MGM -- quietly downgrading special editions (1 Viewer)

[Edward Schatz]

I don't believe I said the stripped down versions said SE on the packaging, but rather had the sticker at the top that said SE. If that's what you mean, I'm glad they've at leasted labeled them properly.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Buckaroo Banzai is one single-sided disc, so it's probably safe.

 

[Marc Fedderman]

Last week, after thoroughly scouring the shelves, I got the Bull Durham SE as part of the buy one, get one free deal at CC. They had 2 SEs on the shelf, mixed in with a bunch of stripped-down discs. The sale display didn't have any SEs, so sometimes it really pays to look around.

 

[Paul.S]

Edward re your post #81: I mean anywhere--no shrink wrap sticker, no spine label. Nothing said "SE" on the stripped Durham I saw at Costco.

Btw, thx for the tip re 2/$15 MGM promo at 'Circus City,' Kristian. Marc F.'s getting Durham at the promo price despite that title not being in your (Kristian's) list leads me to wonder if you can get any two single-disc MGM titles for $15? Rain Man, Platoon, Sure Thing, Mad Max?

Speaking of Terminator-related scrambling to buy--although it is of course not an MGM title--that same Costco visit had me looking at a couple of T2 Extreme Eds. in a cardboard mock up of the prolly-now-discontinued metal slipcase. Lions Gate didn't waste any time: the ink is just dry on their deal to acquire Artisan and these DVDs were already packaged (for Costco) in a blue cardboard sleeve (a la the CD longbox) sporting the Lions Gate logo.

-p

 

[Casey Neutron]

Looks like it's time for me to finally buy the SEs of "CARRIE" and "THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS." Both are scheduled for price reductions on August 24th--not a good sign.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

***Btw, thx for the tip re 2/$15 MGM promo at 'Circus City,' Kristian. Marc F.'s getting Durham at the promo price despite that title not being in your (Kristian's) list leads me to wonder if you can get any two single-disc MGM titles for $15? Rain Man, Platoon, Sure Thing, Mad Max?***

The promo at HMV was MUCH more extensive. All of the now scaled-down MGM SE's were part of the promotion, as well MANY other regular catalog releases. All in all, quite a wide range of titles were included. Concurrently, there was also a 2/$30 sale--Mad Max and Platoon were included in that promotion. I do not believe these titles will be scaled-down.

I took part in the 2/$15 sale and my $30 bounty included Terminator SE, 24 Hour Party People, Return of the Living Dead, and Dressed to Kill.

-Jon

 

[WillG]

Was just thinking about those two titles myself

 

[Marc Fedderman]

Paul,
I got the Bull Durham SE as part of last week's sale. Still it's worth looking for the SEs of this week's sale discs. BTW, $10 is the regular price for BD at Circuit City, making the Costco "deal" seem even less appealing.

 

[TonyD]

looks like BOWLING is comning back in print as a double feature with THE BIG ONE.

 

[WillG]

Add "Hannibal" to the list. Not only is it all stripped down but it is Pan and Scan only now.

 

[Paul.S]

Will, not unlike the new Dances With Wolves p & s, I think this is a new p & s offering that will be in addition (not in lieu) of the existing Hannibal.

-p

 

[GuruAskew]

Is the new MGM "Manhunter" disc truly the theatrical cut of the film, with the "blow the sick fuck out of his socks" dialogue intact? I'm hesitant to buy it because it's pan & scan but all three of my other "Manhunter" discs are compromised in some way so I can't really justify not actually getting some "new" footaage from "Manhunter" when I've accepted the shortcomings of the other releases. The longest cut has the poorest picture quality and is misframed, the one with the best picture quality is the shortest, and the best compromise between two is missing bonus features and switches back and forth between great and poor picture quality.

 

[WillG]

I've thought about that, but it seems that in B&Ms the SE will be phased out in favor of this cheaper alternative.

 

[Kristian]

But will the original or the stripped-down version be in that set? If it's the original disc, I'll be getting that two-pack (I was short of money during the CC 2 for $15 sale, so I wasn't able to get the DVD at that time).

 

[TonyD]

latest issue of video store has an ad for two box sets.
one is for barbershop 1 & 2.
the other is legally blond 1 & 2.

BS comes with limited ed embroidered headband,
hair-style postcards.
Beauty Shop sneak peak dvd and

BS 1 & 2 SPEC ED dvd's.

so they will either still be in print or only available in this set.

now for LB.

Elle's word magnets.
Collectible outer box.
fuzzy pen and pink notepad.
beaty shop sneak peak dvd.

legally blond (not the spec ed dvd)
legally blond 2 on spec ed dvd.
so i guess the LB 1 spec ed is definitley gone.

 

[Scott Temple]

I've noticed that other studios have adopted this practice too. I was in Wal*Mart SuperCenter a few days ago and noticed they had Anchor Bay's "The Hills Have Eyes" DVD on the shelf. I picked it up, only to discover that it was a stripped-down 1 Disc Set. Previously, it was a 2 Disc set with an anamorphic widescreen transfer and commentary track on Disc 1 and a documentary, deleted scenes, etc. on Disc 2. This new 1 Disc Set still had the anamorphic widescreen transfer and the commentary, but Disc 2 (with all of the other extras) was deleted. I'm glad I bought the 2 Disc Set last fall when it was released.

 

[Chad R]

Anchor Bay is famous for releasing multiple versions of the same film, oftentimes it's a deluxe two-disc set and a cheaper single version released at the same time.

 

[Paul.S]

And another thing: are there any DVD Profiler users out there who can comment on how that app is handling one UPC being associated with two different versions of a title?

-p

 

[Ed St. Clair]

I like this idea.
SE should mean something special.
And, it's comforting to those of us whom paid full price when the SE title was released, not too find said title in the bargain bin later.
Of coarse it's even more fun too find an SE you passed on, in The Bin!

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Yeah, someone changes it, then someone else changes it back and so on.