What's new

Are Multiple releases of the Same film starting to Irk you ? (1 Viewer)

StephenA

Screenwriter
Joined
Nov 30, 2001
Messages
1,512
I don't mind if it's a barebones disc to tide me over till there's a better edition. I don't like it when they release all these different versions with all kinds of different content and it confuses you on which to buy, or when they discontinue a disc, then someone releases an inferior disc later.
 

Colin Jacobson

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2000
Messages
13,328
I didn't have a 16x9 tv back in 1998, but I still bought anamorphic DVD's because someday I would. That's why I fault the studios.
I get that, but you have to recall that some different considerations were in place back in the early days. Lots of old players did crappy with anamorphic downconversion, and many non-anamorphic titles looked substantially better on 4X3 TVs. Happily, that's not much of a concern anymore, but it did affect studios' decisions. Of course, some were just cheapskates who wanted to rehash the same old transfers, but that wasn't always the case...
 

Glenn Overholt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 24, 1999
Messages
4,201
I'm for wishing the studios would get it right the right time. They can't be thinking very much, unless they are short on funds to do the transfer right.

Speaking of future releases - no one has mentioned the current P&S only's which need to be redone. This is where the studio logic fails me completely.

Glenn
 

MarkHastings

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
12,013
Speaking of future releases - no one has mentioned the current P&S only's which need to be redone. This is where the studio logic fails me completely.
I'm with ya Glenn. Replace the P&S before replacing the non-anamorphics PLEASE!!! Letterboxing may not be super great, but at least it's OAR.
 

Matthew_Millheiser

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 1, 2000
Messages
657
It seems to me that some people are not so angry that non-anamorphic titles are being re-released with a new anamorphic transfer, but they are angry because non-anamorphic discs were released in the first place.

So then what should the studios do? NOT release a new disc with a new anamorphic transfer because they didn't get it right the first time, which they should have done, and thus that ship has sailed?!

Man -- we are the luckiest whiners in the world. :D
 

MarkHastings

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
12,013
It seems to me that some people are not so angry that non-anamorphic titles are being re-released with a new anamorphic transfer, but they are angry because non-anamorphic discs were released in the first place.

So then what should the studios do? NOT release a new disc with a new anamorphic transfer because they didn't get it right the first time, which they should have done, and thus that ship has sailed?!
I guess I stick to my moms way of thinking when I was a kid: It's called "You'll grow into it"

Moms knew that us kids grew rapidly and by buying something slightly bigger now would last longer because we'd grow into it. The same concept goes for studios that should have realized that the 16x9 tv was right around the corner and would grow rapidly...IMO, Anamorphic DVD's made sense because of the fact that they'd "Grow into their TV's"

Look at technology, How many products (i.e. ReplayTV) have stuff like USB ports, that "Do not work now, but will in the future". This is the kind of thinking that these studios should have been using.

I would say my argument doesn't hold water if EVERY DVD (prior to the last few years) was non-anamorphic, but there were anamorphic titles prior to 1999, so why the need to release "There's Something About Mary" non-anamorphically?

:D
 

Dean Kousoulas

Second Unit
Joined
Jul 15, 2002
Messages
332
I kinda find it annoying how there are 50 different versions of "Night Of The Living Dead" and "The Evil Dead" but yet so many movies still waiting for their 1st release.

Dean
 

Joe Caps

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2000
Messages
2,169
Tired of rereleases - you bet.
Theres a bunch of us waiting for classic oldies (especially musicals - few and far between). It's like being in a living nightmare - the same posts show up again and again - the James bond films are coming AGAIN, Lord of the Rings films are coming AGAIN, and now the damn Alien films ( a really overrated breed) are coming AGAIN, and it seems its all that anyone talks about. Enough. Then two years from now we will have the Ultimate James Bond, Lord of the Rings, Aliens etc. and we'll have to go all through this crap with the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films, I'm sure.
 

Qui-Gon John

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2000
Messages
3,532
Real Name
John Co
Well Mark, I don't know. Sure Id like P&S's re-released in OAR anamorphic. But then again, not as many of my really want titles are P&S only. Yet many of my really want titles are OAR non-anamorphic and I will wait for them to be re-released in anamorphic. One that really bugs the bejesus out of me is Armageddon. The original release was non-anamorphic. Then the Criterion Collection re-release was also non-anamorphic. Hello McFly! (Criterion), what don't you understand about anamorphic!

Oh and on Army of Darkness (Evil Dead trilogy), any version is a waste of good plastic, IMHO. I watached this whole trilogy on tape, my son begged me to watch it. I really want those 4 and a half hours of my life back. Stupid!
 

