| ..... |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
BTW there's an Warner NTSC Petition (headed up by another party). If
you're wanting to say a bit more, then drop by and sign your name http://www.petitiononline.com/NTSC/petition.html.
(167 signatures and counting)
A Real Headcase
In 15 years, film writer Gregory Widen's Highlander Mythology has spawned 4 films, and
several TV Shows. Universal Pictures have seen fit to release Highlander
to DVD for the 15th Anniversary, and at the same time Roadshow have released Highlander
: Endgame #4 in the on-going series . coincidence in the
releases? i think not! :)
Magna also released the very groovy Psycho Beach Party to Rental-Only DVD
(those words just DON'T gel with me!) the other week the other week with the retail
release due in February! oy!
New DVD Menu Shots
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles and Stickmen menu shots are
now up (stickmen should be a pretty cool DVD)
6.1 Surround Sound Page Update
We've come across a few interesting addtions of late, and due to the nature
of these additions, we're in teh process of chasing up some more information on them.
Several movies released to Theatres with a DTS track, are listed as being Fully Compatible
with DTS-ES. BUT these particular titles ARE NOT mentioned on the DOLBY EX page as
having been encoded for Dolby Surround EX. (Dolby even updated their EX page just
the other day and this info has been available on th e DTS site for a few weeks now..if
not longer).
The movies listed on the DTS website as being in DTS-ES but NOT in Dolby EX are
- Along came a Spider
- Kiss of the Dragon
- The Mexican
- The Others
It's interesting to note that DTS say you can use a DTS-ES
decoder on their DTS track when a movie has been mixed specifically with Dolby EX in mind.
The additonal Back surround information is simply matrixed into the 2 surround channels,
and their proprietory decoder can still extract this "EX" information.
If movies are now being mixed with DTS-ES in mind, this would indicate to me that the
sound mixers aren't using a Dolby EX Encoder, but rather a DTS-ES encoder. right?
well we hope to find out soon
In the case of THE MEXICAN, Dolby HAVE listed this movie under their "previously released EX movies",
BUT next to this title are N/A's for it's "Theatrical" AND "DVD"
releases......hmmmmmm
AND to make things even more interesting Kiss of the Dragon got a Dolby Surround
EX release in France, but it would appear it was NOT released with Dolby EX
anywhere else in the world. Given that you'd expect the studio to make just one
master sound mix for a movie (and then mix in the different languages later) this is just
plain weird.
Holy Shrek
Univeral Pictures are set to unleash Shrek to region 4 DVD
on 7th November, which is only days after the USA DVDebut. (so it's almost a
simultaneous world wide release :)
While our version is sure to please many and pretty heavy on the extras, it's still not
quite as loaded as the 2 Disc USA release :(
What we DO get is :-
- Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer (taken
DIRECTLY from the Digital Source, as was done with Toy Story 2.... i sense the next DiVA
winner already :)))
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio
Menus featuring brand new animation created by Shrek's
directors and animators
- Amazing Behind-The-Scenes Featurette that shows you how the
characters and movie were brought to life ' from the early stages of creating the skeletal
system of the characters to the complex layers of muscles, skin and hair to the
development of fluids and fire that makes this movie unprecedented in the world of
filmmaking
- Shrek's ReVoice Studio - Exclusive
never-before-used technology that enables viewers to voice their favorite character
- Games - Trivia Game, Decorate The Gingerbread Man, Character
Morph (Allows kids to mix and match the character's body parts)
- Character interviews with Shrek, Fiona, Lord Farquaad and
Donkey
- Production Notes
- Cast and Crew Bios
- A Filmmaker's Commentary that provides insider information
on the making of this groundbreaking animation hit.
