Mike O

SilverWook said:

This has been a bit of a trend with music for a while. I was pretty annoyed when some tracks from the Tron Legacy soundtrack were not on the CD. They were only on Itunes, or a limited edition 2 disc set overseas that became Ebay fodder. I want the whole damn score, dammit!

Clearly, someone at Paramount have been hitting the Romulan ale to come up with a greedy, asinine idea like this, and piss off the fans.

What I find especially peculiar about it is that you'd think they'd be doing the opposite. Not only is physical media the collector's market, but it's also more expensive. Wouldn't they want to put the extra stuff there to offer more incentive?

pittrek said:

What a bunch of assholes. I'm definitely NOT buying the Bluray unless they release a PROPER version of it.

If they do, of course. And he is 100% right about the director's cuts that're still MIA on Blu-Ray too. And if they didn't come out to coincide with this, we aren't likely to them at any point in the future. Maybe if a third film comes out or for the 50th anniversary in 2016 (which is a ways out), but doubtful.

Ryan McAvoy said:

pittrek said:

What a bunch of assholes. I'm definitely NOT buying the Bluray unless they release a PROPER version of it.

Sadly I'm probably with you. Was looking forward to STID on BR but I can't support treating fans like this. Maybe I'll wait 'til it shows up second hand then my hands stay clean. Audio commentaries are a deal maker/breaker for me. I'll buy any Ridley Scott film (Even the ones I hate) if he's included a commentary (He usually does) because they are so good. Same for Coppola and Scorsese and JJ's commentary on ST2009 was great. Sad face.

Games are going the same way with the last one I played being the new 'Tomb Raider'. A superb game (One of the best ever in fact) that never the less left a sour taste in my mouth. It came with zero unlockable bonus content (Like skins, weapons, maps etc) for achieving anything. All of which were available day-one to pay for.

But when I discovered you had to pay a fee to take the game to 100% completion, I was absolutely disgusted. Like turning the page to the last chapter of a book and finding a white page with the words "F*ck you pay me" typed in middle.

100% agree. What I find especially worrisome about it is that with physical media quickly dying, maybe Paramount and Microsoft are just ahead of the curve and are the fist to make unpopular decisions. Look, I'll pay more for this stuff. I'll pay more for imports. I bend over backwards to do these things legally. And this is the thanks I get? To say nothing of the horseshit of an iTunes version, which I can't watch anywhere except my computer or an APPLE TV, since, they won't let me put the damn thing I paid for through the streaming on my Blu-Ray player.

Johnny Ringo said:

What a dick move.

This sort of thing will end up hurting themselves as it will encourage piracy.

I'm hoping that there'll be a double-dip six months down the line (Something I never thought I'd hear myself say!), or a disc from another region that has everything, but my biggest concern is that neither will happen.

Jay, update the forums, quite apart from a search function that actually works, we need a multi-quote button!

No, I'm fine with that, it's about the iTunes version having extras they're omitting from the Blu-Ray version.

www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/082813_1415

And I wholeheartedly agree with him about Paramount being so uncaring about the much-needed director's cuts.

Well, isn't this just fucking special? Hopefully not a harbinger of things to come about the further death of and disinterest of studios in physical media, but I I'm thinking that too. But in the meantime, just fuck you, Paramount. Fuck you sideways.

I wish him luck and am very happy for him, but at his age, this is going to be a lot of work!

Is Harris' offer still open? Could Disney hire him if they're working on the hypothetical restorations? Will they? If what is being suggested is true (OOT footage was dumped, the rest was restored), then it sounds line there'd be a lot less restoration to do. But that sounds too good to be true, and that's if Disney is interested in a restoration. 

Mielr said:

 

Ryan McAvoy said:
These days fan word of mouth can really boost or fatally damage a film.

Makes me think of "The Lone Ranger." Depp is blaming the critics' reviews for the film's failure and Disney has lost an estimated $190 million.

They can make some of that back with a proper OOT release. ;-)

 

What bugs me is that whenever a badly reviewed film like all of the Transformers movies does well, the studios and producers go "Bah! Stupid critics! They don't know anything!" But then when a film that got bad reviews bombs they say it wouldn't have if it hadn't gotten bad reviews. I can't work both ways guys. The Lone Ranger might've been an interesting movie if Verbinski has actually decided which one he wanted to make. It bounced from shockingly violent Peckinpah-esque deconstruction to knockabout slapstick. And it was way, way, way, way too long. The Lone Ranger and John Carter of Mars (I will not remove the "of Mars" from the title, even if Disney does) both counted as big bombs. I'm hoping that'd contribute to a desire to release the OOT, but we'll see.

Fang Zei said:

How appropriate that the youtube commenter put DVD in all caps. Yes, it was released on dvd, which unfortunately allows for quite a range of quality (the GOUT, for example, was an IVTC'd laserdisc master). But we still don't have the original versions on blu-ray, do we?

