MovieChat Forums > The Day After (1983) Discussion > ...2013 Blu-Ray release?

...2013 Blu-Ray release?

posted 11 years ago by mpegfailsafe
4 replies | jump to latest

I actually e-mailed Screen Archives Entertainment asking if they might consider picking this one up. I did receive a reply, which I commend them for. But I won't hold my breath!

Who owns the rights to this one? ABC? Who else? It would be interesting to ask Nicholas Meyer his opinion on a re-release. It need not be more than 3000 copies, since I highly doubt the demand is that high.

As I have said before, mandatory bonus material might be difficult to get clearance for, but it would be wonderful to include. If it still exists.(Despite being in SD:)

-ABC News Viewpoint. (Following the original broadcast.)
-Locally produced programming from KMBC-9, the Hearst-Owned ABC affiliate in KCMO. (Sunday, Nuclear Sunday, and a few news packages. -- Shot basically where the film was... Probably surviving on U-Matic. Unless someone made a dub to something like DVCPRO back in '03. Lol.)- SNS is on YouTube in rather poor quality.
-A few new interviews.

Not to mention a newly recorded commentary. The one Meyer did back in 1995 for the LD release was great, but I think it could have been more.

I suppose the quality of certain sections of the film will be sub-par when transferred to 2K -> 1080p. In particular, some of the stock footage which is very noisy even in SD. Nevertheless, I think the historical significance of this film outweighs some of the glaring image quality problems. MGM did a decent colour timing for their 2004 DVD, though it's a tad oversaturated when compared to the laserdisc.

All of this would be rather amazing, but if it's a legal quagmire... I won't hold my breath.

*Hopes.*

*Tempted to crowdfund this.... If a site would allow it. I am not sure if it would violate someone's TOS.*

[–] bjbeardse 11 years ago

I'm sure the film will hold up well to transfer, however as you pointed out there is a large amount of stock footage used that was shot on video. The scenes from "First Strike" we all from video sources, and will not look good in the transfer. All of the visual effects would have to be redone, and I would be the scene of Kansas City getting hit from the viewpoint of a 737 could be added.

I would love to see Nick do a definitive edit of this film. But I doubt that will ever happen, and that is a pity. But I will keep looking and hoping!

[–] mpegfailsafe 11 years ago

I thought the First Strike stuff was on film? On the 2004 DVD and 1995 Laserdisc releases I have, it looks like film grain. But I think the FS stuff was not shot in widescreen -- So it was basically cropped and blown up for the 35mm edit of TDA. Modern digital production could do this better than back in 1982/1983, but I suppose this is the type of film where the history and content of it are more important than the overall picture quality.

[–] TheOpinionGuy 9 years ago

2015 and i am still waiting for a blu-ray release... i guess it never will come.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Not sure if you're still around but it has been released on Blu Ray as of this year.