DVD Rumor Mill: E.T., Spider-Man, Star Wars, X-Men, More...

[James Harvey]

www.thedigitalbits.com (with extra info from myself) reports:

<li>Early word is that August titles from Paramount should include Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, Staying Alive, Saturday Night Fever and True Colors. And look for a bevy of Halloween-themed releases in September.

<li>E.T. is looking like a possible August title from Universal, but you can tentatively expect Brotherhood of the Wolf to be released first on 6/25. Once again, look for the Back to the Future Trilogy in December. Universal is rumored to also be prepping more animated X-Men DVDs.

<li>Lucasfilm is indeed working on a 2-disc DVD version Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, for release in October or November (the final street date has yet to be determined, although many dates have circulated on the Net).

<li>Word is Columbia TriStar's going all out on the eventual DVD release of Spider-Man scheduled tentatively for later this year. The DVD set will be at least two discs, with extensive behind the scene information, covering all the aspects of the movie's production from start to finish.

<li>Fox is working on a more deluxe X-Men: Special Edition DVD to include director's audio commentary and other extras, along with the first trailer for X-Men2. John Ottoman will be either rescoring the entire movie (!) or rescoring the deleted scenes added back into the movie. Also, expect extensive behind the scene coverage.

<li>MGM's Thelma and Louise: Special Edition has been pushed to 2003, but look for their Dances with Wolves: Special Edition later this year, to include both the American and European theatrical versions.

<li>And word from Miramax is that we can tentatively expect Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colors Trilogy (Blue, White and Red) and a Pulp Fiction: Special Edition before the year is out.

<li>Warner's The Iron Giant: Special Edition is still on track for the holidays.

Comments?

[Keith]

Originally posted by Jim Harvey
Warner's The Iron Giant: Special Edition is still on track for the holidays.

After hearing about this title for so long, I can only scratch my head and wonder if they are talking about the holidays of THIS YEAR! :confused:

[joshualane]

I'm definitely looking forward to Star Wars, Spiderman and Iron Giant SE, but ET is a pass for me as I was never a big fan of the film.

The X-Men DVD sounds nice, but I'm not sure if it's nice enough to warrant replacing the copy I already have...especially if it doesn't come in the same nice packaging the original did.

Besides all these titles though, the one release I'm REALLY looking forward to this fall (besides the Lord of the Rings Extended Version Box Set of course) is the Stargate - Season 2 Box Set. I've been putting off buying the R2 DVD's for quite a while now and I hope MGM decides to release the remaining seasons as well.

[Corran Horn]

I'll have to give them my old X-men to go along with the 'The Princess Bride' and 'JFK' old versions once I get the new release.

[Sugar Daddy]

Originally posted by Jim Harvey


<li>Fox is working on a more deluxe X-Men: Special Edition DVD to include director's audio commentary and other extras, along with the first trailer for X-Men2. John Ottoman will be either rescoring the entire movie (!) or rescoring the deleted scenes added back into the movie. Also, expect extensive behind the scene coverage.


I hate when movie companies do this. I wish there would only be one version of a DVD, on which the company put as much features and stuff as possible. But that doesnt bring in the $. Still aggravates me though.

[holyholy]

it would be cool if we can trade in the older version for the newer one, at get the new one at cheaper price... say a third off of the price. cuz it really blows that they do this.

let's see, i have the old iron giant dvd, xmen dvd, return of the joker dvd, almost famous dvd, spartacus dvd, the list is endless. sheeesh. someone should really sue the dvd industry... hehehe

[Adam Tyner]

Originally posted by Sugar Daddy
I hate when movie companies do this. I wish there would only be one version of a DVD, on which the company put as much features and stuff as possible. But that doesnt bring in the $. Still aggravates me though. The new version is reported to incorporate footage that has yet to be filmed, and I'd imagine there would be quite a few angry fans out there if Fox held off on releasing the <i>X-Men</i> DVD until <i>X-Men 2</i> hit theaters. :)

For a movie I enjoyed like <i>X-Men</i>, I'd rather spend $15 or whatever and enjoy the DVD for a couple of years instead of waiting for the talent and studio to assemble a special edition that may or may not ever see the light of day.

