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View Full Version : UNIVERSAL HOME VIDEO SUCKS


The Postmaster General
01-05-2007, 12:05 PM
The Back To The Future box set was released just before Xmas some years back. Discs 2 and 3 of the set were defective due to a letterboxing issue. In many scenes hoverboards were cut out, gags were missing, and chaos was abound with in my normal appreciation for these fine motion pictures. Films I had seen on days following the day when I should have realized how fanfuckingtastic the next day would be.

Cut ahead, another staple of my mideighties addled head had surfaced, one upon which I had shouted at the Gods for as this was a release that unlike I had the overwhelming fortune bestowed on me in VHS format, these were releases that I had never held and only seen in pastel reruns on days made dreary by horizontal stretching caused by some silly SpikeTV logo. Yes, they would be releasing Miami Vice and I would be able to hear it in Dolby Digital blazing like it was a far-out concept to party like its 1999.

What I get instead are cheaply manufactured double sided artless discs void of any booklets, commentary, or meat other than a defining show of both the 1980s and modern cop shows. While I did have more enjoyment due to correct images on my TV, I was still somewhat shaken by no one working on this as I'd waited so long.

Then - something that'd perked my interest, brought joy to my eyes, and once more instilled Sudden Positivity to my Universal Home Video collection. While not a total Crown Jewel, she was a mighty beast, a time capsule never seen in its completion before. Wind back the doobie machine to 1975 for the Complete First Season of SNL. Live in my muthafucking 2006 apartment beyatch.

Now this became the most confusing and frustrating release of all. I opened the case to discover this pretty quickly. Now, I searched for an image of the disc layout, but can't find any - I'd seen them before, but they must be getting confiscated by Universal because too many bloggers were pointing out how fucking stupid this is. You have eight discs divided into 4 sections, with for instance Disc One off set in front of Disc Two. I hope you are with me here - essentially, to get to Disc Two you must remove Disc One - likewise for 3 & 4, and so-on.

There was a cool photo booklet, accompanied by text - great. But aside from that, this was a barebones DVD. 1975, man. It's 2006. What the hell was happening in all that time. No interviews. None of these people went on to do other projects in the media? Oh, oh, my bad - we do get the cast auditions. Yeah, I forgot about that - mainly because it was like watching insanely inferior versions of material used on the show, but I can't complain too much for the effort there.

The one thing I am obsessing about. The one thing that is driving me crazy. The bonus disc - which as I said, includes only auditions - it's unlabeled. This drives me crazy. Yes, I first tried D1, then D8, but I missed it on D8, so I went through each disc and not just through each disc, remember - I had to take out disc one, try it, then disc two, then when that didn't work I had to remove disc 1 so I could put back disc 2, then I had to put back D1, now onto D3.

Don't get me wrong Universal, you own the rights to some really great shit, but to your home video division, you douchebag shithead donkey ear goose fucking cocksuckers - get your shit together and start using the talent you are paid to have. Creation is an art and right now you own an artistry of shit. I'm onto you, and am going EXTENSIVELY out of my way to research urge word-of-mouth about your future projects.

Oh, yeah - and shame on you for releasing mutherfucking Charles In Charge on DVD before you release Saturday Night Live. You dipshits.



So, fellow schmoes - here is a list of Universals Home video releases: http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releaselistshows.cfm?StartRow=1&Genre=0&Studio=8

Which ones do you have issues with?

vesaker
01-08-2007, 10:53 AM
Word

Powerslave
01-08-2007, 04:59 PM
Agreed

The Postmaster General
01-08-2007, 06:08 PM
Do you guys have any particular movies you've had issues with, or are you only agreeing with me like my doctor agrees with me when I tell him that there's a stick man who stares at me from my window?

vesaker
01-09-2007, 09:26 AM
No man i totaly agree with you and have gone through the same experience myself. I meen now a days its harder to find a VHS of a movie if thats what you wanted but 3 or 4 years ago when VHS was still around more and getting produced more the only reason i watned the DvD over the VHS was for the extras.

I couldn't stand paying so much for something that had nothing more then the VHS copy. Another example is my buddy as i big horror fan. He has a special edition of Texas Chainsaw 2 on VHS that has a bunch of stuff on it while the DvD version is bare bones!!!

But mostly i hate jsut opening the DvD case and theres some times not even a Chapeter list or anything :p

Asa_Phelps
01-11-2007, 11:36 AM
I don't think this is specifically a Universal Home Video problem. It's just a dvd transfer/release problem in general.

A friend of mine bought the new release slim cases of the X-File seasons. I don't remember the exact specifics of this problem but something like in the original release, the 3rd season’s finale was placed on the bonus disk. When re-releasing the seasons on these new slim cases, the people at Fox totally forgot about that. So now in the new slim dvd release, the 3rd season is missing the finale (because all they really did was cut out the bonus disk) forcing Fox to place it at the beginning of the season 4 dvd.

Here’s another example; I got the Ace Ventura double pack for someone and while watching AV 1, I realized that for some reason my faviourite scene was cut out. You know, the one where Ace pretends he's a German dolphin instructor. "Do you know the dolphin? Does he call you at home? Do you have a dorsal fin?!" Seriously. WTF.

Not to mention the countless dvds which cost up to 30 bucks and don't even have a booklet. And don't even get me started on Warner Brother snapper cases.

The Postmaster General
01-11-2007, 01:01 PM
Oh believe me, Asa - I'm aware of other issues. I just want to make clear that I CONSISTENTLY have problems with Universal videos, and I've heard other complaints on DVD forums. It's always the same scenario - long awaited release comes out just before Xmas and is plagued with complaints.

The real issue here though is that no manufacturer should rush out merchandise. Hear me now and believe me later, though --- This is an especially big problem with Universal's "long awaited" releases.

vesaker
01-11-2007, 01:43 PM
Originally posted by Asa_Phelps
Here’s another example; I got the Ace Ventura double pack for someone and while watching AV 1, I realized that for some reason my faviourite scene was cut out. You know, the one where Ace pretends he's a German dolphin instructor. "Do you know the dolphin? Does he call you at home? Do you have a dorsal fin?!" Seriously. WTF.

WTF is right they actaully cut that out??? of the DvD??Jesus tappdancing christ thats lame