Starting a new thread that is geared to upcoming DVD releases and nothing comes bigger than the news that The Wonder Years is FINALLY being released. I have been clamoring, b*tching, moaning, begging and cursing that TWY see the light of day on the format since DVD's first hit the street. The biggest sticking point about it never getting any kind of release (save for a couple of bootlegs) was the music rights. And with the amount of music that is featured in the entire series, many felt (myself included) that TWY would never make it out the door. It would cost way too much. Well, it seems those issues have been met head on and we are about to be rewarded for our patience. I can't wait for this. Will definitely be buying whatever Super Deluxe package they put in front of me.

From what I read on TWY's site, all music is present and accounted for, including the title song. The series should NEVER be shown without it. I can't imagine how horrible it is without it. What are they using in it's placed? Canned music?

Steven Spielbergs Collection BR



Well, I thought this might be a good purchase, til I saw the price.

Special Features
Disc 1 - Duel:
A Conversation with Director Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg and the Small Screen
Richard Matheson: The Writing of Duel
Photograph and Poster Gallery
Trailer


Disc 2 - The Sugarland Express:
Theatrical Trailer


Disc 3 - Jaws:
The Making of Jaws
The Shark Is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of Jaws
Jaws: The Restoration
Deleted Scenes and Outtakes
From the Set
Storyboards
Production Photos
Marketing Jaws
Jaws Phenomenon
Theatrical Trailer
BD-Live
My Scenes
Pocket BLU App


Disc 4 - 1941:
The Making of 1941
Deleted Scenes
Production Photographs
Theatrical Trailers


Disc 5 - E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial:
Deleted Scenes
Steven Spielberg & E.T.
The E.T. Journals
A Look Back
The Evolution and Creation of E.T.
The E.T. Reunion
The Music of E.T. : A Discussion with John Williams
The 20th Anniversary Premiere
Designs, Photographs and Marketing
Theatrical Trailer
Special Olympics TV Spot
My Scenes
D-BOX
BD-Live
Pocket BLU App


Disc 6 - Always:
Theatrical Trailer


Disc 7 - Jurassic Park:
Return to Jurassic Park: Dawn of a New Era
Return to Jurassic Park: Making Prehistory
Return to Jurassic Park: The Next Step in Evolution
The Making of Jurassic Park
Original Featurette on the Making of the Film
Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park
Hurricane in Kauai
Early Pre-Production Meetings
Location Scouting
Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors in the Kitchen
Animatics: T-Rex Attack
ILM and Jurassic Park: Before and After the Visual Effects
Foley Artists
Storyboards
Production Archives: Photographs, Design Sketches and Conceptual Paintings
Jurassic Park: Making the Game
Theatrical Trailer
BD-Live
My Scenes
D-BOX
Pocket BLU App


Disc 8 - The Lost World: Jurassic Park:
Returning to Jurassic Park: Finding the Lost World
Returning to Jurassic Park: Something Survived
Deleted Scenes
The Making of the Lost World
Original Featurette on the Making of the Film
the Jurassic Park Phenomenon: A Discussion with Author Michael Crichton
The Compie Dance Number: Thank You Steven Spielberg from ILM
ILM & The Lost World: Before and After the Visual Effects
Production Archives: Production Photographs, Illustrations and Conceptual Drawings, Models, The World of Jurassic Park, The Magic of ILM, Posters and Toys
Storyboards
Theatrical Trailer
BD-Live
My Scenes
D-BOX
Pocket BLU App

Yikes! Looks like there is going to be a Limited Signature Edition of 500 Worldwide (which is an insanely low print run if you think about it). It ain't cheap coming in at $500 each. I think if they had it at $250 I would snap it up. But at $500, that's just way too much. With that said, part of me wants to get it with the idea of being able to flip it on eBay. But I don't know if anyone would be willing to pay anything over $500, let alone say.....$1000, which is what I would try to flip it for. I'm sure that anyone pre-ordering this right now has the exact same thoughts running through their little heads right now.

Another sign of the beginning of the end. Physical media is on it's way out. Look in a Best Buy. They've cannablized CD's to one rack. DVD's have far less presence in the stores too. They will eventually fade. Below is an attempt to squeeze the last remaining pennies.

Paramount has inked a deal to get movies to home-viewing formats much sooner

Facing increased competition from all sorts of entertainment options, movie studios are finally about to start letting their films appear on DVD and in digital formats not too long after their theatrical releases.

Paramount has signed a deal with AMC Theaters and Cineplex to allow two of its upcoming films to be made available for home viewing about two weeks after their theatrical run has dwindled to 300 theaters or less. The two horror movies—Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse—are small releases, but Paramount hopes to enact the new strategy with many more films in the future.

The shrunken release window upsets the long-held standard that theatrical releases not appear on DVD or digital download services for at least 90 days after their debut. Making movies available at home earlier could reduce piracy and help movies maintain their buzz in a world where companies like HBO and Netflix are making television shows with the scope and spectacle to rival films.

Theater owners have long opposed such a change, fearing it would hurt box office sales. But the fact that the two-week countdown starts only when a movie is in 300 theaters or less nationwide means that blockbusters won’t be significantly affected. To encourage participation, Paramount has agreed to share a portion of the revenue from iTunes downloads and video on-demand services with theater owners who agree to the new terms.

Personally I don't see DVD's being phased out any time soon. Still a lot of money to be made off the format, especially in countries that don't have the same kind of download/connections we Yanks have.

Again, it's great if you can get the devices, but don't forget that a huge chunk of the population can't afford the devices or the constant connectivity.  The poor people.  The remote people.  The ones who rent movies from  a vending machine outside McDonald's, not iTunes.  They're not going anywhere, and they're certainly not getting rich anytime soon.