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Originally Posted by jrs
I know all about that.

Anyhoo, I reported DVD news for the media for over almost over a year and I know what I am talking about. The 14-Disc Superman Box Set will be put out Tuesday, June 27th - the week of the theatrical release of "Superman Returns". Along with a collaboration of a bunch of other Superman releated DVD titles.

As for the documentary "Look Up in the Sky", it will be released first June 20th and then on the 27th with the collection.



I've been reporting for www.dvdfanatic.com for almost three years, and have access to all the press sites and it's my job to be scanning DVD news daily. It will not be coming out on June 27.

For one thing, this is a very high-profile release, yet Warner hasn't made a peep about it. It's 6 weeks away. For pre-orders and such to come in on time, and for all the coverage to file away, they'd need to have announced it by now. And they have, in that link I posted, saying it's coming out in Q4.

Another thing, which you even showed, is how your "early information" indicates that Superman Returns will be part of the 14 disc set. Surely, you would not think Warner would release its biggest title of the year on DVD 4 days before its theatrical debut.

As well, most of the Superman products (the animated series, the Lois and Clark series, the old 1950's series, the "Up in the Sky" documentary), are being released a week before, on June 20, a week and a half before Returns.

As well, in their frequent talks with the WB PR, the incredibly reliable www.thedigitalbits.com had mentions of the Superman box set from them months ago, indicating that it would be released in the fall, alongside Returns.

If anything, there will be an HD only box set on the 27, with the original 4 films and some extras (and not Returns), with the standard DVD box set to come in the fall alongside Returns, and even more TV series releases.

If I need any more reasoning, let me know. In the meantime, I'd love to know how you know without a shadow of a doubt that a 14-disc box set, with Returns included in it, would be released only days before the theatrical release of Returns. Call me curious.
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Originally Posted by Don Fishies
If I need any more reasoning, let me know. In the meantime, I'd love to know how you know without a shadow of a doubt that a 14-disc box set, with Returns included in it, would be released only days before the theatrical release of Returns. Call me curious.
The folks over at SupermanCinema.com have shared the early specs for the set. If you're curious.
Those specs are not complete which is why I mentioned so in my earlier post.

I have no doubt in what you are stating and what you and The Digital Bits report, for I am sure you know what you're talking about. I am just reporting news that I have reported/received.

This specific one needs more time in order to get a full report for our readers.



"Scary Movie 4"
Release Date: August 15, 2006

DVD Details:
  • 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
  • Dolby Digital 5.1
  • Audio Commentary with David Zucker, Bob Weiss and Craig Mazin
  • Deleted and Extended Scenes (Including "Tom Ryan on Oprah - The Long Take")
  • "The Man Behind the Laugh: David Zucker" featurette
  • Visual Effects featurette
  • Trailers

* Cover Art will be available shortly



Toshiba has unveiled Qosmio, a multimedia notebook PC that plays HD DVD movies, reports Home Media Retailing.

The $2,999 device features a 17-inch diagonal screen and HD DVD/DVD multi-drive (for standard DVDs) in addition to the usual laptop features.



That looks like a must have, thanks jrs
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SoOOO stoked for those SW DVD's. Nice to know that the Lucas folk will listen to their customers. not nice to know that they hold me under their thumb- and i'll continue to buy every damn version of those DVD's that they put out.



"Find Me Guilty"
Release Date: June 27, 2006



DVD Details:
  • Anamorphic Widescreen
  • English DD5.1 Surround
  • English and Spanish subtitles
  • Behind the Scenes
  • Conversation w/ Vin Diesel about Character, Sydney Lumet, Body/Make up work, meeting Jackie DiNorscio
  • Conversation w/ Sydney Lumet about the film and the actors, history of the film
  • Theatrical Trailer



"Inside Man"
Release Date: August 8, 2006

*Cover Art available soon

DVD Details
  • 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
  • English Dolby Digital 5.1
  • Audio Commentary with Director Spike Lee
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Making of Inside Man featurette
  • Number 4 featurette





Vin looks sooooooooo different with hair. Like a wimp hehe. Never even heard of this before. You watch this jrs? Any good?