- Exclusive never-before seen extended ending
- The Tech of Shrek: A fascinating look into the
production of Shrek (this includes the technical goofs extra as well)
- International Dubbing Featurette: Learn how Shrek was
dubbed into languages around the world
WHAT WE MISS OUT ON IS :-
- An Additional Pan & Scan Version of the
movie
- DTS 5.1 Audio track!! (NOOOOOOOOoooooooooo)
- Additional Games - Bugs & Slugs (tic tac toe), Ask The Magic Mirror, Hangman, Color
A Scene, Dragon Heart, Fairy Tale Bowling, Learn To Draw Shrek, Coloring Pages, Ogre
Masks, Soup Slam, Shrek Pinball, Pin The Tail On Donkey, Fire Donkey (Cross The Bridge),
Rescue The Princess.
- Shrek's Music Room including The Baha Men
music video; the making of The Baha Men music video; Smash Mouth's 'I'm A Believer' music
video
- Hidden Fun Facts that give you secrets
about the creation of the film
- Sneak Peek Trailer of DreamWorks' upcoming
animated release Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
- Exclusive Shrek X-box game playing hints
- Storyboard pitch of deleted scenes engagingly
acted out in a real-life meeting by the animators and filmmakers
- Still shots showing viewers the progression
of several characters' looks throughout the design process -- from original concepts to
their final animation
Other than the omission of a DTS track (which would have
been soooo good on this film..curse-d dreamworks for not showing support of the DTS audio
format outside the USA!!!!) and the Pan/Scan Version, there's not really a great deal of
"missing" extras, (at least according to what we've told we're getting)
At any rate, we asked Universal Pictures Video the reason
for the region 4 "cutdown" verison, and here's their reply :-
| The features you mention do
not appear on the International DVD release of SHREK, as a single disc of course limits
the amount of material able to be added. The International DVD was specifically designed
to be a single disc, because the price point, the nature of the film and its unique bonus
material, make it a perfect title with which to expand DVD use, especially among young
families. It was a definite decision by DreamWorks to go with a single disc to keep the
price point down. However, our Shrek certainly contains exciting unique features, some
that have never been seen before by DVD consumers (all of which is outlined in the Press
Release you would have received). I have taken the liberty of covering a few key points
below: - Dolby 5.1 sound was included
instead of DTS sound, which takes up more disc space. This would have necessitated a
double disc, thus driving up the price point for the consumer. Very few DVDs have
Dolby 5.1 on bonus features, and this has been included on Shrek.
- The International DVD allows viewers to
see the movie in its original "widescreen" format, as the filmmakers intended
their audience to see it!
- On the International DVD, a Pan and Scan
version of the film and DVD Rom games were excluded to save on disc space, and although
the various DVD-rom games on the US disc are not present, our Shrek contains great DVD
player based games (Decorate The Gingerbread Man, Trivia Game, Character Morph)
- "The Tech of Shrek" takes
viewers through the fascinating process of making the international DVD, including
information on the voice talent, as well as technical goofs, commentary from the
filmmakers and information on dubbing Shrek into varying languages.
- the most amazing feature is of course
"Shrek's ReVoice Studio" (I've seen a demo and it's truly hysterical !)
· This is a brand new technology which
allows viewers to voice their favourite characters in the movie and has never been seen
before by the consumer.
· It can ONLY be found on the Shrek DVD!!
· It is a DVD Rom drive feature.
It looks like it really is going to be a
sensational disc (if just for the "ReVoice Studio" alone, besides the fact that
it is such a fantastic movie) - one of the 'must-haves' for 2001 ! Of course, there's also
the hysterical 'extended ending' (not seen at cinemas), and great new animation on the
menus.
I hope this answers your queries. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I-C, U-C, oh god, more NTS-C!!
For some reason, Warner Australia seem to continually churning out MORE NTSC DVDs to the
Australian PAL DVD Market.
And For their October/November DVD Release Schedule, V: The Mini Series AND The
Goonies!!! are said to be NTSC Region 4 Transfers!!!!!!
Personally i DO NOT agree with their Decision for ANY NTSC
Region 4 DVDs, as Australia is a PAL territory afterall, and PAL is a superior Video
Format. While Warner are only releasing a "select" number of titles in the
NTSC format, it seems to be growing with every month's new batch of DVDs. We have
been told that at some point down the track, "some" of these NTSC DVDs will get
re-released in PAL (though you're looking at quite some time down the track, given it's
taken around 1 year for the FIRST Region 4 NTSC DVD from Warner, Romeo Must Die, to get a
PAL re-release).