I don't think this decision was motivated by Fox trying to encourage the audience to buy two versions of the same DVD. The number of people who would do that, in comparison to the size of the overall number of DVD owners out there, is probably pretty tiny. Fox did push out the original DVD in time for the holidays, but it's still a very good release despite lacking some of the supplements slated to appear on the upcoming disc.

holyholy: Dreamworks made it clear well before the original <i>Almost Famous</i> DVD was issued that a special edition would follow when Cameron Crowe had the time to devote to its creation. Would you prefer that the original DVD not have been released for another 9 months? <i>Spartacus</i> is a bad example to use since the releases are from two different studios, with the second coming from the well-respected Criterion.

I know you were joking with the "let's sue 'em" comment, but no one's making anyone buy DVDs. If you or anyone else is unhappy with the quality of the current release and think a reissue may be in the wings, you can wait and see if one comes along.

If you were given a choice between spending a few bucks to get <i>The Iron Giant</i> in November '99 or waiting three years for a special edition release, what would you do?

[Christopher N. Denner]

What I'm ticked off about is that they hinted at bringing out another version of the DVD months before it come out. So why even bother releasing it if it's not what it should be? Arrggghhh...

:mad:

[Adam Tyner]

Originally posted by spooie
What I'm ticked off about is that they hinted at bringing out another version of the DVD months before it come out....which is exactly what they should have done: allow consumers to make an informed decision and decide whether or not to wait for the coming release. Admittedly, Fox didn't plaster the fact on billboards or anything, but the information was out there for those who keep up on such things.


So why even bother releasing it if it's not what it should be? Arrggghhh...The original release is exactly what it should've been, and more -- a gorgeous presentation in terms of video and audio, with the added bonus of a healthy smattering of supplemental material. It wasn't a release that'd set the world on fire, but it's still a very good disc. Fox was under pressure to get a quality DVD out in time for the holidays, and I feel that they greatly succeeded.

As far as holding off on a release, as I asked earlier, how long would you be willing to wait? I remember the outcry when American Beauty was released on VHS months before the DVD because Sam Mendes and company were putting together something special. There would've been quite a bit of anger, disappointment, and confusion if X-Men faced a delay of even a few months, let alone two and a half years. <small>(I'm assuming the re-release will be tied into X-Men II hitting theaters, which I believe is still slated for May 2003, as well as that you'd prefer to wait for Singer to film those new scenes for this DVD.)</small>

Would I have preferred that the original release be as spectacular as the upcoming disc promises to be? Of course. Would I be willing to wait two years without a DVD of the theatrical version to enjoy in the meantime? Nope. Did Fox botch the first release? I'd say not, though opinions are certain to vary...

[Sugar Daddy]

Woah woah woah, they are filming new scenes for X-Men? It already came out and stuff. Why? Explain, please?

[Christopher N. Denner]

In all honesty, I think the first DVD was put together quite horridly. There are some good stuff, like The Jackman screen test... but I was rather underwhelmed with how things were presented on the disk. And it is not presented as fludly as it should be.

It's got that annoying "Fox DVD Video" trailer montage at the beginning, before the FBI warning. I loathe those things.

The animated menus (including the animated sequences with Cerebro BEFORE they show you the menus) are very uninspired. I mean... first person perspective video of driving down a road as the interactive menu background? What does that have to do with ANYTHING? Of all the stock from the film, they pick THAT for the background?

The Charlie Rose show snippets are a joke. You get 5 SMALL segments, often cutting off a conversation or starting in the middle of a sentence! WHAT?!?! Segments 2, 3 AND 4 all cut Singer off by starting in the middle of a sentence. Segment 3 is 25 seconds. You CANNOT have a conversation in 25 seconds! Why not show ALL of them, uncut, in one full segment? And might I also mention that the volume of those segments are very LOW.

The extended branched sequence was decent, but not pieced together as great as it should had. The way it's set up, you have to watch the exact same scene with Jean and Wolvie TWICE just to watch a minor alteration. So why not just take the whole first scene out anyway? What's the point?

No commentary of any sort, not production notes, not even actor/writer/director bios that are found in almost all other DVDs these days.

I wouldn't have minded waiting. Problem is, I didn't buy my DVD. I got it for Christmas. I'm just ticked that they knew they were going to come out with another version, didn't bother announcing it to the general public, and knew they could get away with people buying an inferior version just so they could cash in a year or 2 later. And I don't like the idea of having to toss something to the side that I got as a gift from someone, who didn't know any better themselves.

