Get this! (or better yet, don't!): New Wonka SE? Pan 'N Scan ONLY! Part II (1 Viewer)

[Peter Kline]

Borders.com mentions no aspect ratio. I did post a review - one star and explained why.
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[Jan Strnad]

Of the first 11 reviews at Amazon, 10 are one-star, anti-full-screen-only reviews! We've lowered the average rating from 5 stars down to 4!
There are a lot of 5-star ratings there from the previous release, so we need a lot more 1-star reviews!
Please go to Amazon and post a review!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005LINE/qid=997572389/sr=2-1/ref=aps_sr_d_1_1/104-2845505-8427139
Jan Strnad
author of Risen and
"The AtomBrain Guide to Letterboxing"

 

[Nick Pudar]

This is another example of the battle between efficiency and effectiveness. Warner believed the efficient thing to do was offer P&S only. The effective thing (the right thing) to do would have been OAR. In this instance they did the wrong thing. However, in the long run, effectiveness always wins. It may take a lot of patience and education, but what's right will prevail.
I for one will not buy anything but OAR. Period.
Nick

 

[Charles J P]

I posted my one-star review at amazon because it is asking for a review of the DVD not for the movie. P&S = good movie, poor DVD.
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[James David Walley]

Although I find Warner's response annoying, I don't find it surprising. As I noted in my post of a couple of days ago, don't look for Warner to bend until the first sets of sales figures for the P&S version are in. If, at that time, it looks to them like they can make more money by putting out a widescreen version, they'll do it. Until then, don't expect anything but "that's the way it is."
Which is one reason why it is important to not "hold your nose and buy the open-matte version." It will be only used as evidence that there's no need for an OAR release.
And there's another reason.
Like it or not, the DVD enthusiast community has, by its action over the past few days, made Wonka the "line in the sand" against the J6P mentality. If we don't show that lack of OAR will hurt a DVD's release in this case, the assumption at Warner, and probably throughout the industry, will be that the market has "matured," and that the enthusiasts who were so important during the first two to three years of DVD have become a negligible market niche compared to the "average viewers" who see it as merely a more convenient and better-looking alternative to VHS. In other words, look for P&S or open matte to become the standard for DVD (not just "family" movies, but everything) as it was for tape, with widescreen restricted to a handful of "collector's boxes" for a small number of blockbusters.
This is it, folks. We've got to win this one, or be marginalized for good.

 

[Anthony Lopez]

Is anyone checking out what they're saying on the petition ?
From #9151:
"I WILL NOT BY THE DISK IF IT HAS STOPID BLACK BARS. I BY A TV SO I CAN SEA THE WHOLE PICTURE NOT TO HAVE IT COVVARED BY BLACK BARS; YOU SILLY BILLIES"
Our petition is being mocked ...

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[Luc Labelle]

I WILL NOT BY THE DISK IF IT HAS STOPID BLACK BARS. I BY A TV SO I CAN SEA THE WHOLE PICTURE NOT TO HAVE IT COVVARED BY BLACK BARS; YOU SILLY BILLIES

This is not actually mocking our petition. It is trying to show the complete lack of intelligence of someone supporting modification of films for TV broadcast. We get the classic proliferation of spelling errors, as well as the inability to avoid the incorrect use of the Caps Lock key.
Not only that, but the attempt at disputing our position is actually registered officially as a supporting signature to our cause. Good satire, though I am glad to see that less than one tenth of one percent of the signatures have been frivolous.

 

[Doug Pyle]

I mentioned I personally will boycott Warner early in version I of this thread. I
wasn't calling for others to boycott -- just expressing my own frustration with
Warner's actions. Maybe it's a good strategy, but I didn't think that through.
I'm just personally fed up with Warner, in particular for:
1) Following the horrendous first release of the Kubrick collection with a second
collection that retains the digital-people superimposed over the orgy scene in
Eyes Wide Shut. Their excuse - nothing intelligible, but one infers the R rating and
preferred Blockbuster shelf space are lead suspects.
And now,
2) Following their Willy Wonka initial release (containing the OAR version) with
this one that omits the OAR widescreen version. Their excuse - a survey that
some majority prefer squarish family films.
A lack of care for film art is apparent in Warner's handling of these DVDs. These
are not just some summer flicks ported to video to extend revenue. These are
Kubrick and a classic children's story, both much loved except, it seems, by
Warner. To Warner they seem nothing but assets to milk. Sure, studios are
businesses, but not just any business; they are a business whose commodity
is art, and the studios are its caretakers.
I will not reward a business as their customer if they shirk their caretaking role.
They can sell unmarred EWS and WWATCF and make a profit while preserving
the film art in its intended form. To mar films for a fraction more in
predicted profit is unethical. It appears, given all the negative reaction,
that their predictions may not be so well-founded.
I respect those who don't boycott but stay firm on refusing non-OAR titles. I for
now will avoid Warner, out of disgust. But I look forward to Warner's future
enlightenment, which I hope will come at the end of all their consideration of a
future widescreen release. Let's hope it's not too far future.
I hope, as well, for an uncensored Eyes Wide Shut, as well as a reversal of
policy on squaring-off the edges of family-films.
[Edited for typos]
[Edited last by Doug Pyle on August 13, 2001 at 04:04 AM]

 

[Wes Ray]

I've boycotted the R-rated DVD of Eyes Wide Shut for a couple of years now, so I'm sure I can boycott this Special Edition of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (my favorite family movie of all time). I hope Warner Bros. learns a lesson through all this, but probably not.
We are talking about the same genius company that edited violence out of their theatrical film Valentine AFTER it had already gotten an R rating by the MPAA. Meaning, the film they released to theaters was essentially PG or PG-13. I mean, unlike Eyes Wide Shut, Valentine already had an R rating. lol. Can this studio make a good decision at all anymore? It almost makes me wonder...couldn't they get in trouble for releasing a film after altering it prior to getting an MPAA rating, just to sell more tickets to people expecting R-rated fare? I wish they could. Maybe they would straighten up.
It's hard to believe that a great DVD like Pee Wee's Big Adventure was released by this same company. Consider The Goonies the last Warner Bros. DVD I will ever buy. I will no longer support them.
I'm signature number 9259 on the petition.

