It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
What happened with the Avengers release?
Today saw the release of the Joss Whedon Avengers film on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK, the film did fantastically at the cinema and made over a billion-and-a-half dollars.
This is supposed to be one of those great release dates. Instead it’s a day of questions, confusion and frustration because of Disney’s bizarre sales tactics.
As I said in my previous blog on this subject I was really looking forward to the release of this film and attempted to pre-order it. But I couldn’t find a UK release including a Joss Whedon commentary.
After the blog explaining my dilemma there were many responses and one commenter brought news of a Tesco exclusive. The Tesco release of the Avengers Blu-ray seemed to include a commentary while no others in the UK did. There were other exclusives: Asda was offering a comic with its Avengers release; Sainsbury’s had a 90-minute documentary that nobody else had; HMV had a steel book release. With all these various exclusives it didn’t seem impossible that Tesco could have the only release to feature a commentary. I decided to pre-order it.
Other people were asking questions about the commentary or lack thereof and a few days after my blog, Empire posted an article saying Disney had announced that there would be no commentary track on the UK release because Joss Whedon didn’t record it in time for the release date. A release date which is just a week earlier than the US release date and US buyers are getting a commentary. Seems like a pretty lame excuse to me. I’d be perfectly happy to wait a week for a fuller content on my Blu-ray. And you’d think a giant company which regularly released DVD and Blu-rays would get all its content organised in time for the release date.
Having pre-order the Tesco “Exclusive” prior to this news, I rang Tesco to find out whether its release did or did not in fact have a commentary. I explained what Disney had apparently said and the man from Tesco didn’t know anything about it. He said he’d try to find out and someone would call back within 24 hours. They never called back.
A week later I called Tesco again explaining the situation and said that I’d been waiting for a response for over a week. They apologised and said they’d get back to me before the end of the day. This was 10 day ago. They still haven’t responded. And the Tesco website still says its release features a commentary more than three weeks after I called it into question. It does not contain a commentary. I received my copy of Avengers on Saturday. There’s no commentary on it. There’s also a feature mentioned on the Tesco website that isn’t on the Blu-ray either. The feature appears to be the 90-minute “Assembling The Ultimate Team” feature which Sainsbury’s is claiming as an exclusive. Tesco don’t seem to know that it didn’t have that either.
All of these various extras which have been divided up between supermarkets or denied UK viewers altogether are available on the US releases as standard on all except the basic DVD release and even that gets the commentary. Disney just seems to want to screw the UK market. I guess this shows just how important our little island is to the giant corporation.
With the film now out there’s also been some reports that there have been some minor changes made to it. A certain scene featuring a man and a spear have had the spear tip removed and the blood toned down. The reason for this, whether it’s a UK release only thing or will be the same on the US release remain to be seen. But having watched the scene in question I can confirm that it is indeed different from the theatrical release but I have no idea why. The rating is the same. It’s an odd bit of Lucas-esque tinkering which at the moment seems to have no reasoning behind it.
The result of all this is that my Tesco copy of the film is going back. The US release appears to be region free, has everything I want all in one box and it’s only a week away so I’m going to order that. I’d recommend you do the same. If you don’t care about the commentary I’d recommend the Sainsbury’s release. I wouldn’t recommend Tesco, which doesn’t seem to care about its customers, or that its website has incorrect information.
To Disney I’d say stop screwing us over. But I doubt they’d listen. DVD extra content has been dwindling in recent years, not just with Disney release, and now the idea that extra content can be farmed out amongst different retailers to try to get punters to buy multiple copies seems to be the new thing. They just want our money. They don’t seem to care about giving customers the best home release movie package they can.
And we want the films. Some of us want the extras. The only way this is going to change is if we stop buying and that just isn’t going to happen. They have us over a barrel.
