HTF REVIEW: "Willow" (1 Viewer)

[DaViD Boulet]

We're all such 80's junkies! How many of you are doing what I'm doing...and can't help it...buying all those movies you saw when you were a kid/in highschool?
Goonies. Beastmaster. Conan. Krull (I really got it...wow). The last starfighter. Enemy Mine. Willow.
Some are great movies and some are not so great but I still have to have them to make my 80s collection "complete".
Anyone else out there suffering the same illness?
-dave

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Put me down for another sufferer of '80s syndrome. I hope I don't succumb to Mad Mardigan madness at the end of the month...
"Willow, change me back..."
------------------
Todd.
"Ah, mercury, sweetest of the transitional metals..."
- Sealab 2021

 

[Rob Tomlin]

The only time I saw this movie was on television. I couldn't get into it at all.
But this review really has me intrigued, so I will at least make sure to rent it! Sounds like Fox has done another great job!

 

[Sam Davatchi]

Willow is the reason why my login and email are willow. So you can imagine my frustration when people think that I have chosen it from Buffy!

[Edited last by Sam Davatchi on November 07, 2001 at 02:45 PM]

 

[Ryan Wright]

Put me down for another sufferer of '80s syndrome.

Likewise here. My wife and I just have to get all the good ones. Recently (well, a few months ago) purchased Top Gun, Karate Kid, Dirty Dancing....
As for Willow, my handle has been Willow most of my life. When I was a teenager a couple of friends decided since I was so damn short (5'7, but considering most of my buddies were over 6' tall, I looked like a little munchkin to them), they would start calling me "Willow". It stuck. My ICQ name is still Willow...
BTW, what's this laserdisc rot you folks are talking about? I never had the opportunity to get into laserdiscs due to the high prices...
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-Ryan (http://www.ryanwright.com )
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you do criticize them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

 

[Joshua Moran]

Damn you Ron, now I can't wait for this movie to be released.

Great review thanks.

 

[Carlo_M]

Thank you Fox! This is one title I will definitely pick up on street date.

 

[Ron-P]

Man I got the chills reading that review. This is one title that I have wanted for a very long time.
What a great month for DVD...November rocks!
Peace Out~

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http://home.earthlink.net/~peregrinefalcon

 

[Craig S]

November rocks!

Yeah... it's rockin' my wallet all right!!

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Too many DVDs, too little time...
AFI 100 Challenge - 36 to go!

 

[Kenneth Cummings]

Sorry I had to bring this up, but I found the press release mention by DVD File two months ago.

Willow specs (08.27.01 - 3:14pm)
Though Fox and Lucasfilm have already announced a 11/27 release of the Ron Howard fantasy-adventure Willow, the full specs have yet to be released. But Fox has just issued all the details on the disc, including aspect ratio and features. The film is presented in a new THX-certified 2.35;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English and Spanish 2.0 surround tracks (no DTS track will be included), English and French subtitles and English Closed Captions, a new audio commentary with director Ron Howard and actor Warwick Davis, the "Making Of An Adventure'' documentary and a special effects featurette, a still gallery and theatrical trailers and TV spots. Retail is $26.95, and no box art or menu screens have yet been released... but stay tuned!

But no matter if it had the commentary from Ron or not, I'm still going to buy Willow later this month.
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[Dharmesh C]

DVDFILE were just a little less enthusiastic regarding the video and sound.

 

[Michael Dueppen]

Wow. This sounds better than I ever expected it to be.
Can't wait
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- Michael
My DVD collection

 

[JerryW]

What!?!??! No DTS?!?! J/K!!!

This is huge! I really can't wait to get my hands on this release... in fact, the only fantasy catalog film I'm wanting more is Legend (c'mon guys, hurry up!).
Willow SE is an absolute must buy!
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September 11, 2001
"Those who died will always be remembered.
Those who killed will never be forgotten.
We who remain will not let it happen again."

 

[Craig Morris]

Cool. I can't wait to buy it.
My LD suffers from some serious rot as well. Actually, I only suspected the deterioration was rot. But you guys have confirmed it.
As a side note, as far as I know, it's the only LD that I have had a problem with.

 

[David Judah]

Out of all the great releases we've had and will have the next few months, I have to admit that Willow is my sentimental favorite.
Thanks for the review, Ron. I'm glad to hear Fox did right by this title.
DJ

 

[todd stone]

there IS a god

 

[Timothy H]

Make it one more person who had to deal with laser rot on this title (side 3 on my copy). I even called Columbia-TriStar who never heard of this happening on this title and would not refund or replace my copy. The big bummer was the price-I think around 60 bucks with no extras! But it is one of my favorite fantasy films, so I will be one more who is ever so happy to retire my laserdisc for the new DVD. It sounds like a lot of us really got the shaft from Columbia.

 

[Luc Labelle]

Thank you's all around. Ron Epstein graciously supplied the Willow DVD to our local HTF administration representative... Jay Mitchosky, who brought the DVD as the centerpiece of our local HTF meet, superbly hosted by Jeff Kowerchuk.
Jeff, with a wonderful assist from Creative Audio, had us auditioning this incredible DVD through the sounds of the Anthem AVM 20 powering Monitor Audio Gold Reference speakers. Truly a perfect HTF meet.
The Willow DVD looks absolutely fabulous as stated by Ron's review. The skin tones were so lifelike, looking at myself in the mirror afterwards made me think outloud "I have to start eating better to improve my color." I wish I looked that good. The cinematography was incredibly spectacular, rich with color and incredible detail. The cleanliness of this transfer can only be described as perfect. There is virtually no evidence of compression artifacts in the DVD presentation of this wonderful movie.
A perfect evening all around... thanks HTF and Fox Home Video.

 

[Ernest_T]

I picked this up on Thursday and watched it on Friday and it is everything that Ron has said...beautiful transfer, video and audio. I don't understand why DVDFILE was less than enthusiastic about the quality of this disc. I would rate this as one of the best disc to have been released this year; considering the beautiful colors and very active surround sound, it is hard to believe this movie was made way back in the 80's.

 

[Luc Labelle]

In my late night rush to review this reference-quality DVD I failed to mention the sound. Let me just say the entire soundfield was very active in a natural and precise way, I was completely pulled into the world of Willow. From the dialogue, to the thunderclaps and rumbles, to the footfalls of full-size humans, dwarves, and the tiny brownies (each have the appropriate scale) everything was very well defined and placed.
The only imperfection came in the harshness of the dialogue by the characters Jeff, Jay, Andrew, Jeremy and Matt. Oh shoot, sorry, they were actually in the viewing room watching Willow.