Fulci's ZOMBIE re-release?...

[Serega_M]

Hi, people

I have another question :) As far as I know - there was only one release of Fulci's Zombie in Region 1 (I am in Region 5 myself but it doesn't matter cause Region 1 disks are usually best and to have a multi-region player is a must for any European ;)) - early disk by Anchor Bay which is out of print nowadays. According to some reviews - that disk sucked. So - I am interested - are there any plans to re-release this truly classic in the better form - as a special edition maybe with a brand new anamorphic transfer and re-mixed sound maybe? Maybe if not Anchor Bay then some other American label could release it? If somebody have any information regarding this topic - I will really appreciate if you'll share it with us :) Thanks in advance!

[Werner Von Wallenrod]

I dunno... I still have the LD, which I thought kicked ass (widescreen, audio commentary, etc)... Was the Anchor Bay disc basically a port of that?

[gusse]

Some one else probably have more exact information about this - but all that I know is that Anchorbay is suposed to release a new version of Fulci's Zombie some time next year. Would be realy surprised if the don't go all the way this time and make it a stellar releace, I'm hoping for something in the same league as their Beyond-DVD :) Have only seen Zombie ( - flesh eaters) uncut one time, and that was many years ago, before I realy got interested in eurohorror. Have seen it cut afterwards but that's just not the same thing as we all know :rolleyes:

/gusse

[Yowie]

I don't have AB's first release of "Zombie", so I never heard the commentary. (-I dumb ass chose the VHS.) I hope it'll be included on the planned re-release, which I'm told will be a SE, so I see little reason to leave it off the disc(s).

[Regurgitate]

Anchor Bay has Zombie listed for a re-release in 2002, probably late 2002. The original disc's transfer is the same as that Roan Group laserdisc. It's bad. It's weird, highlights trail arcoss the screen during camera pans. People's faces do weird things too, it's kinda like watching the move through some sort of heat distortion. I have yet to watch it on my HDTV because when movies look bad it really shows. Day of the Dead is almost as bad as zombie picture wise.

Now I'm not sure about this but I heard that the negative for zombie was lost and most prints are in bad shape. I hope not. There has to be a pristine print that's never been run through a projector out there somewhere.

[Jeremy]

If anyone is impatient and has PAL capability (like me), you might want to pick up the Dragon WOODOO disc. It was struck from a very nice print and has some reasonable extras. Sound is only in English mono, though, whereas the Anchor Bay disc is in 5.1 Surround.

[Spectre]

I e-mailed AB about a possible Zombie re-release after I sold the first DVD. They just said they were planning on re-releasing it in 2002. They didn't say if it'd be a new transfer or if it would just be a re-release of the first disc though. The first disc suffered from every single problem that a DVD can suffer from--and the harbor footage had major digital artifaction problems. I didn't think it was watchable, so I sold it. For what it's worth, AB is re-releasing Daughters Of Darkenss at the same time. It seems like AB's 97-98 releases had problems--and a lot of those were ported straight from LDs. It could be that they're planning to redo the remaining 98 releases.

[jak]

The good peopel at Italian Shock are going to release Fulci's ZOMBIE on DVD sometime this year or next year. And since these guy's are responsible for the special edition for Lenzi's Nightmare City I only have high hopes for thei ZOMBIE disc, unlike Anchor Bay which the disc would suck.(When lookijg back on their previouse Fulci discs with the exception of The Beyond by Grindhouse) See for yourself at www.japan-shock.nl/ . jak

[DVD Connoisseur]

Originally posted by jak
....I only have high hopes for thei ZOMBIE disc, unlike Anchor Bay which the disc would suck.(When lookijg back on their previouse Fulci discs with the exception of The Beyond by Grindhouse)...

Oh dear. Anchor Bay are probably, no, are the company I'd most trust to do Zombie justice. When this title is re-released by AB, I think you may be eating humble pie.

Their releases for Deep Red, City of the Living Dead, Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, Don't Torture A Duckling, House By the Cemetary...show that the company takes these Euro-classics seriously and, now they have the budget and technology at their disposal, they are releasing definitive discs. Yep, Italian Shock are good...but I think it's unfair to compare their efforts with the earlier AB releases. They're a force to be reckoned with now, as their forthcoming releases such as Suspiria and Opera will show....

[Jason25]

DVD Connoisseur, I agree with everything you said.

Some posts I read here are hilarious. So the first Zombie dvd isn't perfect, big deal. It is the movie that matters before all else. I could care less if it doesn't look 100% perfect. These movies we are talking about aren't exactly Hollywood Blockbusters. Did you ever think of that? I didn't think so. If you don't like AB's products, then don't buy them, it is as simple as that. More for us that appreciate them.

[DVD Connoisseur]

...most of us had to put up with nth generation VHS copies for years and we didn't complain.

