Night of the Living Dead (1990) - Out of Print

[UNCMT9]

Originally Posted by ChristmasFnatic

Correction, its from Twilight Time's FB page.

I need to like them on Facebook so I can keep up with updates.

[Flex Mentallo]

Extremely excited to hear about Major Dundee on two discs with two different versions. And I was so hoping this would come out in 2012. Sometimes it's good to wait.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by dantexaiver

Would it be acceptable if Leonardo Davinici came back to life and said oh wait Mona Lisa needs a bushy mustache? After all its what the aritist intended right?

Surely people will have a double standard on this so it should be acceptable people get the art they remember it as being.

This Blu-ray of NOTLD 1990 remains unseen dantexaiver, so I am talking only in the abstract and theoretical here when I say that "Film revisionism is never alright when it replaces what was originally presented", defacto becoming the only version that audiences get to see going forward. If a filmmaker wants to do an alternate version of their film to satisfy their own creative urges, or just for some kind of closure on a difficult project, then I say "Go for it, knock yourself out." I might even want to see that effort if it provides some insight into your creative process or casts the subject in a different light (pun aware, sorry, but it fit).

However, to attempt to erase the original work...to pretend that it never happened...to bury the very thing that built up your dedicated fanbase over so many years...is a revisionist lie, and to me at least, just plain wrong. We saw this with Blade Runner. We saw it with The Exorcist. And the grandaddy of such screen revisionism remains the original Star Wars trilogy. Change your damn movie if you like, you own it as you continually feel compelled to remind us, but don't try to pretend the original never existed, or that those who have grown to treasure it in that form, are wrong to want its original incarnation treated with some basic historical respect.

What we know now is that in 2010 NOTLD 1990 was rescanned and remastered for a planned 20th Anniversary Edition, which Sony aborted for whatever business reasons made sense to them at the time. Had that project been completed and made it to market, would both versions of this film have been presented in some kind of deluxe double disc Blu-ray set? We'll never know for sure, but I suspect yes, just as was done for those aforementioned titles, except from the grandaddy of stubborn holdouts, Lucas. So what we're probably getting here is half of what that aborted NOTLD 2010 special edition would have been...just the 'new' look that the DP supervised and the director approves...without the legacy version to provide at least some historical context and counterpoint.

So sight unseen, regardless of the specific PQ and AQ merits of this transfer, my heart and mind are still inclined to align with those who feel that this experimental look for NOTLD 2010 should never have gone out solo as 'the only game in town' on Blu-ray, or at least not without a new commentary and/or filmmaker introduction, or a brief interview in the backround booklet addressing these sometimes dramatic creative changes. That's why you do Special Editions or Director's Cut Editions in the first place, and why it's always wise to make both versions available to let the audience ultimately choose which one they prefer.

As I've admitted, until this board, I wasn't familiar enough with NOTLD 1990 to really know or care either way. But my unfamiliarity with this title doesn't make it right in terms of film history to just replace a legacy fan favourite version as if the original never existed. In this awkward situation, I think TT has done the best they could via their refund offer, but ultimately, this really is about "Why these old movies matter to us." And "What responsibility does the studio and filmmaking team have when introducing changes that fundamentally alter their original work." Yeah, "Go ahead, give us your parallel universe take on it, but don't cavalierly flip a bird to the original...or the fans of it."

Both versions of a film can co-exist and in their own way be 'valid', but not when presented in a vacuum, without the other for creative counterpoint.

[PuppetMasterBlu]

Originally Posted by xiaNaix

General math. This was a limited of 3000 copies that, by Twilight Time's own admission, sold out. What else could it be?

So much for the people who bought multiple copies and are now trying to sell them at inflated prices on Ebay too!

Well they are still selling for 70 on ebay and they said they got very few returns. Those will sell out within a couple hours, presumably to real fans and then we are back to where we are now.

