Better Off Dead Not a SE!? (1 Viewer)

[Thomas Reagan]

Out of curiosity, was the OAR in the theaters 1.85:1? Open Matte? How about sound? Dolby Surround? 2ch stereo? Or (gulp) mono?

Thos.

 

[Martin Blythe]

It was indeed because of the poll on home theater forum that this title got released on DVD. It came to us through CBS and we didn't have access to bonus materials. At least not right away and we delayed the release once already. I suppose we could have delayed the release till next year in order to look for them but fans have to decide: take it now as is or wait indefinitely. As you may know, fans of One Upon a Time in the West have been patiently waiting and they're still waiting... That's the dilemma.

 

[rutger_s]

I'll take it now Mr. Blythe, thanks for the update. Also, thanks for the cool features on Top Secret! too. I didn't even know some of the storyboards still existed for the film.

 

[Calvin Watts III]

Martin,

Thanks for taking the time to reply to this topic.

I love this movie,as I stated in my earlier post, & I'll be buying it the day it is available.

Remember, BOD wasn't a huge hit. It wasn't even a minor hit. It came & went quick when it was first released in 1985, & gained some fans & cult status through video rentals & pay-cable.

It is a minor miracle that it was released for sell-through on VHS, and IMHO, a bigger one for DVD.

IMO,if you are a big fan of this film, & want it on DVD,you should get it. If it sells well, who knows about a SE down the line?

And more importantly,maybe the studios will release other "minor" hits of your favorite film on the medium we so love.

Calvin

 

[John Stone]

Better Off Dead has been at the top of my want list since the first day I owned a DVD player. Unfortunately I was in a pretty bad mood when I made my earlier comments, and I now wish that I had not made them. :b As many of you have correctly pointed out, my complaints (and some others) do sound spoiled and petty. The truth is, I'm unbelievably happy that BoD is finally coming out on DVD. It'll be in it's OAR and anamorphically enhanced. That really is all I care about. Thanks to all of those here and at Paramount who are making this DVD happen. I'm going to buy 2 copies on release day to show support for my favorite teen comedy of all time.

 

[Carlo_M]

Thanks for sharing the insider's point of view with us, Mr. Blythe. As I said earlier, I'm more than happy with this release, assuming a good audio/video transfer...and Paramount hasn't really let me down yet (non-anamorphic Hunt of Red October & The Ghost and the Darkness aside).
Count me in for a dual purchase if a year or more later you are able to put out an SE of this title.

 

[Ken Seeber]

This movie was a favorite among my friends and I in college. In fact, one of my female friends said I would end up marrying a woman like John Cusack's mom in the movie. I haven't so far, but it's been a nagging fear of mine ever since. I still can't eat anything with the word "French" in the name because of it.

Oh, yeah, I'll be buying this one the day it hits store shelves!

 

[MaxY]

Martin,

Thank you for posting to this thread.

As you could tell by the poll the movie has struck a chord with lots of people and though it might not have been a huge hit at release, it has generated a strong cult following.

Many would argue the merits of this movie, but as much as it is a coming of age movie, it is also a very good chance to see one of todays current movie star that happens to actually be a good actor coming of age himself. The Sure Thing and This movie were the movies when it became quite apparent that John Cusack was more then a teen star but a good actor and then confirmed in the great movie Say Anything.

I hope that your company is rewarded with many sales by both fans of this movie and Fans of John Cusack that might not ever have known this movie are may have forgotten or just not realized how good it was.

Thank you for listening to the people of the forum and I hope that the sales of the DVD incourage you to do so again in the future.

Thank You

Max Yokell

 

[Walt Riarson]

I do admit that I am excited about this title coming to DVD (now if only Warner Bros. will release One Crazy Summer...) and if purchasing this title (albeit, barebones) will help further obscure titles get the attention of the higher-ups from Paramount, well then I suppose I will have to play ball.

If it does well (which it should) then maybe Paramount will decide to release other lesser-known titles. Here's to hoping.

 

[Jon_B]

I can't wait! One of my favorite movies. I love that black camaro.

Jon

 

[Dan B]

I'm very appreciative of the fact that they are putting this on DVD due to the poll here at HTF & I will be picking this one up to show my thanks. I could use a laugh right now, too!

-Dan

 

[Brian McHale]

Martin,

As others have already done, I'd like to express my gratitude for your participation in this forum. Even the slightest bit of behind-the-scenes reasoning can really help put these discussions in perspective.

Also, as I've stated before, I am much more interested in getting good, anamorphic OAR releases of ALL the movies I love than I am in getting an occasional Special Edition. There are just too many movies out there that need to be released to give the SE treatment to every one.

Thanks again.

P.S. I will be buying Better Off Dead when it hits the street. Keep 'em coming...

 

[Dave_P]

One of the funniest movies ever made in my opinion!!! It was also the movie that gave me one of my first adolescent crushes. Man, that Diane Franklin was so hot. I'll be picking this one up for repeated viewings. Too bad it will cost more than 2 dollars.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Mr. Blythe, Thanks for the reply to the thread. I sincerely hope that this title does well for Paramount. ( And yes, I'm still patiently waiting for Once Upon A Time In The West. )
- Walter.

 

[Cary T]

Does anyone have a screen shot of the DVD cover? I hope it would be like the vhs with a head shot of Cusack. I'm a huge Cusack fan, but come on the vhs cover is laughable.

My suggestion is an art work of Cusack hanging himself, just like the scene in the film.