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View Full Version : '80s Fave MEGAFORCE Comes to DVD!

bruce h
06-26-2012, 10:36 AM
Wonders never cease! A longtime standard on "Why Ain't This on DVD?" Lists, this megaslice of '80s megacheese finally debuts courtesy of Hen's Tooth, so you can enjoy all the rocket-shooting motorcycle and laser-wielding dune buggy action in the privacy of your own home. To prove how awesome it is, it actually had its own Atari 2600 game.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008D9NIK4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cinema09-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008D9NIK4

The trailer:
http://youtu.be/-KpfKp-gv6s

No words on extras yet (if any), but I've sent the company an email. Their website lists it as anamorphic, so at least there's that.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/Megaforceposter.jpg/220px-Megaforceposter.jpg
tropical marsh
06-26-2012, 10:43 AM
Holy fuck!! Epic news! :banana::banana::banana:
Katatonia
06-26-2012, 10:55 AM
Fuckin' A! :banana:

Henstooth usually have a done a solid job with the transfers on their recent DVD & Blu-ray releases too. They usually don't include extras on most titles though, except for perhaps a trailer. But still, this will surely be a welcome upgrade from the crappy VHS!
elDomenechHDG
06-26-2012, 01:07 PM
This might end up on my wantlist list as a blind buy, mainly because it was directed by someone with a decent filmography. Judging by the trailer it looks to be another take on Mad Max. Still, it looks like fun.
MorallySound
06-26-2012, 04:32 PM
Stoked! I watched this on CED a couple months ago.
Shannafey
06-27-2012, 01:12 AM
This is great news. Ironically I've been on a cheesy scifi kick. I actually bought from the DeepDiscount sale, Metalstorm, Spacehunter, Deathsport and Battletruck!!
WesReviews
06-27-2012, 06:46 PM
Great news. Wonder if this will be DVD only or if there will be a Blu-Ray as well?

The only down side to Hen's Tooth stuff is that it's usually really overpriced. Still waiting on the price to come down on their Blu-Ray of The Private Eyes.
bruce h
06-27-2012, 07:15 PM
So far it's standard DVD only; the company doesn't seem to do many blu rays. As for price, the current $13.97 preorder seems pretty fair; Amazon usually start off with a reasonably low price then jump up after a week or so.
Shannafey
06-27-2012, 08:50 PM
So far it's standard DVD only; the company doesn't seem to do many blu rays. As for price, the current $13.97 preorder seems pretty fair; Amazon usually start off with a reasonably low price then jump up after a week or so.

Is it a good idea to lock in that price now?
bruce h
06-27-2012, 11:18 PM
I did. Their other titles with the same MSRP seem to hover around $15, so this looks the cheapest it'll get, at least for a while.

If your order breaks $25 you get free shipping, too.
satans-sadists
06-27-2012, 11:25 PM
I thought that Hen's Tooth did a nice job last year with their dvd of Gargoyles (the 1972 tv movie). With that in mind, I look forward to checking out Megaforce.
Katatonia
06-28-2012, 01:53 AM
I thought that Hen's Tooth did a nice job last year with their dvd of Gargoyles (the 1972 tv movie). With that in mind, I look forward to checking out Megaforce.

Yep, that and the Born Innocent DVD they released have far better transfers than the older editions from VCI.
Erick H.
06-28-2012, 04:46 AM
Now this IS a thick slice of cheese !
Number Six
07-02-2012, 12:54 AM
Behold!!! One of my most prized possessions:

http://i.imgur.com/Q2IWPl.jpg
My MegaForce press kit!!! This bad boy includes:


http://i.imgur.com/5sHxCl.jpg
Intro letter,


http://i.imgur.com/lhg8nl.jpg
a 35 page(!!!) "Production Information" write-up including bios of the major players (Bostwick, Beck, Khambatta, Ruddy, Needham, etc.),


http://i.imgur.com/qDVpSl.jpg
a 4 page listing of the credits,


http://i.imgur.com/VGGqNl.jpg
an "Announcement Story" (I guess it's what Fox wanted read on radio ads),


http://i.imgur.com/WGbLel.jpg
a freaking sysopsis! (note the ominous "Not for Publication")


And of course, the 8x10 promo stills:

http://i.imgur.com/1xEaQl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8XEXZl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/oIBS2l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xuARfl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ZJONhl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/O43xCl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ZuAVRl.jpg


(Sorry for the poor quality of some of the pics. Damn phone was all I had available.) So that's that, mattress man! As if merely having it in my collection weren't enough to brag about, I got this thing for a mere 75Ē. I guess it goes without saying that I'm pretty damn excited to finally have this out on DVD!
Doombear
07-02-2012, 05:05 PM
Hopefully it's anamorphic; The Company of Wolves was only letterboxed.
bruce h
07-02-2012, 10:43 PM
Their website lists it as anamorphic.

And great stuff, Number Six!
Katatonia
07-03-2012, 01:33 AM
Their website lists it as anamorphic.


Yep, DVD Empire even has the back cover (http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=1619021&tab=5&back=1&anchor=1#topoftabs) displayed.

The Company of Wolves was only letterboxed.

True, but that DVD is a decade old release now.
tropical marsh
07-03-2012, 10:41 PM
True, but that DVD is a decade old release now.

