Dane

I was just wondering who is going to have the first full review of the trilogy.

I really must be close. Usually some DVD website get their hands on them, several weeks before us consumer are able to buy them in the store.

Does anyone have a guess who will be the first one out with a review?

Rizor

Paramount has a rule that you can't post a review until a certain number of days before release date. I think I read that reviews would start popping up Oct 10th at the earliest.

DVDFile seems pretty good with getting their reviews done quick, though they usually come with a slew of errors.

The BBC already has up a "review" but it's not very in-depth.

gutwrencher

if I really need a write-up about it....I'll wait until about 5 or more talk members start rappin' about it. then you can ask questions. I would say the Digital Bits/Home Theater Forum will have it as soon as anybody.

Krug

The BBC did a review but this might be the R2:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/09/1...d_review.shtml

TopHatCat64

Did you say RAP?!!!! My god I wish all rappers would die and anot-wait, what's that you say? It's not another repetitive thread about how much everyone hates hip hop? Sorry, carry on.

DO NOT

DavidH

Re: BBC Review: Anyone who didn't see the Indy DVDs could have writen a review like that. It couldn't have been more vague.

RussG

What kind of errors are in their reviews? Either I've never noticed or am too ignorant (gasp!) to recognize any.

Just curious.

mzupeman2

I don't tend to read DVD reviews that much, not that I'm worried it will 'spoil' anything. I like to see the initial 'this is what will be officially on the dvd' when that's announced, and that's it. I just figure, I'm going to have the set, it's something I've wanted for a long time, and anything on any review would make me reconsider buying it I'll have a great preview of the set when I buy it the morning it comes out and start going on adventures with Indy

Grizzly

i asked at the recent IGN DVD/Digital Bits chat just the other day and they said there'd be some big promo thing on the 11th, and that they'd most likely have reviews up on monday the 13th.

Krug

well it's targeted at a general audience, not the aficionado who wants to know the color depth of every frame.

mzupeman2

Teehee

Rizor

Maybe not a slew as I stated, but they're pretty common. Generally things like wrong disc info. I remember they had a decent sized paragraph on SW Episode II not having English subtitles on the movie only to remove that statement later. Sometimes the running times of extras are wrong like saying there's 25 minutes of deleted scenes on Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone when there's under ten. And they'll occasionally get some movie facts wrong like they said James Horner scored LOTR and Howard Shore scored X2. But most of the biggies get edited later in the day/week.

Josh Z

There are currently 7 writers doing reviews for DVDFile. If you take a look at all of the reviews you've just mentioned, you'll notice that they are all by the same person.

Back to the original topic, Paramount has a moratorium on DVD reviews appearing more than 10 days before street date.

ctyankee

I take it you won't be bunking in with him at the next DVDFile team-building meeting ...

Rizor

Just shows his hastiness to get these reviews out. But since he seems to review most of the big titles, I'm guessing he may be doing Indy. And that's why I think it's a good guess that DVDFile will be the first or one of the first sites to have a review up.

Shannon Nutt

I'm currently working on a review now...not for DVD Talk though, but for DVD Empire.

Not sure when the review will be posted, but for those interested, here are some specs about the DVD set:

Each movie comes on it's own disc in Anamorphic Widescreen and 5.1 sound. Other than a language and subtitle option, a chapter selection and a link to the Indiana Jones website, no other extras appear on these 3 DVDs.

The picture looks fantastic...and I don't think I've ever seen Raiders look so sharp and full of color before. Those lamenting the absence of DTS will hardly notice...the 5.1 soundtrack is VERY aggressive and sounds great.

On the fourth bonus DVD you get the following:

"Making The Trilogy", which covers all three movies and can be viewed in three seperate parts or all at once. Total running time on this is 127 minutes, and it's the best behind the scenes you'll find on any DVD out there...combining both footage from the shoots and brand new interview material with Speilberg, Lucas, Ford, and most of the cast members of each film. You'll also get to see bits of Tom Selleck's and Tim Matheson's screen tests with Karen Black in this featurette, as well as some great stories from each shoot (including how Harrison seriously hurt his back on "Temple of Doom").

There's a "Featurettes" section with the following four featurettes:

"The Stunts of Indiana Jones" - 11 Minutes

"The Sound of Indiana Jones" - 13 Minutes

"The Music of Indiana Jones" - 12 Minutes

"The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones" - 12 Minutes

The titles of these are pretty self-explanatory, and are presented in the same style as the "Making of the Trilogy", with both old footage and brand-new interview material.

The sound on all of the above is only 2.0 Dolby.

Then, there's a Trailers section, with some of the trailers being in 2.0 and others in 5.1. The theatrical trailers for Raiders and Temple are in 5.1, but Crusade is only in 2.0 for some reason. I believe all the other trailers are 2.0.

Here's a list of the trailers:

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Teaser, Theatrical and Re-Issue Trailers

Temple of Doom: Theatrical Trailer

Last Crusade: Teaser (note: this is the classic "Another Day at the Office" trailer where Ford staples his hat to his head!) and Theatrical Trailers

Emperor's Tomb: A preview of the Videogame

DVD-ROM content: provides access to a special DVD section of the Indiana Jones website with special content...however, when I tried this, I couldn't find anything other than what's available on the regular website, so perhaps Paramount hasn't added the content yet (since the movie doesn't come out until the 21st).

This may sound light the bonus material is kind of on the light side, but trust me - the 127-minute "Making The Trilogy" is as entertaining as the movies are - and the best bonus material I've seen since Lucas' "The Beginning" on The Phantom Menace DVD (in fact, it's actually much better!).

Hope this info helps answer some of your questions concerning the set!

shanester

Thanks for the info Shannon

indycohiba

Thanks, I can't wait to see the documentary!

DavidH

Shannon,

So, is Raiders referrence quality - videowise?

Shannon Nutt

I would say so, David, although you may want to wait for someone's opinion who is a little more "tech saavy" than myself. I wouldn't compare the quality to say, "Attack of the Clones", but for a 1981 movie shot-on-film, it looks darn good. I didn't notice any dirt on the print or hint of grain, and as I said - I was most suprised at how much color it seemed to have - my old laserdisc copy of Raiders (and every time I see it on TV) seems to have a much "paler" look to it.

I should also point out the great job they've done with "Temple of Doom". As you know, this movie has a lot...and I mean a lot...of reds in it, and I was worried about oversatruation, since red seems to be a nightmare color for a lot of DVDs. But everything looks properly balanced.

Rizor

Good news on the set. I wasn't even aware DVD Empire had reviews. Just checked the site and am somewhat disappointed to see they added a big ugly gray WIDESCREEN banner to the cover. But it's only a minor thing. Still, it looked much better without it.

ctyankee

Sure hope you're wrong, without film grain it is no longer "film-like"

Shannon Nutt

I meant grain/pixilation that is sometimes obvious from a bad transfer...although I have to admit that the movie looks much sharper than it ever did in the theater. Of couse, my TV isn't exactly movie-theater size, either.

Shannon Nutt

The Banner (it's actually brown) you see is not part of the box, but the top part of a glued flap that goes from the top edge of the front of the box all the way over and down the other side of the back. The same kind of glued flap you see on releases of boxed sets like Star Trek The Next Generation and CSI. The word "Widescreen" is still under that flap across the top of the box, but it's just letters on the same color background as the rest of the box.

digitalfreaknyc

Just an FYI...

Here in NYC...the discs will be available Tuesday or Wednesday.