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Night of the Living/Dawn of the Dead DVD query (1 Viewer)

Rain

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Ok, don't tell Chmiel :D , but I'm looking for these two films on DVD. Alas, I'm having difficulty finding them in my area.
Can anyone confirm that they are still in print?
From what I understand, the Special Collector's Edition is the preferred version of Night of the Living Dead.
Which version of Dawn of the Dead is recommended? Anchor Bay put out an Anniversary Edition of the U.S. Theatrical Cut...am I correct in assuming that is the better one.
Any comments on quality and/or availability would be greatly appreciated.
 

Rich Malloy

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Rain, I can't help you with DAWN OF THE DEAD (it's my understanding that I should be waiting for the "good" DVD that's just round the corner, but I don't actually know any details...)
But I do know this. Make damn sure your version of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is from Elite and looks like this:
B000007SI2.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
 

Rain

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Thanks, Al. That's the one I was referring to (you told me about it before). Do you know if it is still in print?
 

Alex Spindler

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Every site I checked has it out of stock/backorder except CDNow (and that's because they don't say). You may have to seek out other sources such as auction/used locations. Or place and order at CDNow or Amazon and cross your fingers.
 

Kevin Leonard

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I don't think the Elite NOTLD is out-of-print; it's just hard to find. Alot of brick-and-mortar stores seem to have a copy or two whenever I visit them. But the situation might be different up there in Canada. :)
Regarding Dawn of the Dead, there are two versions out there: the Director's Cut and the Theatrical Cut. Anchor Bay has stopped printing the DC, so if you want that one, your best bet is to check eBay and other auction sites. The Theatrical Cut is readily available though.
As was previously mentioned, Anchor Bay is reportedly working on a box set of DOTD, which will include several different cuts and a ton of bonus material. But I have no idea when this will be released; I've heard anywhere from mid-2002 to early-2003. So it's really a matter of how long you can wait if you want the primo version of DOTD.
 

Julie K

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The Elite NOTLD is not out of print. It's just hard to find in stock since not many people are ordering it. I don't think it can go out of print since the movie itself is in public domain.
 

Jack Briggs

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Rain: Just curious--do you (or anyone else here) like Tom Savini's 1990 remake of the Romero classic? Call me a heritic, but I enjoy that film even more. JB
 

Rain

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Actually, Jack, I've never seen either version. I have seen Dawn of the Dead several times, which is why I am interested in its predecessor as well.
 

Greg_S_H

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If you don't want to wait for the long-delayed Dawn of the Dead set, I think the US Theatrical is the one you want. I tried without luck to find this excellent page that compared the two, but I think it boiled down to the Theatrical having a superior print as well as being George Romero's own preferred cut (despite the other being called the Director's Cut).
Here's a page comparing the versions:
http://www2.gol.com/users/noman/versions.htm
 

Craig Beam

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Rain, you HAVEN'T seen NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD? Drop whatever you're doing and get it NOW. Good God, man! :D
By the way, I have the Elite THX version... and it's the only way to go. Most of us have suffered for years with shitty prints and blurry VHS copies. The first time I popped the disc in, I almost fell off the couch. It's that good.
 

Keith Paynter

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Hey Rain, my $.02...

By reputation, NOLD on video has always been made with substandard prints. (Think Madacy quality). Elite went right to the source material when they created the laserdisc version several years ago, and that version was carried over to DVD.

Just pop in the DVD when you get it for the first clue as to what kind of company you're dealing with. Those who own this DVD know what I'm referring to...

Definitely stay away from the 'expanded' edition. This was made with new footage created by the film's producers specifically for this release, and they have altered the structure of the film. STAY AWAY!

The commentary by the cast is a lot of fun, and the production commentary (Romero et al), while not as full of anecdotes, is informative.
 

cafink

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I don't think it can go out of print since the movie itself is in public domain.
That doesn't mean it CAN'T go out of print, only that Elite can't be FORCED to stop printing it. In fact, I guarantee you that the disc will eventually go out of print.
 

Damin J Toell

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I don't think it can go out of print since the movie itself is in public domain.
there may be public domain prints of the film (or, at least, prints long improperly believed to be in the public domain), but the THX-certified restored transfer on the Elite DVD isn't public domain.

DJ
 

Julie K

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), but the THX-certified restored transfer on the Elite DVD isn't public domain.

Yeah, but there's really nothing to force Elite to stop printing copies is there?

Yeah, eventually it will go out of print, like when they start making copies for HD-DVD (or whatever is the replacement for DVD.)

In this shifting world of film rights with studios gaining and losing rights to print DVDs (like Elite and Re-Animator), NOTLD occupies a special niche. Elite cannot lose their rights to print copies of this film. People get worried when they don't see it in stock at an etailer but that doesn't mean it's in any danger of going out of print.

As for the Savini remake that Jack mentioned, I do like it. (Avoid the Russo hacked version) I do not like it as much as the original, but it's certainly a hell of a lot better than that horrid POS called "Children of the Living Dead."
 

Rich Malloy

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The Elite NOTLD has been largely unavailable on occasion before, but there have always been subsequent printings. Elite may discontinue it one day, but I'm guessing it's one of their biggest sellers. I'd be surprised to see it go OOP anytime soon. But it could happen...

Just curious--do you (or anyone else here) like Tom Savini's 1990 remake of the Romero classic?
I don't think there was much point to the remake - and I definitely prefer the original's ending - but the remake was much, much better than most contemporary horror fare. I have to concede that I do like it, but not nearly as much as the original.

The only version that I positively hate is the recut/butchered version of the original (the "30th Anniversary" one or whatever it's billed as). That one's just a travesty.
 

Russ Lucas

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I haven't seen the '90 remake of NOTLD since I saw it in the theatre, but doesn't it end differently than the earlier version? I seem to recall it did, and the earlier version's stark ending with Duane Starks getting shot accidentally and burned with the zombies really sets it apart from the typical horror movie "lone survivor" ending.


I'm waiting for the AB Dawn, and I was able to get the Elite NOTLD from digitaleyes.net for around $20 about six months ago. The image quality was amazing compared to what I'd been used to, and the two commentary tracks are great fun-- a reunion of old friends who got together everybody they knew and made a cult horror classic.
 

Damin J Toell

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Yeah, but there's really nothing to force Elite to stop printing copies is there?
well, it would be unlikely to arise, but Image Ten (or whoever holds their property these days) would be able to bring a successful proceeding if Elite were to continue to press NOTLD DVDs beyond the end of the license (whenever that is).
DJ
 

Russ Lucas

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Well, I guess the commnetaries on the Elite version are probably licensed by Romero et al, but as the '68 version is public domain, I don't think they need a license for the film itself.

And I think I recall reading that one of the principal reasons for making the '90 remake of NOTLD was to establish a copyrighted property for Romero and his crew, considering theirs had been lost in the original.
 

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