Why are there some DVDs released without a scene selection menu? (1 Viewer)

[Nicholas Vargo]

I recently bought the new edition of Radioland Murders from Universal a couple of days ago (a true guilty pleasure of mine) and I was shocked to discover that there was no scene selection menu on the disc.

This begs me to ask a question. Is this going to be a new trend in how DVDs are released. I thought it was shocking because there were 18 chapter stops on this particular DVD, and there wasn't even a chapter insert inside the case.

Can anyone fill me in to why some DVDs are being released without a scene selection menu?

 

[GregoryMesh]

Universal released a bunch of titles under Studio Selections banner that don't have any menus at all, so it's not new for them.

 

[Yee-Ming]

The cynic in me says to cut costs. And thereby boost profits.

Sigh... :frowning:

 

[Richard Kim]

Sometimes the scene selections are removed by the insistance of the director. David Lynch is a good example.

 

[Frank@N]

U pulled that trick on 'Cloak & Dagger' as well.

 

[Scott Temple]

And "The Wizard" (1989), which just got released on DVD. While it does suck that the scene selections aren't accessible from the menu, at least they are there. You just have to press the skip button on your remote while the movie is playing.

 

[Scott Simonian]

He didnt just removed the chapter selection screen...he removed chapters completely from his movies.

One chapter for the WHOLE movie.

 

[Magnus T]

Not to hijack the thread, but that isn't David Lynch's philosophy anymore. Wild at Heart, Blue Velvet and Lost Highway all have multiple chapters.

 

[GregoryMesh]

According to DVD Beaver captures, just released This Island Earth and State of the Union also don't have scene selection menu. Seem to be a regular Universal practice for catalogue releases.

 

[Scott Simonian]

Lost Highway is on dvd? Where? Not here in Reg 1 I'd assume.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

There's a pan & scan version available in Canada.

 

[MarkHastings]

Or maybe to 'cut costs' in order to release it in the first place?

 

[ted:r]

The resaon why a few movies don't have chapter selection is that so every other movie can tout scene selection as a "special feature".