Your Thoughts: Dark Crystal and Labyrinth Anniversary DVD's

[Mistersuperstar]

The overall quality of the superbit release doesn't seem much, if any, different from the regular version. The collectors edition is nice because the packaging is good quality and you get Brian Froud art cards and a card that shows how the Fire Gang sequence was created. The new anniversary edition is by far the best picture and sound quality and it's nice to see the new interviews and unreleased footage.
The last two, if they had been combined, would have been the best buy.

 

[Infinity Sirius]

I keep waiting for them to release the Labyrinth deleted scenes onto one of these DVDs. Will that day ever come?

 

[cabbageheat]

hopefully

Well, one would think they would do it for the Anniversary release for The Dark Crystal and this newest release for Labyrinth.

Just another item to be disappointed with when it comes to these releases.

They have a lot to make up for with the next release, if any, before it graces my DVD shelf again. Perhaps they are saving material for an eventual HD or Blue-Ray release. Who knows.

There have been so many releases up to this point, you'd think that would have been done by now, so, its a shot in the dark I guess.

 

[Cosmic Cow]

Does anyone know if the video quality on this release of DC is equal to or better than the Superbit? I finally have an HD set and I want to get the best viewing experience...

 

[cabbageheat]

Superbits are hard to find now, but this release compared to the SB is almost identical (I have both). I'd probably go with the latest release since it is a tad sharper, and has richer tones, but side by side with Superbit edition, there is only a marginal difference.

Either release will look great.

 

[maxdrive]

i really did not think much of them consideirng the first disk from the labyrinth set is the same as the one i already own same features and all i bet the dark crystal is the same might rent it jsut to see the new stuff ont he second disk but not buy them.

 

[cabbageheat]

Froud

Listened to the Froud commentary from TDK (finally) on the new release the other day. Hoping to pop in Labyrinth and hear what he has to say about that endeavor.

However, for the most part it was ok. A bit dry here and there, and much of the information, unfortunately, we've all heard before. Mostly through the documentaries already made, or other features. He does have some great insight since,naturally, he designed the whole film practically. I won't mention or spoil anything he says, but unfortunately, there weren't as many anecdotes as I was hoping for. Those that are mentioned, have been heard already.

Regardless, the new insight he brings is still tender in its own way, and clearly Froud had a profound respect for Jim.

But what I've realized the most in all this, is that this film was so ridiculously intimate, that only Jim himself can give us any kind of deeper understanding of what the film is, and how it was made. I honestly think, that there is very little to offer now on this particular film, the well is very dry, and only a few scraps, here and there, are now surfacing. The only thing that remains, is any deleted scenes, beyond that, I think we have all come to the end of what we can discover with this film.

There will always be new releases, better audio, better video, but in the end, unless Jim himself rises from the grave, I think we have seen and heard all we can from this great film.

 

[Mistersuperstar]

The only thing they can do realistically to put together the greatest release of Labyrinth is to include all the test footage, deleted scenes, screen tests, David Bowie music videos, archive footage & interviews they can on however many discs it takes. Add audio commentry from as many of the principal artists that worked on the movie that may have some interesting stories or insights. Then top it off with DTS audio and the highest definition movie transfer they can achieve. Maybe even give a choice between theatrical version of the movie or new extended version with deleted scenes spliced into it. It would also be nice to hear some of the unused score that Trevor Jones composed!

 

[cabbageheat]

I'm sure some of those things are in the works for an eventual Blu-Ray or HDDVD release. if the new film continues (which doesn't seem as likely) there will also be another release, I'm sure, of TDC.

There are a lot of little things here and there to add, but if they didn't put this much time into the anniversary DVD. I have serious doubts as to whats to come. I personally would like to see a Special Edition, with some of the matte paintings replaced with digital mattes, especially some of the sky and sun scenes. However, the puppets and animatronics should be left as is. But, this is wishful thinking at best.

 

[Mistersuperstar]

I guess that depends on whether they have the original stock footage of the puppets on black backgrounds so they could re-matte the backgrounds in digitally. That and whether it would make any difference to how well the movie sold after all the effort. I would be nice to see the whole thing remastered and given the "Star Wars" treatment.