The Final Countdown SE due 3/30 (1 Viewer)

[Jon Martin]

Very interesting. Thanks for the info!

I got the disc over the weekend. Unfortunately, as I opened it, the teeth on one of the inner rings were broken and the bonus disc was loose. Ack! Disc wasn't scratched though.

Haven't gotten to watch the film.

 

[Mark_TS]

I wonder how PFE got their grubbly little hands on it?

I recall the ferocity with which they legally threatened anyone who dissed their disc or questioned their 'ownership' of the film.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

I watched mine last Saturday night. LOVED IT!!!!

Glad this one finally came along.

 

[ChrisBEA]

I had a blast watching this film. It was like watching it for the first time, which it may have! It seemed so familiar, but I can't remember having seen it before....

 

[Randy A Salas]

Proving my point about the pent-up popularity of The Final Countdown, the two-disc limited edition debuted at No. 9 on Video Business' weekly list of top-selling DVDs.

What a coup for an indepedent producer like Blue Underground. Congratulations to Bill Lustig and his fine company.

Incidentally, if the LE really is limited to 100,000 copies, they can't be around for much longer. A top 10 seller should go through that number fairly quickly.

 

[Paul_Scott]

i was pretty impressed to go back into BB a few days after it had streeted and see what had been about 20 copies reduced to 4 (of which i picked up 1).
still, 100,000 seemed kind of high to me for a 'limited edition'.
i think 50,000 would have a good chance of selling out in short time, but i expect the TFC LE will still be readily available for quite a while.


its a fun film and and the job BU did with it is wonderful.
i could balk at the kind of weak supplementals on the second disc, but considering i paid $17 for the whole package, including the best use of a lenticular cover yet, hard not to be tickled with it (to be honest, the only reason i really sprang for the LE was the cover...and i'm happy i did).

 

[Paul Arnette]

I watched this film for the first time tonight, and it was entertaining. I guess I was a little under-whelmed by the movie due to the 'hype', for lack of a better word, surrounding this film's release and the large cult following it has, but, on the whole, I thought it was an enjoyable flick, even if...

I didn't get to see the Nimitz take on the Japanese fleet.

The transfer was very good overall, and I've never seen the supposedly wretched PFE DVD, but I was surprised at how much edge enhancement there was on this disc. It was particularly noticeable in shots with Kirk Douglas on the bridge against the predominately white sky.

Although, I am more surprised I haven't seen anyone else mention this, so now I am wondering if maybe its just my setup, hopefully not.

 

[Paul_Scott]

it was disappointing to see the obvious ringing right off the bat in the credits .

but i was very happy with the disc/transfer in the whole.

and i enjoyed the movie as much...no, probably more than i ever have, because of the presentation here.
this must be the first time i've seen it OAR, and
i'm sure that was a huge factor by itself, even if i never consciously saw a shot that i was familiar with enough to notice the difference between the ARs .

i just wished BU actively acquired more film like this, because i'm not much into the spaghetti westerns, and euro sleave and slasher stuff (not that there is anything wrong with that stuff).
i think their discs represent a mind blowing value.
wish i could find more stuff from 'em i wanted.

 

[GregK]

I agree the transfer isn't stellar, but besides the recent nasty PFE release, the only times I had ever viewed the Final Countdown were pan-n-scan laserdisc and VHS versions many years ago. So in comparison, even with it's minor technical flaws, it is a giant step forward over what has been previously available.

Paul Arnette's spoiler comment could provoke an interesting plot twist:
I didn't get to see the Nimitz take on the Japanese fleet


Now imagine, if you will, this possible Twilight Zone ending:

The Nimitz takes on and totally destroys the Japanese fleet. All of the Zeros are taken out. Then the mysterious time storm appears and returns the Nimitz back to present day. When they arrive back at Peril Harbor, there are Nazi flags, statues, etc everywhere. We come to realize that the US had entered the 2nd World War far too late and ultimately lost .. all because the Nimitz prevented the attack on Peril Harbor.

