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Directed by |
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Starring |
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Specs |
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- 16:9 Enhanced
- Pan&Scan
- Dual Layer (RSDL )
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Languages |
- English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
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Subtitles |
English, English - Hearing Impaired |
Extras |
- Deleted scenes
- Teaser trailer
- Theatrical trailer
- Audio commentary
- Cast/crew biographies
- Featurette
- Production notes
- Photo gallery
- Music video
- Behind the scenes footage
- TV spot
- DVD-ROM features
- Interviews
- Awards/Nominations
- Documentaries
- Outtakes
- Interactive game
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Scream Trilogy Box Set |
Roadshow Entertainment/Roadshow Entertainment .
R4 . COLOR . 0 mins .
G . PAL |
Feature |
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Contract |
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Conceived by Kevin Williamson - later to go on to create the teen soap Dawson’s Creek - and directed by modern horror maverick Wes Craven, the Scream trilogy has become one of the most successful scary-movie franchises in cinema history. This is in no small part due to the sense of “false reality” set in place with the first film and carried across its two sequels - a fictional world that includes references to real-life things, particularly the genre films that preceded it (and, in the sequels, sly references to the original Scream itself). Despite the producers’ claims to the contrary, there’s really nothing especially innovative about the Scream trilogy - the films are great fun, sure, and deliver plenty of bang for the buck. But it’s the writing that gives these films their edge - writing that is, once again, great fun, but which also veers dangerously close to overdoing the type of self-aware parody that became commonplace in movies and TV during the latter half of the ‘90s. As Homer Simpson was once heard to guffaw, “It’s so funny… because it’s true!!!” Roadshow’s Scream boxed set is controversial before it even gets out of the starting gate. The three movie discs are all the standard region 4 DVD releases of the films - and that means that the original Scream (shot in Panavision) is offered, completely unacceptably, in pan-and-scan format. No, Roadshow weren’t responsible for this travesty of a DVD - but they’re offering it as part of this package, and that’s a big, big disappointment. At the time of writing, sample copies of the movie discs themselves had not been offered for review; therefore, what we’re focussing on here is the fourth disc in the package, the Special Features disc. Does it make the price of entry worthwhile - especially for those who already have some or all of the films on DVD already? Does it justify the buyer having to tolerate a substandard first disc? Unfortunately, the answer is no - though if you don’t have any of these films on DVD and don’t mind a spot of pan’n’scan, you’ll be in Scream Heaven.
Video |
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Contract |
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The video material on the Special Features disc - culled from a wide variety of sources - is all presented in standard 4:3 and is not enhanced for widescreen TVs. Which is perfectly fine - this material was largely made for viewing on a standard TV screen. Video quality across the various materials here is always good, if not exactly reference material. Taken from available sources, it’s been authored with care and there are no compression artefacts or other problems visible throughout.
Audio |
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Contract |
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Audio throughout the Special Features disc is standard two-channel stereo, and is perfectly acceptable for the content. There are no audio fireworks here, but then, we didn’t expect to find any.
Extras |
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Contract |
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Overall |
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Contract |
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As intimated at the start of this review, this boxed set will mainly be of interest to those who have none of the individual Scream DVDs. But even then, the customer is being short-changed with the disc of the debut film - in a collectors’ set such as this, pan’n’scan is completely unacceptable. The content on the Special Features disc will no doubt be considered essential by the die-hard Scream fan, and as a bonus offering it certainly provides a satisfying diversion. The feeling is always there that this could have been done bigger, better and with less unnecessary hype. But Scream fans are, of course, going to love every bloody byte of it.
LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=350
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And I quote... |
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Review Equipment |
- DVD Player:
Omni SL-P2000KD
- DVD Rom:
Pioneer 103(s)
- MPEG Card:
Creative Encore DXR2
- TV:
Panasonic - The One
- Receiver:
Sony STR-AV1020
- Speakers:
Klipsch Tangent 500
- Surrounds:
Jamo
- Audio Cables:
Standard RCA
- Video Cables:
Monster s-video
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