IGN Reviews Snow Dogs....The Question Is, Why? (1 Viewer)

[Joseph S]

There's only one version of Snow Dogs being released. If there was a widescreen one, I wouldn't have reviewed the FS.

Here's what I would have done.



Disney sent me a copy of "Snow Dogs" on DVD to review. The disc contained only a Pan and Scan version so I threw the screener in trash and moved on to review another title. I recommend that you not support this DVD release by not renting or purchasing this title.

 

[David Lambert]

or
B) Download the video clips and screen captures online.

I'm not helping the missus search for underwear shots of Jean-Claude, either!

 

[derek]

Thanks for your review Jeremy. Like it or not, if my kids loved 'Snow Dogs' and the best presentation available was the P&S DVD I'd want a review of it so I could at least make an educated rental and/or purchase decision. I'm all for OAR on every new release and will push for it whenever I can.

 

[Chris M]

Disney sent me a copy of "Snow Dogs" on DVD to review. The disc contained only a Pan and Scan version so I threw the screener in trash and moved on to review another title. I recommend that you not support this DVD release by not renting or purchasing this title.

I agree with this statement. I WILL NOT allow my girlfriend to buy the Snow Dogs DVD for her daughter, we both saw the movie in a 2nd run theater recently and thought it was really funny. Even so, she WILL NOT purchase this DVD until (if) there is an OAR DVD for it.

Chris.

 

[Matthew Brown]

When a web site gets free screeners I think they are entitled to review them. They also have a duty to not betray their visitors and stay consistant with what the web site's views are. IGN did the right thing.

The only way to send Disney a message would be to refuse ALL free product for review. Difficult, isn't it? Of course this would most likely mean cutting off Buena Vista/Miramax titles too. It's the only way to truly send them a message.

Matt

 

[PatrickL]

Like it or not, if my kids loved 'Snow Dogs' and the best presentation available was the P&S DVD I'd want a review of it so I could at least make an educated rental and/or purchase decision. I'm all for OAR on every new release and will push for it whenever I can.

The best push anyone can give "for OAR on every new release" is to avoid p&s-only discs like the plague, without wavering.

 

[Joe Kim]

My take on the P&S issue is a simple one....I simply will never buy a P&S version of ANY film. Not exactly a fresh new approach, I know, but hey, I'm new here!
I currently own 250 DVD's and 300+ LD's. I have a widescreen HDTV and prefer anamorphic DVD's over their non enhanced counterparts. But, P&S will never be an option for me and regardless of how much I love a particular film, I will never, never, never, ever buy it in that format. There are soooooooo many DVD's and even LD's on my "future purchase" list that I'll never get caught up. Whether my ban on purchasing P&S DVD's brings the studios to their knees remains to be seen
Thankfully, Snow Dogs is not on my future purchase list.
Joe

 

[John Gido]

I, myself, will NOT be purchasing "Snow Dogs" even though my wife would love the own it as she enjoyed the film in the theater. I will, however, call the Di$ney number (1-800-72-DI$NEY) on Tuesday and AGAIN ask why there is not a widescreen (OAR) release of this title and remind them why I will NOT be purchasing "Snow Dogs".

 

[Jesse Skeen]

If I got a free disc I'd review it no matter how bad it was, but I'd still give my honest opinion of it. It sounds like they're saying "Yeah, it's pan and scan, but we got it for free and they might send us some better ones later so we won't rag on it too much."

 

[Jeremy Conrad]

If I got a free disc I'd review it no matter how bad it was, but I'd still give my honest opinion of it. It sounds like they're saying "Yeah, it's pan and scan, but we got it for free and they might send us some better ones later so we won't rag on it too much."

Excuse me? Did you even READ our Snow Dogs review?

 

[Jesse Skeen]

No I didn't, sorry. I'll go read it right now.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

OK, I just read it, and I'll have to retract my comment- I was just going by how it was described by the post here. I just have to ask who the hell is going to bother listening to a COMMENTARY if they like pan and scan though? They'll probably stop the disc when the end credits start! And the "black bars" are on the featurette and deleted scenes??? Sounds like this started out as a real release then someone at Disney said "Let's do this just in pan and scan" at the last minute. They should have just left all that stuff off and put BOTH formats on the disc, but I guess that would make too much sense.

 

[Rain]

I have to say that I disagree with the opinions of the thread-starter in this case.
It appears the review in question was not very positive at all and was highly critical of the fact that there was no OAR transfer.
Personally, I think it is better for the DVD review sites to do the reviews of the full frame-only DVDs--and to rake the studios over the coals for it--than to not review them at all.
Anyone who will be buying these crappy releases will do so anyway, review or not. Nobody who would not have bought the disc in the first place is going to be influenced to do so based on a review like this.
On the other hand, the review may prevent a few sales.

 

[Mike_Mig]

All I want to say is that when I got into this about 2 years it didn't seem this bad. I am almost ready to throw away my widescreen HDTV, dvd player and everything else I own and go find a 13" blac and white with rabbit ears. All of these sites out there even reviewing these films is atrocious. Who does not understand OAR ONLY. Not, well if fullscreen is all there is I guess I'll just have to get that. Bulls**t! I am disgusted by all of this.

 

[Andrew_Sch]

Personally, I think that any non-OAR movie should automatically receive a zero for video quality.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

For the record...
I received a copy of Snow Dogs last
week to review for this forum.
I wrote Disney and politely told them I could
not review this title since this forum is
staunchly in favor of OAR.

 

[Andrew_Sch]

Nice work, Ron.

 

[David Lambert]

I am convinced - not yet having read Jeremy's review - that Ron did the correct thing for HIS website according to HIS principals, and that Jeremy did the correct thing for HIS website according to HIS principals.

As someone who (very infrequently) receives screener product to review, I can assure you that the pressure is there to PERFORM a review of SOME sort, in order to assure the studio sending the item to you that you aren't just getting review discs as a free ride, without performing the service you agreed to. Even if the review turns out to be honestly negative...for which most reviewers STILL have an apprehension - whether or not there's grounds for it - to say SOMETHING positive about the darn thing (I've never worried about it, but then the few reviews I've done have never been truly awful yet, either!).

Anyway, everyone should keep in mind that each one has done something they might consider risky in some fashion, especially as Disney isn't known for sharing screener copies up until now, and these (Ron and Jeremy) guys don't know what the reaction will be to their responses. I think each should be commended for sticking to their guns! Good job, guys!!

 

[Keith Paynter]

I agree, Ron, you made the right call.

While I have had to buy some P&S only titles in the past (such as Sorceror and The Jerk in the early days), 99.9% of my collection is OAR, and I prefer it that way. When I was young, I knew enough about geometry to know the difference between a TV screen and a movie screen, and have been both bothered and intrigued by uncorrected anamorphic 16mm college prints. LD and DVD restored my cinematic experience, and that is my preference.

If I buy a new or catalogue DVD title, I don't care for the review, I just want it OAR.