Region 1 Special Editions I'd really like to see get made. (1 Viewer)

To start with, here are several titles which are finally being re-released as Special Editions or their various monikers. (Titles with an asterisk after the mumbo jumbo are the ones I'm planning on purchasing.)

Coming in 2007:
2001: A Space Odyssey - Special Edition (??/??)*
BLADE RUNNER - Ultimate Collector's Set (??/??)*
A Clockwork Orange - Special Edition (??/??)
L.A. Confidential - Two-Disc Special Edition (??/??)*
The Man Who Would be King - Special Edition (??/??)*
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior - Special Edition (??/??)*
Poltergeist - Silver Anniversary Special Edition (??/??)*
The Shining (1980) - Special Edition (??/??)

Coming in 2008:
Risky Business - Special Edition (??/??)

More to follow later.

Here are titles of which I am and others are still waiting for. (Titles with an asterisk after the title are films I've yet to see but will get around to eventually watching them.) (New note: Since I've finally gone multi-region, I'll list some details pertaining as to such for the thing dammit... Now I'm going to be hunting for the best NTSC versions out there and the occasional PAL one dealy.)

The 13th Warrior
1492: The Conquest of Paradise - Get Charlie de Lauzirika for this one.
1941* - Anamorphic I guess?
2010
The Abyss - Current release is perfect and I highly prefer the 171m Special Edition cut over the 146m Theatrical. One major issue I have with this is that it's non-anamorphic. An anamorphic retransfer would be most pleased from me. I repurchased the first release Alphapak-case version and I believe it's the one I initially sold back in 2003.
The Addams Family
Addams Family Values
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - A Criterion calibre type of Special Edition would be nice. Hell, if Criterion were able to make a Special Edition of this title and even port over all their laserdisc material and make even more extras that'd be just fine.
Altered States*
Always
The Arrival
Awakenings
Bean
BEETLEJUICE
Big
Bottle Rocket
Bram Stoker's Dracula - I'm rebuying the SuperBit and going to get ahold of the Criterion LD supplements and put them to DVD.
Braveheart
Broken Arrow*
The Cable Guy
DARKMAN
Dark City
Days of Thunder*
Death Becomes Her
Dick Tracy - Was rumoured to be a Vista Series release but said rumour has since been quashed. By the way, could anyone confirm whether or not the current release is anamorphic? Figuring since the price is so low now and if they see sales for it it'd garner a Special Edition release.
Dragonslayer
Enemy Mine
Escape From Alcatraz
Escape from L.A. - Out of fairly much all of John Carpenter's films on DVD, this sequel to the original Escape from New York is bare bones and carries a non-anamorphic transfer.
Excalibur
FACE/OFF - There's a Region 3 NTSC Korean release which I believe has a DTS track and a featurette. Going to purchase as soon as I'm finished with my 1980's films on DVD buying spree.
Far and Away
First Knight
The Fisher King - A Criterion calibre type of Special Edition would be nice. Hell, if Criterion were able to make a Special Edition of this title and even port over all their laserdisc material and make even more extras that'd be just fine.
Flash Gordon* - C'mon, this film should get far more features compared to the upcoming release.
Flatliners*
Fletch Lives
THE FLY (1958)*
Four Rooms
Frantic
From Dusk Till Dawn - Just an anamorphic re-transfer is all I guess that's needed...
Futureworld*
G.I. Jane
The Game - A Criterion calibre type of Special Edition would be nice. Hell, if Criterion were able to make a Special Edition of this title and even port over all their laserdisc material and make even more extras that'd be just fine.
GHOSTBUSTERS II - Doubtful due to the recently released Gift Set last year. Guess we'll have to wait for one of the HD formats, more than likely Blu-Ray.
The Golden Child
Hackers
Hard Target - The Director's Cut would be nice to have for this John Woo film.
The Hindenburg
Hone Alone 2: Lost in New York
The Hudsucker Proxy
Judge Dredd
LadyHawke - Deserves a Two-Disc Special Edition from the illustrious Warner Brothers.
The Lawnmower Man
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome - No love for this sequel?
Mars Attacks!
Mary Shelly's Frankenstein
Maverick
Michael Collins
The Mosquito Coast
The NeverEnding Story - This most deservedly deserves (quaint, ain't it? ) Warner's Two-Disc Special Edition treatment. A fully branching version with the American and the International (Perhaps the German cut?) fully remastered 16:9 transfer with commentaries and the second disc obviously devoted to the extras. The second disc should be dual-layered considering the source material is a book and there are alot of sites divulging on the making of the film. One of my must buys but alas am holding off for the dream version stated above. And I'm still waiting for a Two-Disc Special Edition announcement from Warners...
OUTLAND - Rumoured to be a Special Edition.
The Phantom*
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Poltergeist II*
Presumed Innocent
Quiz Show
Raising Arizona
Return of the Fly (1959)*
Rising Sun - I'd love to see a full blown 2-Disc Collector's Edition from Fox. That's how much I have high regards for the Michael Crichton book and the movie.
Rob Roy
RoboCop 2
The Rocketeer - I have all of The Rocketeer comic books so I guess you could say I'm a fan. A commentary track from the Director and creator Dave Stevens. Another commentary track from the Director and Bill Campbell. Documentaries and behind-the-scenes feauturettes would be excellent.
Rollerball (1975)
Screamers
The Shadow
STARMAN - (Update: There's a R2 PAL Special Edition I'm going to purchase eventually.)
Strange Days
Tank Girl
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
They Live - (Update: There's a R2 PAL Special Edition I'm going to purchase eventually.)
Three Amigos!
THUNDERHEART
Time Cop
True Lies - Supposedly rumoured to be a Five Star Collection release, but due to unforntunate "events", it remains unreleased as a Special Edition. Although, if it does happen to get released, it'd most likely be under the Collector's Edition banner. (There's an anamorphic release in both Japan and Korea.)
Virtuosity
Volcano*
WarGames*
Waterworld
Westworld
White Squall
The Witches of Eastwick

I'll be refining this post again and again, soon and always.