DVD has come along and we now winge about the smallest details. Don't get me wrong - I still believe studios should release a good quality product and I'm frustrated when there are mistakes made. What I don't understand is when people attack companies like Anchor Bay, which surely must be one of the horror genre's strongest supporters. They've built themselves up from humble beginnings and have a genuine interest in their products.

They're not alone. Other, smaller, companies are releasing great products - Synapse, Barrel and so on, are all responsible for some cracking discs and shouldn't be knocked.

AB, IMHO, are the ultimate horror "studio" at the moment. Their attention to detail, the pride in their packaging....simply superb. What other studio would even consider releasing a low budget slasher like Maniac as a THX 6.1 enhanced disc? Sometimes I have to pinch myself to check I'm not dreaming.

Constructive criticisms are great but general comments like those posted earlier are purely flame bait. AB aren't perfect but name one studio that is. Mistakes are made but, where possible, AB have rectified them.

Rant over!:p

[Werner Von Wallenrod]

As I said, I have the Roan disc, so maybe AB somehow technically screwed up the transfer... But the LD looks great.
AB could stand some serious improvement in their extras department, but otherwise, I agree with the last couple folks: their transfers are generally excellent (except the Deep Red thing really bugs me! Something has to be do-able about that dubbed, subtitled, dubbed deal...! WTF?).

[Spectre]

"Some posts I read here are hilarious. So the first Zombie dvd isn't perfect, big deal. It is the movie that matters before all else. I could care less if it doesn't look 100% perfect. These movies we are talking about aren't exactly Hollywood Blockbusters. Did you ever think of that? I didn't think so. If you don't like AB's products, then don't buy them, it is as simple as that. More for us that appreciate them."

Even more hilarious is that you actually feel you got your money's worth, having bought a disc that A) looked bad enough that the company discontinued its production and B) is missing frames during the shark scene. Then again, maybe you haven't actually seen the disc...

The flaw in your argument is that you don't know how a product is in terms of quality until you see it for yourself. Once I'd bought the disc and saw how bad it looked, I was stuck with it. Even if I decided to never buy another Anchor Bay DVD again--I'd still be out the $25 I spent on it.

It must be nice to be one of those consumers that enjoys everything he buys, regardless of whether it's poorly done. Without standards, you never have to deal with disappointment.

[Mark Relford]

Here we go again...

Sure, AB has made some mistakes, but the good outweighs the bad. They're still cool in my book.

As for the Zombie DVD, I didn't buy it due to the reviews on the "screen door" transfer. I'm eagerly awaiting the re-release.

[jak]

I'm sorry connoisseur but your post just made me laugh! Infact I'm still laughing as I type this, so bare with me. First: I was talking about Anchor Bay's Lucio Fulci collection, NOT their other discs, ya understand? I agree they do good jobs as far as picture quality but they disipoint on every other front. When was the last time we've seen a special edition Fulci disc by Anchor Bay? NEVER! Because Grindhouse did The Beyond disc, the ONLY things Anchor Bay did was distribute the disc and get the still book that came with the limited edition and that is all. To be honest with ya, I hate Anchor Bay! For thier constant rerelease of discs with extra's that are not much more then the extra's on the previouse disc! Their ability to spend large amounts of money to get a license to a film, therego taking away the oppurtunity of other smaller companies that would give this film the special edition treatment(ex:Synapse, Barrel, Grindhouse, Italian Shock). There's so many more but I don't want to start a flame war. And for god's sake they had the technology to give us special editions of City Of The Living Dead, House By The Cemetery, Don't Torture A Duckling, New York Ripper, The Black Cat, but they didn't do jack shit! Okay I better stop now because I'm getting pretty pissed off. To me it just seem's that Anchor Bay pulls a name out of a hat and that's the film they give us a special edition of. What a way of helping the fan out by putting the uncut version of The Wickerman in an expensive limited edition, nd not in any other version. The small companies that only put out a handfull of releases a year kick the crap out of how many discs Anchor Bay puts out. Case dismissed. jak

[Jason25]

Even more hilarious is that you actually feel you got your money's worth, having bought a disc that A) looked bad enough that the company discontinued its production and B) is missing frames during the shark scene. Then again, maybe you haven't actually seen the disc...

The flaw in your argument is that you don't know how a product is in terms of quality until you see it for yourself. Once I'd bought the disc and saw how bad it looked, I was stuck with it. Even if I decided to never buy another Anchor Bay DVD again--I'd still be out the $25 I spent on it.

It must be nice to be one of those consumers that enjoys everything he buys, regardless of whether it's poorly done. Without standards, you never have to deal with disappointment. [/B][/QUOTE]

Too funny. Haven't you ever heard of rentals? Obviously not.
You totally missed my point.

As for "haven't actually seen the disc", I bought it the day it was released, so give me a break. When did you buy it? Hmm.

There is this nice feature on this site called a search function, try using it sometime. I call things as I see them, thank you very much. So go back and look up some of my posts, see how I call things. I don't even know why I responded to your lame post. If you'd like to continue this, please join a Chat on a Sunday night, thanks.

