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Armageddon Tired of
all these Re-Releases!!
If you've been keeping up with the DVD front over in region 2,
you'll have heard that Buena Vista UK have been planning on reissuing quite a few of there
infamous "flippers" and just plan nasty DVDs with Dual Layered DVDs AND as
Special Editions (in some cases 2 DISC special Editions)
The Good News for region 4 DVDers is that we too are getting re-issued with these DVDs!!!
On the 7th November BV Australia are set to re-release Air Force One, Armageddon,
Con Air, Face/Off, From Dusk Til Dawn, The Rock, and Starship Troopers.
The biggest and baddest DVDs of them all is no doubt the 2
disc sets of Armageddon (Director's Cut) AND From Dusk Till Dawn. (DTD also includes the 90 minute Full tilt Boogie Doco on the
making off ....).
Seeing as these DVDS are reissues (and not all technical specs
were given to us), we're still chasing up their picture and sound formats, and whether
they are still the UK censored versions or not (as was the case with Face/Off and the Rock
for their initial region 2/4 releases)
Also coming From BV
In Addition to these above mentioned Re-Release DVDs. BV also have
slated a heap of DVDs for October and November, (with MANY Disney animated titles)
October Releases : Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs : 2 Disc Set (over 2 /2 hours off extra featutes!!!), The
Emperor's New Groove : Deluxe 2 Disc Set
November Releases : Unbreakable : Deluxe 2 Disc Set, Coyote Ugly
(retail), 102 Dalmations, Aristocats, Fox and the Hound, Hunchback of Notredame,
Pocahontas, The Rescuers, Oliver and Company
EX or not EX that is still the frick'n Question
Honestly, i feel like I'm on a quest for the Search of the Holy Grail.
I've been asking all over the shop about Dolby Surround EX DVDs. Which ones have it?
which ones don't? why does the Dolby Web site list every movie that had a theatrical
release in Dolby EX as having a Dolby Surround EX track on DVD when even the distributor
fails to mention such a thing??
So Far not much is coming back, or known by many on the EX front. All we've been
able to find out is that No Region 4 Columbia DVDs are
"encoded" for Dolby Surround EX, NOR are any Roadshow (except for the upcoming Se7en
at this point) and Univeral DVDs.
Warner's The Exorcist:TVYNS is currently the ONLY DVD released in
Australia that is known to be an Official EX Encoded DVD (The Perfect Storm press release
Said it was in 6.1, but there was nothing further mentioned beyond that...it too decodes
perfectly to EX mode :)
BUT the question I've been asking, and not getting a reply to, is "Other than the
flagging for Dolby Surround EX playback, what is the actual audio difference between an
Encoded EX track and a non encoded EX track as i wouldn't have thought they would be any
given that the Surround Back channel is simply matrixed into the 2 surround tracks!"
(by "Non Encoded EX track" that i mean a movie that played theatrically
in Dolby EX...like Austin Powers 2 and DIDN'T get an official EX encoding for DVD... BUT
plays back WITH this Surround Back Channel just the same!!!)
Universal have given the most responsive information in
return so far, as i asked them about Cast Away. Theatrically it DID NOT have a Dolby
EX track, BUT the recent USA DVD release got both a Dolby Surround EX track AND a DTS-ES
6.1 Matrixed Track.
Email from Univeral Pictures
Australia:
I have been advised the following from our International office regarding your query on
Cast Away -
"The 5.1 on Castaway is the same
audio track as US. However is has been encoded as Dolby Digital and not Dolby EX. This
is the same as all Dreamworks titles. Encoded as Dolby DIGITAL 5.1."
So, given the nature of Dolby EX tracks, while this audio track has NOT been EX encoded
for our region 4 DVD, it should still decoded correctly to the Dolby Surround EX mode on
an EX amp (seeing as the audio stems sourced for the DVD Audio of both region 1 and region
4 DVDs are one in the same)
If none of that makes any sense to you, don't dispare, i'm
a little under the weather today and quick frankly rambling am probably bit a :)
Cass's Reviews
I did it again, i deleted Cass's reviews the other week before coverting them!
A good mixture this time around with the Director's Cut of JFK, Mouse Hunt, Road Trip (the
ruder version :), and The Jazz Singer
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Sole Survivor
Currently available as a rental DVD only, Cast Away
will be redone as a special edition 2 disc jobbie later in the year.
The Specs we received indicate that in nearly all instances our region 4 version will
match the region 1. EXCEPT we've been majorly gypped on the audio side of things and
ARE NOT getting the DTS-ES 6.1 matrix sound track found on the region 1 version!
REALLY BIG GRRRRRR!
Information made available to us at present simply says we
get a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which sounds absolutely superb on the rental only version, especially
when decoded in Dolby Surround EX mode.
We're chasing up as to whether the region 4 retail DVD is an "official Dolby Surround
EX encoded/flagged mix".
This film was NOT Dolby EX for its theatrical release, so there's some digging around to
do on this DVD's audio mix :)
C ast Away Special Edition 2 Disc Set
Picture Format - Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 (dual layer DVD)
Audio - Dolby Digital 5.1 surround
Extras -
- Commentary by Robert Zemeckis and crew
- Making of: HBO "First Look"
- Interview with Tom Hanks
- Documentary 1: "S.T.O.P - Surviving as a Castaway"
- Documentary 2: "Wilson - The Life and Death of a
Hollywood
Extra", On
Location: "The Island"
Focus on Technical Effects
Storyboard-to-Film Comparison
Conceptual Artwork
Trailers
Booklet featuring Mini-Poster
Horror-ific Reviews
Magna Pacific are releasing 2 horror films to DVD this week, and our reviews are now up.
