"Wolfen" Delayed a week? (1 Viewer)

[Jon Robertson]

I agree with you, Michael.

It stuns me that once or twice a week people ask for "reference quality" DVDs, thinking the best way to get enjoyment out of their setup is to watch some technically top-notch film that they might well have no interest in.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I agree with you, Michael.

Which one?
M.
P.S. Jon, this message sounds like you meant to post it to a different thread.

 

[jacob w k]

It seems as though people think that great video and audio will make a bad movie good. I think that to some extent incredible audio design can make a big difference in your enjoyment of a movie but how does better visual quality make a movie that much better?

 

[Brett C]

quite easily.... In my opinon Pearl Harbor is one of the biggest pieces of crap ever made, yet I can endure it for the simple reason of how good the DTS track is... And on the Swarm and wolfen commentary issues From what Ive heard the commentary for the Swarm WAS actually recorded but was dropped at the 11th hour for a reason nobody knows.And I wouldn't mine betting the same happened on the Wolfen disc too.And on the Collateral Damage one, I'm glad they decided against paying Arnie for his participation. Still even though I will still purchase these discs its less of a priority for me personally to get them, as there are too many better releases flooding into stores at the present time...

 

[Jon Robertson]

Michael - 'Twas in reference to your first post in this specific thread.

Jacob - Well, as a blanket principle I agree with you. Non-anamorphic discs of films like Withnail and I, Dazed and Confused and Kubrick's Lolita doesn't make a terrible difference to the way they affect you, granted.

However, with other movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Royal Tenenbaums and Days of Heaven, where the soundtrack and image need every bit of clarity and detail that DVD can afford, technical excellence is crucial if one is to truly appreciate the film.

Similarily, supplements can boost one's opinion of the work dramatically - Criterion's George Washington is perfect case in example; it changed my mind from a film I thought was a fairly interesting failure to begin with to a superb, elegiac study of desolate beauty and drifting, ongoing lives.

 

[Jon Robertson]

quite easily.... In my opinon Pearl Harbor is one of the biggest pieces of crap ever made, yet I can endure it for the simple reason of how good the DTS track is...

Now, Brett, why not just buy a disc like Criterion's 8 1/2 instead, or two low-priced films you really love? Surely it's better to buy a great film than a merely tolerable one?

 

[JulianK]

(one gets the feeling that a lot more exposition was shot and then eliminated in favor of atmosphere)

Well, I guess now we'll never know...

 

[Michael Reuben]

Well, I guess now we'll never know...

We'll never know what Shakespeare liked to eat for breakfast when he was writing Hamlet, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the play.
M.

 

[Will_B]

Well, I guess now we'll never know...

I heard from the author from which the book was adapted, that a lot of the original "wolf vision" footage disintegrated and had to be reshot... but who knows.

The thing about the commentary track is that for a really old film, that is the sort of extra that would get me to watch it again. Otherwise, I've seen it enough.

 

[Robert Harris]

The Wolfen dvd is stunning, and a superb film.

I'll be discussing some background on the film, director Wadleigh, and the prologue which never was in the next Bits column. A very interesting tale of cutting funds of a potentially great film to save a bit of budget.

Just as a teaser, Orion seemingly didn't know quite what to make of the film, deciding to sell it as a werewolf picture as opposed to what it was...

a deep and thoughtful look into the casting aside of the Native American culture by the Dutch in early New York.

RAH

 

[JulianK]

We'll never know what Shakespeare liked to eat for breakfast when he was writing Hamlet, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the play.

If that's all that you get from commentary tracks, then I'm not suprised that losing one on a film that you enjoy doesn't seem to irritate you.
I don't think anyone who's ever enjoyed the work of the Bard who wouldn't have been fascinated to discover what his inspirations were, how he crafted his stories, and how they were brought to life by his actors.
The addition of a commentary track on a film like this would have tipped the balance between a disc that I'd buy, and one that I won't. It's not like I'm short of other titles to buy, and I already have a pretty decent letterboxed VHS copy!

 

[Michael Reuben]

As I've already said, I buy discs for the film, not the features. I can't imagine being satisfied with the resolution afforded by a letterboxed VHS of a 2.35:1 film, but that's just me.

I don't think anyone who's ever enjoyed the work of the Bard who wouldn't have been fascinated to discover what his inspirations were, how he crafted his stories, and how they were brought to life by his actors.

Sure, it could be fascinating. But the play's still the thing.

M.

 

[David Lambert]

Sure, it could be fascinating. But the play's still the thing.

Amen.

 

[Will_B]

Robert, I'll be looking forward to your column.
I'll link my unofficial Whitley Strieber website (the author of the book)(www.beyondcommunion.com) to your Bits comments.

 

[Paul_Scott]

just wanted to echo the positive comments from the people that have actually watched their discs.

i regreted selling off the LD a couple years ago, thinking it would be a long time before i saw it show up in this format.
anybody can correct me if i'm wrong, but the ld didn't even have a trailer.
also very happy to see minimal EE and a great print.
best $15 i've spent in a long time.


the irony is that , for such a wonderful film, Best Buy had only one copy (now mine) on tuesday morning, while the big star stinkaroo Showtime dominated a large standee display with about 40 copies (30 of which will no doubt be hogging space on the regular shelves from now till next year).
add to that 0 copies of Them, Curse of the Demon.
arrgghh.