The Alamo John Wayne version

[andy b]

Can anyone advise me which copy of The Alamo is closest or the same as the old laser disc box set, which was 'extended' or some kind of road show print with extra sequences in.

any help much appreciated.

regards

Andy b

[AndyDursin]

There isn't one out there that replicates the laserdisc, Andy. The DVD is the shorter version everywhere in the world (same deal as IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD).

[andy b]

thank you Andy.

Darn it, I suppose another 1 tied up with Sony & who knows when, funny you mention Mad mad World, that was going to be another question, so thanks for that as well.

Hi ho, I always knew I would regret selling off my LDs, but just couldn't see the point of draggin them back home to Canada.

well maybe 1 day when the studio has finished fleecing the public.

thanks again..
Andy B

[Eric Paddon]

I recall reading a few years back that the reason the long cut of "The Alamo" wasn't released on DVD was because the print for the long cut was mishandled after it was discovered and then rushed into a new release and given a VHS and LD release.

You can still find the long cut on widescreen on VHS I think. I managed to get the LD transferred to a DVD-R and have been enjoying it that way (along with the longer LD cuts of "Mad, Mad World" and "One Million Years BC").

[AndyDursin]

I recall reading a few years back that the reason the long cut of "The Alamo" wasn't released on DVD was because the print for the long cut was mishandled after it was discovered and then rushed into a new release and given a VHS and LD release.

You can still find the long cut on widescreen on VHS I think. I managed to get the LD transferred to a DVD-R and have been enjoying it that way (along with the longer LD cuts of "Mad, Mad World" and "One Million Years BC").

Eric, if you get a region free player at some point there's a nifty Region 2 DVD of ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. courtesy of Warner Home Video; excellent transfer, uncut, and with a Raquel Welch interview plus some other goodies. Too bad Fox didn't treat it with the same respect here.

[Eric Paddon]

Andy, what are the best region free players, how much do they cost and can one find them in the usual places? (Best Buy, Circuit City etc.)

[Eric Paddon]

Forgot to mention that the LD cut of "1776" is another cherished item. I refuse to ever acknowledge the existence of the "official" DVD release.

[AndyDursin]

Forgot to mention that the LD cut of "1776" is another cherished item. I refuse to ever acknowledge the existence of the "official" DVD release.

I am of course in the same camp as you! I've kept my 1776 and it remains one of my prized items as well.

There are a lot of region free players out there, Eric, the best way to go is to pick up something cheap that you'll just use for the International DVDs...I have a pair of Toshibas that are no longer being produced but work brilliantly.

Best Buy/Circuit DO carry models like the Cyberhome. They won't say "Region Free" and the reps will have no idea they possess that feature but that's the way it is

The good thing -- most of these are cheap
The bad thing -- quality is spotty, but if you, say, buy a Cyberhome from Best Buy and it doesn't work, you can always bring it back and try another unit.

I haven't circulated around forums and such for a bit but these three are still being produced -- all do region free (might require a code you input on your remote) and proper PAL-NTSC conversion without the need for 16:9 TVs.

1. People seem to like this Philips model, I believe you have to input a code but this is a good price if it's available. Check to see if a local store carries this particular model


2. This Cyberhome is hit or miss in terms of quality -- I have another Cyberhome model that's excellent, this one I bought and had some trouble with. Maybe it's been corrected in recent runs. You can also find this in stores, I've seen it in my local Best Buy:


3. I can vouch for this one. The Astar is quite good and does region free out of the box -- this price is a bit high but hunt around and you can probably find it better elsewhere:
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?s ... adid=17662

One other thing -- no-name, bargain players you might see in Walmart, Target, etc. from $20-$40 are sometimes region free. If you find something and are wondering if it does region free CHECK OUT:

http://www.videohelp.com/

An essential web site -- click on DVD PLAYERS in the left hand menu, do a search for the particular model you're looking for. If there's a code/region free "trick" you will find it there.

Any questions let me know! If I come across a really good deal (I picked up the Astar for $15 shipped last summer), I will of course post it here too.

