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Annoyed at Canadian Releases (1 Viewer)

Martin Rendall

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 5, 2000
Messages
1,043
I'm getting miffed at the fact that Canadian releases differ from the US counterparts.

I have no problem with different packaging, but I do have a problem when the content is compromised in some fashion for the CDN release. Without debating the reasons for the variations, I wonder if anybody knows of a good database of what releases compromise content versus their US counterparts.

Basically, I need an "avoid this Canadian DVD" list, so that I can be an informed consumer.

Thanks,
Martin.
 

James Bergeron

Supporting Actor
Joined
Oct 9, 2001
Messages
831
I'll start because I'm still pissed about "The Red Violin"

It's P&S ONLY in Canada and dolby 2.0

Far cry from Widescreen anamoprhic DTS 5.1 in the US!

And to top it all off, a Canadian movie!
 

CraigF

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2002
Messages
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Location
Toronto area, Canada
Real Name
Craig
I don't know of a database. What I find useful is Canadian web sites that discuss DVD's, this is where the complaints of DVD differences first seem to show up. A good active one is montrealdvd.com if you can read French...high school French should allow you to follow OK, you can post in English if you want. They also have perhaps the best DVD release list out there, especially useful since it's Canadian dates. There is enough info to "flag" a release for wariness (see below). For example, a soon release that I would immediately flag for scrutiny is The Fast Runner.

My experience is that most Can./U.S. DVD's are the same, except sometimes the packaging. Most of the differences in content I've found are for non-U.S. movies ("foreign" films) distributed in Canada by Alliance Atlantis. I think every one of those I've bought is slightly different than the U.S. release. Usually the content is inferior to that of the U.S. release, but sometimes it's debateable...like when it's dts in Canada instead of the U.S. DD, but the extras are foregone.
 

Rob T

Screenwriter
Joined
Aug 26, 2001
Messages
1,987
The frenching up of the covers, to me, is sad.
I was going to get ST2, but then I noticed that the cover had French near the bottom and I put it back. I wish all studios would just do different covers, like FOX and Warner Bros., to satisfy the dumb language laws. :frowning:
 

CraigF

Senior HTF Member
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Nov 20, 2002
Messages
3,117
Location
Toronto area, Canada
Real Name
Craig
Try to get over it, and concern yourself with the content. Probably the only places in the world that always have English-only covers are the U.S. and the U.K. The vast majority of people don't care about the covers as long as the content is good. We have enough problems with that, so let's put our complaints into the substance and not the superficiality.
 

ChrisJefferys

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Nov 5, 2002
Messages
133
That's right, the DVD is more important than the cover. Of course, living in Canada, you just get used to multi-lingual packaging for everything. Hell, I have a Caligula DVD that has Danish language packaging, and it doesn't bother me a bit (getting it for a great price helped too:emoji_thumbsup: )
 

Rob T

Screenwriter
Joined
Aug 26, 2001
Messages
1,987
I don't mind it when it's a Canadian only release.
I realize I might just have to come to except it though.
I hate the language laws up here. :frowning:
 

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