RocShemp

I just purchased today the Artisan DVD of The Punisher (1989) at Wal-Mart for $6.27. It was a good price and this film is a guilty pleasure for me. Now I always remember this film bein in stereo and the back cover of the case even claimed that it was in "Dolby Digital Surround." Now I wasn't expecting a real active soundmix to rival that of more recent action movies but I got was one channel mono. I watched the film straight through and the end credits confirmed that the movie was originally in Dolby Stereo (not surround, though) but the disc is encoded in mono. What gives?

DVDTalker002

I think mines stereo actually I know its stereo or surround because I get sound out of all my speakers while watching it.

Rypro 525

Maybe there are two soundmixes for the dvd?

RocShemp

I thought about that but the disc doesn't allow me to switch audio tracks (it only offers one) and there's no "set up" link in the disc menu.

KevinSmithIsGod

Same thing with mine....
I got it at Walmart a few weeks back...MONO only...

Giles

and it's a censored "R-rated" version as well. Outside US video versions are the uncut version.

RocShemp

That I knew when I purchased the DVD but for $6.27 I wasn't going to complain that it's the R rated version rather than the unrated version. In fact, since Artisan owns the rights to The Punisher (1989) I wont be surprised if they release a special edition to coincide with their theatrical release of The Punisher (2004). My problem though is this very bad discrepancy in the sound mix. The film was originally recorded in Dolby Stereo and the DVD has a Dolby Digital Mono mix (regardless of the claim on the case of the DVD that it's encoded in Dolby Digital Surround). This is pretty big screw up.