DVD/BluRay News

Heaven's Gate on Criterion?

Why?

The film that single-handedly caused United Artists to collapse doesn't deserve a Criterion DVD.

I still remember being in English class in High School in 1980 and our teacher, Ms. Davis, stopped the lessons for a minute to tell us not to go watch Heaven's Gate because it contained real animal cruelty.

Oh I hope history won't repeat itself and the Heaven's Gate DVD won't cause Criterion to collapse also.

j7wild wrote:

Heaven's Gate on Criterion?

Why?

The film that single-handedly caused United Artists to collapse doesn't deserve a Criterion DVD.

I still remember being in English class in High School in 1980 and our teacher, Ms. Davis, stopped the lessons for a minute to tell us not to go watch Heaven's Gate because it contained real animal cruelty.

Oh I hope history won't repeat itself and the Heaven's Gate DVD won't cause Criterion to collapse also.

Why would it cause Criterion to collapse?

HEAVEN'S GATE, regardless of the film's quality, is an important part of American cinema history. For that reason alone it deserves some kind of release. And with Criterion, you'll get plenty of extras with people talking about how it apparently ruined everything.

I never seen this movie and I have no desire to do so, Director's Cut or no Director's Cut!

Yes, important part of American Cinema History:

I think Heaven's Gate maybe the reason why the Razzies Award was created.

What's next for Criterion?

A Blu-Ray Director's Cut of Ishtar?

But if they ever decide to release Megaforce on Blu-Ray or Criterion, I will be the first in line to buy it!

The White Tuxedo wrote:

And with Criterion, you'll get plenty of extras with people talking about how it apparently ruined everything.

No you won't. They want Cimino's approval for this release so they aren't including extras that are critical of the film (like the documentary FINAL CUT).

HJackson wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

And with Criterion, you'll get plenty of extras with people talking about how it apparently ruined everything.

No you won't. They want Cimino's approval for this release so they aren't including extras that are critical of the film (like the documentary FINAL CUT).

Ah. That sucks.

As far as notorious box office bombs go, I'm most curious about INCHON especially since that never had a video release in any format after 30 years. That has to be amazingly bad, or is it legal reasons?

That's a really good question. I've been intrigued with the idea of seeing it, just because a good friend of mine was collapsing in laughter explaining how Olivier (an actor my friend worshipped) as MacArthur looked like something from Madame Toussaine's Was Museum.

Maybe Reverend Moon has all the rights tied up. Kind of like Welles' THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT being owned in large part by whoever the heirs were for the Shah of Iran (I think the negative or the workprint was actually over there for the years leading to Welles' death, though God or Allah only knows where it is now.}

I saw THUNDERBOLT on ABC before HEAVEN'S GATE even came along, probably right before DEERHUNTER (which I did see in the theater, though I peed about three times during it) came out.

Somebody like KINO should put out an alternate HEAVEN'S GATE that includes the Bill Bixby-starring JOHNSON COUNTY WAR tv movie from the 70s that UA somehow wasn't even aware of until too late. And maybe that 5hr25min cut he showed the UA execs.

I know people compare it with what happened to GREED. But I think HEAVEN'S GATE and I think greed in terms of sin, not in terms of film history.

In fact, my old CRITICAL ORBIT space thing I dreamed up a couple decades back, which in theory took the form of a few films followed by a tv series, had an installment I called HEAVEN'S STARGATE, where the crew -- kind of proto-SERENITY is hard up for money so they work as stagehands on a film shot in orbit (the first movie done in centuries that wasn't just willed into existence via brainplug, one that required the reinvention of cinematography ... and of course, hilarity ensues. .

So CRITICAL ORBIT is a bit of a comedy?

trevanian wrote:

That's a really good question. I've been intrigued with the idea of seeing it, just because a good friend of mine was collapsing in laughter explaining how Olivier (an actor my friend worshipped) as MacArthur looked like something from Madame Toussaine's Was Museum.

I got so curious that I just downloaded it. It's a recording of a TV broadcast sometime in the late90s/early00s, pan-and-scan of course. I guess this will be the only way to ever see this. 13 mins in and it's pretty generic so far, nothing horrible, but Olivier has not shown up yet so I may be in for a surprise. Best thing about it for now is Jerry Goldsmith's score. Why did he have to score so many turkeys in his day?