At any rate, we've created a POLL which we would like for you to take part in, to see what
region 4 DVDer's think of Warner Releasing NTSC DVDs to our PAL Marketplace. Once
we've gathered enough data, we'll be sending it over to Warner as an FYI.
(you can also leave a [nice] comment on this poll :)
Warner October/November Lineup
With perhaps the biggest number of titles released each month, Warner are set
to release a rather diverse range of moofies to DVD this October/November, unfortunately
with quite a few in NTSC video format.
Starting on 1st October with Batman of the
Future : The Joker Returns, Lord of the Rings (animated), Nightbreed,
Pokemon 3, Never Ending Story 3, Scooby Do on Zomibe Island, Time Machine : SE, V : The
Mini Series .
17th October Best in Show,
31st October Sweet November
Then on 5th November is the Eastwood Collection with Dirty Harry, The Enforcer,
Sudden Impact, Magnum Force, The Dead Pool, The Outlaw Josie Wales, Bronco Billy, and the
special disc of American Masters: Clint Eastwood Out of the Shadows. (All are
PAL Anamorphic Widescreen and are in Dolby 5.1 expect for Bronco which is 2.0)
Then for the Non-Eastwood fans amongst you there's Ace Ventura : Pet Detective, Last of
the Mohicans, Pacific Heights, Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves, Young Guns 2.
21st November Best of Friends Box Set (apparently in Dolby 5.0 !!), Dr Zhivago (2
disc set), The Goonies, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Into the Arms of Strangers, Romeo
Must Die (PAL Version), Wild Ameria
NOW, out of these THIRTY DVDs, ELEVEN titles are
listed as being NTSC region 4 DVDs!!!, and they are
Nightbreed, Never Ending Story 3, V : The Mini Series, Ace
Ventura : Pet Detective, Last of the Mohicans, Pacific Heights, Robin Hood : Prince of
Thieves, Young Guns 2, Best of Friends Box Set,The Goonies, Wild Ameria.
Univeral Pictures November Lineup
Univeral Pictures seems to be having a rather horror-ific month of DVD this
November. Due for release on the 21st November is Child's Play 2, Child's
Play 3, and a movie that was shot so dark
and-really-is-just-a-totally-black-screen-of-no-actual-footage
which-resulted-in-only-half-the-budget-being-used,The Relic.
Also along for the ride in November is a NZ flick called Stickmen
(The Color of Money down under style meets Lock Stock, i'm guessing :), as well as the
single DVDs from Hitchcock DVD Boxset #2, (Topaz, Birds, Family Plot, Frenzy, Torn
Curtain & Marnie)
Speaking of Lord of the Rings, it has just been added to the Dolby Web site as being mixed for Dolby
Surround EX..sweeeet
PS If you haven't received emails/Orders, etc from us for a
week or so, sorry about that, but I've been off work sick, and am only now just getting
back to it all.
. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spirits will be High (and Low) This November
Columbia have quite a lineup for their November DVD releases
Their 2 topline titles are the still in cinema release Final Fantasy : The Spirits
Within, and 2000's Christmas box office smash hit The Grinch.
"Final" comes in a 2 disc set with a gaxillion extras, and The Grinch, while
only a single disc release, is loaded to the hilt with goodies AND it comes with a DTS5.1
audio mix!
Also included in the November DVD releases are All
the Pretty Horses, The Trumpet & the Swan, Head Over Heals, Beetheoven DVDouble Pack,
and a special Edition re-release of Legends of the Fall. All DVDs
sport an Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer, with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mixes (well except
the Beetheoven DVDs, which are merely Dolby 2.0 Surround).
Upcoming DVD Menu Shots
Just a couple today, Highlander : Endgame as well as Love
& Sex
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exclusive first look at the D&DVD
Magna Pacific
were kind enough to offer us a first look at their Dungeons and Dragons DVD, which is due
out mid October. I found there to a be a bit of a problem with the piccy, but the
Audio and Extras were just fine (and we get a DTS track which you won't find on the Region
1 version :))
DVD Reviews
Almost like a ghost from the past Paul had reviewed INXS : Live Baby Live
(Cassandra, pick yourself up off the floor please! :)))
More DVD Slicks
We've added the DVD Slicks that accompany a few of the the DVD Menus, as well
as a few others.
