V: The Series, Baby!
04-15-04 | 01:17 PM
#27
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Regardless of the aspect ratio I'll be picking this one up. I wonder though if they'll eventually rerelease them all in the correct fullscreen. That would make a boxed set of them all worth picking up.
04-15-04 | 01:30 PM
#28
DVD Talk Legend
Originally posted by grune
Regardless of the aspect ratio I'll be picking this one up. I wonder though if they'll eventually rerelease them all in the correct fullscreen. That would make a boxed set of them all worth picking up.
Regardless of the aspect ratio I'll be picking this one up. I wonder though if they'll eventually rerelease them all in the correct fullscreen. That would make a boxed set of them all worth picking up.
DVD Empire: Can you explain why you originally shot V in the widescreen format, and why it has not been until now that we finally have seen it the way it was intended to be seen.
Kenneth Johnson: We shot it in 1.85 originally…my friend John McPherson and I [shot it]…because we anticipated there would be a foreign theatrical release of it, as much of my stuff had been released foreign theatrically. The Incredible Hulk pilot that I wrote and directed was the top-grossing motion picture in Europe for almost two months when it came out! I mean…go figure! So we figured that that would probably happen with V as well. I don’t think it ever did. I cut a two-hour version of it, which was actually pretty good, but the Warners people said "No, no…they have to be 90 minutes long, or we can’t release them overseas," and I said "The movie won’t make any sense at 90 minutes." And they said "Oh, we have guys that can do that!" So they cut it down and did a 90 minute version, and of course, it didn’t make any sense! So it never got released as a foreign theatrical. But I had always framed in 1.85, even when I was doing T.V. work, just because you never knew when something was going to make it overseas. And now, of course, with the advent of HD [High Definition television], everybody’s shooting television, but always framing for HD, so that it will be widescreen when people get those wider screen TVs. And that’s the reason it was done in 1.85.
Kenneth Johnson: We shot it in 1.85 originally…my friend John McPherson and I [shot it]…because we anticipated there would be a foreign theatrical release of it, as much of my stuff had been released foreign theatrically. The Incredible Hulk pilot that I wrote and directed was the top-grossing motion picture in Europe for almost two months when it came out! I mean…go figure! So we figured that that would probably happen with V as well. I don’t think it ever did. I cut a two-hour version of it, which was actually pretty good, but the Warners people said "No, no…they have to be 90 minutes long, or we can’t release them overseas," and I said "The movie won’t make any sense at 90 minutes." And they said "Oh, we have guys that can do that!" So they cut it down and did a 90 minute version, and of course, it didn’t make any sense! So it never got released as a foreign theatrical. But I had always framed in 1.85, even when I was doing T.V. work, just because you never knew when something was going to make it overseas. And now, of course, with the advent of HD [High Definition television], everybody’s shooting television, but always framing for HD, so that it will be widescreen when people get those wider screen TVs. And that’s the reason it was done in 1.85.
04-15-04 | 01:38 PM
#29
DVD Talk Legend
That's fine for the first miniseries (although I still have my doubts... the framing doesn't look great to me in a bunch of places).
But the problem was that Warner then (I assume to be 'consistent') released the 2nd mini in the same aspect ratio. Even though Kenneth Johnson wasn't involved and there's absolutely no evidence that it should be shown in anything other than 1.33:1.
Especially since the 1st mini didn't get released theatrically, it would make no sense for the filmmakers to go 1.85 for the 2nd.
But the problem was that Warner then (I assume to be 'consistent') released the 2nd mini in the same aspect ratio. Even though Kenneth Johnson wasn't involved and there's absolutely no evidence that it should be shown in anything other than 1.33:1.
Especially since the 1st mini didn't get released theatrically, it would make no sense for the filmmakers to go 1.85 for the 2nd.
04-15-04 | 02:15 PM
#31
DVD Talk Legend
Originally posted by shizawn
I don't remember much of the series, other than
, so I'm looking forward to seeing it again.
I don't remember much of the series, other than
Spoiler:
One of the few memorable moments of the show.
