Hey snotface....Drop Dead Fred FINALLY announced (1 Viewer)

[JohnS]

On July 22nd, Artisan(guess New Line Cinema lost the rights) will release Drop Dead Fred.

There are no specs as of yet.
But you can bet at least 16x9.

It would be nice to have a Rik Myall commentary or outtakes

Fred: I can't believe we left the party so soon! And there was so much wine to spit around the place!
Elizabeth: I got upset.
Fred: "I got upset." God, you're so stupid. You never leave a party 'til the very very end!
Elizabeth: Oh really?
Fred: Yeah really.
Elizabeth: Well what about Cinderella? Remember what happened with her?
Fred: No I don't remember what happened *with her*. I deliberately forgot all about her. She made me puke. I remember the ugly stepsisters, they were great!

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

It's Artisan and it's a buget-level catalog release. I will be willing to bet that it's full-frame only and comes without even a trailer.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

I wanted to see this when I was a kid, but my dad wouldn't let me. Now's my chance, I guess.

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

The budget level treatment (with, likely, no features) could also mean this is Artisan's last opportunity to release and make money of this and other titles in the lineup. Remember the great "Nelson purge" of 1989, when six New World titles Nelson inherited from Embassy were released by Image on laserdisc for exactly one month and then never seen again?
I know that both DROP DEAD FRED and SHANGHAI SURPRISE are films the former Vestron and Live acquired for video without actually producing, so perhaps the license is up and their taking advantage. Seeing Artisan's track record on catalog product, it's also my hope, so that one day better companies will issue better editions of the movies. (I still own THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN, but only under protest.)

 

[Dave_P.]

LOL I just bought the laserdisc of this. I should've known.

 

[Jon Robertson]

Seeing as it's an Artisan budget release, it's too premature to celebrate just yet, but Drop Dead Fred is a terrific movie and one I would dearly love to add to my collection.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Yep, since it's Artisan it's almost guaranteed to be pan & scan. No sale. Too bad New Line lost the rights. :frowning:

 

[Donnie Eldridge]

I'll be really ticked if this one comes out full-frame only!!!

 

[Fred Mayall]

count me in with the other 2,000 people that will hopefully be buying it.

www.petitiononline.com/DDFONDVD

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

I think that this won't be owned by Artisan much longer, and that is why they're bringing it to DVD. Since the film was a PolyGram film, distributed by New Line Cinema, I suspect that, once Artisan's contract runs out, MGM will get the rights to release the film. (Or maybe New Line will; TV prints don't have MGM logos on them, so maybe New Line owns it...)

I know that Artisan has (or had) video-only rights to many films besides Drop Dead Fred; for example, the ITC theatrical film library (now owned by Carlton...dunno who has U.S. video rights now, since nobody has released an ITC film on DVD in several years), Gunmen (originally released by Dimension Films), and most of the Hemdale catalog (actually, Live/Artisan only had VHS rights, while Image had LD (and for a brief period, DVD) rights; as we all know, PolyGram acquired Hemdale, and MGM acquired most of PolyGram's older catalog, so MGM owns them now).

And of course, we all know that they have video rights to the Carolco and Republic libraries, at least for the time being...

 

[Fred Mayall]

Thats pretty interesting Jeffrey.
I hope Artisan at least releases DROP DEAD FRED in Anomorphic widescreen. I would be willing to buy another copy of Drop Dead Fred if it was released by another studio aswell.

 

[Jon Robertson]

Fred - out of interest, any relation?

 

[John Kilduff]

Sorta O/T:

I'm just afraid of what will happen when Artisan gets around to the DVD release of the Tim Curry/Annie Potts/Bill Paxton/Linda Kozlowski televangelist spoof "Pass The Ammo". I'd like it to be in widescreen...

Also, has anybody found themselves so repulsed by Artisan's poor DVD output that you figure you'll save 10 dollars and buy the movie used on VHS, figuring it won't make much of a difference either way? I have to confess...I'm guilty of this. Knowing that "Johnny Handsome" was on DVD pan-and-scan, I just bought a VHS copy (I.V.E issue from 1990) off of half.com and saved a bundle. I apologize for this sin against the HTF, and I will do anything to repent.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

Go ahead, name my poison.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

I've never stooped to buying VHS instead of Artisan's DVDs, but I've frequently bought the same movie from another country or region to get around their pisspoor attitude toward anything non-Terminator II--e.g., House of the Spirits imported from Spain, Ginger Snaps imported from Canada. Way to leave the money on the table, guys.

 

[Marc_E]

I love this movie and can't wait! It BETTER F'ING BE 16x9 ANAMORPHIC!!!!
Marc

 

[Christ Reynolds]

ill get it regardless, good little movie, and phoebe cates is hot.

CJ

 

[Eugene Esterly]

Artisan better release Drop Dead Fred on DVD in Ananmorphic Widescreen. If Drop Dead Fred is released on DVD in Pan & Scan then I will not purchase the movie. I haven't seen Drop Dead Fred in years.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Since when did Artisan get a reputation for releasing full frame only?

Every Artisan title I own is either anamorphic widescreen or widescreen letterboxed. But I suppose that makes sense since I don't buy anything that isn't in it's OAR.

And yes, the only reason I will buy this film is for my girl Phoebe, ever since Fast Times at Ridgemont High when she arose from that pool wearing that red bikini the girl has been emblazened onto my mind!

 

[Scott_J]

John, I was just at Target this weekend at saw Wagons East on the shelf for $5.99. I didn't even know it was on DVD, and thought about buying it. When I read the specs on the back, it said "Full Frame Presentation." It's an Artisan DVD from 2002, I believe the package said.

 

[John Kilduff]

Back in Artisan's early days, they would give catalog titles widescreen transfers.

Example: They put out a great edition of "Earth Girls Are Easy"...2:35:1 anamorphic widescreen, a trailer, deleted and extended scenes, REAL behind-the-scenes footage...

If they were to release it nowadays, it would be panned, scanned and bare-boned.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

Basically, Artisan seems to think that if it wasn't a blockbuster, it isn't worth a decent transfer.