All I wanted was to relive one of the films I’ve enjoyed the most this year and hear the thoughts of the writer/director of that film. What I got was a series of brick walls, and lot of people in the same position as me and a film I once really enjoyed tainted by the machinations of corporate sales tactics.
Disney Reponds To Avengers Blu-Ray Criticism
With all the furore over the release of the Avengers Assemble Blu-ray and DVD, Home Cinema Choice decided to take Disney to task over the “amended” Coulson death scene and lack of commentary.
The site spoke to Disney UK’s home entertainment spokesperson, Lydia Rodrigues, who had this to say about the missing spear in the UK DVD and Blu-ray version of the film:
“There’s been no censorship, no foul play. The version of Marvel’s Avengers Assemble on Blu-ray disc in the UK is the same as the version shown theatrically. It really is. The simple fact is for a 12 certificate film in the UK, that scene was deemed inappropriate. So Marvel Studios chose to remove the spear tip digitally.”
Hang on, that doesn’t quite tally with the BBFC report here:
“A slightly stronger moment occurs when a man is stabbed through the back by the chief villain’s spear. The detail of the impact is not shown, only the tip of the spear protruding from the man’s chest with a small amount of blood on it. The image is not dwelt upon and serves an important narrative purpose.”
Did we just dream the spear then?
Going on to the issue of the missing commentary, she says:
“That was a bit of a disappointment. Our DLT (Digital Linear Tape, required to replicate the disc) had to be delivered one month earlier than that required for the US pressing. So we missed out. We wanted it too.”
In which case WHY NOT CHANGE THE RELEASE DATE? The overwhelming reaction from fans on this site is they would have happily waited.
Rather surprisingly, Disney’s attitude seems to be, “Well you can buy the US Blu-ray if you want,” with Rodrigues saying that Disney UK will not release a UK version with the commentary somewhere down the line (wanna bet it doesn’t turn up in a box-set or a director’s cut in a year’s time?):
“That’s been the subject of heated debate here (at Disney UK), but we don’t think we can really ask fans who have bought this version to buy another just to obtain the commentary. So at the moment we are thinking it won’t be released. We also know that hardcore fans with Blu-ray players are probably going to end up buying the US release which has the commentary. The American Blu-ray is region-free. We don’t think we can ask people to buy both versions.”
So there you have it. If you’re genned up enough to know what’s going on, buy an import. Meanwhile all those others sucker will get what they’re given (or not given). Gee, thanks…
I won't be reading it, then. I surmise it involves the ending of 'The Avengers?'
He wants to direct a Batman film. Well, so does my dog! ;) Not going to happen.
Sorry just seeing your response made me laugh
Well they will reboot it eventually, he works well with JGL, you never know ;)
Lets hope that in the case of the release of TDKR they will be smarter, instead of annoying the fans that actually want to buy the dvd/bluray.
The previous two Bat films had great DVD releases so I hope they continue the trend.
The TDK I have on DVD has two discs, a special features one and one for the actual film.
http://www.slashfilm.com/the-dark-knight-rises-blu-ray-extras-revealed-nearly-20-featurettes-no-deleted-scenes/
But...they said...no deleted scenes...just extras...but...
Why the hell would I need a broken cowl when I have a broken heart?! =(( :((
They never did ;)
http://www.cracked.com/article_20021_5-film-franchises-based-one-characters-stupid-decision.html
Damn-- I had never considered that point in Batman Begins!! I'm going to notice every time I watch that movie for the rest of my life!!
Love that article! Had me in stitches! The Spiderman one always bugged me! Stupid damn butler!
I want that DKR Blu-ray so bad. I didn't even realize that it was out until yesterday.
http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/10/04/the-hobbit-ee-mad-max-collection-and-more-are-headed-to-blu-ray?abthid=506dfc2675e45b7d20000100
I already have BB and TDK on DVD, so I'm not getting this boxset, but this news got me very excited for another reason, look at the chart.
They're releasing a Mad Max boxset!
When? I didn't hear any news on it.