The excellent indie film Ginger Snaps, which is unfortunately technically
flawed in both the audio and video department, and on the flip side the just-plain-flawed,
heavily-de-gored and yawn-I'm-bored Cherry Falls (okay so it's not
boring, well maybe just a little, but it was the only rhyming word I could think of okay!
:)
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Putting the V in DVD part
2
We have some confirmed news on the upcoming DVD release of V:
The Original Series
Spec wise here's what's on offer for the 3rd October, 189 minute DVD release
V : The Original
Miniseries
Picture Format - Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 (dual
layer DVD)
Audio - Dolby Digital 2.0 surround
Extras - Audio Commentary by Director Kenneth Johnson and a Behind
the Scenes Doco
We were also sent the Front Cover Scan
which you'll find over at our DVD Slicks Page.
LAST but not Least
Warner are set to release a fantastic movie to DVD (one i thought was NEVER
going to see the light of day), The Michael Mann version of The Last of the
Mohicans. Roadshow had the distribution rights to this for a while and they
ran out a little while ago, and so Warner picked them up for release in Australia (FOX
hold the distribution rights in the USA)
Our Region 4 version , also due for release on 3rd October, includes
The Last Of the Mohicans
Picture Format - Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio - Dolby Digital 5.1 surround
Extras - Music Only Track
Clive Barker's Nightbreed is being
unleashed in October, and like the USA release due soon, is to be the Theatrical version.
(Clive Barker is prepping his director's cut for release next year, though there's
no mention if it'll just be the USA who get this version) visit Clive Barker.com
for more info on this and other Clive Barkery things
Clive Barker's Nightbreed
Picture Format - N/A
Audio - Dolby Digital 5.1
Extras - Cast and Crew
Film Highlights, Theatrical Trailer
Columbia September DVD Releases
The Columbian have quite a linup for 12th & 19th
September, their two biggest titles no doubt being the excellent Cameron Crowe semi-bio Almost
Famous (though it's missing a DTS track, unlike the Dreamworks released USA
version :(, as well as the long time coming UNCUT version of True Lies.....yay
For specs on All September DVDsplease drop by our CTHE DVD Releases Page
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Magna-ificant DTS
Isn't it amazing what you can find on the internet when you
start poking around.
Magna Pacific has had a website
up for some time now, and i was digging around looking to see what they've planned for DVD
releases (seems they're intent on doing more DVD rentals :( ..... along with their DVD
SellThrus.
Of all the distributors of DVDs in Australia , their's is without a doubt the most
informative website for upcoming DVD listings and specs. (so kudos to them for
actually making an effort)
Anyhoo, what i stumbled across during my poking around, was the mention of DTS
soundtracks on some of their upcoming DVD releases. So Far only two are
listed and the titles in question are The Light Horseman and Dungeons &
Dragons
Both Will also carry a Dolby Digital 5.1 track and are Anamorphic Widescreen.
Nice..
Upcoming Magna DVDs
For specs on most these DVDs please drop by our Magna Pacific DVD Releases Page
August
BRASSED OFF / JOHN WAYNE VOL 1 / MUGGERS / YEAR OF THE HORSE / CLEOPATRA / HEAVENS
BURNING / ONCE WERE WARRIORS
September
ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER / BLACK DOG / ISN'T SHE GREAT / THANK GOD HE MET LIZZIE / THE
HAIRY BIRD / THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU / WRONGFULLY ACCUSED / SAVING GRACE / THE CUP /
LIGHTHORSEMEN
October
BODY PARTS / RPM / DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
November
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE / HIMALAYA / LOCH NESS / SHRINK IS IN / RIPPER / JIMMY ZIP
DVD Reviews
One of my favourite DVDs in a while, Bring it on,
is due out next week from Roadshow. Our Region 4 version may be DTS-less but the Dolby
Track rocks!!...
Roadshow also released their first (in what's to be quite a few) DTS DVDs last week, with The
Main Event.
Cass also reviewd Ab Fab : The Last Shout a few weeks back, but err..i
kinda forgot to post it :)
Dolby Stuff Specials!!!!
We've a handful of Dolby Demo DVDs left in Stock and we're offering a special
price til the current supplies runs out.
Usually priced at $44.50 Plus shipping, our Special Price is only $44.00
with FREE SHIPPING within Australia (gst is included)
We've also reduced the Price on the Dolby
Mouse Mats, Dolby Lapel Pins and DVD Carry Bags (stock is VERY limited on all so
get in quick!!!)
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DVD Reviews
A Few more from Cass today. The highly controversial Natural
Born Killers in the Uncut Director's Version, the oscar winning The
English Patient, and the naughties take on Wall Street with Boiler Room
New Slicks and Menus
okay, we've menu shots from 5 of the 7 DVDs out of Boxset 1 of the Hitchcock
Collection (Man Who Knew too Much, Rope, Saboteur, The Trouble with Harry and Shadow of a
Doubt). and along for the ride some DVD Slicks from upcoming Manga Pacific Titles
(The Crow Stairway to Heaven, Filth and Fury and The Body)
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New Slicks and Menus
We've even more coming over the next few days, but to start the week off is
Cherry Falls, Black Adder 1, Ginger Snaps and Xena : Warrior Princess
DVD Reviews
Same with the reviews actually. These were all ready for
posting last week, but a work trip held things up :).
From Cass we have DVD reviews for Bananas in PJs, Paulie and La Bamba. And From me,
Blast from the Past.
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>> june 2001 news >> |
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