8 replies to this topic

[Ripplin]

I've complained before that they weren't doing enough for the 20th anniversary of the movie, one of my all-time favorites. I even wrote to Disney after I heard about a one time showing of a remastered print of the movie somewhere in Hollywood for like a 100 people. They said they'd pass on my suggestion of releasing it to the public, even if just in a print-on-demand format. But now I know that's all they could say at the time, because...

BLU-RAY!

^too subtle?

Here's some video commentary with Billy Campbell: http://www.elecplay....mmentary-video/

There's also a contest there to win a signed copy of the blu-ray.

[finbeard]

I PISSED MYSELF WHEN I SAW THIS THREAD.

HOLY SHIT. the rocketeer is one of my favourite movies of all goddamn time. i've always had a pretty strong connection with the film because my dad shared it with me at a relatively young age, and ever since, we jump at the chance to watch it together. when the power went out a while back, we lashed together a usb optical drive, some tiny speakers, and a netbook with a huge battery to watch men in black and THE GODDAMNED ROCKETEER in the dark.

and this reminds me, rocketeer-era jennifer connelly has not made nearly enough appearances in the dunk thread. back in a second.

[Ripplin]

There are a few movies I really kick myself for not having seen in a theater...and this is one of them. (The Iron Giant, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and Kung Pow: Enter the Fist are a few more) But really, at the time, I may not have even known of its existence. I can't remember how long it was until I saw it or how I first saw it. *shrug* Probably an airing on The Wonderful World of Disney.

I read the novelization by Peter David a few months ago. Didn't expand on it too much, but still fun. He did go into much more detail of why the Feds were chasing the goons and whatnot, though, which was good.

[trunkspace]

I was lucky enough to see this in theater, opening weekend for my HS graduation!
I passed on T2 for it.

I think the re-evaluation and decision to do a special edition has something to do w/ the director being the same guy who directed Capt. American this past summer, which totally has the same style stamp.
Good choice each time, there was talk at the time on how Rocketeer was going to kill his career tho.

As a movie, it was a good distillation of the original creators ideas and influences, but even then I did feel it ... deferred a bit too much to the source material to catch on w/ movie audiences--much like Dick Tracy had a couple years earlier.
Too 'Disney'.

I am a big fan of the original comic, and was lucky enough to be buying stuff when it was first getting published (mostly by Eclipse Comics).
When Dave Stevens died a few years back, it was a heartbreaker, guy had a vision and the skills to carry it off too. The movie benefited from that as well.
Recently IDW has been putting out reissues of his work in really slick collections, and they did a tribute miniseries w/ tons of great contributors.

Stevens was never super prolific, in fact he had trouble ever finishing his Rocketeer story, but everything he penciled was just beautiful, and is one of the creators whose work is reduced in attractiveness by modern comic printing techniques.

I hope there will be some new stuff regarding his work/legacy on the new BR.

[urvile]

I would LOVE to get this on Blu, thanks for the reminder I'm totally fucking ordering this on the 30th

[Ripplin]

I WON!

"Congratulations on winning the elecplay.com The Rocketeer contest. You have won yourself an autographed copy of The Rocketeer on Blu-ray!"

[urvile]

Wow, kick ass dude!

Also: Not sure I'll be picking this up on Blu, it didn't get a great review on blu-ray.com and no special features either. I dunno. Why do they never do combo packs on movies I might actually want both formats for lol

[Ripplin]

Yeah, I've heard there isn't a lot on it, sadly (not even commentary?), but as for the movie itself, this is a long time coming. The low quality DVD that has been out for years just didn't cut it.

[urvile]

I'd just like to see it, maybe I'll be cheap and get the old DVD. Couldn't be any worse quality than Days of Thunder