Stephen King Collection - Riding the Bullet, Bag of Bones etc- 18/10/23 - Via Vision

[DawnShadow]

Six stories from the master of writen horror, Stephen King, in a limited edition 8-disc Hardbox.

Featuring films directed by King regulars Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and Mick Garris (The Stand), this set is jam-packed with spooky special features, many of which are available for the first time in Australia.

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The Mist
After a violent storm, a dense cloud of mist envelops a small Maine town, trapping artist David Drayton and his five-year-old son in a local grocery store with other people. They soon discover that the mist conceals deadly horrors that threaten their lives, and worse, their sanity.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

Disc One

1080p high-definition presentation of the Colour Version
Audio Commentary by writer/director Frank Darabont • Deleted and extended scenes
Deleted and extended scenes with audio commentary by writer/director Frank Darabont
A Conversation with author Stephen King and writer/director Frank Darabont
When Darkness Came: The Making of The Mist – documentary
Taming the Beast: The Making of Scene 35 – featurette
Monsters Among Us: A Look at the Creature FX – featurette
The Horror of it All: The Visual FX of The Mist – featurette
Drew Struzan: An Appreciation of an Artist – featurette
Webisodes • Original Theatrical Trailer • Theatrical Trailer #2
Theatrical Trailer #3
Aspect Ratio TBC
Audio TBC
Subtitles TBC
Disc Two

1080p high-definition presentation of the Black & White Version
Introduction by writer/director Frank Darabont
Aspect Ratio TBC
Audio TBC
Subtitles TBC
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Needful Things
A mysterious new shop opens in a small town which always seems to stock the deepest desires of each shopper, with a price far heavier than expected.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

1080p high-definition presentation on Blu-ray of the Theatrical and TV Cuts
Audio Commentary by Director Fraser C. Heston, moderated by Walter Olsen
Vintage Making of featurette
Behind the Scenes
Photo Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
Aspect Ratio TBC
Audio TBC
Subtitles TBC
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Riding The Bullet
In 1969, while studying at the University of Maine, artist Alan Parker becomes obsessed with death. Believing he is losing his girlfriend, he tries to commit suicide on his birthday but his friends manage to stop him. He receives news that his mother has had a stroke and decides to hitchhike to visit her at the hospital.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

1080p high-definition presentation on Blu-ray
Audio Commentary by writer/director Mick Garris
Audio Commentary by writer/director Mick Garris, producer Joel T. Smith, actor Jonathan Jackson, director of photography Robert New, special FX supervisors Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger
Shooting the Bullet: Vintage Featurettes – David Arquette’s Makeup, Alan’s Artwork, The Picture Cars, A Cemetery Shoot, The Fury Crash, Thrill Village and Drawing the Bullet: A Scene-to-Storyboard Comparison
Artwork gallery
Theatrical Trailer
Aspect Ratio TBC
Audio TBC
Subtitles TBC
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1408
A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

Disc One

1080p high-definition presentation of the Theatrical Cut
Alternate Ending #1
Alternate Ending #2
Deleted Scenes
Deleted Scenes with audio commentary by director Mikael Håfström and writers Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
John Cusack on 1408 – vintage featurette • Inside Room 1408 – vintage featurette
Theatrical Trailer
The Secrets of 1408: Vintage Featurettes – The Characters, The Director, The Physical Effects and The Production Design
Aspect Ratio TBC
Audio TBC
Subtitles TBC
Disc Two

1080p high-definition presentation of the Director’s Cut
Audio Commentary by director Mikael Håfström and writers Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
1408: The Premiere – vintage featurette
Aspect Ratio TBC
Audio TBC
Subtitles TBC
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Secret Window
Mort Rainey, a writer just emerging from a painful divorce with his ex-wife, is stalked at his remote lake house by a psychotic stranger and would-be scribe who claims Rainey swiped his best story idea. But as Rainey endeavors to prove his innocence, he begins to question his own sanity.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

1080p high-definition presentation on Blu-ray
Audio Commentary by writer/director David Koepp
Deleted Scenes
Deleted Scenes with audio commentary by writer/director David Koepp
From Book to Film – featurette
A Look Through It – featurette
Secrets Revealed – featurette • Theatrical Trailer
Aspect Ratio TBC
Audio TBC
Subtitles TBC
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Bag Of Bones
Bestselling novelist Mike Noonan, unable to cope after his wife’s sudden death, returns to the couple’s lakeside retreat in Maine, where he becomes involved in a custody battle between a young widow and her child’s enormously wealthy grandfather. Mike inexplicably receives mysterious ghostly visitations, escalating nightmares and the realization that his late wife still has something to tell him.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

1080p high-definition presentation
Deleted Scenes
Aspect Ratio TBC
Audio TBC
Subtitles TBC

Pre-order : https://viavision.com.au/shop/stephe...u-ray-hardbox/

[BIGRED1977]

I, amazingly, don't have any of those on Blu Ray..... I was considering the Kino 4K of Needful Things but seeing as how the supposedly supierior TV is only 1080p anyway this set might be worth a look..... plus I was looking to upgrad emy DVD of the Mist

[Alister_M]

Hopefully 1408 gets a separate release, my copy is a goddamn coaster.