 

[Adam_S]

unfortunately this seems to be dieing down (so far we have 9370 signatures). I'd really like to see this kept going, and it'd be really wonderful to break the ten thousand mark (nice round number to deliver to WB). It's too bad that there was never a united effort among the many internet sites to really push WB on this. I'm sure that there are many, many dvd enthusiasts that have no idea that this has happened. I think this really should be the point where we draw the line on OAR, and demand it on all dvds. that said, perhaps we can still attempt to rally all the internet dvd sites behind this. The first step is to create a carefully crafted letter (like the beginning of the petition) stating our position, it needs to look and sound professional, not whiny or beliggerant. The next step is to send it out to all the dvd sites on the net we can find, like a press release, and ask them to give it headline status... where we go from there is anyone's guess. But i do think this is absolutely necessary if we actually want results from Warner, by presenting a huge united front, I think that we have a much better chance of changing their policy.
I think the following sites are a good start, I'm sure there are more though that can be added to the list
widescreen.org
DVD Talk
DVD Review
DVD Authority
Digitally Obsessed
DVD Angle
DVD Insider
DVD Verdict
DVD Movie Guide
The BIG Picture
DVD Journal
DVD Movie Central
DVD in Detail
DVD Town
DVD FILE
Bullets 'n Babes
IGN DVD
MovieFan
Home Cinema Choice
DVD MON
Audio Revolution
Told You So!
Total DVD
DVD Sewer
Widescreen Review
Let's Get Digital!
DVD Blokes
DVD Review (UK)
DVD Times
DVD Shrine
this isn't dead yet people!

 

[Luc Labelle]

Petition up to 9562.
Anyone receive a call back from Sherry Bogard. Nothing here.

 

[Bill Crosthwait]

Any news from Warner yet about a widescreen release? Warner Bros is now one of the worst studios for DVD releases. They have lost my money.
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Bill
My DVD Collection
[email protected]

 

[Luc Labelle]

Spoke to Sherri Bogart directly today. All she cared to mention was that Warner Brothers was considering a widescreen release. I prodded to get some sort of definitive release date, but no dice. I then asked if she knew at least when a firm decision would be made, again no luck.
My guess is we will get a firm commitment on a widescreen release when this hits the mainstream media. Hopefully Roger Ebert does proceed with a segment on his show shortly after the release date. If all of the major DVD sites could contact the major media outlets the pressure should mount quickly. The petition is now nearing 10,000.

 

[GlennH]

I have not yet cancelled a preorder from Amazon on this, and just received this e-mail from them:

Subject: News from Amazon.com
Greetings from Amazon.com!
Thank you for your recent order of the much-anticipated 30th
Anniversary DVD Edition of "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." We are taking this opportunity to inform you of a change in the visual specification for this DVD.
When Warner Home Video initially announced that this title was available for pre-order, it was anticipated that "Willy Wonka" would be in both the Widescreen anamorphic and Full Screen (Standard)formats. We have recently learned, however, that this product will now only be presented as Full Screen (Standard). Our catalog has been updated.
We of course apologize for this discrepancy and for any resultant disappointment. If you preferred the "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 30th Anniversary Edition" DVD in the Widescreen anamorphic presentation, we would of course understand if you wish to cancel this item from your order. You can do this quickly and conveniently at any
time by clicking the "Your Account" link at the top of our web site, or by visiting this URL:
http://www.amazon.com/youraccount
If, on the other hand, you are happy to receive the Full Screen standard edition, we will ship it to you as soon as it becomes available.
Thank you for shopping at Amazon.com!
Customer Service
Amazon.com
Earth's Biggest Selection http://www.amazon.com
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This is a good move on their part to at least warn people.

 

[Andy_S]

I hope Amazon's email causes more pre-order cancellations. Has Warner Bros ever reversed a bad decision?
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Check out my home-built mame cabinet here!

 

[Bill Crosthwait]

I just got my amazon e-mail too. Hopefully Warner Bros will change their mind soon.
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Bill
My DVD Collection
[email protected]

 

[BrettB]

Number 9779 here.
I've been on vacation and only discovered this Wonka fiasco today. As far as a boycott, I had already imposed my own personal boycott on WB until they lose the evil snapper case. I don't buy as many dvd's as a lot of the members here and it will be quite easy for me expand my collection while staying far away from WB titles.
It will be extremely interesting if WB ever actually shows up for a chat

Brett
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[Jeff Swindoll]

Too bad that email from Amazon didnt have a link for the petition.

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Dear WB : Release Wonka in Widescreen!
I didnt play Dungeons and Dragons all those years and not learn something about courage.
--Bernie Faulkner

 

[Bill Crosthwait]

I have a feeling that Warner Bros will drop out of the chat becuase of this and their other DVD Blunders.
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Bill
My DVD Collection
[email protected]

 

[William Ward]

If they do come chat I could picture Ron holding us back like rabid dogs going after fresh meat!!

Honestly, I don't think Warner will show their face into the forum that they basically shunned with the WW release.
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William
Go Bucs!!
MyDVDs