mzupeman2

Bought it actually on May 28th. That's quite a ways before release, and the store I got it from will be un-named. But whatever employee put it out, knew what they were doing. They didn't put it with the new major releases like everything else....but had two copies sitting in the 'B's in the horror section. I won't complain

Inside a Personal Message from Josh Wheedon:

"No doubt you are looking over this scrumptious BUFFY package and exclaiming "No @#$@#ing letterboxing? Whutzat? GYPPED!" Possibly you are breaking things. Please calm down. The fabulous episodes of BUFFY (and that one crappy one, sorry about that, seemed really cool when we wrote it...) were not shot in a widescreen format. They were shot in the TV 4 by 3 ratio. Now I'm a letterbox fanatic, but not just because I crave th' wide. I want to see the whole screen, as framed for traditional TV's. Adding space to the sides simply for the sake of trying to look more cinematic would betray the very exact mise-en-scene I was trying to create. I am a purist, and this is the purest way to watch BUFFY. I have resisted the effort to letterbox BUFFY from the start and always will, because that is now the show we shot. This is. So enjoy! Stop breaking things. You're getting the best presentation of-let's face it-the best television drama since MATCH GAME `79. Bye for now!'

So obviously Josh knows about the discussions that have been going on in the past during the speculations about this set. The numerous 'widescreen or not' threads that we have started may have brought this message to us But at least he knows what's going on and lets his fans know, I respect that.

Discs 1-6 in order have Oz, Spike, Buffy, Willow, Zander, and Giles on them. It's a black/gray scheme with red lettering. Also upon openning the cardboard expect the same familiar layout of the full page pictures of characters of good and evil with quotes from the season on them. Also expect the same audio and video quality which has always been very good.

I've had Angel season 1 since it first came out, but with all the other stuff I have on DVD to watch, have been watching it here and there. Time to get in gear and have a marathon so I can start watching Buffy!

SCHMEGGA

You dog!


j/k

MasterofDVD

I can't wait for these sets as well as Angel.

I'm upset that I missed these shows on tv but I'm enjoying them a bunch on DVD. I couldn't resist watching Angel Season 1 before Buffy Season 4 came in. I'm weak.

The widescreen thing never got me in an uproar like so many other people here. I believe him and from the comments other have made it seems widesreen was the wrong way to go. I don't need microphones and other things in frame.

I hope my set gets here soon.

lisadoris

You luckly dog you. The rest of us will just have to wait two weeks. I never understood the whole uproar over widescreen in this case. I always thought the goal was OAR and once it was determined that 4:3 was the OAR, the discussion should have been done IMHO. Nice to know some industry people pay attention to us lowly TV watchers.

matome

Damn you!!!

DVDProfessor

I can't wait for this!

Watched sesason three within 2-3 days

Josh-da-man

Is there an insert that says when Buffy S5 or Angel S2 will be out?

...And anybody notice that Buffy has been on the third disc of every singel set so far?

Adam Tyner

The insert in the first Angel set says season 2 will follow in September 2003.

As far as season 5 goes, supposedly an insert in the s4 set says it'll be this year, but doesn't specify a month.

Skank

R4 is widescreen.

Breakfast with Girls

The DVD Talk Coming Soon list has it for August 19.

mzupeman2

Well I didn't see one for Angel but there is one as usual for Buffy, and it doesn't say a month it says '2003'. I'm assuming that's going to be like November/December.

Josh-da-man

2003, huh?

That's good news. Hopefully they're going to start putting them out faster. The first collection came out in Jan. '02, the second in in June '02, the third in Jan. '03, and now the fourth in June '03. If the pattern held, then S5 shouldn't be out until Jan. '04.

tasha99

Region 2 is widescreen, and I think my dvds look better than what's on tv. They're releasing these so fast though that I've stopped buying foreign versions (which are more than twice as expensive).

tasha

Doughboy

Fox better either speed up the release of Buffy or slow down Angel. People who are watching these shows for the first time on DVD will definitely wanna see Buffy Season 5 and Angel Season 2 simultaneously. Not just because of the "Fool For Love"/"Darla" crossover, but also because the ending of Angel Season 2 all but gives away what happens on Buffy.

After that, it doesn't really matter. Yes, UPN and the WB allowed a few crossovers for Buffy Season 7/Angel Season 4, but those can be enjoyed regardless of how you watch them.

BTW, chalk up another vote for the R2 sets. It's not so much the WS transfers(although they do look great in that ratio), but I love the packaging and the inclusion of the "Previously on" intros. Oh, and they're released much earlier than R1.

mdc3000

I am drooling just THINKING of the Buffy season 4 set... you bastard.

MATT

weyland-yutani

i don't understand josh's comments about 4:3/16:9???

if buffy was shot in 4:3 then how are they able to release R2/4 in 16:9? if it was shot fot tv then wouldn't we see booms, cameras and other "set" stuff on the 16:9 film? if he shot it for tv why would he go to the trouble of making sure the 16:9 frame was clear of non-scene "stuff"? did that make sense?

Doughboy

Joss's comments are a little misleading. Technically, the show is shot in 16:9, but it's FRAMED for 4:3. That's why occasionally you can spot a crew member or a piece of equipment or a nude Spike's flesh-colored undies in the extra portions of the frame.

Basically, in the R2 and R4 releases, the transfers are open matte, except instead of opening up the top and bottom of the frame(like Kubrick did), we see more information on the left and right.

R1 is getting Buffy the way it was intended to be seen, according to Joss Whedon and the rest of Mutant Enemy. R2 and R4 get WS transfers because that's what fans demanded from Fox(or so I've read).

Still though, I'll stick with the R2 set for Season 4 and R4 for Season 3, PAL speedup be damned.

DVDProfessor

tell us where you found it, now!!!

costanza187

sounds cool!

k_lodge

Well... I had my hands on Buffy - Season 4 today at a Costco. Went there looking for some "Fox War Classic" titles. Couldnt find any of those left but saw about 10 Buffy Season 4 sets. Picked one up and waited no less than 40 minutes in line. When I got to the counter, it wouldn't ring thru. The cashier told me that it wasnt supposed to be stocked until 6/10. I asked her they why were there a bunch of them out there? She didnt have an answer, but refused to sell it to me.

I should have complained more, and asked for a manager but seeing the people behind me patiently waiting, they didnt need me to hold up the line an additional 10 minutes.

Guess I'll have to wait until the 10th.

BTW -- it will be #39.99 at Costco

mzupeman2

Well 1) you shouldn't give away the names of the stores that put stuff out early as you can get them in trouble

2) by every means you should have complained to have it sold to you. It was out on the shelf...their mistake not yours.

Cartload

Yeah, but they screwed him over by making him wait 40 minutes in line and then not selling it to him. Why should be show them any love?

movielib

Like this:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=288025

mzupeman2

Yeah your right, they didn't sell it to him, I would have dogged them out too.

Morf

Has there been any word out of the Whedon camp regarding Angel season 2 being 4x3 and not letterbox?