I noticed that Hen's Tooth re-released The Private Eyes. The first version was full screen, but the newer version was widescreen (and it also got a blu release). It would be tits if they decided to revisit Alice, Sweet Alice and The Company of Wolves--and at the same time giving them the blu-ray treatment.
elDomenechHDG
07-04-2012, 01:33 AM
Alice Sweet Alice is in desperate need of a makeover on Blu but I'd much rather a more "legit" company handle it. Someone like Synapse. There's no point in releasing it on DVD only (Scorpion, Code Red) or by a big clueless studio (Anchor Bay) so Synapse is the best candidate at the moment.
bruce h
07-04-2012, 11:03 PM
I'd *love* a hi-def restoration of ALICE SWEET ALICE. Amazing, surprising, stylish film that really deserves much more accolades than it gets.
bruce h
07-10-2012, 06:13 PM
There was recently a 30th Anniversary screening in L.A. followed by a Q&A session with director Hal Needham. The whole thing was recorded... but I heard back from Hen's Tooth president Steve Newmark today, and the disc has already been authored. :-(
Demoni
07-10-2012, 08:13 PM
Didnīt know this was a Fortune Star print.
Katatonia
07-11-2012, 01:31 AM
There was recently a 30th Anniversary screening in L.A. followed by a Q&A session with director Hal Needham. The whole thing was recorded... but I heard back from Hen's Tooth president Steve Newmark today, and the disc has already been authored. :-(

Damn, that sucks. Maybe they can post it online as a download?
Captain Chaos
07-15-2012, 04:20 PM
I wonder if this film had some Asian financing, as did Needham's CANNONBALL RUN films.

I'm a huge Needham fan, but MEGAFORCE sucks. It IS worth watching for its unintentional comedy, but even as a kid I found it sluggish and not too exciting. Nice to see a good release of it, though.
bruce h
07-15-2012, 04:30 PM
Golden Harvest (HK) were coproducers.
Myron Breck
07-16-2012, 02:40 AM
I just bought a bootleg of this recently, damnit! Serves me right, I guess.
bruce h
09-09-2012, 03:41 PM
Got my copy in yesterday -- it's a nice, new remastered print and looks great! Unfortunately there's no extras, not even a trailer, but I'm happy to have a good version of this one. Now bring on DEADLY EYES!
tropical marsh
09-09-2012, 05:04 PM
Got my copy in yesterday -- it's a nice, new remastered print and looks great! Unfortunately there's no extras, not even a trailer, but I'm happy to have a good version of this one. Now bring on DEADLY EYES!

The reviews on Amazon seem to indicate that the audio is messed up on the dvd. Multiple reviews mention the sound mix (more accurately, the pitch) being too high. Is this something you noticed, as well?
Katatonia
09-09-2012, 07:15 PM
The reviews on Amazon seem to indicate that the audio is messed up on the dvd. Multiple reviews mention the sound mix (more accurately, the pitch) being too high. Is this something you noticed, as well?

?? I just watched the DVD the other day and the audio sounded perfectly fine. I didn't really notice any pitch anomalies.

The only thing I really noticed was that the audio track is mono, where the original audio was stereo. The Dolby Stereo logo even appears in the end credits of the film. Code Red also did that on Hot Moves...due to that being the only audio source available, so I would assume that's what also happened here.
tropical marsh
09-09-2012, 08:00 PM
?? I just watched the DVD the other day and the audio sounded perfectly fine. I didn't really notice any pitch anomalies.

The only thing I really noticed was that the audio track is mono, where the original audio was stereo. The Dolby Stereo logo even appears in the end credits of the film. Code Red also did that on Hot Moves...due to that being the only audio source available, so I would assume that's what also happened here.

The newest review "Poor Audio" (by the jackass who typed in all caps), mentions that the actors sound like they're on helium. The review right before it, "This review pertains to the Hen's Tooth Video official DVD", also points out the high pitched audio. And then the review before that one says that the video and sound felt 'sped up'. So, I figured if 3 different people on Amazon all said the audio was botched, there might be something to it...
Katatonia
09-10-2012, 01:42 AM
The newest review "Poor Audio" (by the jackass who typed in all caps), mentions that the actors sound like they're on helium. The review right before it, "This review pertains to the Hen's Tooth Video official DVD", also points out the high pitched audio. And then the review before that one says that the video and sound felt 'sped up'. So, I figured if 3 different people on Amazon all said the audio was botched, there might be something to it...

"the actors sound like they're on helium"

I seriously don't know what that person is talking about. I didn't notice anything like that on the DVD. If there are minor audio issues, I certainly didn't notice them...and I have seen the film before.
Shannafey
09-10-2012, 01:45 AM
My copy is on the way. I'll let you know my thoughts when I get it.
ArrowBeach
09-10-2012, 01:55 AM
"the actors sound like they're on helium"

I seriously don't know what that person is talking about. I didn't notice anything like that on the DVD. If there are minor audio issues, I certainly didn't notice them...and I have seen the film before.

could be a bad PAL to NTSC conversion
Katatonia
09-10-2012, 01:59 AM
could be a bad PAL to NTSC conversion

Maybe, but I didn't notice it. The film runs at 100 minutes on the new DVD, which is longer than the previous PAL DVD's in Europe (they're about 96 minutes per speedup) were.

If the audio did come from a PAL source it would have had to have been slowed down in pitch to match the NTSC DVD.
ArrowBeach
09-10-2012, 02:06 AM
Maybe, but I didn't notice it. The film runs at 100 minutes on the new DVD, which is longer than the previous PAL DVD's in Europe (they're about 96 minutes per speedup) were.

If the audio did come from a PAL source it would have had to have been slowed down in pitch to match the NTSC DVD.

The vhs I have is like 99 minute, so a pal would be 95min or so. So that can't be right. But the helium part show makes one think its a PAL issue.l