"Return of the Living Dead" DVD, fans MUST read this!

[evilbaby]

Ok folks, Dan called me today for an update so here's the latest.

He has finished remastering BOTH the video and audio for the film. It's been color corrected, scene-by-scene and the audio has been cleaned up. According to Dan, it's the BEST the movie has ever looked and sounded.

Now, the bad news.

MGM is under the gun, so to speak, to hurry up and release the DVD very soon. The marketing department apparently wants to put it out in the near future. What this means is, MGM may very well NOT use the newly restored prints that Dan worked on. Dan told me that what they were originally going to put out was horrible in terms of quality, that they hired some guy to work on it before him and Dan found it to be lacking severely.

So it was a good thing that Dan came in to do the restoring job, he was given the go-ahead for the project but as I said, they may not end up using it for the DVD.

As fans, we want Dan's restored version of the film, to see and hear it the way Dan wanted and really, who wouldn't want the film to look and sound as good as possible? Can't the marketing people understand this? Put out a GOOD DVD and it'll sell well but release an inferior print when people KNOW a better version could've been used will piss ALL of us off.

Now understand, none of this is definite. In fact, Dan will be speaking to an MGM honcho about using the restored print BUT we HAVE to write/e-mail MGM about this, tell them we want the best possible master available which would be the new stuff Dan oversaw personally. After waiting for so long to get this on DVD, MGM had better treat it right.

Please, be kind and respectful when writing but make yourselves very clear, we want Dan's restored print of the movie for the DVD, no excuses. His work is done and readily available so use it!

E-mail MGM at 4you@MGM.com or at homeentertainment@mgm.com.

You can also call MGM's customer service line at 1-877-646-4968.

You can write to MGM's marketing department at;

MGM Home Entertainment
c/o Marketing Department
2500 Broadway
Santa Monica, California 90404

'ROTLD' fans, we must act and we MUST ACT NOW! We *have* to let MGM know that we want the remastered/restored print of the movie that Dan O'Bannon did and that this is the ONLY way we will buy the DVD. We do not want an inferior version. Again, please be respectful if you call or write but be very clear in what you're saying.

Dan has worked very hard to make the movie look/sound the best it ever has. Tell MGM to use Dan's version for the DVD!

Also, there has been some talk of a featurette called "Designing the Dead" that will be on the DVD. I asked Dan about this and all he knows is that both he and William Stout simply sat down in front of a camera and answered some questions. I don't know if MGM will add anything to that or not.

Yea, of course some shit like this just HAS to happen.

I'm on it.

I don't even get this. What's the rush? It would seem like this would make a perfect autumn/halloween release, and if the transfer is almost finished there's more than enough time. This whole thing is wild.

I've read that it takes close to 6 months to compress, approve and press a DVD, so most likely MGM is thinking of an October release. April is the 4th month + 6 month lead time = October, the 10th month.

I just emailed them.

[KillerCannabis]

I just mailed MGM as well. Those fuckers had better use O'Bannon's new print of the movie, cause if they dont you know it will be FOREVER, if ever, that we ever see another release of this movie again.

[SEANVALEN]

I e-mailed them, this thing is so silly, I wanted to be furious, but was polite but strong in my words.

evilbaby, I'm sure you've posted a similar thread at DVDTalk, keep up the good work, thanks for sticking up for Horror DVDs.

[Jeremy]

I just mailed MGM as well. Those fuckers had better use O'Bannon's new print of the movie, cause if they dont you know it will be FOREVER, if ever, that we ever see another release of this movie again.

Exactly. One thing MGM isn't is Anchor Bay.