Early Review of Region 1 DVD

[GonzoNYC]

Paramount has "dropped the ball" on so many movie and TV series DVD releases I don't know why I am surprsied by all of this.

[MrVess]

This truly defies belief. And I still find it shocking that it was, supposedly, Walter Hill's very own decision. If true, then the "director's cut" is, in this case, definable as a merciless mutilation rather than expansion or improvement...

In fact, since the term of self mutilation has functioned in medicine for centuries, it is probably time to expand the legal lexicon with the term "self-rape" - and point the future law codex to the 2005 reedition of "The Warriors" as an example...

[Cochise]

For the USA Region 1 DVDs? there are only 2.

Hey, thanks a lot. I read it yesterday but forgot to reply, so thanks for the help and quick reply.

[bushnut]

After reading this thread and seeing joepals images i can honestly say that if region 2 has these cartoon effects i will boycott buyin it. Why mess with what is a beautifully shot movie in the first place. I was sad that they messed with the original star wars but this!!! I had to check if it was april 1st.

[Dave Mack]

It sucks! They also re-edited it too as before the scene has them busting out of the train station and Ajax says, "WHERE ARE THEY?!?!?" and then turns his head and they show all 4 warriors and then the Fury. Now it cuts the scene in 1/2 with the others escaping... Stupid decision..
And Paramount screwing R1 is nothing new...

GRRRR!!!!!!

[CleonsChoice]

I don't know. I must say I am taken aback by all the complaining going on here. You have an hour of documentaries devoted to one film...The Warriors. That would seem like a wonderful thing to me. So the director decided to monkey around a bit with his film and so it doesn't include all the great extra footage that appears in some tv versions. If you want the original cut, you can still get the original DVD for cheap (just grab it before it goes OOP) Most everyone here has seen or owns a copy of the version with the alternate opening, etc. If not, many here can point you in the right direction.

On top of that, the director has stated that he never preferred the tv footage to be seen at all, which leads me to believe that he had nothing to do with the assembly of the tv version. That's a lot further from a "Director's Cut" than what we will have with the new DVD. What is on the DVD is what Walter Hill wanted on there. A movie with as many extra scenes reincorporated into the film, does not automatically constitute a "director's cut." In this case, something like that is not Walter Hill's preferred vision, and he is the director. Also, as Walter Hill has stated, much of the outtakes and other similar elements were destroyed by Paramount in the early eighties. The original elements necessary to incorporate the extra footage, such as the daytime opening sequence, into a new cut may not exist anymore or be in good enough condition to be used for such a purpose.

The bottom line is, even if you don't appreciate the changes made to the film for this edition, you have an introduction by the director and nearly an hour of documentaries. Considering the fact that we've NEVER had anything resembling this type of coverage (save some recent magazine articles) for our favorite film, I'm pretty damned happy. It could be a helluva a lot worse...Paramount could have decided against revisiting this title at all.

[Dave Mack]

True, true.. I AM chuffed for the documentaries. I just wish we had the original version with a new transfer and a 5.1 kick-ass audio mix. But I truly don't like the idea of making one of my fave movies into a trendy graphic novel. Especially since it appears they are discontinuing the original dvd. Amazon.com doesn't sell it anymore and that's a good indication. Also if there IS a commentary on the R2 version and not on the R1, I'm pissed.

[CleonsChoice]

Especially since it appears they are discontinuing the original dvd. Amazon.com doesn't sell it anymore and that's a good indication

This is one development which I am really not fond of. For newbies, and there will be lots of them with the release of the game and the remake, the new cut will be the only available version of the film. Paramount should continue to make the original version of the film available, for film preservation purposes, which they are shortsightedly not doing. We're getting a little close to George Lucas territory here, which is not a comparison I wanted to make.

[Dave Mack]

My thoughts exactly, Cleon'schoice.

Good news is my Warriors vest should be here today or tomorrow!

d

[ohs]

Especially since it appears they are discontinuing the original dvd. Amazon.com doesn't sell it anymore and that's a good indication

This is one development which I am really not fond of. For newbies, and there will be lots of them with the release of the game and the remake, the new cut will be the only available version of the film. Paramount should continue to make the original version of the film available, for film preservation purposes, which they are shortsightedly not doing. We're getting a little close to George Lucas territory here, which is not a comparison I wanted to make.

oh how I wish he would release the original trilogy uncut on dvd

[Ranchgal]

Thank You JoePal--I really appreciate you posting the current pictures of the stars, and even the rest of the stills/comic stuff.
I am glad to see them again, and HOPE that the pictures you posted will come with them actually saying something on this.

I am sick at the thought of the movie being turned into a comic book, and even if the strips are high quality-it sucks.
But I have preordered the dvd, and will be waiting see what they actually send me, as my shipping date is still Oct. 4th. Should be hearing from them that it is shipped on that date. Wish the knots in my stomach would straighten out before it gets here. I am dreading/and hoping at the same time.

IF Walter Hill didn't give us what we were lead to expect from this--somehow I am going to find an address for him and let him know about it.

[Rem]

Wait a minute...So it just cuts from the subway train leaving to the facial expressions of the four Warriors? So they cut out them exiting the station, and Ajax saying "Where are they!?" If that's true than it goes beyond stupid comic stuff. He messed up the continuity of his own movie just so he could have some stupid comic book cells.

Honestly this is worse than Speilberg replacing guns with walkie talkies in ET. Worse than the Special Edition Star Wars DVDs. Walter Hill is now the #1 Hack Director ever.

[Lion]

I hate all this region bull crap. We are in 2005 and its not like us yanks and the brits don't speak english damn it. About the movie, it seems things get worse for us. We waited 26 years man.....the least these damn people could do is leave the movie alone and just gives a second disc with the special features. Arrrrrrgh ](*,)

[jjchampion]

CleonsChoice pretty much sums up what I've been thinking the past couple of days.

I must admit I'm curious to see the comic book stuff and how it integrates into the movie. If the comic book transitions are truly what Walter Hill wanted when he originally made the film, that would have been pretty forward-thinking for 1979. Gotta keep that in perspective.

I was hoping there would be commentary from Walter Hill, but if he prefers to "let the films speak for themselves," I respect that.

I'm excited about the documentaries, and about the 5.1 stereo mix.

I've got the original version of the film on DVD and VHS, and I'll never part with them. Even if the new version is terrible, I gotta watch it at least once, just to see for myself. Then I can always go back to the cherished original version. And if it does somehow turn out that the R2 version of the Director's Cut is different (beyond just the cover), I've got a region-free player so I'll get that, too.

[ohs]

hmm I wonder if R1 will have stuff that isnt on R2 and from the looks of it R2 is gonna have stuff that R1 doesnt. Could this be some kind of marketing skeem to make more money by getting fans to buy 2 versions? :-k