You don't know me very well, do you? Just as an F.Y.I. - I own a successful business because I know how consumers want to be treated. Don't ever knock my intelligence and please think before you post. Thanks.

[mutleyhyde]

Jak and Spectre, welcome to the forum, sincerely, but let's tone it down a bit guys. And I have to agree with Jason; join us Sunday night in the chat room, and you'll get a pretty good handle on the community here.

[Yowie]

Yes, the look of their first "Zombie" disc may have been a disappointment, and the deal with the longer version of "Wicker Man" apparently only being available on the limited edition, but apart from that, AB are heroes as far as I'm concerned.

[Regurgitate]

It's kind of ridiculous to trash Anchor Bay on the quality of Zombie, which was a very early release for them. I purchased it shortly after it was released and I was upset by the quality a little(hind sight has made it worse by contrast with newer DVD's). Guess what I continued to purchase Anchor Bay titles and the quality progressively improved. First and formost, AB crush all other smaller production houses in video quality. Their commitment to anamorphic transfers is un-matched in the specialty horror genre. When I purchase a DVD the main consideration is the feature, not "extras". Maybe being an old school LD buyer the coolness of extras wore off before DVD was even conceived. So I have to roll my eyes when I read how great Italian Shock, Ec Entertainment, and Dragon are. They are the one's who need to get with the program. Supplementing a mediocre transfer with some average extras doesn't equal a killer disc to me. Do a side by side comparisson on image quality with AB's releases and these other studios. I think you'll find that Zombie is the only inferior disc. So I guess if it's imperitive to have seven radio spots, two seconds of deleted scenes without audio, and whatever worthless extra that these people plop on a disc to impress you don't buy Anchor Bay. If you are however looking for a great presentation of the MOVIE buy Anchor Bay.

Also, the quality of the AB's Zombie may suck, but guess what? It's lightyears better than the crummy rental tape I watched for years.

[evileye]

I guess I am just baffled (and impatient) with Anchor Bay's putting this release off. The import versions that have surfaced recently (WOODOO for instance) prove that there are very stong prints out there.

I still have the Roan laserdisc and will wait for someone to couple a new video transfer with the decent surround track on this disc. If that is Anchor Bay, so be it. If someone beat them to it, likewise. As EC proved with their NTSC release of STAGE FRIGHT, Anchor Bay can be bested and beaten to the punch.

Nothing against AB, but I think ZOMBIE has a bigger cult following than their re-released STEPFORD WIVES, so let's see this disc soon.

(OK.. so what do I know... I'm waiting for a remastered PROM NIGHT lol):D

[Andrew]

Yeah, Spec, come on in the chat Sunday nite, it'll be fun. Hehe...

As for Zombie, I've actually never seen the movie, but I'd love to. I just don't want to watch some shitty print. And since 99% Spec's opinion on a DVD's quality matches mine, I've held out on paying $50 for a used disc on eBay.

I do agree that Jason has got a point, you can't trash his opinion.

Oh yeah, Anchor Bay rules, shutup about it. You don't like 'em, don't buy 'em.

[Spectre]

"I don't even know why I responded to your lame post."

You're easily baited, Jason.

[DVD Connoisseur]

Originally posted by jak
I'm sorry connoisseur but your post just made me laugh! Infact I'm still laughing as I type this, so bare with me.

Glad to put a little brightness into your day, jak.

Case dismissed? Let's just say we'll agree to disagree. For me, presentation of the film counts. Extras are great but, at the end of the day, it's the film I keep returning to.

Whilst I did bring in to the discussion other directors work and so on, I was illustrating the quality of their current output. And this is something we agree on!

It's good to have a lively, friendly debate. Don't feel pissed off.

[Suspirius]

When Roan had originally announced 'Zombie' on laserdisc, it suffered numerous delays (almost the longest delayed laser I had on order). Does anyone remember the reasons why?

When Roan had gotten their zombie print, much of it was in garbage shape, especially the first reel which had a grease print through the middle and was unwatchable. They kept delaying the disc while they attempted to track down a better print. Most (if not all) good prints are now owned by private collectors who are unwilling to part with them (for obvious reasons). Finally Roan undertook an expensive restoration and cleaning of the print they had. At spots they had to digitally re-create the frame using preceding frames to fill in the blanks. The end result was a 'Zombie' that looked far better than it ever had (or has since). It's still my favorite laserdisc.

AB got their 'Zombie' print from that remastered print of Roan's. The thing about DVD is that it is very unforgiving when it comes to any digital monkeying with the print, especially in the early days of DVD's when the art of compressing was still a trial and error process. Wherever Roan had done extensive work on their print (which looked amazing on an analog laserdisc), there ended up being massive compression problems on the DVD. Even now, when a company (MGM anyone) just uses their old laserdisc print for the DVD, the picture ends up looking poor due to the very things that made the laserdisc look better (edge enhancement, etc.) There are many early DVD's that suffered similar fates. Look at 'Platoon', where they used the special edition laserdisc as the print, which had been color-corrected to achieve a look the DP had intended theatrically, but was unable to accomplish due to budget constraints. The end result was a dvd that was swimming with pixelization throughout almost all jungle shots. AB's DVD is one of the worst case examples of this I have seen (it actually makes me a little nauseous to watch it), but I doubt at the time anyone could have done a better job.