Yes I have seen it. It's based on a true story. Besides his usual types of films like XXX, Pitch Black and the like, this film is one example that shows he can really act. Others that show his talent are in Saving Private Ryan and Boiler Room.



Originally Posted by jrs
Full Details on the Unaltered Star Wars Trilogy 2-Disc Set.
In regards to the new Star Wars DVDs, I found this rant off of TheDigitalBits.com to be interesting, and completely discouraged me from buying up the new DVDs....

Well... it seems we've started a bit of a firestorm with this business we posted yesterday about the original versions of the Star Wars films on the forthcoming (9/12) DVD release being offered in non-anamorphic widescreen video only. So be it. Sometimes, you have to call it like you see it. The news is absolutely true by the way. We've confirmed it specifically with reps of both Lucasfilm and Fox. It is no rumor.

By the way, for those of you who don't know what anamorphic means on DVD, we refer you to our
in-depth guide on the subject.

What you will, in fact, be getting on the second disc in each of these new 2-disc sets (unless something changes dramatically and soon) are transfers of the original films that were done for the 1993 "definitive collection" laserdisc box set release. (By way of confirmation, Lucasfilm's Jim Ward had this to say about the transfers
in the recent USA Today story: "It is state of the art, as of 1993, and that's not as good as state of the art 2006.") Great. Thanks. Swell.

So the transfers, and the technology used to produce them, are MORE than a decade old. Of course, they're going to be digitally cleaned up a bit, and even a non-anamorphic transfer is going to look better in digital video on DVD than the same transfer would when presented on an analog laserdisc. Colors are going to bleed less, detail will be a little sharper. There's also apparently an additional bit of tweaking being done, because Episode IV will feature the original 1977 version of the opening crawl (sans the "Episode IV" text) which has NEVER been released on home video before, save for in excerpted form in the 2004 Empire of Dreams
DVD documentary (which, we feel strangely compelled to point out, WAS ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN). In any case, the bottom line is that the transfers we're getting on DVD are old and they're non-anamorphic. The video resolution and quality is going to pale in comparison to the look of most other widescreen films on DVD.

A lot of people have been e-mailing us asking why Lucasfilm doesn't simply do new anamorphic, high-definition transfers of these versions of the films. Well... after confirming and posting the non-anamorphic information yesterday, we started making follow-up calls to various experts and industry insiders... you know, just to figure out what the hell was really going on. Were we crazy in feeling a little outraged about this? Was this really just a half-assed effort designed to milk Star Wars
fans yet again? What was the real reason for the lack of new anamorphic transfers?

It's been reported previously that when Lucas went back to the original negatives of the Star Wars
films in the mid 1990s, they were found to be in bad shape. Such bad shape, in fact, that had they not been restored immediately, the films could have been lost forever. So restoration is exactly what Lucas had done. Except that when he was creating the new 1997 Special Edition versions of the films... he cut the original negatives. So the original negatives of the theatrical versions no longer exist. Okay, we knew that. But what's the big deal? What about the original interpositive prints? What about high-quality release prints? Why can't Lucasfilm just use either of those elements to do a new transfer for DVD?

Well... at the same time as he was preparing the 1997 versions, Lucas apparently went on a little tear and recalled every release print of the theatrical versions that he could get his hands on, and he had them all destroyed. Which means that when Lucas said back in 1997 that the original theatrical versions of the Star Wars
films no longer existed, he was serious. He apparently tried hard to make sure of it.

