Paramount Re-packaging (1 Viewer)

[Bradley-E]

Paramount is aggresively re-packaging their catalogue titles.

April 18:
CONGO

May 2:
FLASHBACK
HELL IS FOR HEROES
HARD RAIN
INTERNAL AFFAIRS
ESCAPE FROM L.A.
ELEPHANT MAN
DAYS OF HEAVEN
COURT JESTER
200 CIGARETTES
THE ADVENTURES OF SEBASTIAN COLE
THE HUNTER
MOTHER
NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN
PLAY IT AGAIN SAM
THE WOOD
TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
YOU CAN COUNT ON ME

Already on shelves:
THE GIFT
ELECTION

All these titles new covers are currently on The Laser's Edge website.

 

[Scott D S]

Oh. My. God.

 

[TravisR]

I'm so gonna buy Congo because of that cover. Normally, I couldn't care less what cover they use but that's... uh, something. It looks like a direct to video knock off that always hits video stores at the same time that a blockbuster is getting into theaters instead of an actual theatrical feature.

Man, I hope The Elephant Man and Escape From L.A. fair better.

 

[RoyWilbury]

According to the Laser's Edge listing, "Escape from L.A." will remain non-anamorphic. Can anybody confirm this for sure? I suppose the whole idea behind repackaging is trying to sell more DVD's without having to change the actual disc at all.

The new artwork for "Escape from L.A." looks quite a bit more similar to the "Escape from New York" artwork than it used to.

I was hoping maybe they would do an anamorphic re-release of "L.A." for its 10th anniversary.

I've got a few early Paramount DVD releases that are non-anamorphic that I'd like to see anamorphic versions of, including another Kurt Russell picture, "Breakdown."

 

[Ravi K]

Terrible new covers. And why is Mother $20.99 at Laser's Edge :frowning:

 

[Britton]

They should repackage Star Trek: The Motion Picture to fit in with the other Trek CEs while they're at it.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Paramount acts like they having noting good left in their catalog.

Pathetic!!

 

[MattHR]

I wish Paramount would aggressively package their unreleased catalogue titles.

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

Not that there was anything great about Paramount's packaging beforehand, but I rather liked the constant of having a banner logo at the top (formerly at the bottom) of the cover. Granted, the studios are indistinguishable from another in terms of what product they make, as opposed to the early days where you knew MGM made glossy stuff, WB made gritty stuff, and Paramount was the epicenter of European emigres. But it was oddly comforting to know that a Paramount DVD title would be styled like this, an MGM title styled like that.

Now with these new covers, it's just more big floating heads nonsense. Have the studios learned nothing from WB's success of both packaging classic films and providing original ad artwork?

 

[Ravi K]

Paramount was also pretty good about using original poster art.

 

[MattHR]

I took a look at the new covers at Laser's Edge. I didn't think it was possible, but Paramount has taken several lousy covers and actually made them worse!

While browsing for these re-issues, I couldn't help but notice the many upcoming WB titles that utilize original poster art. This is trend I am happy to see. WB recognizes these classic films deserve to have their original artwork preserved and restored, just like the films themselves.

 

[Brian Little]

But you see... BIG FLOATING HEADS NONSENSE = S-A-L-E-S!!!!

I mean how else would "Congo" get noticed at Wallyworld by Joe Sixpack in today's world of "2 Fast 2 Furious" and "WWE Wrestlecrap 22."

(And for those who couldn't tell the following post was entirely sarcastic)

 

[Scott Temple]

I'm in the same situation, Roy.

I've got three early non-anamorphic Paramount titles that I'd like to see get rereleased in 16x9. Escape From L.A., Breakdown, and The Odd Couple II. Quite a few years ago I remember Paramount saying they were planning on rereleasing their non-anamorphic titles with new 16x9 enhanced transfers. Why didn't that happen?

 

[Jeff Swindoll]

Quite obviously, they were taking photoshop classes to make these new covers and have been too busy to remaster those titles .

 

[Eric Peterson]

That's hilarious.

However, at least I know I can find a job at Parmount in the art department whenever I want. I could learn the software, and knock some of those covers out in a half-day.

However, as someone already pointed out, it's all about "The Lowest Common Denominator"

 

[FrancisP]

Prime example of why Paramount is at the bottom of the heap.
I would bring in a new team that knows how to market films. Current maagement is pathetic and apparently that's good enough for Viacom.

 

[Alex cosmo]

This sucks. I'd gladly have bought Escape from LA if they'd enhanced it.

 

[William Miller]

I have this horrible feeling that there is more to these new covers than just the change of artwork. Since the "Widescreen Collection" is missing from the covers, could it mean that the widescreen transfers will be missing too? Are they joining Sony in the trend towards more Big Heads-Full Screen-Wal-Mart DVD's?

 

[Jeff Swindoll]

Jeez, I hope not. I did notice that Sony redid the Finding Forrester DVD, removing the Sean Connery big head but replacing it with a crappy picture. Consipiracy theory : Could this be a way to make some of use with big DVD collections rebuy some titles since the covers are different since we wouldnt recognize a title we've already bought?

Edit: I saw the new Finding Forrester at Sams. It has a side shot of Connery standing and talking to the kid with the bike. Didnt know what movie it was at first. Forgot to check the back of the case to see if it had the same features as the old DVD.

 

[Justin W]

wow. they took average covers utilizing poster art and made them all look like tv movie-of-the-week dvds.