hope this is rectified when the US disc finally comes out.
The US DVD version was released by Goodtimes, which also did the "Airport" movies.
Universal needs to redo this title for a better transfer and to include some supplements like the trailer, and also the extra footage shot several years after the film was made for the TV broadcasts.
And speaking of Charlton Heston Universal films messed up by Goodtimes, I hope they also rectify the pan/scan atrocity of "Gray Lady Down" someday.
Off topic but...DVDfile is reporting that Universal's May release of Gray Lady Down will be 4:3 full screen:frowning: Universal's website has no technical information on this title yet so I'm hoping that DVDfile got some inaccurate information. Please don't tell me we are going to get a second "fool screen" release(the first put out by Goodtimes)of this title. So much for holding out on a nice anamorphic widescreen transfer...
Eric, I am not sure how EARTHQUAKE would fit in as part of a franchise, unless it was released with the other three Sensurround films they made, and what would the point of that be on DVD? But I am in hopes that they are in the process of stepping up their catalog releases in a big way to make up for two or three very dry years.
I dunno. The 1.1 version of Battlestar Galactica did a great job of reproducing the "sensurround" effect in my HT. I would love to have Earthquake, Rollercoaster and Midway released similarly, although IIRC, Midway IS 1.1.
On the UK R2 of Earthquake, it actually says it's in Sensurround. I was presuming that was a joke. Do they really make any attempt to recreate it by pumping up the Sub or something ? And then getting you to sit on the speaker ?
You have no idea how my heart skips a beat when I see the post about a Gray Lady Down release and then feel a crashing wave of disappointment a moment later to see the post about it being another pan/scan release.
What in the world is so problematic about getting a widescreen version of this film on DVD? TCM aired a letterboxed copy five years ago during a month-long tribute to Heston (and which thankfully I have, although in keeping with TCM policy of the time the five profanities in the film were all snipped) so it's not as if there's no source copy Universal can use for a widescreen release.
BTW: TCM's policy has evidently changed. They seem to be running all their movies entirely uncut now, and as many as possible in OAR. TCM rules. It's one-time competitor, AMC, now does every last thing you can namewrong !
Leonard Maltin didn't care for "GLD" very much (only 2 of 4 stars issued), calling it a "tired drama...".
Who else here has seen "Gray Lady Down"?
Opinions??
(Of course reviews are a moot point so long as Universal sticks with a horrid P&S version. That'd be a big NO SALE even if it were ranked as the best film of all time.)
Maltin's wrong, but that's hardly a first for him.
"Gray Lady Down" represents the best film to come out of the subpar late-70s period of the disaster movie genre when the formula was running out of steam and producing clunkers like "The Swarm." "Gray Lady Down" is a tense thriller about trying to rescue the crew of a sunken nuclear sub before it slides off the ledge it's precariously resting on. The film is helped by sticking to a largely realistic approach to how such a resuce might be handled, and also no gimmicky subplots. Great cast and great Jerry Fielding score.
Christopher Reeve has a small part as an officer, and this was where the Salkinds first noticed him and started considering him for "Superman."
From what I know the "Sensurround" was sending a cue to the subs to start rattling the theater. There was no "LFE" track really to speak of. Universal would really have to create one from scratch.
The Goodtimes DVD is the recycled LD letterboxed release. It looks OK, but of course a 21st century remaster in 16x9 would help.
Laser's Edge reports that GRAY LADY DOWN (and Universal's other military-themed film releases that day) will be 16:9-enhanced in the 2:35 aspect ratio. I was one of relatively few folks who saw it in theaters (26 years ago, yikes) and remember it as being pretty good.