Willo007

Lions Gate Films started out as an independent studio distributing small acquisitions, then they venture as a production company in the late '90s, in 2001 they bought out Trimark Pictures (Vidmark Entertainment) and Studio Home entertainment (Sterling Home Entertainment) and in 2002 they bought Artisan Entertainment (Live Entertainment).

Ever since the acquisitions of all these small studios, which looked like a promising future for all the films in the library, Lionsgate has done nothing but upset its consumers, here is a documented list of these mishaps:

These are the reasons why I am really not happy with Lionsgate:

02/02/2002
Dolph Lundgren's Hidden Agenda is released with a 1.85.1 Letterboxed aspect ratio. NO 16:9!!!

07/15/2003
The Blood Of Heroes is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!
Jean Claude Van Damme's Kickboxer is re-issued, FOOLSCREEN, dropping the 1.85:1 16:9 transfer and trailer from the HBO Video DVD release.
Kickboxer 2 is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!
Kickboxer 5 is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!

12/16/03
Christopher Lambert's Absolon is released FOOLSCREEN, Canada gets the Widescreen version through Alliance Atlantis.

02/24/04
Ryan Raynolds' Foolproof is released FOOLSCREEN, Canada gets the Widescreen version through Alliance Atlantis.

08/17/04
The Unnamable II is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!
Chopping Mall is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!! but has some extras.
Power Of Attorney is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!
Sleepstalker is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!

10/19/04
Universal Soldier: Special Edition is released but the extras from previous release are not imported: 1992 featurette & Trailer.

11/23/04
First Blood, Rambo II & Rambo III : Because they wanted to prove an Ultimate Edition could have less features than a Special Edition release!!

03/15/05
Philadelphia Experiment 2 is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!

09/20/05
The Resurrected is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!! but has some extras.
Dolly Dearest is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!

10/11/05
Amityville: A New Generation is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!
Amityville: It's About Time is released for the first time on DVD, FOOLSCREEN!!

01/17/06
Lord Of War is released with the in correct OAR 1.78:1, the studio states this was the print submitted to them by the producers (An excuse they will eventually use numerous times after this incident) . The 2 Disc is re -issued as 2.40:1, as of today the studio still releases the 1idisc version with the incorrect 1.78:1 OAR.

01/24/06
Domino Principle, The / March Or Die (Double Feature) both films for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!

04/11/06
Red Carpet Double Feature: Legionnaire / Replicant, re-issuing Legionnaire with the incorrect OAR of 1.78:1 dropping the previous 2.35:1 OAR released by Studio Home Entertainment and all the features: Audio Commentary
Trailers,Interviews with Cast and Crew & Rare Footage with Legionnaires in Combat.

04/25/06
Filmax's The Nun is released but with incorrect OAR, from a 2.35:1 to a 1.78:1.

10/03/06
Invader for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!
Deadfall is reissued with no new material and FOOLSCREEN!!

01/09/07
Cadence is reissued FOOLSCREEN again.

01/23/07
Jacknife for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!
Last Light for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!
Kounterfeit for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!

02/27/07
Tideland is released in a 1.78:1 aspect ration, the film iss released as part of a distribution deal with ThinkFillms, the studio's excuse, this the way the producers submitted the film, right, subsequently, the studio only releases about 5 of the ThinkFilms films and the contract goes to Image home entertainment.

03/27/07
Lock Up is reissued, only new thing, a cardboard sleeve, yay!

04/03/07
Freeway is reissued, only new thing, a cardboard sleeve stating the film is 16:9 but is not, yay!

05/22/07
Cutthroat Island is reissued, still not 16:9, yay!!

08/21/07
Malicious for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!

09/25/07
Night Of The Demons 2 for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!

02/19/08
Catacombs is released not 16:9, yay!!

08/05/08
Fortress is reissued, still FOOLSCREEN!!! Yay!!

12/09/08
Bad Boys re-issued with nothing new , yay!!!

01/06/09
Highlander: Director's Cut re-issued with nothing new , yay!!!
Wicker Man re-issued with nothing new , yay!!!

01/27/09
The Road killers for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!! Fantastic!!

