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DROP DEAD FRED arrives...

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DROP DEAD FRED arrives...

Old 05-09-03, 09:32 AM
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DROP DEAD FRED arrives...


This little gem of film finally arrives on dvd on
July 22 for only $14.95! Specs will follow...
Old 05-09-03, 09:41 AM
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Artisan + Budget = (probably) pan & scan
Old 05-09-03, 09:42 AM
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Let's hope not! I'll post the specs when they are available.
Old 05-09-03, 12:44 PM
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I saw this yeasterday at DVDPriceSearch.com.

Great news! Even better if it's widescreen, but I'm pretty used to my beat-up VHS copy, so any release is better than none.
Old 05-09-03, 12:47 PM
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Crack House Classic
Old 05-09-03, 01:18 PM
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www.YAHOO!.com Nice. It was on my list of most-wanted. I'm still waiting for "Clifford" and "Jury Duty" to complete my comedy set.

Last edited by Disc-Flipper; 05-09-03 at 01:21 PM.
Old 05-10-03, 02:00 AM
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Come on OAR!!!
Old 05-10-03, 09:43 AM
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i loved this flick as a kid, pan and scan or not, i'll probably pick it up. i've only seen it on vhs, which if i remember correctly wasn't widescreen.
Old 05-11-03, 06:30 AM
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you mean open matte, NOT pan and scan. These films had video in mind, remember?
Old 05-11-03, 09:08 AM
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Of course I just bought the LD of this, so it makes sense that the DVD would come out right after that! Of course if it's MAR'd then it won't really matter since the LD is the same way and I only paid $6 for it.
Old 06-16-05, 06:25 AM
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I bought Drop Dead Fred as a blind buy 2 years ago. I loved it the first time I saw it. If you look at my list of my 20 favorite movies, it's the only movie on my list that the critics hated.

I think the critics were just so incredibly wrong about this film. I know that each person has his own opinion, and movie critics can have any opinion they want, and that people do disagree on things. But what I mean is that I think the critics missed what the movie is really about.

On the surface, the movie is a very funny slapstick comedy. But at a deeper level, this is a very serious, psychological movie about a woman who is trying to get control of her life.

Here's one online critic who understood:

Spoiler:
http://www.astralresearch.org/mystic...r=1991&index=1

A young woman who had an imaginary friend to comfort her through an abandoned childhood is now seeking to reunite with her neglectful first husband. The imaginary friend returns with a vengeance to help her avoid the mistake, until she rescues her inner child to become truly independent and leave her dysfunctional relationship patterns behind.

This tender off-beat comedy has rubbed too many people the wrong way (or the right way for the wrong reasons) because of its outrageous slapstick, like something by Jim Carrey. The imaginary friend is cavortingly rude for a reason; he served to push the girlchild to do mischief for attention and as a cry for help. Now grown up, the woman has forgotten and is about to lose her soul, so events call for some kind of literal return of her demon to force the exposure of her pain. This psychic crisis is poignantly realistic even if the plot device is less so, thus offering validation to all the bad girls who felt so alone in their right choices to rebel (rebellion is expected in boys). The creature who is visible only to the woman is like a poltergeist energy of her repressed self, a problematic ego container into which her powers of assertion and creativity were poured and stored. The movie's resolution is startlingly beautiful, as she goes into a meditative dreamworld to find and hold the little girl who was abandoned by everyone but Fred, and now, having accepted the adult's response-ability to embrace all parts of self (thus becoming more of her Soul) she must bid a final bittersweet goodbye to her old trickster friend. A powerful story with few peers


Phoebe Cates is an amazing actress in this film. Her character displays so many different emotions. She also has a tremendous talent for physical comedy.

The Carrie Fisher character is also great with her deadpan seriousness. And

Spoiler:
You know the scene where Carrie Fisher thinks she's beating up Fred? I have this idea that George Lucus should use CGI editing to make it look like she's killing Jar Jar Binks, and then edit it into the next release of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope.


The last few scenes of this movie are so wonderfully moving. If I was the kind of guy who admitted to crying while watching movies, I would cry while watching this one.

My favorite scene is when:

Spoiler:
the Phoebe Cates character finally figures out the magic words.


This really is a very deep, serious movie. And I absolutely, totally love it.

The Phoebe Cates character here is the epitome of sweetness and innocence. This movie could not have worked with any other actress in that role.

This movie is about the importance of being happy with yourself, and loving life, and remembering what it's like to be a child. This film is a masterpiece.
Old 06-16-05, 07:31 AM
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I saw it at blockbuster and it was Full Screen
Old 06-16-05, 08:28 AM
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Yes. The region 1 DVD is full screen.

It even says so on the back. It was filmed in open matte, and that's how the DVD is.

The theatrical version was matted.

But I think they may have had home video in mind when they filmed it. I always buy the original theatrical ratio version whenever there is a choice. But this open matte DVD is the only region 1 DVD of this movie that there is. But, I have to say that the framing looks great to me. The viewing enjoyment was very excellent for me.

If you love this film, if you really, really love it, then please don't let the open matte factor get in your way of buying it.

Yes, if there had been a region 1 DVD of Drop Dead Fred in the original aspect ration, then yes, that would be the one to buy. Whenever there is a choice, I always buy the original aspect ratio version. But in the absence of such a release, the open matte DVD is the best thing available.

There's a phrase that says, "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."

I knew that the Jonny Quest DVD set was censored. I hate censorship. But I bought it anyway, because I love it so much.

I now that principle is important. And I know that original aspect ratio is important. But sometimes if you exepct perfection all the time on everything, you end up getting disappointed way too much.
Old 06-16-05, 09:47 AM
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Our only hope of an OAR edition is Lion's Gate who took over Artisan
Old 06-16-05, 11:12 AM
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It's not just a full frame presentation, though -- it's an awful full-frame presentation.

Case in point:

Old 06-16-05, 11:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Adam Tyner
It's not just a full frame presentation, though -- it's an awful full-frame presentation.

Case in point:

It's filmed in a 1:1.01 ratio?
Old 06-16-05, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Numanoid
It's filmed in a 1:1.01 ratio?
That's cropped a bit to show how poorly authored the DVD is.
Old 07-09-05, 07:50 PM
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That stuff certainly shouldn't be there. But it only lasts for a few frames.

Other than the person who watched the DVD to review it, is there anyone here besides me who has it? I bought it two years ago and I have gotten so much enjoyment from watchng it over and over and over. What a great film!
Old 07-09-05, 10:36 PM
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Originally Posted by grundle
Other than the person who watched the DVD to review it, is there anyone here besides me who has it? I bought it two years ago and I have gotten so much enjoyment from watchng it over and over and over. What a great film!
It's mine. I was waiting for this one for a long time. Bought it on release day. Great movie.

Oh, they also released "Clifford" and "Jury Duty" - two other of my favorite comedies.
Old 07-09-05, 11:18 PM
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The R4 release is widescreen.
Old 07-10-05, 02:25 AM
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Please be widescreen!
Old 07-10-05, 11:49 AM
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Open Matte isn't such a bad thing.
But I think they should start making a matting feature on DVD players.
Old 07-10-05, 03:46 PM
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I loved this movie as a kid, and for $10 Im sold no matter what the video is like...
Old 07-11-05, 03:30 AM
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Or maybe you could look to other regions to get the widescreen version. If only I had some way of finding out where I get a WS copy from...
Old 07-11-05, 06:13 AM
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http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/228512

16:9 Widescreen! (Australia - Region 4)

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