Mike O, there's nothing to stop Disney and Fox from working out a deal right now. They need not wait until 2020. It's only the distribution rights, anyway. If Disney didn't mind seeing a small portion of those blu-ray sales going to Fox, they could release the damn thing right now. The only real problem is the distribution rights to the '77 film are apparently Fox's FOREVER. I guess maybe that's something dating back to 1977 that didn't change when they voluntarily handed the film back over to Lucas in the mid-90's.

Yeah, theoretically no, but it'll depend on how much they're willing to share and build bridges. And with this much money on the line, I'm wondering if they'd be willing to do it. But we're talking about the dealing of multibilliondollar corporations too, I'm sure there's plenty going on that we don't know.

Fang Zei said:

DominicCobb said:

I think the sooner someone asks LFL about their position on the OUT at this time the better. No doubt they have a position, so it'd be great to know for sure what it is. And to make it clear there are still people out here that want to see these movies.

Indeed it's surprising we haven't heard anything yet. It's been the better part of a year since the Disney deal. Maybe the plans for the OOT haven't been finalized yet and they don't want to say anything until making the grand announcement.

Or maybe nothing is happening and this is all just speculation, which is far more likely.

Fang Zei said:

At this point, an OOT release isn't so much a matter of "if" but "when" and "how" and "what." How will they go about restoring it? Will they include the '97 version for completionism's sake? What about the prequels? Will they now be stuck in their revised form on blu-ray while the OOT remains available?? What about the "official" version of the OT? Will it be re-scanned or will the lowry master linger on even longer?

"When?" At the earliest, probably 2020 when Fox loses the rights to ESB and ROTJ, but I still think it's an "if." And even if they do, last time we got the GOUT, there isn't any reason to believe it'll be a proper restoration. Probably not any time soon, if at all.

Ryan McAvoy said:

Does anybody actually care about getting untouched versions of the PT?

Not being sarcastic, genuinely interested.

Personally I'd be quite happy for all prints of TPM puppet yoda being burned and erased from existence. I care much more about getting ALL the PT deletedmaterial released in HD. Alternate line deliveries, deleted scenes and crucially the half of each movie before it was reshot/f*cked up at the pickup stage. Then faneditors can use it to make even better cuts.

Plus as far as I know all changes have been to add little bits here and there (Taxi, Podrace etc) so at least the material is out there in HD. Unlike the OT where it doesn't exist. Feel free to correct me on this if I'm mistaken.

Well nominally no, but if we are going to take a stand about film preservation and Lucas' historical revisionism, we can't just say it doesn't apply to the PT because we don't like it or we'd be hypocrites. To say nothing of THX1138, which is never, ever, ever getting a proper release.

Mielr said:"The OOT was already released on DVD- so why don't you losers just quit complaining and watch them?!" comments.

Ah, yes the GOUT is now a catch-22. How joyous.

Baronlando said:

http://www.foxconnect.com/star-wars-trilogy-episodes-iv-vi.html

So I guess this is just some pointless repack?

Presumably a DVD version of the changes made to the BR edition for the 9 people interested. Even if it is the OOT, which of course it isn't, It's still not a Blu-Ray release anyway.

Wolfman said:

Baronlando said:

It's probably the newest version on its own DVD. A lot of young kids watch regular DVD, so this makes sense. After all, there's a whole new generation that needs to be utterly bullshitted about what a 35 year old movie looks like.

 Right on ! Quoted for truth.

My thoughts exactly, more revisionist history to further the successful campaign to let more people see the vile SE versions.

Probably just a repackaging of the 2004 discs. Hopefully FOX are trying to cash in one last time before Disney buy it from them to release the OOT, but I probably have a better chance of marrying a supermodel, but hey, one can dream 

I refuse to believe that they can't. Won't? Sure. Don't want to commit the time and effort, and more importantly the money? Hell yes. But can't? With the resources they have? I doubt it.

CatBus said:

Laserschwert said:

generalfrevious said:

At least (hopefully) it won't be letterboxed like last time. I'd rather have a DNR'd OT than have them sit in a basement at LFL's offices.

It will definitely be letterboxed, because there are no anamorphic Blu-rays.

Don't be so sure. They could crop it to 16:9 ;-)

A new official OUT release just opens the discussion of how badly they could screw it up.  I still think the best-case scenario is they release the '81 crawl on Star Wars with the '93 mixes all around and they're still pretty faded.  The good news is that it pretty much has to be new scans.

So yeah, yay for new sources for Harmy to fix up and make presentable...

If you can't do something correctly, you shouldn't do it at all. I'd love to be more optimistic about this, but even if it does happen, they still have plenty of things they can fuck up. 

dvdmike said:

I got censored for saying it on bluray.com so will say it here:

 

Bill Hunt has a black spot for Fox

He reviewd the DNR mess of Patton and said it was great

He lied and said all 4 Alien films had a new master, only 2 did

He says every year for the last 4 years that True Lies and the Abyss are coming out this year and that he has in inside tip.