That's just my 2¢ anyway.

[Adam Tyner]

Originally posted by spooie
In all honesty, I think the first DVD was put together quite horridly.But extras are...well, extra. The only truly important thing is that the film is presented respectably, and the quality of the audio and video on the current DVD are extremely nice. Maybe even demo quality. Supplements are just icing on the cake. I wasn't bowled over by it, but I'm happy enough with the current disc that if new footage weren't incorporated into the upcoming release that I probably wouldn't bother with it.


I wouldn't have minded waiting.Deciding whether or not to purchase a DVD given available information is a personal choice, and I don't fault you for feeling that way. Would you agree that the number of people who would wait would be small compared to the number who would rather get the current disc and pick up a possible re-release years down the road?

Supplemental material I'll watch once, if it all, doesn't matter that much to me when I could enjoy the movie in the highest quality format available for a couple of years.


I'm just ticked that they knew they were going to come out with another version, didn't bother announcing it to the general public, and knew they could get away with people buying an inferior version just so they could cash in a year or 2 later.It wasn't a definite that the disc would be revisited at the time (according to Peter Staddon, Fox Home Entertainment's senior VP of marketing). Even if Fox had announced it beforehand, I don't think most people would've understood. They'd just look at it as corporate fleecing, which I personally don't feel that it is.

X-Men was a very highly anticipated release by many, and I'm glad Fox decided to go ahead and issue a good (not overwhelmingly spectacular, but good) DVD instead of going the Lucasfilm route and making fans wait for years.

[James Harvey]

I don't mind having to by the upcoming X-Men DVD. I'm rathar looking forward to it. The current edition, though slim, suits me just fine. It was one of my first DVD's so I was quite blown away by the extras, really. But this new edition I am looking forward to and wont mind plunking down the $20 for it. I gotta agree with Tyner here. I dont mind that FOX released a well priced ($18.99 for me) X-Men DVD to hold us over until a huge special edition hits the shelves. I can't wait to see the new films and deleted footage put back into the movie. It's gonna be a whole new experience. And I plan to keep both versions of the movie...

[Christopher N. Denner]

At times I'll buy a DVD with extras in mind, and at times I won't. I didn't much consider the extras as it was a gift, and I did not in fact buy it. But if they put extras on there, they might as well do it the right way, or what's the point? Yes Adam, I'd agree that the number of those who'd wait for it would be lower than the ones who'd want it as fast as possible.

I guess that's just the way it goes in hollywood marketing.

[Adam Tyner]

Originally posted by spooie
Yes Adam, I'd agree that the number of those who'd wait for it would be lower than the ones who'd want it as fast as possible. "As fast as possible" isn't what I had in mind. There's a difference between spending a few additional weeks or even a few months to spiffing up extras and over two years.

[Adam Tyner]

More info on the X-Men DVD from DavisDVD:


A new and improved X-Men DVD is definitely in the works. Among the usual making of featurettes that the first disc was sorely lacking, director Bryan Singer has mentioned that he will finally provide an audio commentary. But here's the best part: with X2 (the sequel's "catchy" title) slated to begin production this month, 20th Century Fox has alotted the budget and a few days in the shooting schedule to film new scenes for the X-Men Special Edition DVD. No word on what the exact scenes will be, but rumor has it that they will involve the origins of Storm and Cyclops. The DVD may also reinstate some previously deleted footage. Look for the new disc to arrive in time for X-Men 2's May 2003 release.

[baggins]

Are there still the two versions of E.T , being released on two discs?.(orginal theatrical release and CGI new version), I hear the special effects on the newly released version , are not up to scratch.It's the original version I'm looking forward to, but if they put in the new version as a comparison, all the better. :D

[Adam Tyner]

As far as I know, that's still the case.

[GL2k2]

I have to mention that Jackie Brown will be released on DVD the same day as the Pulp Fiction Special Edition, both with commentary tracks by QT.

[Evil Dr. Reef]

Lucasfilm is indeed working on a 2-disc DVD version Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, for release in October or November (the final street date has yet to be determined, although many dates have circulated on the Net).
That's a helluva lot faster than Episode One came out. But, then again, I suppose compiling all that extra stuff would take a little bit of time...

[James Harvey]

I believe E.T. is heading for an August release. It will be a two disc set containing both versions of the films and a stack of extras.