Give AB some credit; they did the best they could with the print they had available, and they discontinued it when they realized that it wasn't remotely acceptable. I am unsure when they plan to re-release this disc, and can only assume that they are still looking for a better print (one without massive digital touch-ups). And as for lack of special features... yes it's regretful but still not enough to overshadow the respect they have given to these classics. I look at what other companies do to asian films (cut, dubbed, rescored) and thank god for AB. At least now I can retire my old bootleg tape collection.

[DVD Connoisseur]

Welcome to the forum, Suspirius! Great intro.

[AceRimRat]

As DVDs go, AB's first Zombie has a pretty bad picture, can we agree on that?

I rented it, back when Netflix would let you rent one disc at a time, and I was impressed with neither the disc nor the movie. I'd like to see it again, give it another shot, but I'm waiting for the re-release. Guess I'm not in a hurry like y'all who are big fans. Who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind when I see it again. Fulci's kind of hit or miss with me. I liked Ripper and Beyond, not COTLD so much and not Zombie.

And like most of the veterans here (Hackmaster, J25, DVDCon) I tend to follow the argument that AB has improved quite a bit over the years, but still isn't perfect. (Just for the record.) We've had this discussion before - civilly, too.

My 1.75 cents.

[MISFITZ]

Too funny. Haven't you ever heard of rentals? Obviously not.

Yeah, so I guess all that nice packaging and 'booklets/posters' doesn't even come into play with A/B rentals. I know when I rent an Anchor Bay disc, they don't let me borrow the box or the posters to take home and play with!! :rolleyes: So what else CAN you judge besides the PICTURE!!

But since you own a business I guess I missed your point too. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Not trying to start anything again, but talk about being sensitive!!! GEEZZ!!! I mean, if no one cares how good a picture is, what's the point of getting into DVD?? DVD provides the oppurtunity to IMPROVE the way we watch our favorite films.

I dunno, I know I demand the best for my hard earned buck. I mean, when I go buy milk and the carton says its one day PAST expiration, I don't shrug and say, "Oh well. It's not 100% perfect, but its still milk. YUM!"

I'm not harping on A/B, mainly cuz they are learning and I don't fault them. But patting their backs for the first release of ZOMBIE is making it too easy for these million dollar companies.


and sorry, i'm washing my hair Sunday....... ;)

[Spectre]

I don't hate Anchor Bay. They've saved a lot of films from obscurity and, for that, I do give them credit. It's just that everytime they screw up--and that's quite a bit--the consumers are always the ones that get shafted. Zombie, Phenomena, Vampyres, Possession, Tombs Of The Blind Dead, and Sleepaway Camp were all missing frames, the Hellraiser in the THX tin was the "R" version, etc. Those kind of screwups do bother me. It's not so much a problem now, as there are plenty of 'Net sites that report stuff like that, so I now have the luxury of knowing what I'm in for before I make the purchase. I didn't have that luxury when Zombie came out though. The nonsense that Jason was spewing--that it doesn't matter if a transfer is bad, or that the film is missing footage--just as long as you like the movie, as well as his statement that he found it "hilarious" that people were upset that they paid money for an inferior quality product, was unwarranted--the latter being a particularly juvenile remark.

If he bought it and wasn't happy with it, then he shouldn't find it "hilarious" that others were upset because he, like them, lost money on an inferior product. If he bought it and was happy with it, then he hasn't any standards, which makes him a mindless consumer that'll buy anything, regardless of quality.

I haven't a clue what the 'calling things how I see it' and 'I own a successful businesss' crap was all about.

Anyway, I do like Anchor Bay. I have plenty of Anchor Bay discs that I'm quite happy with, and there are quite a few Anchor Bay discs that are on my "must purchase" list. I only give them a hard way to go when they screw up--and, even then, I only do it because I hold the company to a higher standard than mediocrity, and I expect great things from them.

[DVD Connoisseur]

Originally posted by Spectre
Zombie, Phenomena, Vampyres, Possession, Tombs Of The Blind Dead, and Sleepaway Camp were all missing frames, the Hellraiser in the THX tin was the "R" version, etc. Those kind of screwups do bother me.

Of the recent releases, even the director of Sleepaway Camp didn't realise that the print was cut. This makes me wonder how AB would know if the version wasn't complete when even the guy who made the film failed to pick up on this omission.

Secondly, the version of Hellraiser that AB recently released was Barker's approved version. If the man wants the definitive version of his movie to be this cut, so be it.

