This month's PREMIERE magazine gives Columbia's P&S DVD of ANNIE four stars!!! (1 Viewer)

[Dick]

What is wrong with this picture? Could it be that the glowing review of this pan-and-scan "special edition" DVD travesty of ANNIE appears in a magazine that purports to be for movie aficionados? That PREMIERE is supposed to serve as an authority for those seeking movie information? That it is meant to sort the crap from the quality and offer discriminating readers opinions based upon a deep knowledge of movies (and videos) and at the very least a healthy perspective on the correct presentation of said movies and videos? Guess PREMIERE has gone the way of most zines that have outlived their usefulness - it has become a forum for Joe Six Pack and can't even see the issue with recommending (with a four star rating for the disc) a chopped-up piece of video waste that perpetuates the myth of "bigger picture equals more of the image." I realize this review is the opinion of one man, but I would have thought a magazine like this one would at least educate the very people who work for it. Another scary example of what we're up against.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

What a load of crap! I had a letter printed in their magazine 10 years ago taking them to task for putting a "Premiere Recommends" symbol next to their review of Disney's "Aladdin" VHS, since not only was that in pan-and-scan, but it also had some content changed (the opening song!) I also voiced my displeasure of there being no laserdisc release, since Di$ney usually delayed the LD releases of their big films by a few months because laserdiscs can't have Macrovision copy protection, so they were worried that they'd be used as a source for bootleg tapes.
They're obviously kissing someone's butt to make sure they keep advertising in their mag and give them free stuff- no wonder I haven't read it in a long time.

 

[Rob P S]

Premiere started out as such a cool magazine, but went down the tubes a long time ago.

 

[MatthewA]

Someone's got blackmail photos on their editor?

 

[Joe Caps]

according to dvd times, the special edition of Annie will be released in England in WIDESCREEN!!

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Why is it that I feel like we all just got kicked in the head??

 

[John Kilduff]

I haven't read this...

Maybe they were talking about the movie proper and not the video presentation?

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

A region-free DVD player seems awful tempting right about now. Can somebody point me in the direction of a website that sells them?

 

[Ernest Rister]

Disney's wonderful Journey of Natty Gann was shot in 2.35:1, but was released in pan-and-scan only here in the States -- meanwhile, Region 2 received a wide-screen DVD release of the film. Go figure.

 

[Scott Kimball]

I stopped reading Premiere about 10 years ago.

It used to be a great source for industry news.
Now it's birdcage liner.

-Scott

 

[Dene]

Premiere is still an excellent mag IMO.

This business over the Annie DVD *must* be just a momentary lapse, they do happen. I for one am not going to stop buying it -- it's the best film magazine on the market.

It is in no way, shape or form "a forum for Joe Six Pack". In the main it is a very authoritative, intelligent and tasteful read.

A black mark against them for what I'd put down as a mistake, but that's all. If you dropped them a line about it, I bet they'd address it.

Long may it continue.

 

[Jim Moore]

Frankly, I feel just the opposite. I have always considered Premiere to be a Joe Six-Pack magazine, Pure Hollywood fluff, so their recommendation comes as no surprise. Give Film Comment a try if you want actual intelligent anaylsis.

 

[Malcolm R]

I let my subscription to Premiere lapse several years ago. With good reason, apparently.



You can buy them in a lot of B&M's if you know the models to look for. Radio Shack was selling a cheap one around the holidays. I think there was a thread in "Coupons & Bargains" about it.

I got mine at Sam's Club a couple years ago.

 

[Dene]

I've just dug one of last year's issues of Premiere from the bottom of the birdcage, and there's a review of the Criterion Collection's Antoine Doinel boxset in which they express concern over the colour films having been cropped from 1.66:1.

The last issue I bought contains excellent reviews of the new DVDs of Fassbinder's BRD Trilogy, Tokyo Story and La Strada (to name but a few). Hardly the subject matter of a 'Hollywood fluff' mag.

Just giving my two cents. I like it a lot and look forward to the next issue as usual, even if it does contain one questionable DVD review.

 

[John Sparks]

DVDTalk.com has the Malata for sale at a good price.

 

[Douglas Bailey]

Four stars out of how many? After all, four out of seven would be just about right for a pan-and-scan transfer of a 2.39:1 film...

 

[Robert Anthony]

Premiere is a decent enough mag. I like it, and I stay subscribed.

I don't get it for their reviews, so I don't pay attention. Besides, it's no small secret they don't really WATCH the DVD's before they review them. They review the movie, and then list the specs. Every now and again they might go out on a limb and give a detail or two that shows they actually WATCHED the DVD, but for the most part I'd bet it's just blahblah and they're rating the movies more than the DVD.

I pretty much ignore that part of the mag, anyway
Fatboy

 

[Jon Martin]

Premiere may not have been given the correct screener. Maybe they only got the extras to review and were told it was the same as the old widescreen release.

Email them and you are sure to hear back from them.

A few issues back, they reviewed some David Lynch film (forgot which) and they said "At least it has chapter stops unlike previous Lynch films". Turns out, the title being reviewed ended up not having chapter stops.

Premiere has greatly improved in the past few issues. It is one of the better film magazines out there. The reviewer, Glenn Kenney (I think) is a great writer. His reviews are very well written and fun to read.

As for Film Comment, it has been the best film magazine out there but lately, has been on the decline. Getting rid of the "Moments out of time" feature hurt a lot, not to mention they seem to be lately going out of their way to write about films and directors as obscure as possible. Directors whose films aren't even available in the US, and may never be. Plus the whole added fiction section which is just silly.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I've gotten many, many screeners over the years, and I have yet to see one that matches your hypothesis. The DVDs may not be final product, but I've not gotten one that lacks the MOVIE itself!

 

[Michael Osadciw]

Man, I feel sorry for your bird having to sit in crap for a whole year!

...why would you pick Premier of all the flyers?

Poor bird...

Mike

Oh yes, for those of you who read my review on this title...you know I'm disappointed...grrr...

 

[MatthewA]

What about Japan? If Japan gets a widescreen SE I may finally spring for a region-free player, as the PAL speedup is horrible on musicals.

Edit: Aileen Quinn was on the Today Show on NBC-TV this morning, and that interview showed clips from the auditions and from her screen test. Neither of which are on the DVD.