Willy Wonka in Widescreen

[jrs]

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory will be released on DVD in letterboxed format on November 13th .

Finally!!!! :D

[Holden Pike]

Yeah, Warner Bros. announced this was coming before the pan-and-scan edition streeted at the end of August. Happily, they caved under the overwhelming cries of 'what the fu*k!?!?' at the proposition of no widescreen for the S.E. But it's good to finally have an official release date.

Hopefully the other studios are taking notes.

I'm glad about the advancements in DVD technology, but as a long-time owner of LaserDiscs, I always feared these steps once the newer medium became popular and mainstream. Letterboxing films was obviously going to become an issue for those blissfully uneducated regular Joes who don't want it (despite how many times you explain the benefits of letterboxing). And the next step will apparently be dreaded 'rental pricing'.

Too bad. I loved when my movie collecting hobby was restricted to those of us who truly cared about Film and demanded the best presentation on home video. With DVD sales increasing exponentially and the Blockbusters of the world throwing their weight into the ring, that attitude is true less and less.

Too frippin' bad.:mad:




[Edited by Holden Pike on 09-13-2001]

[spudracer]

I didn't think they were gonna release it on Widescreen til next year. I'm sure Warner got hell for it not being Widescreen, but it's a shame that normal folk don't know that they're gaining instead of losing screen. Stupidheads!!!

[spudracer]

Came across a story about this and was wondering, did Warner Brothers EVER release Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in Widescreen???

[Holden Pike]

Yes. It streeted on November 13th, 2001 (for those of us in R1).

[spudracer]

That's funny, I have never seen it on the shelves...Would you consider this available everywhere, or just places like Suncoast and etc.

[Holden Pike]

What do you mean by "everywhere"?

Is it at the local K-Mart or Wal-Mart? Probably not - at least not now, as it is a few months old. Did your local Blockbuster order any copies? Almost certainly not. Is it at Best Buy and Suncoast? Sure.

[Steve]

I work for Blockbuster. I heard they recently announced that they're only going to order pan and scan copies of new releases that have them, and NO letterboxed if at all possible. If the general moviegoing public wasn't a bunch of slack-jawed dunces this wouldn't have happened. I've spoken to customers about it, and most of them are too dumb to realize that they're getting MORE of the screen with widescreen, not less. I hate people. I want to quit my job.

[Holden Pike]

Yes, this was/is the Blockbuster poilcy, and has been for well over a year. And yes, Blockbuster certainly blows and always has.

THIS (http://www.petitiononline.com/widedvd/petition.html) is an on-line petition asking Blockbuster to wisen up on the widescreen DVD issue. It currently has almost 21,000 signatures (including mine, natch'!). Blockbuster has also been flooded with thousands of e-mails to their homepage (http://www.blockbuster.com/bb/about/contact/0,7111,,00.html?) (send to the "BLOKBUSTER Stores" address).

THIS (http://dvd.ign.com/articles/317445p1.html) is a relay of a Blockbuster response from the beginning of February, 2002. The question is, can this response be trusted and will we actually see any difference in local stores? Does this only mean they will buy say four or five copies of a title in widescreen and forty-five in pan&scan?

Personally, I'll believe it when I see it.

Of course Wal-Mart and Hollywood Video have the same non-widescreen preference policy as well, and they aren't even pretending to change.


Thanks to the inevitable introduction of fu*king rental pricing due in large part to Blockbuster's crying to the industry about lost revenue, whether my local Blockbusters decide to carry letterboxed titles may actually become important in the too-near future.

I'm glad I live in a large enough city that there is still a kick-@ss independent video store or two still in business. But in so many communities, Blockbuster and/or Hollywood video are sadly the only options available. I weep for you people.


And I wouldn't ever have worked at Blockbuster in the first place, but yeah, you should quit. Blockbuster is evil and must be stopped. If you aren't going to do anything about it from the inside, then get the Hell out of the belly of the beast.

[spudracer]

Originally posted by Holden Pike
Of course Wal-Mart and Hollywood Video have the same non-widescreen preference policy as well, and they aren't even pretending to change.

Yeah, I had to dig for the Widescreen copy of Silence of the Lambs when it was released last year with Hannibal.

I notice that Blockbuster has been going with the P&S, but kinda did throw a fit about it. It wouldn't do much, but it does make me mad. I would like them to do a half and half if they really had to choose. I mean that would pacify those wanting Widescreen as well as those wanting P&S.

As for Wonka, I figured they didn't have it "wide released" yet.