It's worth cutting AB some slack - they're working on great things at present and the future of their DVDs bodes well.

[jak]

Okay I wasn't getting pissed off at anyone, just at Anchor Bay. I love the fact that everyone here isn't talking about the way Anchor bay is releasing Fulci's films with little to no extra's and they just continue on about this. Just to say one thing about this, why couldn't Anchor Bay take the print that the Roan Group used for their laserdisc and use it for the dvd? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I do like some of the releases by Anchor Bay just a lot of them really disipoint. And I am 100% shure that the Italian Shock release of Fulci's ZOMBIE will be the best version, mar my word! jak

[DVD Connoisseur]

Originally posted by jak
And I am 100% shure that the Italian Shock release of Fulci's ZOMBIE will be the best version, mar my word! jak

The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. It's going to be a close thing - the quality of Italian Shock's NYR, for example, was excellent by all accounts. AB are taking their time with their Zombie release..... time will tell if the wait has been worthwhile.

[Jason25]

Spectre, again you missed my point entirely. While I love a logical and thought provoking discussion, you offer neither. Obviously you didn't like the disc, end of story. I guess the lesson you should have learned is to rent first, buy later.

It is obvious you get defensive when someone disagrees with you, but you better get used to it. Their are quite a few fans on here, myself included, who love what Anchor Bay has done for horror fans, specifically Euro Horror fans like myself. Any dvd from Anchor Bay is a vast improvement over any bootleg vhs I've had to endure over the years.

[Jason25]

[The nonsense that Jason was spewing--that it doesn't matter if a transfer is bad, or that the film is missing footage--just as long as you like the movie, as well as his statement that he found it "hilarious" that people were upset that they paid money for an inferior quality product, was unwarranted--the latter being a particularly juvenile remark.




Never did I say in my original post that is doesn't matter if a transfer is bad, go back and learn to comprehend what you read. Also I never said it was ok if a film is missing footage, you are absurd. I merely said that the film comes first for me, the dvd was an early release, sure it had problems, but it definitely was watchable, unlike your comment that is wasn't watchable. Spectre, you are too funny. Learn to read, then comprehend, thanks.

BTW - I said "YOU" were hilarious, again learn to comprehend what you read. And you call me juvenile?, did you even read your own post? I didn't think so.

[Andrew]

And I thought we could all just get along, guess not.

Hey Jason, I'm not standing up for Spec really, but for me, I have no stores to rent from, so buying stuff online is the only way for me to get these DVDs (well, Suncoast and Tower Records occaisionally). Maybe that's his case? I'm not sure.

[Spectre]

You seem awfully perturbed for someone who's supposedly finding this all amusing, Jason. You should focus less on firing off petty insults, and more arguing your point though. You were even pissed enough to respond twice in a row. Nevertheless, I really could care less whether you find me amusing, or absurd, incapable of reading, or whatever. You're a mindless consumer without standards, remember? :D

[Jason25]

Originally posted by Spectre
You seem awfully perturbed for someone who's supposedly finding this all amusing, Jason. You should focus less on firing off petty insults, and more arguing your point though. You were even pissed enough to respond twice in a row. Nevertheless, I really could care less whether you find me amusing, or absurd, incapable of reading, or whatever. You're a mindless consumer without standards, remember? :D

Hmm, and I seem pissed? Petty insults? You are talking about yourself right? HaHa, your making me laugh so hard here man, you are classic.

Comprehension, you need to learn about it. You danced around the point in each of your posts and also misunderstood everything I said, the point was made very clear in my posts. And now you need to stoop low enough to use me in each of your posts, nice one, and how old are we? You are classic. I think you need to figure out how long you want to be around here, comprehend?

[mutleyhyde]

You're easily baited, Jason.

Spectre, was that your intention? If so, that type of behavior is not appreciated here, and will probably not be tolerated for long. Apparently, Jak read my last post, and has lightened up a bit. However, Spectre and Misfitz, both of you have been welcomed with open arms to the site, yet have quickly come to some ill conceived notion that this is a stage for chest thumping and pissing contests. Let me please just give you some friendly advice that it is not.

[Spectre]

"Hmm, and I seem pissed? Petty insults? You are talking about yourself right? HaHa, your making me laugh so hard here man, you are classic."

*Yawn*

"I think you need to figure out how long you want to be around here, comprehend?"

If you want to block me for disagreeing with you, Jason, go right ahead. You certainly have the option. I find it odd, though, that you claim to be finding me funny on the one hand, yet you're threatening to block me on the other. Still, if you feel you need to use your moderator position to win an argument, so be it.

As for the "baited" line, he made a sarcastic remark about why he replied to my post. I just replied with an equally sarcastic remark. It wasn't like I was trying to pick a fight, just for the hell of it.

