MovieChat Forums > Phase IV (1974) Discussion > OFFICIAL DVD RELEASE

OFFICIAL DVD RELEASE

posted 17 years ago by swfrancis
21 replies | jump to latest

I was at dvddrive-in.com and discovered there is an official release of PHASE IV coming. Here's the original news release:

Update: Legend Films Releases Paramount Cult Titles!

Legend Films has licensed a number of library titles from Paramount for DVD release. Of interest to DVD Drive-In readers include THE SKULL, ZPG, THE POSSESSION OF JOEL DELANEY, THE STUDENT BODIES, JEKYLL AND HYDE TOGETHER AGAIN, THE BUSY BODY, THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH, PHASE IV, THE DEADLY BEES and THE SENDER. Some of these titles will be available for sale at the Legend Films website as of April 1st, and they will be available for retail everywhere else in June and July in separate batches.

[–] Captain_Iglo 17 years ago

Phase IV on dvd at least! Thanks for the best news of the year!

[–] Wailmer1990 17 years ago

It looks like it will become available in July from what I've seen.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] karsten_nord 17 years ago

Sure enough, you can find it on the Legend Films site, in the sci-fi horror sections. Available in July at "selected Best Buy stores," it says.

http://www.legendfilms.net/

Can't locate it at Amazon.com yet though...

[–] lugosi-11 17 years ago

I just received this in the mail from Netflix. I havent gotten a chance to watch the whole thing, but what I saw looks VERY nice. Unfortunately, it is just a bare-bones release, without even a trailer....but it is very nice to have the movie.

[–] gloomboy 17 years ago

I picked this up at my local Best Buy for $9.99 last night. May be only a bare-bones release, but looks far superior to any version of this movie I've ever seen. I can now finally retire my crusty-old full-frame laserdisc. If you're like me and a long-time fan of this film - well worth picking up.

[–] karsten_nord 17 years ago

Great price. I bought my copy from a seller on eBay, and paid a LOT more.

Weird that it's not at Amazon. I thought they carried practically all DVDs in print.

[–] josalo 17 years ago

It's a Best Buy exclusive for now (July '08), although I believe you can get it direct from Legend as well.

Excellent transfer, with the exception of some vertical jumping in a couple of shots that may have been sprocket damage to the film elements. Gorgeous color and clear sound, anamorphic but no trailer, no nothing for extras. Saul Bass' original ending remains film legend for now.

I am thrilled that this scifi classic is finally available in a clean transfer in its original aspect ratio. Legend's cover art is unimaginative and a little sensational for what the movie is. Saul Bass was a graphic artist by trade and his original poster art (however derivative of Un Chien Andalou) should have been respected. Did you know he designed Ma Bell's final logo? Fascinating article on wikipedia.

Since the trailer is not included, have a look here: http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2008/03/23/Killer-ant-flick-and-cult-classic-Phase-IV-to-get-DVD-release

[–] aclement 17 years ago

i was unaware that this release was out there, even though i've seen reviews over the last month of other titles in this dvd "series" (e.g. possession of joel delaney, the skull), so it was a surprise to just see it on the shelf at best buy. ditto someone's earlier remark about the cover art. if i had never heard of this movie (which i saw countless times on TV back in the late 70s and early 80s in my formative years), i'd be much more inclined to pick it up and read the back if it had the original poster art on the front. as a sidenote, i have never understood why dvd producers don't just, as a rule, use original poster art for the cover, which is invariably more interesting than what's been designed for the dvd cover. older dvds did this, until someone decided to get creative...like putting a big ant on the cover of phase iv. anyway, it is great to have the film on dvd with the best picture we're likely to ever see. on the other hand, what a disappointment to have ZERO extras, not even a trailer. if ever a movie cried out for a commentary track and making of, this is it.

[–] phasmatrope 12 years ago

Yeah, the existing DVD is extremely bare bones... Chapter Select and Play being the only options, not even the trippy trailer (which for most people, is the only way they would have seen some of the bizarre Dali-esque imagery & trippy montages that had been part of the original ending).

Apparently though, this original ending was cut by the studio after test audiences reacted poorly. Bass-- possibly agreeing with them-- removed it, and it was considered lost for the last 30+ years (until summer 2012, when someone found it, and started screening it with the lost ending included at the end).

There has however been talk of the Criterion Collection doing a release of the film WITH the lost ending/additional short Bass films-- currently, Paramount and Bass's daughter Jennifer Bass are the main people who own the rights (Jennifer probably being the only person alive who could give a commentary like other posters here had wanted)-- so if you're curious, I might suggest getting on Criterion's case to suggest them to release it!! (suggestions @ criterion . com)

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] barnsby66 17 years ago

JUST BOUGHT IT YESTERDAY ON DVD. IT'S WIDESCREEN, MONO SOUND. NO EXTRA FEATURES. IT'S A PRETTY GOOD TRANSFER OF THE FILM. MUCH BETTER THAN I'VE SEEN ON CABLE. I PAID $9.99 AT BEST BUY. THEY ARE ADVERTISING IT AS AN "EXCLUSIVE". IT'S SUCH AN OBSCURE FILM I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD EVER BE AVAILABLE!

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] tdl797 16 years ago

i had no idea Saul directed a film.
i'll have to see if the local Best Buy has it. i've noticed the online site does not always show availability correctly.

since his title sequences are so interesting, did he shoot the film really interesting, i.e. odd camera angles, etc?

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] tdl797 16 years ago

yeah, i was just saying it's not always realiable - meaning i'll check a local one to see if it's there. i've never had something listed and it NOT be there though. so it's always correct in that sense, just things in the store that aren't listed online.

just last week i was looking for the new Stereolab CD and it wasn't listed online, but i checked anyway and it was there.

i'm not going to blind buy it though - that's why i was asking about the film.

[–] solex10 14 years ago

You don't go to a store like Best Buy to buy music by a group like Stereolab; you go to iTunes to download it, or you buy it from a store like Tower Records (when it was still around.)

[–] tdl797 14 years ago

You do if it's the only place that has it.

I stay away from degenerate downloads as much as possible preferring the full bit rate a CD provides, as well as tangible physicality, and the fact that it plays in the CD player of my vehicle while I commute to work.

[–] solex10 14 years ago

You can burn MP3's to CD, too.

[–] BAHicks 16 years ago

My Best Buy (Hattiesburg, MS) is lame as hell. They barely have a horror/sci-fi section and rarely carry any of the Best Buy exclusives. (?!) In fact, my Best Buy doesn't have any of the Legend/Paramount DVDs in stock.

By the way, about the new IMDb design.... Yeah, it still sucks.

[–] KutWrite (1334) 3 years ago

Update on two endings as of Dec 2021:

The YouTube links and some articles linked above are now "unavailable," probably due to a copyright strike.

This is the ending the Hollywood Reporter article refers to. It's also the ending I saw today: https://youtu.be/oHWSAZ3fZsQ

Later, I found this longer-montage ending that includes the "reverse-mermaid," some nudity, interacting with animals and other scenes others have described. It appears to add about 5 min to the version I saw:

https://youtu.be/0rMqT4GD944

Though there are some great "Saul Bassy" scenes in the longer one, I personally prefer the one linked at the top. It has more punch.