DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Heat - Two Disc Special Edition (1 Viewer)

[Dave H]

Matt,

You'll probably get it cheaper buying it from a B&M next week.

 

[Matt Butler]

Thanks Dave.
I may do that; but it kinda scared me that Amazon and DDD dont have the SE listed anymore.

 

[Dave H]

I just looked for it on DDD, as well. It is odd. However, DDD has a TERRIBLE search engine (and are probably losing sales because of it).

 

[BrentJ]

http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=WBD028919

 

[Matt Butler]

Thanks Brent!

 

[Paul.S]

Matt B.: it is a little odd, but probably a typical Amazon snafu, that Heat was available for pre-order in late January when I added it to my Wish list but is now showing up on my List with the dreaded "This product has been discontinued" tag. Prolly a SKU error, but it's surprising that--less than a week shy of street date for a major distribber's title--they don't have the new SKU/the matter corrected yet.

Marco B.: Re your 'what is there to complain about?' question in an earlier post, my issue remains that, in the absence of new telecine creating an unquestionably, significantly improved transfer, it has simply taken too long for Warner to release an SE of what I'd surmise is one of their top catalog titles of the past 10 years. Warner reduced this title's list to $14.99 I think two years ago and it has been in bargain bins for $8.99 for almost as long. A release with these kinds of supplements and no new transfer should have come out circa 2001 IMO.

For me, the announcement of their first slate of HD DVD titles casts a shadow over pretty much all Par, Warner and U standard def SE DVD release activity. In the interest of avoiding a triple dip, some savvy consumers (and I'd like to think I'm one of them) are left speculating as to when an HD DVD Heat might appear. "Empathy was yesterday. Today [Warner is] wastin' my motherf*ckin' time."

I love this film, but I'm happy to see that Netflix already has the SE available. I think I'll be peeping the supps that way and tabling a purchase decision for about 6 months until we supposedly see the first HD DVDs in October.

-p

 

[EricW]

The reason for the long wait could possibly be Michael Mann's participation, who only recently seems to have warmed up to DVD supplementing.

 

[Matt Butler]

I had talked to a Warner rep at a studio day in 2001 who adv me that Mann was against doing extras on his DVDs when I asked them about Heat SE.

Im glad that has changed.

Thanks for the heads up on the Amazon Skus Paul. I did get one ordered.

 

[Herb Kane]

Gary's impression of the disc is virtually identical to that of mine.

DVD Beaver

 

[Neil McCaulley]

Thanks Herb. 'HEAT' still ranks in my Top 5 of all time favorite movies. I am a big fan of this film. I bought the 'regular' version on DVD a while back. I enjoy it very much. After reading your review and looking at the screen grab comparos, I too will have to pass on the purchase of this Special Edition. After all, a 'Special' Edition in my mind needs to give me something that my current version does not, enhancing the movie experience beyond what I currently have. This means a better video transfer quality, better sound, the inclusion of DTS, and even some extra scenes included in the film, that were intended to be in the film, but then chopped out due to movie ratings and time constraints. I suppose I will have to wait until 2015 to get the Ultimate Hi-Res Director's Cut to enjoy some of the extras that I look forward to.

 

[Travis Brashear]

Originally posted by Neil McCaulley:
'HEAT' still ranks in my Top 5 of all time favorite movies. I am a big fan of this film, [but] I too will have to pass on the purchase of this Special Edition. After all, a 'Special' Edition in my mind needs to give me something that my current version does not...



Um, correct me if I'm wrong but does this title not have several making-of documentaries/featurettes and ample deleted scenes??? Suffice it to say your definition of "big fan" and mine do not correspond...

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Great review Herb. I loved this movie. I'm tempted by the special features...

 

[JonZ]

From the Beaver review, some of the SE caps look slightly better than the previous release.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Re-read his post. He wants "a better video transfer quality, better sound, the inclusion of DTS, and even some extra scenes included in the film, that were intended to be in the film, but then chopped out due to movie ratings and time constraints."

The Heat SE includes none of those, so he's not interested. I think the extras on the new DVD are pretty good and would be of interest to a big fan, but I guess he disagrees!

 

[Travis Brashear]

"Re-read his post. He wants "a better video transfer quality, better sound, the inclusion of DTS, and even some extra scenes included in the film, that were intended to be in the film, but then chopped out due to movie ratings and time constraints."

The Heat SE includes none of those, so he's not interested. I think the extras on the new DVD are pretty good and would be of interest to a big fan, but I guess he disagrees!"

I got all that, but to a) express such a high level of affection for the film and then b) summarily dismiss what the Special Edition DVD does offer so easily out of hand to me translates as "I'm not as big of a fan of this film as I profess to be"...

 

[Jason Hennigan]

Being a big fan of a movie and throwing money away on a duplicated presentation of it aren't the same thing.

Why shouldn't a big fan want an improved presenation of a film they like?

 

[Dave H]

I'm a big fan of Heat, but I'm not into extras. I just want the best possible presentation of the film. So, for someone like myself, the SE would be a waste. (However, I will get the SE because I sold the original a while back thinking this would be a new transfer.)

 

[Travis Brashear]

"I'm a big fan of Heat, but I'm not into extras. I just want the best possible presentation of the film. So, for someone like myself, the SE would be a waste."

Fair enough, which returns me to my statement about one man's claim of being a "big fan" of a film not corresponding to mine.

 

[EricW]

i'm a huge fan, and for movies that i REALLY like, i do enjoy supplements. but rarely more than once. so i'll eagerly rent this SE, but i won't buy it.

 

[Phil Carter]

I picked this up last week and have finally gotten some spare time to watch it today. This is quite definitely the same transfer as the previous edition. Herb's already noted a few specific places, but the one nobody's mentioned yet is the color shift in scene 17.

The timecode is at 54:28 on my DVD player. It's at the end of Neil's phone conversation with Eady. Eady's shots have been shown with an overall brown tinge to them, but in the last shot of her, the first few seconds have a notably more bluish tinge, until she puts down the phone receiver at 54:28, when it shifts back to the same brownish tinge. This was on the original version as well.

Maybe the transfer was cleaned up or remastered or whatever the term is, but they quite definitely started with the same source material.

Of course, it wasn't even in question whether I'd pick this one up or not (a cursory glance at my top 20 movies list should tell you why). I do wish we'd seen a DTS track, though.

cheers,
Phil