The Avatar Blu-ray Release Thread

[Blu Titan]

I understand the passion for movies, but the personal attacks have no place in the forum.

[Suntory_Times]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Evil Dead is more of a cult thing, a situation it's so bad it as too be good

However the difference with Ben Hur is yes 12-20 years old might have no idea right now what Ben Hur is. But in 20 years when they grow up (or one can only hope they will, you never know ) they will know Ben Hur and it will still be a great movie because of the story and not because of the special effects. Where will Avatar be in 20 years? Will it be nothing more then some nostalgia scifi cheese festival from decades past? It sure won't be remember as a great story.

Evil dead is not bad imo. It is purposfully the way it is to provide both scares and laughs. I also think you missed the point of my post.

Thought I might add that I think Ben Hur is a very good film.

[dcowboy7]

Didnt see it mentioned here but this article mentions how they shouldve just done a combo blu/dvd release only with no dvd only release so everyone would had to have the blu version too to try & get more people to go blu.

That wouldve been cool to see.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/age...ed-opportunity

[krazeyeyez]

Originally Posted by dcowboy7

Didnt see it mentioned here but this article mentions how they shouldve just done a combo blu/dvd release only with no dvd only release so everyone would had to have the blu version too to try & get more people to go blu.

That wouldve been cool to see.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/age...ed-opportunity

Yeah not really, forcing the public to upgrade this early in the life cycle especially considering how many people do not own HDTV's wouldn't only serve to hurt the format and cause some severe resentment. Heck the thought alone to me i think would be enough to drive my support away from the format and i was a big supporter long before i joined here and well before HDDVD bit the dust.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by krazeyeyez

Yeah not really, forcing the public to upgrade this early in the life cycle especially considering how many people do not own HDTV's wouldn't only serve to hurt the format and cause some severe resentment. Heck the thought alone to me i think would be enough to drive my support away from the format and i was a big supporter long before i joined here and well before HDDVD bit the dust.

It's a BD/DVD combo, you are not forced to upgrade. You can just watch the DVD. It's a good strategy IMO, the fact that the blu-ray disc is there will encourage (not force) them to upgrade.

Yeah, I agree with this idea. They should only release this BD/DVD combo, no DVD only relase.

[Jwilly019]

Originally Posted by aiman04

It's a BD/DVD combo, you are not forced to upgrade. You can just watch the DVD. It's a good strategy IMO, the fact that the blu-ray disc is there will encourage (not force) them to upgrade.

Yeah, I agree with this idea. They should only release this BD/DVD combo, no DVD only relase.

Maybe in November.

Justin

[krazeyeyez]

Originally Posted by aiman04

It's a BD/DVD combo, you are not forced to upgrade. You can just watch the DVD. It's a good strategy IMO, the fact that the blu-ray disc is there will encourage (not force) them to upgrade.

Yeah, I agree with this idea. They should only release this BD/DVD combo, no DVD only relase.

Ok then take best buy for example, the dvd is 19.99... the blu-ray is 29.99 .... what would the combo package be if the dvd only version was not available? the 29.99 they are currently charging for it, or would they have to drop the cost directly down to the dvd price. Of course the ladder or there would be many pissed of people wondering why they are being forced to pay more for a useless disc they cannot use and/or don't want.

Just because you and I and most here on this forum enjoy movies and technology advances etc... not everyone does, nor do they have the finances especially at this time to afford such a hobby. Being forced into a situation like this means some major complications for the pricing and distribution of both dvd and blu in comparison to combo's and then agreement across companies..... or something like that, or you will risk alienating consumers. Sounds to me to be more trouble then its worth at this time, blu-ray is doing nicely in comparison to dvd when it got its start without shady practices like the one suggested. Just IMO of course

[aiman04]

It's not always $29.99. Many retailers still have it for $19.99, Amazon has since release day. At that price it's not bad. As with anything else people have the choice to get it at the lowest price.

[krazeyeyez]

Definitely, if you know how to hunt deals you can get it for less then that. However i know that target had the combo for 24.99 and best buy had it for 29.99. I just think it is way to early to start the phase out. I got my first dvd player for around $800 when the only store around me had a selection of 20-30 movies tops. Compared to the way DVD took off blu-ray is doing extremely well.

I am all for moving the format forward, and avatar will definitely be a huge help in pushing the format. Offering the combo only though is a move i see hurting rather then helping. I only know one other person besides myself that has made the leap so far although i know a decent amount of people who now own HDTV's. Take a look at the digital copies thread here and see what people think about a "bonus" when they are ALREADY paying more, now think about the reaction of being forced to pay more for something you did not want in the first place. The sentiment behind the idea is valid and i am sure it will be a method sooner then later, just think the time is not yet right. Education of the public on HD and some better pricing by the big brand stores on everything HD (BLU,TV,Games, etc...) is what is really needed to further the adoption rate.

wow i ramble when i am buzzed.