[Ned Schneebly]

I really like how SAE isn't letting anyone who's already ordered the blu buy any of the returns And placed a limit of 1. Respect.

[Seth F.]

I was able to order a returned copy.

Has anyone viewed the HDX version from Vudu?

Is that the same transfer as the Blu-ray?

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by Seth F.

I was able to order a returned copy.

Has anyone viewed the HDX version from Vudu?

Is that the same transfer as the Blu-ray?

It's a different transfer then the one found on the blu-ray.

[Seth F.]

Thanks looks like I'll get one to.

[ian2009]

Originally Posted by Seth F.

I was able to order a returned copy.

Has anyone viewed the HDX version from Vudu?

Is that the same transfer as the Blu-ray?

Were you on the waiting list?

[Seth F.]

Yeah I got on the waiting list when I found out people were returning them. I already have a order number.

[ian2009]

Originally Posted by Seth F.

Yeah I got on the waiting list when I found out people were returning them. I already have a order number.

That's cool, glad a few more fans will actually get copies and not have to resort to the resellers' prices.

[Seth F.]

Yeah I didn't think it would sell out quicker then Fright Night. Was trying to wait and order it later. I'm sure it will be released again by somebody once the exclusive time period is up.

I would have never bought this on ebay though. Won't support people who ruin hobbies. I think I saw one person on ebay have 6 copies. It's like the 90's when every non-comic book collector started to horde all the collectible issues. That almost put the industry out of biz. It made me quit collecting.

[GaragePoet]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

What we know now is that in 2010 NOTLD 1990 was rescanned and remastered for a planned 20th Anniversary Edition, which Sony aborted for whatever business reasons made sense to them at the time. Had that project been completed and made it to market, would both versions of this film have been presented in some kind of deluxe double disc Blu-ray set? We'll never know for sure, but I suspect yes, just as was done for those aforementioned titles, except from the grandaddy of stubborn holdouts, Lucas. So what we're probably getting here is half of what that aborted NOTLD 2010 special edition would have been...just the 'new' look that the DP supervised and the director approves...without the legacy version to provide at least some historical context and counterpoint.

i totally disagree w/ this point... there were exceptional changes made to "Blade Runner" and "The Exorcist" in terms of added/deleted and even changed scenes (let's disregard "Star Wars" for this particular conversation because it's always been an exception to every rule), but to believe the studio would release both versions of the same movie, one blue & one in real-life color, is a bit of a stretch. i think the studio noticed that the movie got completely screwed up, decided they couldn't release it on their own because of the rabid-fan backlash which was inevitable, and decided to punt it over to TT & let them deal w/ it...

as it stands, i've decided not to keep my copy of this particular movie. i should've gone w/ my gut in the first place, not wanting to upgrade if i wasn't able to ditch my DVD copy, but now w/ the DVD and a BS BD, i think i'll send it back for a copy of "Enemy Mine" instead, which from i've read looks fantastic...

[oildude]

Originally Posted by GaragePoet

i totally disagree w/ this point... there were exceptional changes made to "Blade Runner" and "The Exorcist" in terms of added/deleted and even changed scenes (let's disregard "Star Wars" for this particular conversation because it's always been an exception to every rule), but to believe the studio would release both versions of the same movie, one blue & one in real-life color, is a bit of a stretch. i think the studio noticed that the movie got completely screwed up, decided they couldn't release it on their own because of the rabid-fan backlash which was inevitable, and decided to punt it over to TT & let them deal w/ it...

Man never went to the moon either. It was all filmed on a studio backlot.

[GaragePoet]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

This Blu-ray of NOTLD 1990 remains unseen dantexaiver, so I am talking only in the abstract and theoretical here when I say that "Film revisionism is never alright when it replaces what was originally presented", defacto becoming the only version that audiences get to see going forward. If a filmmaker wants to do an alternate version of their film to satisfy their own creative urges, or just for some kind of closure on a difficult project, then I say "Go for it, knock yourself out." I might even want to see that effort if it provides some insight into your creative process or casts the subject in a different light (pun aware, sorry, but it fit).