Nonetheless (and thankfully), we know for a FACT that beautiful dye transfer prints of the original versions of the films still exist in private hands, and that additional copies are preserved in a number of film archives around the world. What's more, Lucas would have been foolhardy if he didn't keep the original interpositives carefully stored in a climate-controlled vault for preservation's sake. Come on... of course he did. No one is THAT stupid that they'd just trash all the original elements of the films that made them rich beyond the dreams of avarice. In any case, neither the man himself nor senior Lucasfilm executives are willing to admit to that they exist, because as Lucas has said many times in the past, "They no longer exist."

So what are we left with? Either the films truly don't exist anymore, so it simply isn't possible to give them to you in state of the art quality (unlikely in the extreme, despite public and private statements to the contrary)... or Lucasfilm DOES have copies of the original versions in their vaults, and they're just unwilling (or too damn cheap) to spend the money to give them to you in state of the art quality... yet.

If the former is true, there can be no future anamorphic release of the original versions on DVD, and there can be no high-def release on the new Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD formats. Laserdisc is as good as it will ever get for those original theatrical cuts. If, on the other hand, the latter is true (and we believe it is)... Lucasfilm's greed is truly boundless.

Bottom line: This notion that Lucasfilm is doing the fans a favor by finally giving them the original versions on DVD in 2006... but in 1993 laserdisc quality... is baloney. In fact, it's unacceptable. Even though most of them probably don't even know what anamorphic means on DVD, or why they should care about it, the fact remains that the fans are getting bilked. We hate to say it, because we've known many of the folks at Lucasfilm for years now. But someone HAS to say it. It needs to be said. Lucasfilm can and should do better. Who knows? Maybe they're already planning to do better for the 30th Anniversary of the original Star Wars next year... and this is just one more bite at the pie in the meantime.



Originally Posted by Don Fishies
In regards to the new Star Wars DVDs, I found this rant off of TheDigitalBits.com to be interesting, and completely discouraged me from buying up the new DVDs....

...this business we posted yesterday about the original versions of the Star Wars films on the forthcoming (9/12) DVD release being offered in non-anamorphic widescreen video only. So be it. Sometimes, you have to call it like you see it. The news is absolutely true by the way. We've confirmed it specifically with reps of both Lucasfilm and Fox. It is no rumor.




Originally Posted by Don Fishies
Well... it seems we've started a bit of a firestorm with this business we posted yesterday about the original versions of the Star Wars[font=Arial][color=black][i] films on the forthcoming (9/12) DVD release being offered in non-anamorphic widescreen video only. So be it. Sometimes, you have to call it like you see it. The news is absolutely true by the way. We've confirmed it specifically with reps of both Lucasfilm and Fox. It is no rumor.
Thanks for the info, Donnie



Warner Home Video will be releasing this year's drama ATL, starring Keith David onto DVD. The feature will be available in separate 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen and 1.33:1 fullscreen editions the main feature is presented in English and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Surround Sound audio tracks. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are also provided. The disc will be available to own when it hits store shelves July 18, 2006.

Sometimes 17-year-old Rashad and his pals hang out at the Waffle House, trying to figure out what's next after they graduate. But on Sunday nights, they know what's coming. They'll be at the Cascade roller rink: laying down moves, chillin' with friends...and for a few hours leaving what's outside, outside. ATL is a Sunday night fever of laughs, drama and crunk sounds. Video director Chris Robinson makes his feature debut, guiding an ensemble that includes newcomers Tip Harris (aka rapper T.I.), Lauren London and Antwan Andre Patton (aka Big Boi of the duo OutKast).

DVD Details:
  • Deleted Scenes
  • "In the Rink: A Director's Journey" featurette
  • "What You Know" music video
  • Trailers




Originally Posted by jrs
According to the official press release, it doesn't say it is in Anamorphic Widescreen so, I don't think it's literally their fault into leading us think it is.
Yeah, but you'd still think that Lucas and Co. wouldn't be so cheap to not give us anamorphic transfers. On one hand, he's finally caving in and giving the fans what they want, but on the other, he's still screwing them over.

I'll wait for the uber-special box set that will probably come around next year.