WB's Police Academy 7-disc box-set: Press Release (1 Viewer)

[Michael Pakula]

Has anyone started a petition yet?. Maybe we can get this changed still for 4 and 5
if there is a petition. It's happened in the past for some DVD'S.

-Mike

 

[Michael Allred]

Michael, I think a letter writing campaign would be more effective.

I encourage *everyone* to write a letter to Warner about this.

I also wanted to say that buying the box set but selling off 4 & 5 would end up hurting the cause as WB just gets the message that FF only doesn't matter. If the sets sell poorly but the individual widescreen DVDs do well, that should tell them something about this idiotic decision.

 

[PaulP]

I would like to read that 3-page letter to WB, if possible

 

[Jason Hughes]

Is is possible, that for some strange reason, the director of 4 and 5 wanted it that way? I don't know who directed which ones now, it has been so long and I'm to lazy to go to imdb.com now.

I'm not trying to defend them if there is not rhyme or reason to it. It's not like these movies are high art like Kubricks films, but I will probably get the box set anyway (althought I wish part 7 didn't exist).

 

[Michael Allred]

It was respectful but very direct.

 

[JohnS]

I'm a huge Police Academy fan, and hearing this news is very disheartning.

I really don't want to buy the movies now, unless they will all be 16x9.

 

[Deane Johnson]

Ever since Warren Lieberfarb got the axe because he was too good and frightened the incompetent people above him, things have been going down hill at WB. Sad.

Deane

 

[Patrick McCart]

I guess it only takes two Z-grade movies to make a studio go down-hill, then.

 

[JohnS]

dvdfile has even made the correction about the press release.
Looks like 4 & 5 will be fullscreen

 

[Michael Allred]

The full blurb from www.dvdfile.com

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

While I'm not a fan of this news at all, I'm still giving warner props for what they're doing in other areas, especially with their massive catalog of animated product. They were my vote for best studio in 2003, and could very well be again in 2004 in spite of what I think is a boneheaded move on the Police Academy set.

 

[Randy A Salas]

I'm not sure what DVD File is talking about. As you can see from the post that started this thread, the original press release (issued Jan. 6) has always had Nos. 4 &5 as being full-screen. WHV revised the original press release on Jan. 8, but that was to change the release date.

 

[WillG]

DVDFile had originally reported that all the P.A. films would be 1.85:1 anamorphic. They posted a correction today as per the original press release.

"WHY DO YOU THINK I TOOK YOU TO ALL THOSE POLICE ACADEMY MOVIES!? TO LAUGH!? WELL I DIDN'T HEAR
ANYONE LAUGHING!"

Couldn't Resist

 

[PaulP]

I still can't get my head around this decision. Could they not include both transfers?

Oh well. With the only comforting thought that the discs are open-matte and not pan-and-scan, I placed my order at DDD for a measly 43 bucks. That's about $6 a disc. Pretty good.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Right. But the way DVD File has worded the item ("just in from Warner is a revised press release...") makes it sound as if DVD File is simply announcing a change in specs by WHV, not that the site is correcting its own mistake.

 

[Lyle_JP]

This happened many years back with another Warner Bros film, "Twice Upon a Time". HBO started showing the theatrical cut, complete with foul language and plenty of family-unfriendly sexual innuendo and assorted bodily functions. Then, after a few weeks, a new family-friendly version of the film started appearing on HBO. All subsequent video releases and cable showings have been this sanitized version.

-Lyle J.P.

 

[Andrew Radke]

Well hearing about this correction is very disheartening. Here I thought there was a tiny shred of hope that it was an error, and that 4 & 5 WOULD be widescreen.

I refuse to buy this set under any circumstances because even though all 7 films are in this set, it will still feel incomplete. Sure 4 & 5 aren't exactly screen classics, but come on. If 5 of the 7 films are OAR, then why on earth are 4 & 5 an exception to the rule.

It breaks my heart because I love these movies to death. Hell, I grew up watching them as a kid....which makes it that much more difficult to pass this up....but I'm left with no choice.

 

[CraigL]

Ditto. WB lost another sale with me. I'm picking up the first 3. I really liked the 4th and 5th a lot. 6th not so much but I'd take it in the set. And the 7th? well, i've never even seen it but again, I'd take it in the box. But that just isn't happening I guess.

I know it's an EXTREME long shot...but anyone think another region might get them in widescreen??

 

[WillG]

I'm not so sure it's that much of a long shot. There have been titles every so often that are MAR only here but OAR in other regions. Supposedly hardly anyone pisses and moans about black bars in R2.

 

[Michael Allred]

Yup, just get the titles you want individually that are OAR, skip the box set and non-OAR 4 & 5 and WB might get the message.