However, to attempt to erase the original work...to pretend that it never happened...to bury the very thing that built up your dedicated fanbase over so many years...is a revisionist lie, and to me at least, just plain wrong. We saw this with Blade Runner. We saw it with The Exorcist. And the grandaddy of such screen revisionism remains the original Star Wars trilogy. Change your damn movie if you like, you own it as you continually feel compelled to remind us, but don't try to pretend the original never existed, or that those who have grown to treasure it in that form, are wrong to want its original incarnation treated with some basic historical respect.

What we know now is that in 2010 NOTLD 1990 was rescanned and remastered for a planned 20th Anniversary Edition, which Sony aborted for whatever business reasons made sense to them at the time. Had that project been completed and made it to market, would both versions of this film have been presented in some kind of deluxe double disc Blu-ray set? We'll never know for sure, but I suspect yes, just as was done for those aforementioned titles, except from the grandaddy of stubborn holdouts, Lucas. So what we're probably getting here is half of what that aborted NOTLD 2010 special edition would have been...just the 'new' look that the DP supervised and the director approves...without the legacy version to provide at least some historical context and counterpoint.

So sight unseen, regardless of the specific PQ and AQ merits of this transfer, my heart and mind are still inclined to align with those who feel that this experimental look for NOTLD 2010 should never have gone out solo as 'the only game in town' on Blu-ray, or at least not without a new commentary and/or filmmaker introduction, or a brief interview in the backround booklet addressing these sometimes dramatic creative changes. That's why you do Special Editions or Director's Cut Editions in the first place, and why it's always wise to make both versions available to let the audience ultimately choose which one they prefer.

As I've admitted, until this board, I wasn't familiar enough with NOTLD 1990 to really know or care either way. But my unfamiliarity with this title doesn't make it right in terms of film history to just replace a legacy fan favourite version as if the original never existed. In this awkward situation, I think TT has done the best they could via their refund offer, but ultimately, this really is about "Why these old movies matter to us." And "What responsibility does the studio and filmmaking team have when introducing changes that fundamentally alter their original work." Yeah, "Go ahead, give us your parallel universe take on it, but don't cavalierly flip a bird to the original...or the fans of it."

Both versions of a film can co-exist and in their own way be 'valid', but not when presented in a vacuum, without the other for creative counterpoint.

Originally Posted by GaragePoet

i totally disagree w/ this point... there were exceptional changes made to "Blade Runner" and "The Exorcist" in terms of added/deleted and even changed scenes (let's disregard "Star Wars" for this particular conversation because it's always been an exception to every rule), but to believe the studio would release both versions of the same movie, one blue & one in real-life color, is a bit of a stretch. i think the studio noticed that the movie got completely screwed up, decided they couldn't release it on their own because of the rabid-fan backlash which was inevitable, and decided to punt it over to TT & let them deal w/ it...

as it stands, i've decided not to keep my copy of this particular movie. i should've gone w/ my gut in the first place, not wanting to upgrade if i wasn't able to ditch my DVD copy, but now w/ the DVD and a BS BD, i think i'll send it back for a copy of "Enemy Mine" instead, which from i've read looks fantastic...

Originally Posted by oildude

Man never went to the moon either. It was all filmed on a studio backlot.

is my notion less feasible than the idea that Sony would ever release the exact same movie in 2 different colors? obviously this movie got tweaked in a major way. obviously Sony didn't want to release it. obviously Sony licensed the title to TT, and likely didn't alert them to the drastic changes involved. obviously everybody noticed right away, and got very reasonably upset, as this particular blu-ray purchase is an actual investment rather than some $30 Avengers combo-pack....

[JoeDeM]

Originally Posted by manta53

Anyone in Canada get their copy yet?