[ScuseMe]

Originally Posted by krazeyeyez

Ok then take best buy for example, the dvd is 19.99... the blu-ray is 29.99 .... what would the combo package be if the dvd only version was not available? the 29.99 they are currently charging for it, or would they have to drop the cost directly down to the dvd price. Of course the ladder or there would be many pissed of people wondering why they are being forced to pay more for a useless disc they cannot use and/or don't want.

IMO, for this to to work the combo-only release price needs to be the same as a DVD-only new release price. Or at least a buck or 2 difference (accounting for the cost of the media). Wide variances in pricing ($19.99 DVD vs. $29.99 DVD/blu) will kill the combo-only idea and will result in more cries of price gouging and environmental (green earth) concerns.

[dcowboy7]

Originally Posted by krazeyeyez

Definitely, if you know how to hunt deals you can get it for less then that. However i know that target had the combo for 24.99 and best buy had it for 29.99.

Release week the blu/dvd combo was 19.99 at best buy.

[Reduman]

[QUOTE=DaViD Boulet;3266660]I just have to say,

I happen to think that the *story* for AVATAR is just fine. Original? It's got good guys and bad guys and a struggling main character... like just about *every* other hollywood film. If we don't go around critizing every other film for not being "original", why is AVATAR held to some different standard of measure?

QUOTE]

I commented previously that the story in AVATAR was "not very original" and I stick with that as a valid criticism. Maybe I should have added the following proviso to make my views perfectly clear. Of course many films have derivative elements and have similar storylines, it is the waythey are told (camerawork, script, acting ability etc.) that makes the difference. That is why some films appear to work and others don't. Take any film genre, horror, for example. Some movies scare the s**t out of you, others come across as lame and about as scary as ... Lady Ga Ga (Oops, bad comparison.. she really is scary!)
I still feel - and this is/was my main criticism - that James Cameron could have done much better in respect of the story-script-storytelling part of the movie given the resources he commands ... but I feel he didn't.
I am glad the story worked for you ... it just didn't for me. On the other hand, I have also praised the visual effects very highly. It's not that I do not like AVATAR, I am criticizing one (important) aspect of it.
The one thing you do learn in these forums is that people really do have hugely differing tastes. That's not likely to change ... a bit like a great storyline well told in AVATAR, then!

[Spymaster]

Originally Posted by odvan

You are probably don't get the point. All haters heard somewhere that story/screenplay/dialogs in Avatar sucks, and they repeat it and moreover add ridiculous things like BH has a great original story. Second remake, based on novel, but that's ok, "timeless classic".

Please don't assume that the "haters" are part of a lemming bandwagon. We're not. I saw Avatar on opening day and, within 10 minutes, I was frustrated and disappointed, and as the "plot" unfolded I became even more so.

It's not the fact that the plot is unoriginal - it's the fact that it copies other movies almost beat for beat, element for element. My favoured comparison is Star Trek: Insurrection.

Compare the Ba'ku to the Na'vi for instance - you don't even have to move the apostrophe! Compare Jake getting his legs back to Geordi getting his eyes back. Compare the military wanting "unobtanium" to Starfleet wanting the "regenerative properties" in the planet's rings. You get my point. It's not just similar, IT'S THE SAME!

And the characters that weren't knicked from plot-clones were knicked from Cameron's own Aliens. I swear Vasquez was in there somewhere!

The script is awful. There's a contrived dialogue scene near the beginning where "Unobtanium" is basically explained to the audience - that's terrible, terrible storytelling and Cameron should know better.

Even James Horner's score - I'm a huge Horner fan, I own 100+ of his scores on CD - but he had a whole year to write this thing and, seriously, it's no great shakes. A combination of Titanic and Vibes with some Aliens and even The Rocketeer popping up in places (but let's not start a discussion about James Horner and "borrowing")

As for an emotional response? I was bored. There are only a handful of movies where I "tear up" time and time again - those are ET, Field Of Dreams and, for some reason, Forever Young. Not so with Avatar. I was just glad it was over.

Will it be remembered? Sure - it's groundbreaking in the way that Star Wars, Jurassic Park and The Matrix were groundbreaking. But you know what happened to ALL of those franchises after the sequels came out...

Just wait and see!

To be positive though: I'm glad it's boosting the blu-ray format - hopefully far more deserving movies will see the light of day in HD as a result! :-)

[DRS]

Except that Avatar was written before Star Trek Insurrection. So your favorite comparison is essentially worthless.

I like how you point out that Unobtainium scene, when despite what you said, in the end its still a perfect example of Show and don't tell.

Most people in the audience don't seem to have any idea what the Unobtainium actually is and why the humans would even want it, when the answer is right there in the visuals. There is more story in the visuals of Avatar than there is in the entirety of most every other blockbuster out there. The film is a great piece of visual storytelling.