He made a sarcastic remark and claimed he was "calling it like it is" or something juvenile like that. I just called him on it, and the argument followed from there. Obviously, I took exception to his initital post. I'm sure he'll fire back again, telling me how amusing he finds me and this whole squabble--another particularly juvenile tactic. Why he feels the need to inform me that he finds me amusing--or, better yet, why he even thinks I would care, is beyond me. It seems like something a child would do, but no matter. I'm officially done with the argument. It's not worth it. He can have the last word if he wants it--and I suspect he's that kind of guy. :rolleyes:


My apologies to everyone else.

BTW - What did 'Fitz do that was so wrong? What'd you do, Jay?

[mutleyhyde]

Spectre, we are not going to go tit-for-tat much longer. I have asked nicely twice now. This is my last time - drop it. Personal attacks, of any forum members, will not be tolerated.

As for Misfitz...

Oh, just your basic sarcasm and putting words in people's mouths is what I was getting at. Misfitz said...

But since you own a business I guess I missed your point too.

Not trying to start anything again, but talk about being sensitive!!! GEEZZ!!! I mean, if no one cares how good a picture is, what's the point of getting into DVD?? DVD provides the oppurtunity to IMPROVE the way we watch our favorite films.

Jason never said he didn't care about the quality of a transfer.
Misfitz' post was not too bad really, now that I look back on it (sorry Misfitz), but as a part of this thread as a whole, I guess I just jumped on anything that caught my eye.

[Jason25]

Spectre, everything I said was a direct response to something you said, nothing was directed at anyone else, (i.e. Misfitz), so please don't be childish enough to bring someone else into the discussion. Like I've said before, you obviously are not interested in an intelligent discusssion, you feel the need to put words in other peoples mouths, and you need to play juvenile games, as in posting crap elsewhere on this site.

You bore me. I'm not about to sit here and play games with you, if you want to keep avoiding the subjet with each post of yours, go right ahead, I've got better things to do than discuss something with someone who can't comprehend something as an adult. Thanks and have a nice day.

[MISFITZ]

Geez, I log on and look at all this venom being shot out.

First of all, I WAS a bit turned off by a comment that Jason25 said. I wasn't putting words in people mouth. (mutleyhyde) Dude said, AND I QUOTE:

It is the movie that matters before all else. I could care less if it doesn't look 100% perfect. These movies we are talking about aren't exactly Hollywood Blockbusters.

It's that kind of a stance that I find unbelievable, especially on this kind of a web site. (HORRORDVDS??) First of all, I KNOW the film we are talking about is ZOMBIE and it never 'looked great' to begin with. And I myself DO like Anchor Bay and all they do for horror. But its like we should all be happy and give them an E for effort and forget about any mistakes. I agree with JASON25 COMPLETELY on the fact, that you should know what you ARE BUYING before you buy, but the attitude of "I could care less if it doesn't look 100% perfect..." sucks!!! How is that being a spoiled brat?? (Chris Phelps) Being a spoiled brat is being pissed at THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON for not being in a 3D version as well.

Spectre may have put it like this:

"It must be nice to be one of those consumers that enjoys everything he buys, regardless of whether it's poorly done. Without standards, you never have to deal with disappointment."

And that may be harsh, but I feel its a statement a lot of us should follow to some point. I posted here about the DOUBLE CREATURE FEATURE DVD's and read that the copies were so poor and the sound sucked sooo bad, I stayed away from them. DESPITE how much I love those films and the price they were going at. But if I 'cared less', then I just encourage this kind of production, not to mention have a poor copy of a favorite film for myself. Spoiled brat??? I don't think so partner!!! Yeah, they may be low budget scarce films, but if i'm getting poor copies, WORSE than a VHS, or *gulp* has scenes CUT from the film, I don't understand why I shoud shrug it off and chalk up a 'loss' for me.
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And btw, I DO KNOW some of us "Screamy Boppers" were welcomed here with open arms and all. But I don't think anything done here was for chest thumping or trying to be 'tough'. If this is a place where, if you haven't been here a long time, all credibilty is gone, then let me know. Obviously I can see Jason25 has lots of friends here, but geez! Spectre hardly said ANYTHING remotely offensive to start all this other than be blunt and different than some thinking here. I mean, JASON25 is talking about owning a business and what that has to do with anything, I HAVE NO IDEA. But since he's been at this site longer, it seems Spectre took all the clout for this. And I for one agree with most of his post. (Cept for the fact, you should've learned more about your product before you bought...) But Spectre is already in the hot seat for being banned!!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!! Its' not like we're a bunch of kids trying to 'pick fights'. You see how old we are and past posts show we don't jack around with this site. If anything i feel we can add a lot to it.

Sorry for a long post, but this is total b.s!!

[Regurgitate]

"It is the movie that matters before all else. I could care less if it doesn't look 100% perfect. These movies we are talking about aren't exactly Hollywood Blockbusters."


