Escape from New York (1981) (Collector's Edition)

[JimDiGriz]

Originally Posted by Dickieduvet

Ya gotta be region free nowadays, region locking seems more prevalent now than its ever been. Hate region coding but hey-ho.

Bought my 1st US player back in 2009 but its a 1st generation Panasonic job and slow as ****

Kino, Criterion, Synapse, Anchor Bay, Image, Scream Factory, MGM (some) etc...all region locked for us region B'ers

Not really sure how many region B companies lock other than Arrow?

Im not region free. The only region-locked title I really care about is EFNY strangely enough! Ill carry on waiting.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by Spooked

Been following this figure on the Sideshow Freaks forums; he does look pretty cool! Hell, I'm not that big of a fan of this movie, but I'm excited for you!

Which, actually brings up something I was wondering: Why do you like this movie so much? I tried to watch it for the first time a couple of months ago and never was really able to get all the way into it. I still don't think I've finished the last 20 minutes. And yet, you seem to love it. It's funny. Does nostalgia play a large part for you? When did you first see it?

Sometimes I think I can better appreciate the films when I consider them from others' perspectives.

I never saw this fllm, theatrically, during it's initial run. I was only 10 at the time of its release. But I remember seeing the trailers for it on TV, during the summer, and wanted to see it so badly, but the parents were having none of that. A few months later, October of 1981, my Dad(USAF) got his transfer assigment and we movied to Germany for the next 3 years. My Dad was always a big film fan, and started up a small video club(VHS/Beta) for the military folks and their families. It was that first batch of VHS tapes he bought, for the club, that had EFNY. I had never forgotten the trailers I saw in the US, and of course I was buying every Starlog(EFNY) & Fangoria(The Thing), to get pics and articles about the film. For Christmas '82, my Dad got me a copy of it, and I swear I watched that copy of a copy, until the wheels fell off! Picture curve at the top of the image and strobing copy guard be dammed! I had the entire dialog commited to memory.
The rest is, shall we say, history.
So I guess it's one of those things that just came along at the right, or perhaps most impressionable, time of my life. So you could say I've got my fan goggles on!
There's no doubt this film is very dated, but for me it will always be locked in place, as I grow old with the film.

Thank you so much for asking.

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by rickah88

I never saw this fllm, theatrically, during it's initial run. I was only 10 at the time of its release. But I remember seeing the trailers for it on TV, during the summer, and wanted to see it so badly, but the parents were having none of that. ... and I swear I watched that copy of a copy, until the wheels fell off! Picture curve at the top of the image and strobing copy guard be dammed! I had the entire dialog commited to memory.
The rest is, shall we say, history.
So I guess it's one of those things that just came along at the right, or perhaps most impressionable, time of my life. So you could say I've got my fan goggles on!
There's no doubt this film is very dated, but for me it will always be locked in place, as I grow old with the film.

Thank you so much for asking.

I cut out the differences in our stories and will add:

It was the first real anti-hero movie I had ever seen.

I had a fascination with guns, and had never seen a Mach-0 before. It was easily the coolest gun ever at the time.

Unfortunately my first viewing was on TV around 83. It had to be before 84 cuz in 84 I went to junior high and started drugs, but I recall walking to elementary school with a stick that looked like Snake's gun pretending to be him. I then had a VHS I taped from the cut up TV broadcast and watched that til the color went away and the tape broke.

It still holds up decent despite the dating. It's funny to watch now and think "hey, 17 years ago this was supposed to happen, should've set it a bit further in the future!" But the charm is still there, Snake is still as cool as anyone on film. I'm so tempted to order that Sideshow figure, I would've killed my whole school for that thing when I was 13! The price is a bit harsh, but I'm gonna move some pennies around and recount em to see if I can get one.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyhorse

I cut out the differences in our stories and will add:

It was the first real anti-hero movie I had ever seen.

I had a fascination with guns, and had never seen a Mach-0 before. It was easily the coolest gun ever at the time.

Unfortunately my first viewing was on TV around 83. It had to be before 84 cuz in 84 I went to junior high and started drugs, but I recall walking to elementary school with a stick that looked like Snake's gun pretending to be him. I then had a VHS I taped from the cut up TV broadcast and watched that til the color went away and the tape broke.