02/17/09
Hard Country for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!! Fantastic!!

02/24/09
Ironweed for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!! Fantastic!!

03/03/09
Narrow Margin is reissued, only new thing, a cardboard sleeve!!+
Johnny Handsome re-issued with nothing new but a cardboard sleeve and still FOOLSCREEN, yay!!!

03/31/09
The Broken incorrect OAR, way to go!!

04/14/09
Slaughter High for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!! Fantastic!!
Repossessed re-issued with a trivia track but yet still FOOLSCREEN!! Super!
The Night Before for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!
My Best Friend Is A Vampire for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!
Morgan Stewart's Coming Home for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!
Irreconcilable Differences for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN, but to Lionsgate's credit it does have a nice VHS transfer, Super!!
Homer & Eddie for the first time on DVD but FOOLSCREEN!!

07/07/09
Near Dark is re-issued and to compete with the too many features 2 disc set previously released by Anchor Bay, Lionsgate will release it barebones, Booya!!!

chris_sc77

They are still better than Fox though.
The Fullscreen shit has got to stop though. I cannot understand for the life of me why they do this.

NoirFan

Lionsgate's catalog titles are utterly worthless - lousy transfers, incorrect OARs and zero extras. Avoid them at all costs.

WMAangel

This is in no way a defense of Lionsgate, but let's be honest, you could go through seven years of history with pretty much EVERY studio and come up with a list pointing out and picking apart where mistakes have been made.....

EVERY studio is guilty....they all have double dipped, left off previously released special features, put out full screen and non-anamorphic transfers, decided on using crappy packaging, etc. etc....it's not just Lionsgate....

NoirFan

Have other studios put out full-screen only editions of films? Sure. Universal's early versions of The Sting and The Jerk come to mind. The difference is that most of these early mistakes have been corrected (though WB still has quite a few full-screen snappers floating around), while, in Lionsgate's case, every single title they release is full-screen. In 2009, this is simply unacceptable.

DVD Polizei

You also need to mention their fucktacular packaging. These are the only studios I've encountered where the spine stickers STICK to the damn plastic cover, basically ruining it if you don't use Goo-Gone or something similar. Then, they include a nice fat square additional security sticker on the inside case, which takes a hell of a long time to remove...again...with Goo-Gone.

salamander2

don't forget RAISE THE TITANIC, LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER and VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED! All full frame, (first two were scope films!)and VOYAGE was the shorter version!

Also COMING SOON, previous edition had commentaries,interviews, etc, new version dropped all extras!

RobCA

Two words (and an ampersand): Will & Grace.

Their shoddy treatment of this show on DVD is disgraceful... using syndicated versions of some of the episodes, putting them in the wrong order, etc., etc.

MovieExchange

Very true... we could go into a long rant about Anchor Bay and their history of crap-releases and double / triple / quadruple dip "this is the last version, we really mean it" escapades.

And then there's the shit-tacular Hellraiser "box set," the crown jewel of their incompetence.

islandclaws

Also: Someone Behind the Door was released in 1.78:1 letterbox widescreen, even though packaging states "16x9".

LG definitely sucks a big one. The studio showed plots of promise, but they just keep kiling their image with bonehead moves. There is simply ZERO excuse to release any title FOOLSCREEN in this day and age. No excuse. I really wanted to pick up My Best Friend is a Vampire. I've been waiting YEARS for it to hit DVD, and then I find out it's 4x3. Granted, it was shot open-matte so I can zoom to approximate theatrical masking, but I shouldn't have to do that.

riotinmyskull

i give anchor bay a free pass because they've released TONS of stuff that other studios probably would've never released.

salamander2

While Lions Gate released a multiple Oscar nominated film like IRONWEED usig a analog tape master!!!

WMAangel

There is an excuse, a very good one from their point of view: $$$$$$$$

It all comes down to money....if they can still sell (X) amount of copies by using a pre-exisiting non-OAR transfer, but it would cost them (Y) amount of dollars to make a new transfer just to sell (Z) amount MORE copies, then they may not bother....unfortunately their catalog isn't overloaded with a ton of mainstream titles, and a lot of the ones listed in the original post just aren't going to move a lot of units.....all of the studios are for-profit businesses and whatever is best for their bottom lines is 99.9% of the time what will influence their decisions....