It's that kind of a stance that I find unbelievable, especially on this kind of a web site. (HORRORDVDS??) First of all, I KNOW the film we are talking about is ZOMBIE and it never 'looked great' to begin with. And I myself DO like Anchor Bay and all they do for horror. But its like we should all be happy and give them an E for effort and forget about any mistakes. I agree with JASON25 COMPLETELY on the fact, that you should know what you ARE BUYING before you buy, but the attitude of "I could care less if it doesn't look 100% perfect..." sucks!!! How is that being a spoiled brat?? (Chris Phelps) Being a spoiled brat is being pissed at THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON for not being in a 3D version as well.


Why is that stance unbelievable exactly?
This isn't HIGHQUALITYONLYHORRORDVDS.COM. If you beak it down HORROR refers to horror movies, DVDS refers to DIGITAL VIDEO DISCS or DIGITAL VERSATILE DISCS. The DVD specification makes no reference to video quality.


The quality of the image was never in dispute. It pretty much sucks compared to most current DVD transfers, however, it wipes shit stains off the floor with the previous editions I've seen. (Never saw the LD, also the lasderdisc's cost was double the price of the DVD when it came out) As someone who has purchased 3rd generation dubs of movies that are not available in the US, the crap quality of those was an issue but now at least I have seen them. Am I just to ignore a movie that interests me because it's not available in a difinative version? The quality of a presentation is not something to me that is subjective. I know that Zombie is not up to snuff. The enjoyment, however, is very subjective. I enjoy this movie and I enjoy the DVD. I don't regret at all spending 19.99. Hell, I used to spend $100 dollars on special edition LD's, 19.99 is a steal. As I have said previously this DVD was one of AB's first discs. Why do I need to condem AB? Their good aspects dwarf the bad ones. I don't know a single movie studio that hasn't fucked up numerous times. Even criterion has put shit out on DVD that I thought was unacceptable. Am I going to hold a grudge against them? No, cause they have their shit together now. Same with AB, sure they've botched titles, but how do those screw ups effect the majority of the titles that they do a kick ass job on? How do I handle it? What do you suggest I do? I'm sorry if for you 19.99 is a lot of money but AB never came to your door and said that DVD was an inexpensive hobby. Also you act as if AB misrepresented themselves. I don't remember ever seeing them claim that this DVD of Zombie was a special edition or difinative in anyway. The studios that deserve criticism are the ones who consistently haul garbage out of their production houses and pretend they're giving you something great. To me MGM fits that description. I won't buy anyhting of theirs that I haven't either viewed first or heard good things about. Buyer beware. Also your Creature from the black lagoon not being in 3-d point is ridiculous. That is not the behaviour of a spoiled brat, that's just an irrational request. CFTBL wasn't presented in 3-D in it's original theatrical release, so if it was released in 3-D it would compromise the intent of the director and that's not acceptable. Telling people they're wrong because they don't have an ill-conceived notion on what it takes to enjoy a purchase of a DVD is just silly.

[Andrew]

Umm ok.

First off, I'm not going to take sides here, cuz Spec and Jason both have good points.

OK, also, 'FITZ, when Jason said: "It is the movie that matters before all else. I could care less if it doesn't look 100% perfect. These movies we are talking about aren't exactly Hollywood Blockbusters." I think he was trying to say that it doesn't need to look exactly perfect. So far, I have yet to see a "100% perfect" transfer of ANY film. Fight Club comes close, but even that DVD had it's white specks here and there. So basically, TAKE WHAT YOU CAN GET! He ain't saying he doesn't care about quality, he's saying that he's glad that we can actually SEE these movies, and that when you think about it, the quality for many of these movies is AMAZING! Who thought an Italian horror film from 1979 called ZOMBIE would ever be put onto a DVD, or even an LD! C'mon just really think about it for a minute or two, I really doubt that Jason meant that he didn't care about quality. Again, Jason, if I'm wrong, everybody ignore this argument.

On Spec's side, he has a point. NO OFFENSE here (I actually want to stick around on this bored), but how can you say you find it funny and "juvenile" if you are doing the exact same thing?? And then to say something about "not sticking around much longer" doesn't really show much when you're trying to point out how little you care. Also, to abuse the priviledge of being able to block someone (probably intended for crude or otherwise indecent behavior) because they argued with you, isn't really something that shows you've got better things to do.

OK, done.

[Andrew]

Forgot Jason's point.

Renting. If you are going to be so pissed off that you wasted your money, you should rent a DVD before you buy it. Lotsa times reviewers can be way off ('cept for this site ;)) But, then again, I have no place to rent DVDs. There's a Blockbuster and a Mom and Pops store, but they don't carry DVDs. Blockbuster doesn't have any of the AB DVDs, so that's a no too. Maybe this is Spec's case too (?). If not, then this argument just screwed itself over.

[MISFITZ]

I'm not going to try to PROLONG this anymore, mainly cuz i don't want to be banned either!!! :rolleyes:

But, Regurgitate, your not exactly speaking to a rookie here. I was in the same line as you buying (and still buying) LD's. I know how the story goes. The ups and downs and patterns.

