Well... a big clue should be that they have the Adam West Batman... we all know that is not on DVD yet... and it definitely not public domain or you would see cheap dvds of it all over the place.
If someone comes to us -- privately -- with evidence to the contrary with respect to a particular site, we'll review it. Until then, don't post links. It's a simple rule, and it's designed to be easy to follow.
Well I will certainly lend my vigorous support for a quality DVD release of ONE STEP BEYOND will all 98 black-and-white half hour presentations fully restored and digitally remastered from the original 35mm print negatives.
This is really a marvellous dramatic anthology in its own right and it would be terrific to see some of these more distinctive efforts with true stature associated with them make it out on DVD instead of the usual tiresomely inconsequential nonsense.
This is yet another instance where I once encountered an individual online who was really enamoured about this particular show and it obviously meant a great deal to him. Most of us here may not necessarily feel as strongly about ONE STEP BEYOND but I really had to respect his own interesting taste and enthusiasm...far more than a lot of the repellant stuff that is generally appreciated!
After reading the above posts, I offer my apologies to the the group and list-owners for my mentioning the bootlegged dvd's. No need to discuss worldwide copyright infringement problems here.
After reading the complaints lodged against them, I've some compassion for those who got ripped. I will be much more careful when reading about future deals from ANY retailer, which on the surface, seem ideal.
I have no interest in supporting such illegal activities!
Many thanks to everyone who enlightened me on the OSB dvd's.
Alain, I think all of us in this thread are hopeful that we might one day see the entire series legitimately released on DVD. The Mill Creek set and others consist of episodes where the copyrights have lapsed and have fallen into the public domain. But there are still some episodes under copyright and no one except the copyright owner can release those episodes unless they are authorized to do so by the copyright holder; only the copyright holder can truly authorize a complete series release of "One Step Beyond." Just a guess, but that may be the very reason why Mill Creek pulled their follow-up set with the remaining episodes.
If you're looking for the best quality episodes, I'd recommend the VCI Entertainment set:
Why did VCI discontinue its ONE STEP BEYOND line after just a single volume release?!
The source elements were a trifle on the dark side but much better than what is generally being circulated.
The print literature (seemingly) indicated that additional sets would be made forthcoming...which several years now after this initial release unfortunately never came about!
I was incorrect. The page states that 65 episodes have been released, not 68.
The only problem I had with the VCI release was the video-generated episode titles they added. BTW, while going though the Mill Creek set, it was those titles that tipped me off that Mill Creek had swiped some of their episodes from that VCI set.
Each episode of the series has to be registered separately; same is true for copyright renewals. That's the issue with "One Step Beyond." Most of the copyrights were not renewed during the late 1980s and that has resulted in multiple releasing companies issuing the same episodes on DVD. However, some of the copyrights were renewed and those can only be issued by the copyright holders. I believe that CBS Paramount has the current syndication rights to the series. The proliferation of the public domain releases has likely reduced the chances of any sort of official release.
My family loves this show. We would buy at least 2 sets immediately if it was released in it's entirety. Or...even if some episodes not already released were to come out we'd buy 2 of that too but wouldn't be in a big hurry since we have the 50 eps set.
If true. Then CBS/Paramount has the originals. They should license out the copyrighted episodes, plus the masters for the rest. And let a company do a true complete release. I am sure it would sell well since even those who have purchased the cheaper versions will repurchase the show.
Does anyone know why this DVD set of the last 47 episodes of One Step Beyond by Mill Creek was not released on May.6th as planned & if or when it will be released in the future.?
As well i believe another group was also in negotiations to get the rights to these 47 remaining episodes & they were going to actually restore & digitally remaster then unlike Mill Creek, any word on their efforts.?
Earlier in this thread I was able to discover the following information: I noticed Mill Creek's website had removed the upcoming release of One Step Beyond: The Final Chapters. I emailed them about it and received the following message:
"Due to some production issues, the title has been removed from the release schedule and is being considered for release at a later date."
I'd never seen any episodes of ONE STEP BEYOND, and I recently bought the 50-episode set from Mill Creek. Apart from general curiosity about this unfamiliar series, my real motivation for buying it was because I'm a fan of the eerie music Harry Lubin subsequently did for the second season of THE OUTER LIMITS; since Lubin had previously done the score for OSB, I wanted to see if I might discover some additional creepy Lubin scores in OSB which would be new to me.
I also have the OSB soundtrack CD, so I was already familiar with the two "creepy" tracks on it: the main title theme (entitled "Fear" on the CD -- the one which sounds so similar to Lubin's season 2 OL end title theme), and another piece entitled "Weird."
I was hoping to discover additional jewels of creepy Lubin music while watching the Mill Creek DVD release, but so far I haven't found any. Apart from shortened snippets of "Fear" at the opening and closing credits, the *only* other eerie music I think I've heard thus far (admittedly I've just gotten through Disc 1 of the 4-disc DVD set) has been the track entitled "Weird." That one is used over and over; are there *any* additional bits of haunting music used during the run of OSB?
For OUTER LIMITS, Lubin came up with quite a variety of evocatively eerie themes and motifs (and in what amounted to really just a half-season's worth of episodes). But so far, the range and variety of similarly spectral music in OSB seems -- at least from my initial sample thus far -- strikingly narrow, limited, and generally lacking in variety by comparison. (Mainly just endless repetition of that single "Weird" track.)
Can anyone familiar with OSB confirm whether any *additional* ethereal music of the sort Lubin provided with some variety in OL's season 2 (you know -- the augmented/diminished "scary" stuff, often using a theremin), other than just those two "Fear" and "Weird" tracks, exists anywhere within the run of OSB?
And if so, could you point me toward the titles of specific OSB episodes which might contain such material? I'm enjoying the show for what it is, and on its own terms, but I'd also love to be able to skip ahead and listen to any additional genuinely creepy musical moments by Lubin, if any more are to be found in OSB. Thanks!
I believe Message from Clara is on the Mill Creek set? There is some enhancement in terms of vocalization in one of the main themes in this episode. I have the OSB LP but haven't listened to it for a long time, so I don't recall exactly which titles match the themes. Of course, the recurring theme at the climax or point of realization in each episode is always chilling for me. This may be Fear, but there are variations in emphasis and the beginning of this theme both within and between different episodes. There are also different cues during lighter moments of various OSB eps that I don't think are on the cd, eg. during The Lovers.