[The Mole]

I hope for a seperate release of BAG OF BONES. All other movies in this set I already own on BD.

[Filmmaker]

Yeah, I simply can’t justify it for two titles—RIDING THE BULLET, which only had one prior BD release (in Germany) that I don’t own, and BAG OF BONES, for which I own the nice French BD, but it would be nice to have English subs for it. Every other title, I own in equal or superior versions. Any precedent in Via Vision’s past to break up the titles in this box for individual sale down the road?

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Yeah, I simply can’t justify it for two titles—RIDING THE BULLET, which only had one prior BD release (in Germany) that I don’t own, and BAG OF BONES, for which I own the nice French BD, but it would be nice to have English subs for it. Every other title, I own in equal or superior versions. Any precedent in Via Vision’s past to break up the titles in this box for individual sale down the road?

Same 2 titles for me, I've bought boxsets for just 1 film before though...

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by drush9999

Same 2 titles for me, I've bought boxsets for just 1 film before though...

I’d be open to the idea but between now and the end of October, I’m getting positively slaughtered with other must-have releases.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by BIGRED1977

I, amazingly, don't have any of those on Blu Ray..... I was considering the Kino 4K of Needful Things but seeing as how the supposedly supierior TV is only 1080p anyway this set might be worth a look..... plus I was looking to upgrad emy DVD of the Mist

Kino's deinterlacing job on the TV cut is a disaster as well, if that is what you want

I would not call the TV cut superior though, the pacing is a wreck compared to the theatrical cut and it's censored, sometimes with unintentional humor, framing is worse as well

[BIGRED1977]

Originally Posted by Ruined

Kino's deinterlacing job on the TV cut is a disaster as well, if that is what you want

I would not call the TV cut superior though, the pacing is a wreck compared to the theatrical cut and it's censored, sometimes with unintentional humor, framing is worse as well

Good to know, its not one of Kings adapations I am that familiar with..... The bluray will probably suffice over getting the Kino disc

[Alister_M]

Needful Things is one of the lamest King adaptations along with Dreamcatcher and Desperation. All three completely failed to convey anything close to the absolute madness of the books.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by BIGRED1977

Good to know, its not one of Kings adapations I am that familiar with..... The bluray will probably suffice over getting the Kino disc

Ruined’s take is ruined. The TV cut is open matte, which is a shame, and yes, some “safe for broadcast” censoring/edits are in place, but it restores a whopping 71 minutes of material to far better match the breadth and scope of the 816-page novel. It will be interesting to see if Via Vision uses the more natural, untouched print of the TV cut found on the German Blu-ray or the ugly degrained and sharpened “uprezz” version Kino just crapped out.

[BIGRED1977]

Ok well I guess i get this box set as I have none of them on Bluray and find out for myself, cheers for the info

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Ruined’s take is ruined. The TV cut is open matte, which is a shame, and yes, some “safe for broadcast” censoring/edits are in place, but it restores a whopping 71 minutes of material to far better match the breadth and scope of the 816-page novel.

The problem is said material doesn't match the breadth and scope of the novel. It may emulate the length, but we aren't talking about a Fellowship of the Ring extended cut here. We are talking about a cut that was put out after the fact, with often mediocre performances included from the cutting room floor to pad out the story, exacerbated by ridiculous censorship at times.

There is a reason that stuff was cut, and while you do get a better feel for the town with the TV cut, it turns a decently suspenseful theatrical cut into a snoozer Lifetime movie. An interesting curiosity, but better? Nah.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by Ruined

The problem is said material doesn't match the breadth and scope of the novel. It may emulate the length, but we aren't talking about a Fellowship of the Ring extended cut here. We are talking about a cut that was put out after the fact, with often mediocre performances included from the cutting room floor to pad out the story, exacerbated by ridiculous censorship at times.

There is a reason that stuff was cut, and while you do get a better feel for the town with the TV cut, it turns a decently suspenseful theatrical cut into a snoozer Lifetime movie. An interesting curiosity, but better? Nah.

