AAARGGH! Special Editons redux! When will it end? (1 Viewer)

[Oswald Pascual]

Why don't the rerelease DVD's that really needhelp?
Scarface, Top Gun, Titanic come to mind.
------------------
My Home Theater

My DVD Collection Home Theater Pics
Ozzie

 

[Colin Jacobson]

How many times have I stared down the specs of a DVD case and wondered, "Is this the best they can do, or can we expect a special edition in six months?"

There have been exceedingly few reissues that followed their originals in such a quick manner. Universal tossed out their "uncensored" version of Klumps within that quick a period, and a few more have popped up within a year, but even those remain very rare. (Discs like the special editions of Princess Bride and Tarzan don't count because they were reported before the originals hit the streets.)
I understand the sentiment, but think the concerns are overstated much of the time. Most reissues come out years after the originals, and they substantially improve the first ones in some ways (anamorphic, lots of extras, etc.)...
------------------
Colin Jacobson
DVD Movie Guide
www.dvdmg.com

 

[Stefan A]

I for one am looking forward to see what is done with Blazing Saddles. I would love to see some of those scenes added that you only get to see on TV. I would also like to hear a real commentary with Mel Brooks. The commentary on the original disc is OK, but I would like to hear one the follows the events in the movie - the whole way through.
------------------
Stefan Antwarg
My DVD Collection
The Regal Brass Quintet Not HT related

 

[Rob Tomlin]

I don't want to be re-buying my collection over and over and over again!

So don't!
The only reason these DVD's are re-released is because there is a demand for them. If there is no demand, I guarantee you they would not be re-released!
Most of the DVD's that are planned re-released need to be re-released! Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Titanic, Blade Runner, Top Gun, are just a few examples of fairly poor DVD's (mostly because of video transfers).
To combine a new, pristine, anamorphic video transfer, a remastered soundtrack, and great supplements can be a great reason to re-release a title.
Of course, there ARE examples of re-releases that don't make a lot of sense. 12 Monkeys is going to be released as an Ultimate Edition. The current "Collector's Edition" is a very nice disc, with good supplements, so I can't really understand why this one would be re-released. They also have a DTS version, with fewer supplements. So that is an example of over-doing it! But I guarantee you that Universal has done some type of marketing survey to determine that there will be a demand for this "Ultimate Edition". The same can be said for the "Superbit" titles by Columbia/TriStar.

 

[John Miles]

What annoys me isn't the flood of redundant "special editions" per se, but the fact that there are still so many great titles that haven't been released on DVD at all.
Example: Why the hell are they revisiting Reservoir Dogs when Jackie Brown is nowhere to be seen outside of Region 4 PAL? Give me the latter title on a disc I don't have to watch on my crappy Apex, and then go back and tweak all those existing titles whose transfers were, for the most part, decent already.

[Edited last by John Miles on October 22, 2001 at 09:02 PM]

 

[Ron Reda]

Brian,
"Sixth Sense will not be a new SE but just a repackaging of the first release."
Not true...A new Sixth Sense "Vista Series" release has just been announced for a 1/15 release date. Here are the details from Digital Bits:
That same day, Buena Vista will also release The Sixth Sense: Vista Series DVD, also for $29.99. The 2-disc set will feature anamorphic widescreen video, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 audio, THX-certification, the Reflections from the Set featurette, an On the Paranormal documentary hosted by M. Night Shyamalan, a feature called M. Night Shyamalan: Storyteller and a "special collectible".
Here's the link for artwork:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#vistaart
Regards,
Ron
[Edited last by Ron Reda on October 28, 2001 at 08:11 PM]

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Special Edition Redux doesn't bother me a bit. On principles, it's annoying, but we at the HTF are a little more educated about certain things. We should know better. We know that if a barebones movie comes from MGM, a special edition will soon follow (a la Princess Bride). We know that if The Mummy Returns is available as a Collector's Edition now, it'll be available as an Ultimate Edition when the third Mummy comes out. If anything, it's always a good rule of thumb never to buy a DVD unless you're only buying it just for the movie alone and the video and audio quality are good enough.
In my situation, I've been extremely lucky in two cases. I held off buying American Pie, and my brother got the Ultimate Edition with the free ticket to see American Pie 2. The other case is Tombstone, where I'll be getting the new Vista Series that comes out.
------------------
"I don't know, Marge. Trying is the first step towards failure." - Homer J. Simpson
"Stranger things have happened..." - Wes Deskins
"It's not Pikeville, Kentucky. It's Pikevool!!! And it's not Louisville, it's Loolvool!!! Get it right, damnit!!!"
My DVD Collection