And let me explain myself better. I know what DVD stands for, but I also know that DVD was a format that was to IMPROVE the quality of movies. The fact that it can transmit 500 lines against a VHS' approx 200 lines is a HUGE improvement. So what's the point of putting a film on DVD if a VHS can rival it? Just so you can have a DVD version of it? Being on DVD it also has capabilities to IMPROVE sound. But whats the point if the sound is worse than past copies? Are you really utilizing a DVD? No.

Now in the case of ZOMBIE, i understand the print was never great. I said that already. And despite you defending Anchor Bay, you don't need to. At least not in the same paragraph with ideas pointed at me. I've already said, i'm a fan of Anchor Bay, and not just on this post but previous ones as well. In fact, I'm not pissed at their company. I'm even a sucker for their cover art.

All I'm trying to say is, DESPITE the films, we should TO A CERTAIN EXTENT demand a little more. But understand where i'm coming from. Do I really expect a definative version of WHITE ZOMBIE with a perfect image??? NO!! But a lot of companies are releasing films that are available to them because of public domain. (horror classics) And if they get a crappy copy of a TRULY classic film and slap it on DVD, that's acceptable???? That's how to show respect to that film?? I'm not looking for extras. I'm not looking for THX. I just want a decent copy of the film. Like I said before, if i'm being a "SPOILED BRAT", well too bad I guess.

OBVIOUSLY there are EXCEPTIONS. Just like I said with WHITE ZOMBIE. And I'm NOT slamming Anchor Bay cuz it was their first attempts. I just think that if people don't care about their product, than a lot of people who do will have to follow that mass thinking that will dictate future releases and craftsmanship.

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AndrewBBD

I know what JASON25 said. And I don't think there is a "PERFECT" disc either. (though some are damn near close) But it seems Anchor Bay has this "Get outta jail free card" because they have improved sooo much and have focused on everyone's love here, HORROR. Will MGM get that same slack? Without any one taking in consideration how large a company they are and a ton of other factors that seperates them from Anchor Bay. We'll just see....

[Spectre]

I would have rented ZOMBIE, but I didn't have the option. The ma and pa shops here don't have a lot of DVDs, and the ones they do have are usually newer releases. The Blockbusters have a limited selection as well, but ZOMBIE isn't part of it. The ZOMBIE disc came out in 97 anyway, which made it one of the first run discs. Most video stores didn't even carry DVDs then--at least not the ones around here.

Though nice in theory, the "rent before you buy" suggestion wasn't an option for me then.

I did check out a few DVDs before I started buying them regularly. The ones that I did sample looked fine, and I wasn't aware that it was even possible for a transfer to look as bad as the ZOMBIE disc did.

Even now, with the info available on the 'net, it's still hard to gage exactly what you're getting. I bought the Creepshow disc after reading the review here, and was baffled as to how it could have scored a "B" for image quality.

Because of the whole "spinal cancer" thing, I can't work, at the moment--which means I have to budget what little money I do make, and it sucks when I spend that money on something, only to find out that it's a shoddy product--which is why I took an exception to what Jason said. I do try to be careful about what I buy, but I can't screen everything prior to buying it.

[ScaryMovieFreak]

I find Anchor Bay to be the best studio for releasing Horror DVD's. I love the fact that they are giving us Fulci films on DVD. If it wasn't for them then I'd probably still have never seen a Fulci film. I didn't start watching Fulci movies until a couple of months ago when I bought The Beyond. The video store around here doesn't carry any Fulci films except for the New York Ripper, which I rented and loved. I plan on getting that one on DVD very soon. I never did get to see Zombie in it's original DVD format. I haven't even seen the film yet. Though I've still been checking movie stores everywhere I go to see if they have an extra copy of it laying on the shelves that they haven't sold yet.

Someone earlier mentioned Day of the Dead having the zombies looking funny. I found a copy of that DVD at a Suncoast when I was there yesterday for 10$ and my copy had the zombies looking like they do in the VHS version I saw a while ago.

But anyways, I'm still looking forward to seeing Zombie, whether I find an old Anchor Bay release of it or if I have to wait until they rerelease it next year.

[Black_Mandarin]

Well, since this thread has a lot of bitching to wade through I dont know if anyone else mentioned this, but the official word is- YES, they are doing a completely new mastering of Zombie. Last Fall, Anchor Bay had a Q&A at the Home Theater Forum, I do believe, and they said they were planning on remastering/improving many of their early titles, especially those they had complaints about, cheif amoung them- ZOMBIE. It was in this same discussion that all those rumors of a Dawn of the Dead triple box set was spawned, when the Anchor representative said that it was a project they were seriously working on.

And look, the original Zombie disc is crud, because when a company releases a DVD and a vhs of a movie, the vhs better not be superior to the DVD in terms of image quality and that was sadly the case with Anchor Bays Zombie. Thats why I own the vhs.