[Eric Paddon]

I think ultimately I'm inclined to pay a bit more for something where there's more of an easy guarantee of it being able to play all regions. Heck, to me paying as much as a hundred would be a bargain from my standpoint! I guess I'll explore the Phillips ones.

[AndyDursin]

I think ultimately I'm inclined to pay a bit more for something where there's more of an easy guarantee of it being able to play all regions. Heck, to me paying as much as a hundred would be a bargain from my standpoint! I guess I'll explore the Phillips ones.

The Philips model (remember it's just that particular model; other Philips players are probably just Region 1) is the good "brand" player at the moment...I was not blown away by the PAL-NTSC conversion on my standard 4:3 TV (I actually thought the Astar did a better job), but apparently it runs well and also plays DIVX files.

A good bet, IMO...see if you can find it with free shipping (Amazon often gets it in-stock themselves with free shipping, so check back from time to time).

[Eric Paddon]

I guess the final question I've got is, just how do these work? When you load a disc regardless of region, it'll play fine or do you have to make certain adjustments and settings in order for them to play?

[AndyDursin]

I guess the final question I've got is, just how do these work? When you load a disc regardless of region, it'll play fine or do you have to make certain adjustments and settings in order for them to play?

It does depend on the player. However, on the majority of these machines (including the three above), once you've input the code, you're all done. Any disc, any region, and any format (PAL included) should output in NTSC perfectly from then on.

I know for the Philips 642 all you do is this:

1. Turn on the player.
2. Open the tray.
3. Press the following sequence on the remote:
7 8 9 OK 0
4. The number 0 will appear on the lower left side of your screen.

And that's it -- you won't even need to do it again after you've done it once (you can disconnect the unit, turn the power off, etc.)...it'll be all set

[Carlson2005]

I was briefly hired by MGM/UA to do a day's worth of damage limitation PR when they realised they'd released the wrong version of The Alamo on DVD. The real reason they released cut versions of that and Mad, Mad World was because of their policy of releasing in English and French - and they only had a French soundtrack for the cut version. Just to make it more bizarre, they ended up cutting the accompanying documentary as well to ommit all mention of the restoration.

[AndyDursin]

I was briefly hired by MGM/UA to do a day's worth of damage limitation PR when they realised they'd released the wrong version of The Alamo on DVD. The real reason they released cut versions of that and Mad, Mad World was because of their policy of releasing in English and French - and they only had a French soundtrack for the cut version. Just to make it more bizarre, they ended up cutting the accompanying documentary as well to ommit all mention of the restoration.

Why am I not surprised?

I'd say things have changed with Sony but on their CUTTING EDGE: GOLD MEDAL EDITION DVD they just released, instead of including the 16:9 transfer from the previous MGM DVD they opted to include a non-16:9 PAL-derived transfer instead (with PAL speed up, of course). Maybe things haven't changed after all??

[Jedbu]

The Arclight Cinema in Hollywood (where the Cinerama Dome is) showed a fully restored 70mm print of MAD, MAD WORLD a few years ago that had EVERYTHING put back in, including the intermission news reports. The film showed for only a few days (missed them because I was out of town) but a friend told me that the film looked incredible and sounded just as great. So, MGM (or UA, or Sony-WHATEVER) should have this in their library and there is no excuse for it not being in the pipeline for future release.

I was told by someone who worked at MGM that THE ALAMO roadshow version was not released because the print that was used for the LD was damaged. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't there be some video master of that print somewhere? They didn't strike all those discs as a direct from telecine of that print, did they? So that video master should be somewhere (probably in that Canadian film depot where they found the 70mm print), and the image from that print was just gorgeous, as was the sound. My suspicion is that whoever is in charge at Sony Video either cannot find the video master or they do have it but don't think it will do well enough to warrant releasing it. Considering how well the Batjac films did for Paramount, and there plenty of fans of both this and WORLD, what in the wide, wide world of sports is Sony waiting for.

Unless they are busy with the HD versions of the Bond, Rocky and Pink Panther films to care. Granted, those are good, but they have been done correctly enough times to give some time to two classics that deserve a long-overdue and proper DVD release.

Is there someone at Sony that we can contact or a way to let them know to get off their keisters and release two films that fans REALLY want?