It still holds up decent despite the dating. It's funny to watch now and think "hey, 17 years ago this was supposed to happen, should've set it a bit further in the future!" But the charm is still there, Snake is still as cool as anyone on film. I'm so tempted to order that Sideshow figure, I would've killed my whole school for that thing when I was 13! The price is a bit harsh, but I'm gonna move some pennies around and recount em to see if I can get one.

Well said. Yeah this film is advertised as Sci-fi, and for the time it was pretty "out there" with some of the gadgets/concepts.
They sure got the crime rate rising part right though, unfortunately.

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by rickah88

Well said. Yeah this film is advertised as Sci-fi, and for the time it was pretty "out there" with some of the gadgets/concepts.
They sure got the crime rate rising part right though, unfortunately.

Wasn't crime dropping huge in the late 90's with Rudy cleaning up the city though? Had it been escape from Detroit, it would've been spot on! We were the murder capital of the world for the 90's, unless I was getting bogus info and stats. Now there's no one living there to shoot each other.

[Spooked]

Originally Posted by rickah88

I never saw this fllm, theatrically, during it's initial run. I was only 10 at the time of its release. But I remember seeing the trailers for it on TV, during the summer, and wanted to see it so badly, but the parents were having none of that. A few months later, October of 1981, my Dad(USAF) got his transfer assigment and we movied to Germany for the next 3 years. My Dad was always a big film fan, and started up a small video club(VHS/Beta) for the military folks and their families. It was that first batch of VHS tapes he bought, for the club, that had EFNY. I had never forgotten the trailers I saw in the US, and of course I was buying every Starlog(EFNY) & Fangoria(The Thing), to get pics and articles about the film. For Christmas '82, my Dad got me a copy of it, and I swear I watched that copy of a copy, until the wheels fell off! Picture curve at the top of the image and strobing copy guard be dammed! I had the entire dialog commited to memory.
The rest is, shall we say, history.
So I guess it's one of those things that just came along at the right, or perhaps most impressionable, time of my life. So you could say I've got my fan goggles on!
There's no doubt this film is very dated, but for me it will always be locked in place, as I grow old with the film.

Thank you so much for asking.

Awesome. Thank you very much for answering!

I really enjoy hearing others' experiences with films and how even some of the most maligned films can have an enormously rabid fanbase - often built on a collective nostalgia. I'm definitely up for a re-watch of this film now, and regardless of whether or not my feelings towards it change significantly, I will always remember the poster art displayed in our local Video Store's Sci-Fi section. So iconic, and it brings back fond video rental memories every time.

I eagerly await pics of your Sideshow figure when he arrives!

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by Spooked

Awesome. Thank you very much for answering!

I really enjoy hearing others' experiences with films and how even some of the most maligned films can have an enormously rabid fanbase - often built on a collective nostalgia. I'm definitely up for a re-watch of this film now, and regardless of whether or not my feelings towards it change significantly, I will always remember the poster art displayed in our local Video Store's Sci-Fi section. So iconic, and it brings back fond video rental memories every time.

I eagerly await pics of your Sideshow figure when he arrives!

If you do watch it, please post your thought, good or bad. As I would be curious to hear them. Just to see how a 30+ year old film stands the test of time, viewed from a fresh pair of "ungoggled" eys.
My fan goggles are permanantly attached as far as this film is concerned.
Don't worry I'll be posting some pics, when everything arrives!

[zafisher94]

Does this mean that the MGM blu-ray is going OOP? I only watched this for the first time a few weeks ago (via Amazon Prime), and while I enjoyed it and want to own it, I'd rather pay a bargin price for bare bones release than a premium price for the Scream Factory version. Of course I'm glad that the film (which obviously has a large following) is getting a proper release, but as a casual fan, I don't want to be stuck paying $20 for this.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by zafisher94

Does this mean that the MGM blu-ray is going OOP? I only watched this for the first time a few weeks ago (via Amazon Prime), and while I enjoyed it and want to own it, I'd rather pay a bargin price for bare bones release than a premium price for the Scream Factory version. Of course I'm glad that the film (which obviously has a large following) is getting a proper release, as a casual fan, I don't want to be stuck paying $20 for this.