MarkHastings

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
12,013
One that really bugs the bejesus out of me is Armageddon. The original release was non-anamorphic. Then the Criterion Collection re-release was also non-anamorphic.
Indeed! I used to assume that my Armageddon Criterion was anamorphic, until I bought my 16x9 tv and was in SHOCK! :eek: Criterion????? Ummmm...
 

oscar_merkx

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2002
Messages
7,626
I am against all those releases of the same movies all the time.

The studios sould be concentrating more on getting classic films from the 30 and 40 out

just my 2 cents

:emoji_thumbsup:
 

Michael Reuben

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 12, 1998
Messages
21,763
Real Name
Michael Reuben
Indeed! I used to assume that my Armageddon Criterion was anamorphic, until I bought my 16x9 tv and was in SHOCK! Criterion????? Ummmm...
The Criterion Armageddon was released in 1998, when the home video landscape looked very different than it does today. Criterion has subsequently embraced anamorphic transfers (with a few notable exceptions), largely because of aggressive lobbying by early adopters. The criticisms are about five years too late.

M.
 

Dave Scarpa

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 8, 1999
Messages
5,765
Real Name
David Scarpa
Musicals are a sore subject Most of the musicals I looked at are all Non Anamorphic disks. I cannot believe that Fox released South Pacific, oklahoma, King and I etc without anamorphic treatment, and they did this at a time when Anamorphic was a norm. So now these will all have to get rereleased. What were these disk Laserdisk transfers? Look at affair to remember coming out this week. It was released not too long ago by Fox non anamorphic bare bones, now not too much longer we get a full treatment.
 

Julie K

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 1, 2000
Messages
1,962
It is me to a degree, now the Army of Darkness film is an Obvious example but there's been others. With so many movies and classics needing release why waste the replicating factories with redundant releases?
In Anchor Bay's case the multiple re-releases of the Evil Dead films are helping to get other, more obscure films into those replicating factories.

On the whole I don't mind re-releases. I'm very glad when a studio re-releases an anamorphic version of a non-anamorphic disc or an OAR version of a P&S disc. Usually just the addition of a few extras don't interest me enough to rebuy a title, but there are some exceptions.

Now, where are those re-releases of
Zombie
Tremors 1 & 2
Brazil
Event Horizon
Office Space
Jack Frost (yeah, I want an anamorphic Jack Frost. I'm probably the only one in the whole world.)

And so many others. Now that I have a 16x9 set, I have the unhappy experience of rewatching many good movies and finding them to be non-anamorphic.

Some re-releases I'd buy for the extras:
Bad Taste (great transfer, but the extras are way too slim.)
Dead Alive/Braindead (we need the uncut version with extras)
The Frighteners (extended version with LD documentary)
 

Brendan Brown

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jan 26, 2003
Messages
220
The most technically poor DVD in my collection is "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" it's a flipper, it's non-anamorphic, and 2.0 stereo. It's got a trailer and some lean production notes.

This film grossed about $400m worldwide.

Now granted, this may not be the BEST film of all time, but certainly it deserves a fate better then being relegated to Warner's first wave of DVD titles.

Something tells me that if they released it now, with a two disc set, with glorious anamorphic widescreen and an earthshaking DTS track, it'd sell better then you might think.
 

MarkHastings

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
12,013
I guess I really don't mind re-releasing non-anamorphic with an anamorphic when they are movies that I love to watch over and over again. The thing that kind of urks me is when it's a movie that I don't rewatch a lot...I can't see myself rebuying "There's Something About Mary" because (although I loved it) it's not something that has a big replay value to me. On the other hand, the day I DO play it, it'll bug me that it's non-anamorphic. I guess I just have to decide whether the $20 is 'worth' the fact that I may have to watch it letterboxed (on my 16x9 tv) in the future.

Although, it's still not enough reason to put my money towards it when I can be buying something else. I guess it's just a matter of how much you REALLY like the movie.
 

JohnRice

Bounded In a Nutshell
Premium
Reviewer
HW Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2000
Messages
18,926
Location
A Mile High
Real Name
John

Starting to? No. It has annoyed me for years. Of course, New Line gets Studio of the year for doing exactly that.
 

Glenn_Jn

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 14, 2002
Messages
160
Maybe some of you who want anamorphic DVD's should look into going multi-region. I have Red October, Deep Impact,Crimson Tide, Event Horizon and Armageddon all R2 all anamorphic.

While I applaud the studio's for producing better versions (restored elements and sound, more extras etc) I just wish they would do it right the first time. 99% of new films released on DVD are fine to me. But back catalog stuff is pretty much hit & miss as far as quality goes. That's why I've decided not to buy any more older films unless I know beforehand that it is either a very good transfer or it's been restored.
 

Julie K

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 1, 2000
Messages
1,962
I didn't know Event Horizon and Red October were anamorphic in R2! I'll definitely have to pick them up, then. I do have a region-free player. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top