The non-anamorphic DVD is framed at 1.95:1; altered from the 2.35:1 original compositions.The two most glaring omissions from the first disc. I think WSR's defense of that review is they were comparing it to other titles available at that time. I've heard that rationale before (ex. Highlander) so I suspect it would be the same for Top Gun. Not that I agree, of course.
That said I offer the following: Do you really think a petition will change anything? Paramount knows the value of their properties. They have a plan in mind and will stick to it. This is not some esoteric title for which they're unsure of market demand.
People still hold Top Gun as a reference for surround sound and aerial photopgraphy. (sic)I agree Matt. For a long time you couldn’t pass a television display in a store and not see Top Gun playing. With the continued refinement in CG, Top Gun is likely to be the last, and arguably best, example of real air-to-air jet sequences. While that isn’t inherently a bad thing, it’s still cool when you watch the film thinking there are real pilots drivin’ those Cats!
I certainly would purchase it (and sell off my old one). It needs a new 16x9 Tx alhough I don't know what extra they would do with the soundtrack.Wow. IMHO, the soundtrack is what needs improving the most. The DD5.1 soundtrack from the current DVD is WORSE than that from the LD. (The video, I believe is identical to the LD... simply a mpg2 transfer of the LD) The surround channels in the 5.1 mix are completely silent throughout the majority of the movie, save for an occasional jet flyby, which sounds totally fake, because the surround was previously completely silent, and goes back to completely silent after the non-sequitur effect. When/if I ever watch my copy of the DVD, (I've only watched in about three times, maybe four, and I bought it on its street date way back when) I use the DD2.0 soundtrack, and switch my receiver to DPL mode. The 5.1 AC-3 track is just plain awefull.
If they can take a MONO sound track from the Fifties (like North by Northwest) and create a very good to excellent 5.1 soundtrack for the DVD, they can do, I'm SURE, WONDERS with the Top Gun sound track if they really wanted to.
Maybe we can get Bill Hunt involved with this? Does anyone here have his ear? 'Cause he sure seems to have the ear of the industry...
With the continued refinement in CG, Top Gun is likely to be the last, and arguably best, example of real air-to-air jet sequences.Which, IMHO, is a shame. I have YET to see a CGI enhanced or CGI created dogfight or flight sequence that looked at all realistic to me. For example, as much as people raved about it whent he film (and then dvd) came out, I think the dogfight sequences in Air Force One were painfully unrealistic.
This is getting a bit off-topic, but I think the only way to create a realistic CGI-based dogfight scene would be to use a top-notch flight simulator model, like Falcon4.0 or one of the more recent ones, to simulate the flight paths and aircraft orientations as the jets fly around. THEN use the CGI to paint over the the simulator's graphics with photo-realistic graphics and explosions, etc. What ruins most CGI-based dogfight or otherwise aerial scenes is that the animators haven't a clue as to how aircraft actually look and behave as they fly along their course. As a result, the jets make turns and maneuvers that to the educated eye are totally impossible, and therefore look totally fake.