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Final Countdown - Final Word (1 Viewer)

Eric Huffstutler

Screenwriter
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OK guys... here's the scoop.
I spoke with "Donna" at PFE who said she came on board mid-stream. She apparently is in charge of Marketing and was able to put some fire under people to get the disc out the door. She was easy to speak to and glad I wasn't another "hate" caller.
She is quite familiar with Tim Cook (owner) but has no reference to Michael Lane whome Dave Lambert spoke with earlier this year but is investigating who promised what.
The bottom line is this...
The person from GeoData Systems bought 50 copies of the movie from them to sell on ebay with a lot of hype and then retracted his sales when he discovered that the discs were not what he thought. He is the ONLY person who has received them so far because she is screening the distribution. Apparently he freaked out when his player only produced 2.0 sound rather than 5.0 and started to pan the release.
Donna said that they have equipment that will not play a disc unless it is 5.0 or better and the DVD IS 5.0. She admits that there are no chapter stops and don't know why for she came on too late to make any changes but the theatrical trailer is on there. She also couldn't explain why the running time was shortened from the source negative they used. The running time is 93 minutes (I believe that is what she said) but was taken from a 100+ minute master. It is Widescreen but not sure about the anamorphic aspect.
She did state that she have viewed both the Region 2 and Region 4 versions and theirs is the best out of all of them. There is some vertical gray lines through the film in the beginning but goes away and kept repeating that this is an old film and not perfect like newer ones. And that they "don't" have the exclusive rights to the film. Bad wording for what they have exclusive rights for is Region 1. (Sounds like another Image/Universal type transfer)
She also said that she hopes this episode doesn't discourage Tim Cook from producing another disc in the future for he has a lot of nice titles but was "talked into" producing this disc to begin with.
I suggested that they get involved with HTF and get some input as to what everyone is looking for - for the next time around... if there is one?
So there you go guys.
 

Jeff_HR

Senior HTF Member
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Jun 15, 2001
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This Donna sounds like she knows something about the business. Really too bad she didn't show up earlier. Mr Cook obviously doesn't have the slightest clue as to how to produce a DVD release. Perhaps this lady will be allowed to run things. I sincerely hope that PFE DOESN'T have the Region 1 rights forevermore. Another company hopefully will acquire the R1 rights & do a professional job with this title. The shortened running time is another stake in our hearts. What a F**king mess!:angry:
 

Richard Ringenbach

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jan 25, 2000
Messages
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Thank you very much for your post Steven! It hopefully gives us the real facts about this whole release. I called to try to get atracking number but they haven't found my order yet but I am suppost to contact them tomorrow. Hopefully they will have found it by then. It shure puts my mind at ease knowing that the audio is in 5 channel surround and there is a trailer after waiting this long for the release. Thanks again!

Regards,
Richard Ringenbach
 

Douglas R

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Well, I would be more than a bit sceptical about this. PFE have a DVD player that will only play 5.00 soundtracks or better? Has anyone heard of such a thing!
 

SvenS

Second Unit
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May 5, 2002
Messages
257
It just amazes me how many people believe one lie after another from PFE! They are rotten to the core and have NO validity what-so-ever! Of course this gal will say their release looks better then the other release out there, that's her job to say that! And this BS about their player only playing 5.0 is just plain an insult to the intelligence to anyone she tells this to!

I think we need to start a movement to get this company out of the business all together so we no longer have to deal with such dishonest, loathsome people again!
 

todd s

Senior HTF Member
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Well, I will keep my preorder. Just for the fact that it should look better than my old vhs tape. Hopefully, a new company will get the rights and do it right. I can always get the new one and give the old one to my brother.
 

Eric Huffstutler

Screenwriter
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Didn't someone say at one time that Region 4 was actually a Region 0 and can play on all PAL compatible units?

Unfortunatly I don't have a "region free" player.
 

Jeff Kleist

Senior HTF Member
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Dec 4, 1999
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11,266
Time to demand refunds en masse. If they won't give it, take some kind of action, and offer an out that they license the title to Anchor Bay for proper release :)
 

Brian-W

Screenwriter
Joined
Feb 8, 1999
Messages
1,149
This is a poor release, period.

I got my 2 copies, and the box art looks like it was lifted (i.e. scanned in) from an inkjet print out. Seriously, no BS, it is printed professionally, but had to have been scanned/copied from an inkjet homemade print out.

The faces on the back of the box all have a bluish tint.

I'm going to watch tonight, but the fact that it's not anamorphic is scary as hell.

What a very sad waste...
 

Douglas R

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Doug
They seem to have just used the UK version cover art but have blocked out references to the UK distributors which would account for why the cover looks as if it has been scanned. Even the UK PG classification triangle logo is still on the cover but they have substituted the letters PG within the triangle, for the running time. The running time is given as 98 minutes but that is the PAL running time which is speeded up and the film should run 104 minutes for NTSC.
 

Frank Anderson

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 7, 1999
Messages
2,667
Yup got mine today too. The cover is crap. Hell it's actually to small. I only put the disc in to check out the chapter stops... of course there weren't any. I don't like it but I can live with it. But.... the picture sucks. I think my old VHS copy looked better.
 

Eric Huffstutler

Screenwriter
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I am at home so don't have the source in front of me but did receive a fax from Donna Bridges, the same "Donna" above I spoke to over the phone earlier this week.
It was quite heated in what she says. She started out saying that she WAS NOT going to be bothered with forums where people are so one-sided about DVD's and called the HTF my "circle of friends".
Next, she actually defended this piece of crap as being the best that it can be to "preserve the original experience" and only cited that it was widescreen, Dolby 5.1, and taken directly from a 35mm negative. She didn't defend the fact that there were no chapter stops but did mention it yet said she pulls randomly copies from the assembly line to view for quality control and they look fantastic to her :eek:
She also mentioned that there will be NO REFUNDS other than product replacement if it is actually defective and had the audacity to say that she has had no order cancellations as of yet but have repeat customers :confused:
Want to bet all those repeat customers are selling the product through ebay, half.com or shows and misrepresenting what they sell?
I can scan the fax tomorrow and send post a link to it for anyone interested in reading it?
 

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