Listen, I’m comfortable with you and I having separate opinions, but it’s your mix of hyperbole that I can’t let stand. No, this isn’t LORD OF THE RINGS-level, but that doesn’t make acquiring the best adaptation of the original novel source any less important. And you keep saying “this stuff was cut for a reason”; there’s one reason and one reason only—the studio mandated it for increased runtimes per day at cinemas. No way in hell they were going to release a three-hour-plus mid-tier Stephen King flick to theaters. I doubt that any studio would today (although they wouldn’t blink at offering such as a limited event TV series). You say the performances are mediocre, but if we accept that criticism, it’s just as true of the truncated cut as the extended—the histrionic performances are the style chosen by the director, they are what they are, and the TV Cut doesn’t add or take away from that. Lastly, you keep mentioning the TV safe censorship, which is more difficult for me to argue—it’s unfortunate it’s that way, and easily the TV Cut’s weakest attribute—but it’s hardly rampant since this is a pretty tame adaptation top-to-bottom anyway, so in terms of weighing the scales, you get way more giveth with the 71 minutes of added material than taketh away with the censoring.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Listen, I’m comfortable with you and I having separate opinions, but it’s your mix of hyperbole that I can’t let stand. No, this isn’t LORD OF THE RINGS-level, but that doesn’t make acquiring the best adaptation of the original novel source any less important. And you keep saying “this stuff was cut for a reason”; there’s one reason and one reason only—the studio mandated it for increased runtimes per day at cinemas. No way in hell they were going to release a three-hour-plus mid-tier Stephen King flick to theaters.

The above bolded line is "mostly false," if you read the history of the film. You imply the theatrical cut was a studio-mandated cash-in via its forced-to-be-cut scenes for "increased showings" at theaters.

However, the director considers the theatrical cut his preferred cut, the director's cut if you will. The extended TV-cut was what was created solely for a cash-in, not the theatrical cut.

The director intended the movie to only be a theatrical feature, but in creating the theatrical feature filmed a lot of material, the best of which could then be edited down to theatrical length - that was his intention, per the director. However, at the time there were a number of King miniseries that performed well on TV. So, after the fact, they offered a pile of money to take all the stuff that was edited out for theatrical run and put it back in so they could make some cash on the TV miniseries aspect. And that is all the TV cut is, a TBS cash-in; its not the director finally getting to restore his vision, because the director has stated his vision was the theatrical cut.

While one may like the TV cut better (it is certainly a lot different), I just find it hard to do so based on all its faults; there are even parts where the censorship makes it hard to figure out WTF is being said by the characters (like the shit on the sheets scene) and the film moves at a snails pace, and it doesnt always make as much logical sense as the theatrical. Portraying the theatrical cut as edited down for monetary purposes is really not true - the director considers the theatrical cut his preferred version, and its actually the TV cut which padded up for monetary purposes - created after the fact solely to cash-in on King miniseries popularity. And in doing so, using cutting room floor footage that was not intended to be seen in the final cut by the director, in order to pad out the runtime for TV.

[Filmmaker]

Firstly, speaking only for myself, I always take a director saying they prefer a theatrical cut to an extended cut with a tiny grain of salt (unless they weren’t consulted in the latter at all, as in the case of Richard Donner and the LETHAL WEAPONs) because they’re often playing good politics—getting their preferred vision out without painting the studio as a bad guy in the process. Don’t shit where you eat, ya know? In the case of director Heston, on the disc’s audio commentary, he discusses scenes from the TV Cut he wishes had been retained in the theatrical version, so if neither cut represents his definitive vision, then I’m going with the one that most closely matches the effect of the novel, and the comparatively savage, “blink and you’ll miss it” editing of the theatrical cut ain’t it.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Alister_M

Needful Things is one of the lamest King adaptations along with Dreamcatcher and Desperation. All three completely failed to convey anything close to the absolute madness of the books.

I dunno, Dreamcatcher was pretty batshit.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

I dunno, Dreamcatcher was pretty batshit.

Oh, but the novel is so many epic leagues better. That movie is…just atrocious. Maybe my all-time least favorite adaptation of his.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Oh, but the novel is so many epic leagues better. That movie is…just atrocious. Maybe my all-time least favorite adaptation of his.

I wasn't a huge fan of the novel. Usually I don't mind King taking his time (my all-time favourite book is It, lol) but the second half of Dreamcatcher felt so drawn-out, it was a bit of a struggle to finish. I may actually prefer the film just because it's more concise. And Damian Lewis' performance is hilarious.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

I wasn't a huge fan of the novel. Usually I don't mind King taking his time (my all-time favourite book is It, lol) but the second half of Dreamcatcher felt so drawn-out, it was a bit of a struggle to finish. I may actually prefer the film just because it's more concise. And Damian Lewis' performance is hilarious.

You didn’t like the extended chase through the blizzard? Ah, man, that was a nail biter. And the ending of the movie, where “you never go full retard” Donnie inexplicably

[Show spoiler]turns into an alien to save the day since going full retard didn’t do the trick

has to be one the biggest WTF?s of all scriptwriting time. The movie breaks my heart because I worship at the altar of Jason Lee.