Blue Underground Release of Final Countdown is available for Preorder ! (1 Viewer)

[Adam Tyner]

From a letter posted to DVD Talk:

Dear Geoffrey,
Blue Underground has a proper FINAL COUNTDOWN North America home video (including DVD) license agreement. Last week, we sent a "cease and desist" letter to Triumph Marketing to stop distribution of the illegal Pacific Family Entertainment DVD. We have no claim to CONVOY.

FYI, the Blue Underground FINAL COUNTDOWN DVDs (widescreen & full frame versions) will be new THX-approved 16x9/2.35:1 and 4x3/1.33:1 high-definition transfers and state-of-the-art 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX soundtracks. The tentative Street Date is May 25, 2004. Details of the Extras to be announced.

I hope this clarifies the matter.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

People around here have said that the PFE copy looked as bad as a bootleg. Does this mean that it really WAS a bootleg? Or did PFE have a license to the title that was stretched to go where it didn't cover?

It's almost as odd that Blue Underground gets it. BU specializes in cheap gory horror flicks. How did both PFE and BU get their hands on a major United Artists release that's only 23 years old?

 

[Jo_C]

I'll give you a hint.

Once its theatrical run ended, the domestic rights to the film reverted to Producers Sales Organization (PSO International), the worldwide distributor for the film (United Artists retained the rights in the UK). PSO was later acquired by Vestron Video/Pictures, and we know it today as Artisan Entertainment.

However, the television rights are with Paramount. How it got into outside hands is beyond me. I guess Blue Underground made a deal with Artisan for the DVD rights.

"Convoy" is a different story. It was a co-production of EMI and United Artists. UA lost the rights when it reached home video because of EMI's involvement with the film (at the time of "Convoy"'s original video release, EMI had a home video division). The people you would have to ask on the DVD rights is StudioCanal, who inherited the EMI catalog via several ownership transfers.

I hope I was clear...

 

[Brad M]

new THX-approved 16x9/2.35:1 and 4x3/1.33:1 high-definition transfers and state-of-the-art 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX soundtracks.

Sounds too good to be true. It would be nice.

 

[Nick Graham]

Good grief, PFE seems to be making baseless (I assume anyways) legal threats to people discussing how poor their products are online now.

See the gramatically slaughtered e-mails from PFE here

And another seemingly baseless threat sent to the founder of DVD Talk...later Blue Underground e-mailed him to snuff PFE's claims

 

[Damin J Toell]

Told you so. Kind of, anyway. Lustig told me about this release last month, but I was unsure if it was ready for public consumption yet. It now appears to be. As Mark Edward Heuck pointed out in that thread, BU has released other PSO titles, including Venom and Dead & Buried. BU had access to the rights for the title, and it's a classic pop culture flick. It's perfect for BU. They will be doing a new hi-def transfer directly from an original negative. This should put all shoddily-converted PAL->NTSC discs to shame. I hope it sells very well.

DJ

 

[Nick Graham]

Damin, Blue Underground need to take legal action against PFE if they indeed are violating the law. It sounds pretty clean cut, and maybe they'll have enough of a case to possibly get PFE to stop this practice altogether (though in terms of the law in this matter, I am clueless...so is PFE it would seem).

Cost of litigation notwithstanding, I would think of it more as a moral obligation of Blue Undergorund to try and stop a company doing this to the DVD community (not to mention every Joe 6 Pack who picks up one of their releases unaware of their quality). Crap, most if not all of the Final Countdown burned HTFers, DVDTalkers, etc would likely be willing to contribute to legal fees. I know I would.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Damin, Blue Underground need to take legal action against PFE if they indeed are violating the law. It sounds pretty clean cut, and maybe they'll have enough of a case to possibly get PFE to stop this practice altogether (though in terms of the law in this matter, I am clueless...so is PFE it would seem).

A fresh cease & desist letter from BU to PFE appears to indicate that BU is willing to protect their property with legal action. I think Mr. Lustig was unaware that PFE were re-releasing The Final Countdown again to coincide with their new (and more than a bit questionable) Convoy release. He may have been under the mistaken impression that the matter was resolved. The C&D letter that was sent last week may or may not have been prompted in part by my informing Mr. Lustig last month that PFE was re-promoting the title.

DJ

 

[Chad R]

Could BU possibly have the rights to "Monster Squad" as well? I want this title, but not enough to support bootleggers.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

This is great news. I look forward to this DVD. Too bad it's 9 months away!

 

[Mark_TS]

Damn! this is good news-I did some research on PFE last year, and found they have been tangled up in quasi- legal ventures and lawsuits before....
serves 'em right-now if we can stop their "loading" the Amazon reviews page with all the 5-star testimonials....

 

[Jeff_HR]

I guess I can throw my PFE version into the trash were it belongs! I'm looking forward to next May!!

 

[Mark_TS]

if it came from PFE in one of their mailers, insert the disc, with a note saying something to the effect of 'take this disc and shove it' and inform them you will be purchasing the coming BU edition. Reseal, cross out YOUR address and write "refused-return for credit" (not likely) but still-make them pay for return postage, and let them know what you think of their crap product...
or spend the $1.00 and mail it back anyway-as protest.
IMAGINE a mass disc return...

 

[EdwardKarlinski]

The following was officially announced on the Blue Underground site today:

"Blue Underground is preparing the first official FINAL COUNTDOWN Special Edition DVD in North America for release on May 25, 2004.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN directed by Don Taylor and starring Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katherine Ross, James Farrentino, Ron O'Neal and Charles Durning, is the story of an American nuclear aircraft carrier and its crew caught in a supernatural storm which sends them back in time just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN will be presented with new THX-approved 16x9/2.35:1 and 4x3/1.33:1 high-definition transfers and state-of-the-art 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX soundtracks.

Details of the Extras to be announced."


So, forget the poor quality version being rereleased by Pacific Family in December and wait for the quality version next May from Blue Underground.
_________________

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Take that, bootlegging scum!

 

[Britton]

I'd like a watchable version of this movie. Great cast, great premise.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Kudos to Blue Underground for geeting this release out in a decent version!

 

[Martin_T]

Damn good news!

I don't mind waiting until next year for what I expect to be a very good disc.

Thanks for the great news Edward.

 

[SvenS]

Let's not get TOOOO excited here! If you remember PFE made claims of DD 5.1 and remastered Anamorphic DVD as well. For all we know (unless someone knows this company) this could just be PFE using a different name!

I hope not, I really do want a professionally produced DVD of this film!

 

[Damin J Toell]

For all we know (unless someone knows this company) this could just be PFE using a different name!

Not even close. Blue Underground has a wonderful reputation, especially in comparison to PFE. Before going out on their own, they produced most of the horror and cult titles that Anchor Bay released on DVD. Since releasing their own titles, their discs have gotten generally rave reviews from fans.

They are definitely not simply PFE under a different name.

DJ