Home Theater Forum WB chat going on RIGHT NOW!! (HELP TO GET DS FILMS ON DVD!)

[BuzzH]

What is possibly working in our favor is that WB is obviously well aware of Darren's restoration project so hopefully all of the restored footage will make it to the upcoming movies' DVD. I understand it is all about dollars and cents, but WB is financially able to absorb the costs of adding the restorations to the DVD. Just look at how the WB corporation threw away 6 million dollars without even blinking an eye on the failed 2004 Dark Shadows pilot.

Absolutely, and they will be able to make up for that cost by adding $10 to the 'sticker price'!  I'm sure all fans would pay $30 for the UN-edited version as opposed to $20 for the original cut-up piece of confusing crap that was released originally to theaters!  

[jimbo]

Absolutely, and they will be able to make up for that cost by adding $10 to the 'sticker price'!  I'm sure all fans would pay $30 for the UN-edited version as opposed to $20 for the original cut-up piece of confusing crap that was released originally to theaters!   

Buzz I hope you are right that most DS fans would pay the extra dollars to obtain the movies' original full length. I would also like to believe that WB has more professional integrity than MGM and Sony. Time will tell. It's a shame that we are all so helpless. I don't think WB is interested in what the fans have to say in this matter; MGM/Sony obviously did not.

[BuzzH]

I don't think WB is interested in what the fans have to say in this matter

Basically true, unless they figure out they can *profit* more off of us by giving us exactly what we want, then of course they'd be interested because ultimately it fattens their coffers.  

[AKA Laura's Fires]

They'll PROBABLY release BOTH the original HODS & NODS and then, *hopefully*, Darren's restored version at a later date.  It's called 'double-dipping' folks and studios do it ALL the time to fleece us suckers out of our hard earned sheckles!  And we buy both don't we?    If they think they'll get even MORE money out of us, they'd have rocks in their heads NOT to release a second version of NODS.  My hope is that whatever WB does regarding the release of these 2 flicks on DVD, that once Darren has finished his restoration of NODS they will release that as well and call it the NODS Criterion version, or whatever.  So long as we see the film the way it was SUPPOSED to be seen all those years ago, that's all I care about!!  

I was thinking that the HODS / NODS double-sided DVD may be a "test run" to see just how many of us fans and / or retro horror lovers would pony up to begin with.  And yeah, sure, I'll buy the double-sided DVD first if they feel compelled to play that game if that's the only way we can show our purchasing power.

But I surely understand and will support any action to try to get the fully-restored versions with extras to us first, if that can be managed.  So whom do I need to browbeat?  

[AKA Laura's Fires]

What is possibly working in our favor is that WB is obviously well aware of Darren's restoration project so hopefully all of the restored footage will make it to the upcoming movies' DVD. I understand it is all about dollars and cents, but WB is financially able to absorb the costs of adding the restorations to the DVD. Just look at how the WB corporation threw away 6 million dollars without even blinking an eye on the failed 2004 Dark Shadows pilot. Adding the restoration footage to the DVD will cost a fraction of that I believe. Let's hope that Darren's hard work will be rewarded.

I hope so, too, I think it's just great how Darren has Mr. Curtis' blessing and everything.

Now, I've heard about that WB pilot in 2004 - if anyone here can flash me a link to a site that explains why that never materialized, I'll be happy to read it.

I know WB is a big ol' mega-studio and able to absorb costs, but their decision to shelf the 2004 series makes me wonder if something happened as far as indication of interest - or lack thereof - in the marketing field led them to make the decision to release a double-sided DVD of the old movies.  (Of course, that still wouldn't explain why they decided to re-release the movies at all, if there is some kind of market lag on DS projects.)

You can tell I'm not very savvy on how these things work, please excuse.  

[AKA Laura's Fires]

Absolutely, and they will be able to make up for that cost by adding $10 to the 'sticker price'!  I'm sure all fans would pay $30 for the UN-edited version as opposed to $20 for the original cut-up piece of confusing crap that was released originally to theaters!  

I know I would...I've never seen the unedited version of the movies.

In fact, I never even knew there were unedited versions of the movies.  So if nothing else, the restoration project folks are educating fans who aren't quite as knowledgeable as others about what goes on or went on outside the realm of DS broadcasts or releases.

The trick is to find out how to give this info even broader scope.  If enough fans knew about it, maybe some kind of letter-writing campaign is in order.

Or maybe we should form a union.  Hehe!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Now, I've heard about that WB pilot in 2004 - if anyone here can flash me a link to a site that explains why that never materialized, I'll be happy to read it.

You might want to click on the following link to this topic on the forum:

...

because it follows the full development of the pilot. It's 55 pages long, so it's certainly a long read - but it's also an informative one for anyone who might not have followed along originally. The posts concerning the pilot's ultimate fate begin around page 46.

Also, many other topics about the pilot were posted after this one, including one in which fans who were lucky enough to see the pilot at last year's LA Fest discuss it. Try browsing/searching the boards Current Talk '04 I, Current Talk '04 II, Current Talk '05 I, and Current Talk '05 II. 

[AKA Laura's Fires]

Terrific...thanks muchly for the pointer, MB!

[Midnite]

I'm sure all fans would pay $30 for the UN-edited version as opposed to $20 for the original cut-up piece of confusing crap that was released originally to theaters!  

Ouch.  A restoration would greatly enhance my enjoyment of the movie, but I think NoDS, as it is, is in no way crappy.  Sure, the unfortunate cuts caused confusion, but it's still a wonderfully creepy horror tale and boasts some superb acting (Kate Jackson, David Selby, Johnny Karlen and others) and music that's both spooky and lovely.

But because I AM such a big fan of the movie, I didn't take this latest news well.  At all. 

[ClaudeNorth]

Might I suggest a well-orchestrated letter writing campaign?  Calm, intelligent letters from a variety of people might help to get the two DS movies on DVD in the form that we most want.

A good format for the letters would be to start out by praising Warners for the terrific work they've done in recent years, in terms of DVD releases, and for being one of the few studios willing to participate in online chats.  From there, mention a few Warner DVDs that you've bought, or plan to buy, and express how pleased you are with these discs.  Then, discuss their plans for the DS movies and suggest that they restore NODS and release the films on separate discs.

I believe that expressing our wishes for these releases in terms of wanting them to be as good as other Warners releases, i.e. reflecting Warners's high standards, would be the most effective way to convince the studio to reconsider the double-feature disc.  Companies always like to know that their work is appreciated and, honestly, Warners has been doing a great job with their DVD line.  Also, by referencing other titles in our letters, we will demonstrate that the fans of the DS movies have diverse tastes and that the movies appeal to a wide range of film fans.

At the very least, it will confirm to the power that be that there is interest in these movies.