 

[Paul Arnette]

GregK,

I love your proposed Twlight Zone ending! In the end, I guess I was looking for a little more in the way of a pay-off at the end of this film. Your ending would've definitely done that.

For some reason, your ending also reminds me that we need the HBO-movie Fatherland released to DVD stat.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

I think one of the reasons I am fond of this film is that it presents perhaps the best action footage of day-to-day operations aboard a Nimitz-class carrier. The matter-of-fact behavior of the crew-actors in this film is far more accurate than in, say, Top Gun or the ilk. I have a lot of affection for the Navy, having served as a contractor for about 18 years. [January of 1991 saw me in Bremerton to outfit the Nimitz with the latest revision of gear to deconflict Tomahawk and manned aircraft missions into Iraq, hours before the Nimitz sailed for the Persian Gulf. So I have personal attachments to the Nimitz itself.]

 

[Eric Fisher]

GregK
Would the Lincoln memorial have the face of an ape as well?

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Eric, no, it would be Adolf Hitler.

 

[Kevin. W]

Love this movie. Watch it evertime its on the TV. Just picked up my Limited Edition from Amazon.ca for $20.24CDN/$15US. Watching on my HT tomorrow.GO LEAFS GO

Kevin

 

[Carlo_M]

Wow, this thread gives me the warm fuzzies...

As a semi-regular poster/reader in various contentious threads (re: Star Wars ) it's nice to venture into one that is nearly all positive. Whodathunk that there were so many closet Final Countdown fans out there?

 

[MikeEckman]

I just wanted to say that I finally got a chance to watch this movie for the first time ever last night, and I really enjoyed it.

I had never heard of the movie until all the drama involving the Pacific and then Blue Underground releases, I picked up the new BU release from Columbia House and was pleased with it.

I thought the anamorphic picture quality was superb for a film of its age and I was also impressed with the surround activity on the DTS track, especially all the aircraft carrier launches.

Overall, an excellent movie that was pretty well thought out (okay, it had a couple holes), but thats okay. It was a fun movie.

One last note, boy, Martin Sheen back then really looked like Charlie does now!

 

[Chris Hood]

Paul Scott, as I read your above post...


...it was as if you experienced exactly what I did after watching what I remembered to be the entire film countless times throughout my childhood! Even though I had seen the end at least 20 times, before watching the DVD I had not once seen the beginning, much to my own surprise! I wonder how many others experienced that same feeling?

As to the availability of the "LE"... I stopped by a Phoenix Area BB on my way home from work the day after release, and there were no LE's and only one copy of the single disk WS still left. When I checked the Internet later that evening, two other BB's nearest my home were showing no inventory either. It took a 25+ mile round trip drive to garner my copy that night!

 

[Tony_Faville]

I picked this one up on release day and watched it that night. This one of my favorite movies that I had never seen all the way through in one sitting. Always caught the first half, the middle, or the last half becuase of one event or another. What a pleasure it was to be able to view it in this beautiful presentation.

THANK YOU Blue Underground!!!

 

[Tom Oh]

My wife groaned when she saw that I had bought another 80's film. I told her that I really liked the film and the rousing score. She started watching and she was hooked. This is amazing considering that she sleeps through most DVDs. I got the 2 disc version. I still love it and I'm glad I bought it.

 

[Jon Martin]

I finally got around to watching the film over the weekend.

First, the transfer is indeed excellent. Wish that Blue Underground would release more films that I was interested in (not being a fan of horror films all that much). Great looking disc.

The film itself was good, although I thought that, as someone mentioned, the day to day life on board the ship was more interesting than the story (which wasn't developed enough, for me at least).

Loved the Lloyd Kaufman interview on Disc 2. I'm not a Troma fan, but he had some rather shocking things to say about the making of the film. More honest than most producers. Especially since the director is dead I guess.

Fun disc, glad I got it. Thanks for the recommendation everyone.