Sony goes Fullscreen Only with Matilda: Special Edition 06.07.05
05-24-05, 05:36 PM
#1
Sony goes Fullscreen Only with Matilda: Special Edition 06.07.05
from davis dvd
Matilda
Final specs are in for Sony's upcoming release of Matilda: Special Edition... and they stink if you're anything over eight years old. The film itself will be presented in fullscreen only (!) along with Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Extras, definitely geared towards the kiddies, include "Matilda's Movie Magic," "A Children's Guide to Good Manners," "Escape to the Library" and "My Movie About Making Matilda by Mara Wilson" featurettes, Matilda the Movie read-along, A Truly Terrible Test! set-top game, Get Rid of Miss Trunchbull! trivia game, Make Magic with Matilda, Classroom Games: Math Game and Spelling Bee, Matilda the Movie character gallery, Terrify the Trunchbull interactive game and trailers. The disc is due on June 7th and retail is $19.94.
Matilda
Final specs are in for Sony's upcoming release of Matilda: Special Edition... and they stink if you're anything over eight years old. The film itself will be presented in fullscreen only (!) along with Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Extras, definitely geared towards the kiddies, include "Matilda's Movie Magic," "A Children's Guide to Good Manners," "Escape to the Library" and "My Movie About Making Matilda by Mara Wilson" featurettes, Matilda the Movie read-along, A Truly Terrible Test! set-top game, Get Rid of Miss Trunchbull! trivia game, Make Magic with Matilda, Classroom Games: Math Game and Spelling Bee, Matilda the Movie character gallery, Terrify the Trunchbull interactive game and trailers. The disc is due on June 7th and retail is $19.94.
05-24-05, 07:00 PM
#4
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I wouldn't touch this movie with a 10 foot pole, but shame on Sony for going Foolscreen only!
05-24-05, 11:43 PM
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Isn't this like the third release of this title? I've been waiting, and waiting and I guess I'll continue to hold onto my 2.35:1 letterboxed laserdisc of this terrific film....and hold on to $19.95, instead of giving it to Sony for their newest crappy DVD release. Does their home video division realize that another part of their corperation produces 16:9 TVs? How can they try to sell HD sets while their home video divison releases titles that aren't optimized to be displayed on those sets?? The mind reels...
05-25-05, 01:13 AM
#7
16:9 version will be released about 3 months later. I guarantee it.
05-25-05, 01:26 AM
#9
Originally Posted by DVD Polizei
16:9 version will be released about 3 months later. I guarantee it.
still have my old yellow cover copy that is WS though some of it is screwed as well.
anybody have an email and phone number for the Matilda release?
05-25-05, 07:18 AM
#10
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Fullscreen only releases drive me nuts, I just got in a new shipment of LD last night. I was seeking The Paper and the DVD is only P&S so I bought the LD which is OAR. I also picked up Sudden Death which is in the same boat.
On Topic, I probably would not have bought this because I have no children right now and it was never a must have for me, but as others have said there is now zero possibility of me getting it.
On Topic, I probably would not have bought this because I have no children right now and it was never a must have for me, but as others have said there is now zero possibility of me getting it.
05-25-05, 07:32 AM
#11
DVD Talk Legend
I picked this up back in the early days of DVD when titles were scarce and I didn't know any better. It is actually a pretty cute movie. I would have upgraded had the new one been WS.
05-25-05, 09:43 AM
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I recall Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory being released initially in FullScreen only. Apparently there was abit of a backlash and finally the studio gave in and put out hte widescreen version.
Or at least that's how I vaguely remember it.
Or at least that's how I vaguely remember it.
Last edited by JLyon1515; 05-25-05 at 09:51 AM.
05-25-05, 10:06 AM
#13
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Originally Posted by JLyon1515
I recall Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory being released initially in FullScreen only. Apparently there was abit of a backlash and finally the studio gave in and put out hte widescreen version.
Or at least that's how I vaguely remember it.
Or at least that's how I vaguely remember it.
05-25-05, 10:34 AM
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Originally Posted by phraseturner
Does their home video division realize that another part of their corperation produces 16:9 TVs? How can they try to sell HD sets while their home video divison releases titles that aren't optimized to be displayed on those sets?? The mind reels...
Right On! But we are talking about Sony here, not the brightest of the bunch when it comes to marketing. Betamax, Minidisc players etc. They never learn.
06-02-05, 04:11 PM
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The Mirror Has Two Faces is also fullscreen only. It's like the releases they have at walmart in the $5 bin. Some of these titles were fullscreen on one side, widescreen on the other when they originally came out, but now, fullscreen only. I agree with the fact that these discs aren't optimized for 16:9 displays. What a terrible idea. What's even more of an insult. Often the menus are 16:9.
06-02-05, 08:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Cameron
apparently children only like to see half the movie
06-02-05, 08:47 PM
#20
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally Posted by rasalas
A nit: Matilda is mostly open matte, so viewers are seeing more than the original movie in its full-screen presentation. But it definitely needs to be released in its widescreen OAR. The composition just doesn't feel right in full-screen. Director Danny DeVito is a widescreen advocate going back to laserdiscs, so it's a disappointment that he didn't make headway in getting Sony to release it in widescreen.
06-02-05, 10:13 PM
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The extra disappointment is that when this was scheduled for release in January 2004, I contacted Danny DeVito's agent and asked to talk to the director for publication about why the SE was being released full-screen only. His agent replied to say that DeVito was not aware of that aspect of the DVD, that he was unhappy about it and that he was keenly interested in talking to me about it. DeVito would call me, he said.
Well, DeVito never did call. But right at that same time, Sony delayed the release again. I figured that it was due to my contacting DeVito and that he had weighed in with Sony to get the SE redone in widescreen. But I guess not. A year and a half later, we have the DVD and no change.
Well, DeVito never did call. But right at that same time, Sony delayed the release again. I figured that it was due to my contacting DeVito and that he had weighed in with Sony to get the SE redone in widescreen. But I guess not. A year and a half later, we have the DVD and no change.