Odd lineup. And Jackie Bisset too. I'd like to see it one day.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Odd lineup. And Jackie Bisset too. I'd like to see it one day.

Bisset, I would.

Apparently Peter Burton and Anthony Dawson are in it too according to the opening credits. That's another addition of the Bond connection for you, including Bisset who was in CASINO ROYALE 67.

Terence Young. I guess he's only as good as the stuff he works with, so far it's pedestrian but better looking than John Glen's I guess.

Tux, if you're ever curious enough I'll let you... acquire the flick.

Hmmmm. I'll think about it. Tis pan & scan. What I want is a widescreen FORBIN PROJECT.

I was 16 years old and my Dad took me to see Inchon.

To be honest, I was young back then and I was just happy to go see a movie.

So if you want to know whether I found this movie to be bad or not, I wouldn't be able to tell you.

I was a kid back then and I couldn't tell if a movie was bad or good.

On the same token, I really don't remember much about it either.

I can ask my Dad if he remembers anything about it.

He is still with us and his memory, now that he is almost 80, is still as sharp as a knife.

I just searched my video stores distributors listing and Inchon has never even been released on VHS.

In 20 years of owning and running retail video stores, I think that's a first!

A movie that never saw a home video release, not even on VHS!

I guess this movie is that Bad!!

Did you know that

you don't need to put

so many spaces

in between your sentences??

I found Inchon on YouTube in 14 parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYHbSIIS_lo&playnext=1&list=PLF1715566F6C52523&feature=results_main

I bet Korea blocks it.

Hearing mixed things about the Hitchcock boxset (the UK version at least, though the US version will likely be very similar). The picture on some of the titles (VERTIGO, REAR WINDOW, SHADOW OF A DOUBT) is supposedly good, but it's much worse on others (FRENZY has supposedly been scrubbed of all grain, for example). No mono track on VERTIGO, which doesn't really trouble me but probably will trouble others. Most embarrassingly, the title sequence for FRENZY has been re-made with a number of type errors and in the wrong font.

I wasn't gonna buy it, and certainly won't now if this is true. Universal has a bad track record on a lot of things related to home video. I still remember the BACK TO THE FUTURE fiasco with completely wrong matting or whatever. Universal knew they fucked up, and released the set anyway. And they didn't tell anyone about how they fucked up and let lots of people buy it. Including me. I sold it after I learned about it.

I was never gonna buy it, but if the mono track for VERTIGO isn't available on its individual release, I won't be pleased. Surely there is enough room on the disc to include it? :| They did it for SUPERMAN.

I'll buy VERTIGO on Blu-Ray just for the enhanced picture, but it looks like I won't be ditching the DVD.

HJackson wrote:

... Most embarrassingly, the title sequence for FRENZY has been re-made with a number of type errors and in the wrong font.

... :|

I don't understand it. What's the problem in presenting a film in the way that it was intended to look and sound?

I saw a boxset on Amazon of REAR WINDOW, VERTIGO, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, PSYCHO, and THE BIRDS, and I was very excited until I saw that it was DVD, not Blu-ray. When they released the Masterpiece Collection in 2006 or so, they made those films (except NBNW, and I don't know why Universal seems to have it now) exclusive to the set. I have a feeling they're gonna do that again, that you can only get these films by getting the complete set. I hope it won't be that way, though. I don't need them all on Blu-ray. I really want REAR WINDOW because my DVD (from the last set) looks fairly crap.

I may get this: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Sunset-Boulevard-Blu-ray/7742/

I don't plan on upgrading a lot to Blu-ray, but it's a Top 10 or close for me, so...

The White Tuxedo wrote:

I may get this: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Sunset-Boulevard-Blu-ray/7742/

I don't plan on upgrading a lot to Blu-ray, but it's a Top 10 or close for me, so...

And they've actually used poster art for the cover, after it won an online poll. Doubt the studios will take notice and make a habit of it though.

Fox have announced a pair of box sets I'm very interested in. I don't know the release date yet, but I hope Warner follow suit with their Kazan titles too.

I may get Vol. 2 as those are tough to come by.

But Kazan does not need to hide under Scorsese's name.