(Again, not a defense of Lionsgate or any of the studios, I am personally a believer in always presenting films in OAR, but just trying to point out the unfortunate reality of the situation....)

Gizmo

Wow...that's a pretty interesting history lesson in Lionsgate.

dx23

You forgot the couple of Bunuel Spanish films that were released without English subtitles.

abintra

This thread reminded me that I lost a post on the DVDSpot forums when the site owner removed all the threads without warning. Listed some of the modified aspect ratio releases.

The couple Lionsgate ones I can recall.

9/18/2001 'The Widow of Saint-Pierre' was released 1.78:1 (1.85:1?). Modified from its 2.39:1 intended aspect ratio.

3/8/2005 Like 'Lord of War', 'Stage Beauty' was released 1.78:1 (1.85:1?). Modified from its 2.39:1 intended aspect ratio.

12/20/2005 'Creep' was released 1.78:1 (1.85:1?). Modified from its 2.39:1 intended aspect ratio.

chris_sc77

they do tend to treat many of their new releases well though. most of their new releases have commentary tracks which I think is a big plus. I think they are kinda like the opposite of Warner bros which tends to make great catalog releases but terrible new releases. Lions gate tends to make terrible catalog releases but rather good new releases.

tylergfoster

The one on the list I would dispute is The Wicker Man. The "new" extra was the second disc, which at the time was out of print. I consider re-issuing a previously out-of-print disc to be a satisfactory reason to put something out. I also consider re-issuing the kick-ass masterpiece that is The Wicker Man 1973 to counter the awful 2006 remake another satisfactory reason for this DVD.

manicsounds

I thought "The Wicker Man" 1973 was released by Anchor Bay, not Lionsgate.

Living Deadpan

I thought they did a pretty satisfactory job with Alligator (1980). Anamorphic widescreen, interview with John Sayles, commentary with Lewis Teague & Robert Forster. Crappy cover artwork, but no worse than MGM's catalog covers like From Beyond, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Species.

Now this was a zero effort disc. Especially since Lovecraft fans are still waiting for Dan o'Bannon's director's cut titled 'The Ancestor'. The only place you can view it is at Dan's house; And unless you're writing a book about Lovecraft films (The Lurker In the Lobby), I don't think he's going to let just anyone into his house (unless we let him whine for 3 hours about how they ruined his original Alien script).

Matthew Ackerly

They did a pretty fantastic job with The Monster Squad, when no other stuido dared to release it, so just for that, Lionsgate is OK in my book.

But yes, the fullscreen shit and modifying of OAR's is ridiculous and unforgivable.

They are a strange studio. They either really hit or really miss.

NoirFan

I'll give credit where credit is due - that was a fine release of an underrated film.

Silverscreenvid

That might make sense for some bottom rung B-movies which appeal largely to the Blockbuster crowd looking for cheap thrills and will not be too upset if it's fullscreen or not. But movies like Ironweed and Voyage of the Damned have zero interest for that crowd. They will appeal to real film buffs and those same film buffs will not appreciate a fullscreen release, so much so that they will refuse to buy the disc for that reason. I refuse to buy Voyage of the Damned for that reason unless and until someone releases it properly.

Releasing quality films that appeal to serious movie fans in a completely shoddy fashion is a losing strategy.

salamander2

Ad again, IRONWEED wa a multiple Oscar nominated film. Do you know any other major label that treats a Oscar nominated film from from 22 years ago this shabby? Or on a case like RAISE THE TITANIC, a "event" film shot in scope yet choose to release it in fullframe? Or issue films like JOHNNY HANDSOME or EXTREME PREJUDICE (both great films by Walter Hill) in fullframe???

zyzzle

RAISE THE TITANIC wasn't even the full version, but a cut version... The TV version ran for 150 minutes...

VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED was a complete disgrace.

Are the majority of their 4x3 releases at least open-matte versions? Or, are they truly zoomed in 1:85.1 prints?