[Spymaster]

Originally Posted by DRS

Except that Avatar was written before Star Trek Insurrection. So your favorite comparison is essentially worthless.

But it was made over a decade later. Allowances should have been made. I'm sure Cameron didn't stick slavishly to the same script for 20 years. I hope not!

Originally Posted by DRS

Most people in the audience don't seem to have any idea what the Unobtainium actually is and why the humans would even want it, when the answer is right there in the visuals. There is more story in the visuals of Avatar than there is in the entirety of most every other blockbuster out there. The film is a great piece of visual storytelling.

I'll give you that, Avatar is a video game! 90% CGI with a few "cut scenes" here and there.

[Movie lover]

I watched about 40 minutes of Avatar, and I have to say that it looks phenominal on bluray, but the movie itself is absolutely terrible. The story itself is dumb and boring, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

[Suntory_Times]

Originally Posted by Spymaster

Even James Horner's score - I'm a huge Horner fan, I own 100+ of his scores on CD - but he had a whole year to write this thing and, seriously, it's no great shakes. A combination of Titanic and Vibes with some Aliens and even The Rocketeer popping up in places (but let's not start a discussion about James Horner and "borrowing")

I'm happy that you have expressed your opinion and stated why, it's very refreashing to hear someone explain why rather then just write "cause it sucked".

I will correct you on Horner though, he didn't ahve a year to write the score. But he did go on set and see people act out scenes to get an idea of what to write, and then later wrote the score and finished it then. It wasn't a year of just composing for the film. Far from it in fact.

Originally Posted by Spymaster

But it was made over a decade later. Allowances should have been made. I'm sure Cameron didn't stick slavishly to the same script for 20 years. I hope not!



I'll give you that, Avatar is a video game! 90% CGI with a few "cut scenes" here and there.

I disagree about the video game idea. Also didn't Cameron write project 880 (which is Avatar) before Star Trek Insurection. (pardon my ignorance if i'm wrong but i'm not a trekkie).

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Suntory_Times

Evil dead is not bad imo. It is purposfully the way it is to provide both scares and laughs. I also think you missed the point of my post.

Thought I might add that I think Ben Hur is a very good film.

It's possible I did, my English is not always that good and so I can get confuse on meanings at time. If I did I am sorry

I think that people missunderstand my take on Avatar. I do not hate it but I find it lack's a soul. Graphic wise the movie rocks and there is no way anyone can argue that it does not. I recall some scenes and I was thinking "so they got that filming in Brazil or South America of course" but they did not, it's all CGI and that is just amazing. But the story just never got to me and I blame Cameron direction of the actors. Of course Star Wars as 2 dimensional characters but Star Wars got to me and always have. Cameron fail and the actors fail to get me. Even Sigourney Weaver look's so bore at time it's almost sad to look at her. My trouble is that it look's wonderful to the eyes but it failed to reach me. Even Stephen Lang who I truly enjoy as an actor could not make me like Colonel Quaritch. So it look's beautiful but lack soul for me. Sure I make the odd jokes about Dances With Wolf cause it's fun to tease you guys who are so in love with the movie but I know very well that a lot of movies are based of something somewhere. It just left me wanted in the end.

[Suntory_Times]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

It's possible I did, my English is not always that good and so I can get confuse on meanings at time. If I did I am sorry

I think that people missunderstand my take on Avatar. I do not hate it but I find it lack's a soul. Graphic wise the movie rocks and there is no way anyone can argue that it does not. I recall some scenes and I was thinking "so they got that filming in Brazil or South America of course" but they did not, it's all CGI and that is just amazing. But the story just never got to me and I blame Cameron direction of the actors. Of course Star Wars as 2 dimensional characters but Star Wars got to me and always have. Cameron fail and the actors fail to get me. Even Sigourney Weaver look's so bore at time it's almost sad to look at her. My trouble is that it look's wonderful to the eyes but it failed to reach me. Even Stephen Lang who I truly enjoy as an actor could not make me like Colonel Quaritch. So it look's beautiful but lack soul for me. Sure I make the odd jokes about Dances With Wolf cause it's fun to tease you guys who are so in love with the movie but I know very well that a lot of movies are based of something somewhere. It just left me wanted in the end.

Which is fine. Though I don't think you where meant to like Colonel Quaritch .

I will add that I dislike how many people say it's bad because it's similiar to films like Dances with Wolves. Especially as Dances with Wolves is basically a clone of another film as well. By there logic they therfore shouldn't like Dances with Wolves (or basically any other film for that matter). Anyway, it's good that some people such as you actually explain why, and don't just post for the sake of trying to annoy with little stupid phrases like "it was crap:. So from one avatar fan, to someone who isn't such a fan here's an epic high five

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Suntory_Times

Which is fine. Though I don't think you where meant to like Colonel Quaritch .

Well yes I suppose liking Colonel Quaritch is probably a very bad choice of words But I think you understand what I mean by it.