Dances with Wolves

[MacEachaidh]

Release Date: 1st November 2018

[Jeff B]

I don't know anything about an Australian release, but the German BD by Kinowelt is region B and includes the long cut (with English audio and English subtitles for the native languages). You get both cuts and added extras if you buy the two-disc Jubilaums edition. An import might be worth considering if you are eager to see this film on BD.

[Anamnesis]

Haven't heard anything I am afraid, but as far as I know Warner do not own the rights to it in Australia. The last home video (DVD) release was by Magna Home Entertainment and I suspect they still hold it.

[MacEachaidh]

Thanks for the replies.

Jeff B, I thought of that, but I don't read German, and don't really want the menu and packaging in German. (Yeah, picky, I know.) But most reviews I've read rate the US MGM release over the German Kinowelt, and I was hoping that if we got an OZ release, it might be the MGM transfer.

Anamnesis, I have a copy of the Magna Pacific DVD, and it's quite good, but I thought I remembered reading that they'd only licensed the release rights, not bought them. In any case, I was surprised they were still in business. But Dances with Wolves no longer appears in their release catalogue, so I thought the rights may have reverted.

Anyway, thanks. I guess I'll keep hoping.

[Jeff B]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

Jeff B, I thought of that, but I don't read German, and don't really want the menu and packaging in German. (Yeah, picky, I know.)

I can understand that. I'm picky too sometimes. You could always put the disc in another box or simply change the cover to solve the packaging problem, but you'd have to live with the German menus, which apart from the German text look great. I actually prefer the Kinowelt transfer to the MGM because I like the color timing better, but the majority of people do indeed seem to prefer the MGM, so I can understand your wanting that too.

My suspicion is that an Australian release, if it comes, will be the same theatrical disc that other countries are getting. I hope for your sake I'm wrong though.

[sean19]

Warner's here are pigs when it comes to cutomer service. I complained to them about the Dolby lossy track on The Departed when it stated pcm and they never bothered to reply.

Long story short I left it couple of months and then wrote back calling them stuck up "see you next tuesday's".

However they did make amends.

Next thing I get this apologetic e-mail claiming that the other person who handle enquiries had left...blah blah blah. Then out of the blue a parcel turn's up at my door with 6 Blu-Rays in it. Nothing much to rave about but it covered a few genres from action to chicky flicks

I wrote back to thank them and they replied stating that if I wasn't happy with the movies I could return them and choose what I wanted. I didn't bother though and kept what they had sent me.

Moral of the story...if you don't get your way start swearing at them and they'll send a peace offering

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by sean19

Moral of the story...if you don't get your way start swearing at them and they'll send a peace offering

Hmm ... well, I guess it's worth a try!

Originally Posted by Jeff B

My suspicion is that an Australian release, if it comes, will be the same theatrical disc that other countries are getting. I hope for your sake I'm wrong though.

No, you're probably right. The logic of it (is there such a thing as logic in Blu-ray releases?! ) eludes me, though: the 3-hour cut exists primarily for the US cinema audiences, whereas Aus/NZ and Europe got the 4-hour cut at the flicks, and yet the 4-hour Blu-ray goes to the US and the rest of us get the 3-hour? A bit crazy.

I would have thought if the US release had both cuts in it, it would have had more takers. I notice the US BD has just dropped sub-$10 on Amazon.com ... I wonder whether that means it hasn't sold well, or is there a new version coming out?

[Moysey1969]

Yes, I too would LOVE for Dances With Wolves to get released on Blu-ray here in Australia. It is one of my favourite movies.

Ideally the 4 hour version would be perfect, but just to have a copy I'd settle for the 3 hour.

[hypnotoad8128]

One of my favourite films. I knew the complicated rights issue here would either delay or prevent a release and I wanted both versions. About 6 years ago I ended up getting the extended U.S. cut and also the theatrical cut from the U.K. I imported a region A Sony player and step down transformer just for it. On the upside, it now allowed me to buy criterion releases as well.

[hypnotoad8128]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

the 3-hour cut exists primarily for the US cinema audiences, whereas Aus/NZ and Europe got the 4-hour cut at the flicks,

Incorrect. Dances with Wolves had its cinema release in Australia in Feb of 1991, two months after the U.S. release which was the 181 minute theatrical release, I know because I saw it when it came out. Just like the rest of the world. The 234 minute Director's cut was not released until a year later in Feb 1992 in Australia, two months after the U.S. release. I know, because I saw that too. It's second theatrical run was short lived here though as the theatrical release came out on VHS less than a month later in the March of 1992.

[Alister_M]

The VHS of the extended cut was so long that people had issues with the tape snapping.. probably should have been a two-tape set.

[figrin_dan]

With so many different rights holders over the planet I'm guessing there's no chance of this coming out on UHD, which would be a great shame.

[Moysey1969]

Originally Posted by Alister_M

The VHS of the extended cut was so long that people had issues with the tape snapping.. probably should have been a two-tape set.

It was released on a two tape VHS version, had a friend who worked for Sony who had the rights at the time he worked on this.

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by hypnotoad8128

Incorrect.

No, it wasn't. I didn't say we only got the 4-hour cut. But the US got the 4-hour cut (which Costner has stated was his original and preferred version) only on video.

Overall, I prefer the four-hour cut -- and as is often the way of such things, the longer cut flows better and so actually feels shorter -- but to me it's a bit like Aliens, in the sense that the extended cut has some stuff that should never have been taken out, but other stuff that feels a bit out of place. The extended cut of DwW does seem to overstate the "white man bad, brown/yellow/blue man good" motif that all the flicks with essentially this same plot lean so heavily on.

BTW, I gave in and bought the both-cuts release from Kinowelt -- German menus notwithstanding.

[Moysey1969]

Looks like our prayers are being answered, Dances With Wolves comes to Blu-ray in Australia on Nov 1, 2018:

http://b2b.madman.com.au/actions/cat...eleaseId=44590



Special Features listed on site:

Audio commentary by director/producer/actor Kevin Costner and producer Jim Wilson
Audio commentary by director of photography Dean Semler and editor Neil Travis
Military Rank and Social Hierarchy Guide
"Real History or Make Believe?" true or false quiz
"A Day in the Life on the Western Frontier" featurette
"The Original Making of Dances with Wolves" featurette
"The Creation of an Epic: A Retrospective" documentary
& More

[Blueherring]

Originally Posted by Moysey1969

Looks like our prayers are being answered, Dances With Wolves comes to Blu-ray in Australia on Nov 1, 2018:

[Show spoiler]http://b2b.madman.com.au/actions/cat...eleaseId=44590

Awesome news!

[Anamnesis]

Here is the dealer release confirming both cuts of the movie too.

[LucasJ]

Awesome news! Wonder which cut we will be getting though?

Scratch that just saw we posted at the same time! Thanks for the details

[LordCrumb]

Bit late, but better than nothing at all.

[dean1700]

If you opened the image you will read it has both versions.

This is great news. First day buy unless there is a 4K version coming.

Originally Posted by LucasJ

Awesome news! Wonder which cut we will be getting though?

Scratch that just saw we posted at the same time! Thanks for the details