Looks like it will be next week, I guess Canada Post, took an extra long weekend off

[Kentai]

Originally Posted by whitesheik

As to the montage, I agree with the poster above - the key moment in that montage is the moon rising - either I, like the poster above, missed the shot of the sun, or it simply isn't really there. The latter part of the film in the morning looks rather like the first part of the film in what I think is the later afternoon.

Really?

[Show spoiler]

The following examples are from the HDTV version. (I'd happily post DVD caps instead, but I'm still waiting for my copy to arrive...)











And this is how the montage looks on Blu-ray:

So... there, I guess? If you want to say you think the Blu-ray LOOKS GREAT, go ahead. If you want to say "There's no Blue Push" and "The first 20 minutes were ALWAYS set at dusk"... there's just no helping you. I give up.

[kngtmat]

I was looking at threads about Christine then I got directed to here, I hope this bad stuff doesn't happen for her which I had doubts before knowing about this situation because of the high price for a really featureless blu-rays TT does.

I guess I am the only poor guy here since I can not afford those high priced tv's that can calibrate their pictures which even if I had the money at the time of the preorder there would have been no reason for me to keep the disc.

If this company had the integrity has a film restorer then why would agree to make & sell dvd/blu-rays they can not touch to restore it right?

Here are quotes from some of you.

"The difference is that the threat of "IM NEVA BUYING ANOTHER TWILITE TIME BLUE-RAY AGAIN" has no teeth, and even if it did it probably wouldn't make much difference to the company being that it's a cheap threat. Like I said, at this stage they're more likely to cancel their future releases for all the trouble it's caused, which may mean I will not get Christine. All because you're self-righteous and full of a massively inflated sense of entitlement. Yes, you deserve good customer service. No, you can't complain about human error."

I don't know any of you yet but the people I know through both Christine Clubs who are such big fans of Christine that even spend money on buying & fixing 1958 Plymouths that can not afford to pay $30 for a featureless blu-ray or at least with some new features.

"I think CHRISTINE will still come, and TT will make sure everything is right on that one."

For them to make the Christine bd great they would need to add new features along with better picture & sound that the first 2 dvd editions didn't have including finally having the Trailer & tv spots that I know there is since youtube has many of them.

"Honestly, with Christine, I'm not sure what else they could included that wasn't included on the DVD - Carpenter/Gordon commentary and over an hour of documentary footage."

How about commentary from the other actors from the film who have been at conventions these past few years since the Special Edition came out as well as have a feature on the last two screen used Christine's that I know the guys who own them along with the movie theater promo cars could be in it too, a short special video about both Christine Clubs plus many more they could do.

Next year is the 30th anniversary for Christine so it deserves better than what TT can do, I forgot they can also do a feature with all of the original promotional stuff and even the parts & pieces that were collected at the Ca junk yard the cars went to after filming.

Now back to this film, I like NOTLD90 over the original but not enough to spend what little I have for a picture that looks as bad as you guys have posted pics of.

[Seth F.]

[quote] kngtmat

I don't know any of you yet but the people I know through both Christine Clubs who are such big fans of Christine that even spend money on buying & fixing 1958 Plymouths that can not afford to pay $30 for a featureless blu-ray or at least with some new features.

So let me get this right they can afford to fix 1958 Plymouths but can not afford a $30 Blu-ray? I didn't know fixing cars was cheaper then a movie.

Plus if they are hurting for $30. Maybe they should quit wasting money on cars and movies.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by kngtmat

... I guess I am the only poor guy here since I can not afford those high priced tv's that can calibrate their pictures which even if I had the money at the time of the preorder there would have been no reason for me to keep the disc. ...

You don't have to have a high priced tv to be able to calibrate it. For starters, and the cheapest option, you can pickup a HD calibration disc to ensure basic settings are set correctly. One step furture, but more expensive, is to have an ISF certified individual calibrate your display or if you already have the technical know how and the equipment you could do it yourself.

http://home-theater-calibration-revi...enreviews.com/