04-15-04 | 02:46 PM
#32
DVD Talk Legend
Originally posted by bboisvert
That's fine for the first miniseries (although I still have my doubts... the framing doesn't look great to me in a bunch of places).
But the problem was that Warner then (I assume to be 'consistent') released the 2nd mini in the same aspect ratio. Even though Kenneth Johnson wasn't involved and there's absolutely no evidence that it should be shown in anything other than 1.33:1.
Especially since the 1st mini didn't get released theatrically, it would make no sense for the filmmakers to go 1.85 for the 2nd.
That's fine for the first miniseries (although I still have my doubts... the framing doesn't look great to me in a bunch of places).
But the problem was that Warner then (I assume to be 'consistent') released the 2nd mini in the same aspect ratio. Even though Kenneth Johnson wasn't involved and there's absolutely no evidence that it should be shown in anything other than 1.33:1.
Especially since the 1st mini didn't get released theatrically, it would make no sense for the filmmakers to go 1.85 for the 2nd.
04-15-04 | 03:06 PM
#33
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally posted by Red Dog
Don't believe so. I believe there was a finished script for a 20th episode which was to serve as a season finale, but it was never filmed - probably because NBC wanted no more and the 19th episode kind of works as a series finale.
Don't believe so. I believe there was a finished script for a 20th episode which was to serve as a season finale, but it was never filmed - probably because NBC wanted no more and the 19th episode kind of works as a series finale.
04-15-04 | 05:18 PM
#34
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Hmmm...I wish they were putting them in writing order instead of broadcast order, but I understand. Truth is, I'll just be happy to get this set.
04-15-04 | 10:04 PM
#35
DVD Talk Legend
Hmm....
897 minute running time and only 3 discs? They had better be DVD-18s or we are in for some serious compression artifacts!
Anyone know for sure?
897 minute running time and only 3 discs? They had better be DVD-18s or we are in for some serious compression artifacts!
Anyone know for sure?
04-15-04 | 10:41 PM
#36
DVD Talk Gold Edition
I might pass on this set. I thought the original mini-series was great, the follow-up mediocre, and the series itself less than entertaining. As if Howard K. Smith was going to give credibility to it. Aside from a a couple decent episodes, the show went nowhere. It had too big of a cast, and as the show went on, a character was written out or killed off. And after they killed off one of the original characters, they decided to bring him back as his own twin brother because the fans liked him too much!
I guess they wanted to focus too much on the love angles, like the one between the Jeff Yagher (an actor I've always found annoying) character and Elizabeth (whatever happened to the actress that played her? She was a cutie.) And the wedding betweeen "Charles" and "Diana" was a bit much.
I'm glad Johnson's back to do the follow-up proper...but will people still watch it?
I guess they wanted to focus too much on the love angles, like the one between the Jeff Yagher (an actor I've always found annoying) character and Elizabeth (whatever happened to the actress that played her? She was a cutie.) And the wedding betweeen "Charles" and "Diana" was a bit much.
I'm glad Johnson's back to do the follow-up proper...but will people still watch it?
04-16-04 | 12:44 AM
#37
Originally posted by zyzzle
Hmm....
897 minute running time and only 3 discs? They had better be DVD-18s or we are in for some serious compression artifacts!
Anyone know for sure?
Hmm....
897 minute running time and only 3 discs? They had better be DVD-18s or we are in for some serious compression artifacts!
Anyone know for sure?
04-16-04 | 08:52 AM
#39
DVD Talk God
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: Directionally Challenged (for DirecTV)
Originally posted by calhoun07
Given that they are flippers, I am assuming they are DVD-18, and am not too happy about it. I hated the flippers with the previous releases, and don't want it with the series release. But I am a V whore and will have to buy this. Hey, what did you expect? I own all 19 issues of the DC comic book too!
Given that they are flippers, I am assuming they are DVD-18, and am not too happy about it. I hated the flippers with the previous releases, and don't want it with the series release. But I am a V whore and will have to buy this. Hey, what did you expect? I own all 19 issues of the DC comic book too!
Yeah - consider it a miracle that this is even out on DVD. I'll save any complaints for something else.