Black Dog, D&D, The Hairy Bird (what a shocker of a
title..really! :) Psycho Beach Party & Wrongfully
Accused
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Totally Beach'n...another Psycho Moofy!
Just finishing it's veeery limited theatrical run (it only played at the Schonnel in
Brisbane), Psycho Beach
Party is set to be released to DVD by Magna Pacific, sadly only as a rental
only until the Retail release in Feb 2002 as Magna aren't releasing any new product
over December/January :(
If you're a lover of "this is so bad it's great" movies then you'll be right at
home here. It's camp, it's kitsch, it's a parody on those 60's beach movies with
Annette and Frankie where a psycho killer is murdering people who have some sort of
disability (it's funnier than it sounds..well, actually re-read the first line of this
paragraph :).
Suprisingly, it's loaded with VERY familar faces (including Kimberley "Annalise from
Neightbours" Davies as the 60's Movie star blonde bombshell, Nicholas "Xander
from TV's Buffy" Brandon as surfer Starcat, and Thomas "Darma and Greg"
Gibson as surfing legend Kanaka)
Psycho Beach Party (rental only)
Screen Format : 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Sound Format: Dolby Digital 5.1
Extras:
- Trailer
- Cast and Crew Bios
- Produciton Notes
You can catch a glimpse at this DVDs menus in our
An Offer NOT twice Refused
After much disappointment with Warner's release of The Soprano's Season 1 DVD
Boxset, I'm pleased to say that Season 2 comes to us sporting an Anamorphic Widescreen
Transfer, with a single solitary Dolby 2.0 sound track. However, we've still been a
bit screwed over compared to the upcoming region 1 boxset (we don't get the running
commentaries, AGAIN, NOR the Dolby digital 5.1 mixes...AGAIN)..maybe Warner will get it
right with the Season 3 Boxset...:( c'mon guys, what's up with this???
Other than that bit of disappointing news for any series fan, the extras included are
Sopranos Season 2 (DVD Boxset 6 discs)
Screen Format : 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Sound Format: Dolby Digital 2.0
Extras:
- Interviews (season 2 premiere)
- Featurettes - The Real Deal" David Chase"
"The Show"
- Nancy Murchand Tribute
- Music Videos
You can catch a glimpse at this DVDs menus in our
Nothing to Crowe About
With a string of hits of late under his belt, one would have thought
partnering Russel Crowe with Meg Ryan, would have resulted in a sure fire hit.
Unfortunately for Proof of Life, this was not the case.
Coming to DVD on September 12, Proof of Life (garnering the
fugly "not for rental" plain jane picture less disc cover thingy) includes the
following
Proof of Life
Screen Format : 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Sound Format: Dolby Digital 5.1
Extras:
- Audio Commentary
- "Making of Proof of Life Behind the Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
You can catch a glimpse at this DVDs menus in our
D & D on DVD
Another movie which failed to reach it's audience in 2000 is the role playing
game Dungeon's and Dragons.
It just goes to show you that not only the box office Giants come loaded with goodies on
DVD, for D&D is packed to the rafters!!!!! (and as we've mentioned earlier, it's also
Magna's first DVD to carry a DTS audio track!!)
Dungeons and Dragons
Screen Format : 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Sound Format: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Extras:
- Audio Commentary 1
- Audio Commentary 2
- 11 Deleted Scenes with commentary
- Special Effects - Deconstruction (multi-angle)
- Let the Games begin doco
- Cast and Crew Bios with Interviews
- The Making of....
- Trailer
- B-Roll footage
- Production Notes
- Motion Menus with 5.1 audio
You can catch a glimpse at this DVDs menus in our
. |
|
|
|
|
|
>> august 2001 news >> |
|
|
|
|
|
|
... |
|