 

Guy just makes up shit for hits, or he trusts someone that is full of shit.

Either way until there is a real Announcement from FOX then I do not trust his bullshit 

This. There have been rumors flying ever since the Disney purchase, but nothing substantive. Until some rep from the corporation says something, I think is fanboy wishful thinking.

It's a legitimate question. If the OOT came out again, I'd watch in a heartbeat, and I certainly share the desires if everyone here in hoping that it'll come out. But I just have trouble seeing past the bullsht right now, all of this stuff has taken the magic away. If the originals come out and I can finally just watch them properly for what that they are, it'd probably come back to me. 

In all seriousness, I do wish the guy the best. I hate many of his artistic decisions, but as a person, he's done well by me, especially with his philanthropy. I applaud him for giving to those in need, and I hope that he finds happiness in his own life.

Laserschwert said:

Well, I haven't heard of this before, and since the search-function on this board is as helpful as flushing the toilet, I don't know if you have:

Teaser

Trailer

Yeah, with all due respect to Mr. Sylvester, I kind of wish he'd redesign the forums, but of course if he did that, it would probably mean jettisoning everything that's here now.

I don't remember the last time I watched the OOT, it's been years. What's happened to the franchise has become such a bitter point for me that I've divorced myself from all things Star Wars, and haven't watch since at least 2004 or so, if not longer. I try not watch Indiana Jones stuff either, blockbusters always hang in the specter of the films Lucas says "don't exist anymore," they all sadly remind me of Star Wars though. I know, I know seek therapy :p. But the joy has been sucked out of it for me.

I keep hoping vainly that with the loss of profits Disney have suffered from John Carter of Mars and The Lone Ranger, they'll consider releasing the OOT properly. While I'm at it, I wish for a billion dollars, a Cadillac, world peace, a date with a supermodel who loves nerds, a new home theater system, and a Star Trek transporter.

Unfortunately, all of my comments have that new name now for some reason, and there doest appear to be any way to unfuck it. Just fuck you Google. 

OK, deep calming breaths. I wanted to comment on a video. YouTube linked me in with my parents Google Plus account, which I did not know existed, and now my username has changed. The whole family has one e-mail account. I have my own e-mail account now, but I haven't switched everything over yet, so YouTube does everything through the central one that I signed up with a long time ago. I do not want my username to change. If that was what I wanted my fucking username to be, that's what I would have made my fucking username! I don't suppose I can change it BACK?!

EDIT: Apparently, you can change it back within 14 days. Luckily, I was able to. Until it fucks up something else again.

Having said that, if the fans flock to see this and continue to support Disney's various Star Wars projects rather than boycott them en masse to make a statement about the OOT, then.....Ah, hell then it won't make any difference anyway.

I don't suppose that we can actually take this idea to Jay and have the whole thing taken seriously to give our cause a serious push now that all of the stuff that's happened lately has happened.

Mielr said:

 

SilverWook said:

Baronlando said:

From what I've heard, sales of any blu ray that isn't a new release have been shockingly low, and not getting significantly better. I don't see how that can continue for too long but I'd like to be wrong. Supposedly even always-reliable titles like Wizard of Oz and Godfather fell way, way below projections. 

Oz is out of print right now, and Warners is going to milk it for the 75th anniversary next year. Maybe somebody will find some lost footage by then.

Blu-ray players are super cheap now ($69 is not unusual) and will eventually replace DVD-only players altogether (why would anyone buy one now?)

DVD releases are also being subtly phased out as the studios trump their new blu-ray releases.

I think what's happening is just that people aren't replacing their old DVD editions with blu-rays, they're only buying titles on blu-ray that they don't already own on DVD. It's understandable, because in many cases the DVDs still look pretty good.

"OZ" had a pretty stellar DVD release several years back ('05?) which I think probably hurt sales for the recent DVD & Blu-ray release.

I doubt they'll find any more lost "OZ" footage, unfortunately, aside from what's already been released. In those days they were pretty thorough when it came to destroying stuff they felt was unneeded. But who knows....;-)

 

Regular BR players may be, but the region free issue is way more complicated than it was on DVD and more pricey as well. 

Davnes007 said:

Moncynnes said:

Ponder this:

 

Which will get a DVD release first?  The Star Wars Holiday Special or Disney's Song of the South?

 

Discuss.

Song of The South - Because it's worth watching.

You know, I understand their reticence to release Song of the South, but couldn't they do an online special-order exclusive thing where adults with credit cards could buy it?

bkev said:

But who's there to say no to him this time? Is he not still to be surrounded by yes-men?

Well, what it sounds like is that he sold it outright and therefore shouldn't be involved directly. Now, as for what Lucas put into the contract, none of us know...

georgec said:

Mike O said:

I thought George was out of the picture altogether?

OK, well I wasn't dumb enough to actually think that, but that's what most of the press has made it sound like.