MovieChat Forums > SubUrbia (1997) Discussion > DVD (non)update: no plans this year, als...

DVD (non)update: no plans this year, also, Criterion is IMPOSSIBLE

posted 18 years ago by GuruAskew
18 replies | jump to latest

I've said this several times here on this board and on the Linklater board: WARNER BROS. WILL NOT LICENSE THEIR FILMS TO CRITERION. For all I know, everyone at Criterion might jump at the chance to release "Suburbia" but WARNER BROS. WILL NOT LET THEM RELEASE IT OR ANY OTHER WB FILM!

"Suburbia" was brought up in a recent Home Theater Forum chat with a Warner rep and they said there were no plans. Once again, they also stated the common knowledge that they DO NOT license their films out to other companies like Criterion or Anchor Bay, it's company policy.

If you want to see "Suburbia" on DVD you need to completely stop considering Criterion as a possibility. You are wasting your time, Warner Bros. owns the film and the DVD will either come out from Warner Bros. or not at all.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] GuruAskew 18 years ago

Hopefully next year, we'll see Criterion release this lovely film.

Are you *beep* serious? Did you not read what I said?

CRITERION DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THIS MOVIE. WARNER BROS. OWNS THE RIGHTS AND THEY WILL NOT LICENSE THEIR FILMS TO CRITERION OR ANY OTHER COMPANY. THIS MOVIE WILL EITHER BE RELEASED ON DVD BY WARNER BROS. OR NOT AT ALL. IF YOU WANT TO OWN IT ON DVD YOU SHOULD START BOTHERING WARNER BROS. BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONLY COMPANY THAT CAN RELEASE IT.

[–] franco_0111 18 years ago

Well, if I don't see a release of it by Jul-2006, I'll have to release it myself in HQ as brand-new sealed VHS works ok for that purpose.

WB has three months to do that.

We are not gonna wait.

You've been warned,
F.

[–] GuruAskew 18 years ago

I'm sure they're really scared. I think you're referring to HD (or high-definition) when you say "HQ" but HD will never look any better than what is used as a source. If you use a VHS tape as your source it will always look like a VHS tape, and it will technically look *worse* because it will be a copy. Even if the HD format could make an almost perfect copy of the VHS source there will still be a slight degradation going from one generation of a copy (the VHS) to another generation (the HD copy).

[–] john_spano 18 years ago

Isnt it legal to make and sell Suburbia DVD's as it is considered under Public Domain if not released in that particular country. Tons of people on EBay are selling bootlegs of DVD's that have not been released yet.

[–] franco_0111 18 years ago

At least I can transfer a pristine VHS copy of it in excellent condition to a DVD or to my HD and then just send some copies to friends or upload it to a torrent. Low compression obviously. I know the "final product" will look as a "mint VHS" and not as good as DVD quality but anyways ...

I'd love to buy this movie in an original DVD, a legal one, but I hate to wait till these *beep* decide to release it. They're releasing crap everyday for the sake of money ...

This jewel can't remain unseen for so much time! :\

[–] john_spano 18 years ago

Make bootlegs, and sell them on EBAY, its legal.

[–] imdb-9735 18 years ago

Please OH please make a Xivd of the VHS and put up a torrent, msg me if you do.

[–] xstaytruex 18 years ago

i agree i want this movie so dam badly

For all of us that like our lungs the way they are, go smoke a shotgun insted.

[–] jonnyhart 18 years ago

me three! please someone msg me with a torrent (i'm on msn)

[email protected]

[–] violachild2002 16 years ago

Did you miss something? the earlier post that said Heather Graham was good in this movie. I guess you are referring to the Bee Bee role? It certainly wasn't HG!

[–] SuperSonicX 18 years ago

Chat with Warner Home Video, 2/21/06:

[JamesLWhite] SubUrbia(1996) when on DVD? Also, Class Act? WS dvd of With Honors?
Action Jackson WS DVD? Also My Fellow Americans WS, PS please buy Sony's catalog and
DO the title right ;)

[Warner] Sorry, James. None of those are on our radar just yet. We'll take your
recommendations into consideration, except the part about buying SONY. I don't
think they're up for sale :)

Source: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/chat/warner06.txt

"Who knows where thoughts come from? They just appear!" - Lucas, Empire Records

[–] zombienut 17 years ago

I've had this movie on DVD for several years now. I transferred it from VHS. Highly recommend going that route.

[–] GuruAskew 17 years ago

It's coming this year from Warner Bros.

Like I said over a year ago, Criterion was impossible as Warner Bros. doesn't license to outside companies but Richard Linklater himself says that Warner Bros. has promised to "out-Criterion Criterion".

It's coming from a company that almost never messes up and is promising to go all-out on the DVD so I'm sure it'll be monumentally better than your crappy VHS-to-DVD bootleg in every single way.

[–] zombienut 17 years ago

Possibly. My dvd copy is only the exact quality of the VHS tape. However, I'm pretty sure (and i love this movie) that the release will go straight to the $5.50 bin at Wal Mart. The quality of many of those are horrible.

[–] MonteCarloMan 17 years ago

Thats because alot of those are cheaply made in China-and we all know that China likes to take shortcuts with their products.

[–] john_spano 16 years ago

Any news on a DVD release!!

[–] holdek01 12 years ago

They should just release it on DVD already. It's been forever. Hopefully Criterion will step in and release a version loaded with extras.