I'm not really sure. That's a good question.
Either way I think you'll be fine, if you want to wait for a good price on the MGM release. Also when the SF version comes out, there's a good chance folks will be unloading the MGM release.

[zbinks]

Originally Posted by zafisher94

Does this mean that the MGM blu-ray is going OOP?

I doubt it.

[Roy_Batty]

my Laserdisc copy of EFNY is signed by John Carpenter Himself!

[Jakdonark]

Originally Posted by zafisher94

Does this mean that the MGM blu-ray is going OOP?

I was trying to find this and Mad Max last summer and having no luck in stores. Finally saw Mad Max in an hmv for $10. Went back a couple days later and they were gone. They told me they were getting sent back and couldn't be sold. From working in retail I've seen that when something gets discontinued. I was able to find one copy on futureshop.ca, and also got EFNY from Amazon. But there were definite signs that both had been discontinued. Then I saw Mad Max on the MGM 90th trailer, and even though EFNY wasn't on there I had a hunch both would be released this year. Posted this theory a few months back in another EFNY thread. Had no idea about a Shout release though.

As far as them being oop, I believe they could be, but I doubt their value will go up at all. For now I'm hanging on to both until I read final specs on the new ones. If the EFNY transfer is changed at all (ie brightened) I'll keep my old one. Watched it a few weeks ago and didn't think it was too dark. My set isn't professionally calibrated but it is adjusted the best I can do with a setup disc. And I was even watching it during the daytime!

[DarknessBDJM]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

That's usually not their fault, they gotta work with what they're given (though I do still have some reservations about their 'new' transfers).

With that in mind, EFNY could look pretty darned good if they took the current MGM master (which has had a dirt clean-up pass and is generally in nice condition) and lowered the gamma a wee bit to lighten up the impenetrable blacks, and getting Cundey in to colour-correct it would be a huge bonus. In other words, it could end up being one of the most satisfying Shout! BDs in terms of PQ...

The gamma would need to be raised, not lowered. I need to raise Catalyst's video gamma to 1.3 (slightly above the 2.5 standard for pre-rec.709 standard graded films) to get the blu-ray to look proper.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by DarknessBDJM

The gamma would need to be raised, not lowered. I need to raise Catalyst's video gamma to 1.3 (slightly above the 2.5 standard for pre-rec.709 standard graded films) to get the blu-ray to look proper.

Higher gamma = comes out of black slower (darker image). Lower gamma = comes out of black faster (brighter image). Look at the figures you've referenced: is 1.3 not lower than 2.5? Don't conflate the 'raising' of the brightness of the image with the description of what the gamma function does. [edit] (Though this is exactly how the gamma is represented on my TV, e.g. higher setting = brighter, so I can understand why folks are confused by it.)

Thus EFNY needs the gamma lowering to increase the brightness in the blackest parts of the image.

[bmogav]

sooooooo excited to hear this. Got my Sideshow Snake Plissken figure coming soon, hopefully a new Escape comic series from BOOM! Studios, and now this!!!

[MilkManX]

I hope this has the extras from my awesome 2 disc DVD...

[warrian]

Originally Posted by MilkManX

I hope this has the extras from my awesome 2 disc DVD...

That's the minimum it would need. Those, at least as good a transfer (if not the same one) as on the MGM disc, all the same audio and subtitle options and a decent selection of NEW extras as well.

I would hope it would take more than just a new slip cover to get us all to double dip and pay triple for this release but then I've been wrong before.

[PLISSKEN50]

Is there an official release date for this edition?

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by warrian

I would hope it would take more than just a new slip cover to get us all to double dip and pay triple for this release but then I've been wrong before.

MGM's Collector's Edition DVD of EFNY was perfect IMO - right down to the beautiful gatefold packaging. It's going to be really hard to top that.

[klauswhereareyou]

I know they don't do business with Paramount, but I'd like it if Scream could also do an Escape from LA release too.