I vote for:

Casino
Enemy of the State
Crimson Tide
True Lies
Batman
Batman Returns
Heat
Con Air
Superman II
Face/Off

i'd like to see one for The Rocketeer as well.
it would really be great if they could corral Dave Stevens to participate in the audio commentary- or at the vry least in some video features

fifth element for extras not sound or pic
murder in the first
taxi
high fidelity
cant hardly wait (with all the deleted scenes mentioned in the commentary)
beetlejuice
american psycho
mad max 2
beautiful girls
things to do in denver when your dead
the frighteners
the facualty (upto the standards of all Rodriguez's other discs)
a life less ordinary
all luc besson's movies with commentaries

The Shadow and The Rocketeer are two wonderful modern "b-movies." Yeah, they're cheesy in spots, but are model examples of fun popcorn film (as opposed to brain-numbingly bad popcorn films like Independence Day) I'd love to at least rent new versions (with the first being OAR and the 2nd being remastered and 16x9)

As for R1 SE's I'd like to see:

All Quiet on the Western Front

Universal could re-transfer the film from the Library of Congress materials and do further digital work. The current DVD uses a British source and has a very fuzzy video transfer (probably tape-based).

Help!

MPI's current DVD uses the restored version, but used a tape-based transfer. Thus, it lacks most finer details. It also needs digital restoration to the opticals. The original mono, as well as a thoughtful 5.1 remix would be nice. The current DVD uses the mono track with the CD album songs overdubbed onto the soundtrack. Also, "The Running Jumping and Standing Still Film" looks hideous on MPI's DVD. Hopefully a better print is out there.

Three Stooges shorts

Now that Columbia has made extremely nice HD masters of the 3 Stooges shorts (as seen on the new ChromaChoice discs), it would be nice if they finally did complete sets. 4-7 shorts per disc, for $20 is simply overpriced. It would be perfect if they provided 4-disc sets with the new transfers, along with some new extras. I'd jump at the chance to own sets with around 40-50 shorts.

A Columbia/Criterion release of either The Adventures of Baron Munchausen or The Fisher King in time for The Brothers Grimm's release in February would be wonderful. Hell, just Columbia/Criterion versions of either title would be nice.

Ditto on The Rocketeer and Help! (although isn't it supposed to be coming next year?) as well.

The following titles need a new edition with updated transfers. Some of these are pretty bad.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (grainy and murky)
Mortal Kombat (video artifacts and non-anamorphic)
Rocketeer (non-anamorphic)
Ravenous (non-anamorphic)

i vote for a criteron of both but they seem to be eratic in what they choose at the moment

I also like The Rocketeer. But it has no chance of getting new DVD treatment. How could it? It's a Disney movie that didn't do well at the box office, thirteen years old, and forgotten by most people. It's nice to see that there are a few people who remember and appreciate it, though.

There is a region 3 superbit of Baron Munchausen, but I have yet to find one comparison to the exisiting Region 1 anywhere online.

Just to respond to the original post:

There must be an "SE" of The Shadow, purely because there isn't even an OAR release of this super-hero flick.

I am also surprised that there isn't an SE of Dead Poets Society. Its such a favorite with so many people, it'd probably sell well.

Overall, it seems that all you'd have to do for these SEs would be a commentary track, and improve the image and audio quality. We're not asking for multi-disc treatments here.

BATTLE ROYALE!!!

This hasn't been released in the US at all, but I have a 2-disc edition from another region and the whole 2nd disc is bonus features w/o subtitles :frowning:

I'd love to see a special edition of "The Truman Show," because if I remember correctly there are very few if any extras on the current disc.

I'd also love to see the following get made...

Casino
Backdraft
True Lies
The Frighteners

And I'd add, although this might be wishful thinking...

Criterion versions of The Game and Bram Stokers Dracula.

- Creepshow

- Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

- Beetlejuice

- Meatballs

- Home Alone 1 & 2

- Honey, I Shrunk The Kids!

- Caddyshack (needs a commentary track!)

- Night Shift

- LA Confidential

- IT

- Follow That Bird

- The Never Ending Story

- Jeremiah Johnson

- Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm

- Scream

- The Witches

- Stay Tuned

- The Man With Two Brains (anmph. widescreen transfer!)

- Falling Down

- Last Action Hero (anmph. widescreen transfer!)

- The Karate Kid Trilogy

The current Pee-Wee's Big Adventure DVD from Warner is quite a disc. It has a Tim Burton/Paul Reubens commentary, a 5.1 music-only track (with commentary by Danny Elfman between cues), about 20 min. of deleted scenes, a featurette on the production design, and the trailer. Not to mention the 16x9 video transfer is excellent, as is the new 5.1 track.

I guess so... but a Special Edition with more extras couldn't hurt. It's one of my favorite movies and I'd also like to replace the packaging with a proper keepcase.


Also, I forgot to mention "The Shadow" on my above list which is definitely in need of SE treatment..