u/007MaxZorin

What a throwback! 80s teen/high school cult nostalgia.

Young charismatic Billy Jayne [top left] just about stole the show as the young brother, while Joyce Hyser [top right and bottom] delivered a great performance as the chick turned boy. Look out for William Zabka who'd just co-starred the year prior and for the same studio Columbia in classic "The Karate Kid", a film also referenced in this movie and couldn't help but draw comparisons with the lead's look to Ralph Macchio.

Love these sorts of flicks, plus how it pushed some limits with nudity and dialogue/innuendo especially for then and with some cast who were still minors (like Jayne's character). And here in Australia it went out of print for decades, never received a BluRay or even DVD, only a VHS some 30 years back, but is currently back available officially to rent/buy on digital and in its remastered widescreen and HD, looked so good.

Reminded me of "She's The Man" with Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum 20 years later. Also was good to see Jayne go onto a popular sitcom in the early 90s and for Zabka (and Macchio and Martin Kove) to come back many years later recently with "Kobra Kai".

In 2005, was actually released Feb '06, Warner Home Video in Australia finally released a DVD of all-time festive classic "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (1989).

But it was a 4:3 transfer!

Not only that, it was full scale, like 1.33:1!?

[Specs: NTSC - which was also weird as it's usually PAL here, Region 4, Australia, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Colour, 97min, 4:3 Transfer / Regular / 1.85:1 - which is an error or maybe they mean its original aspect / "This film has been modified from its original version, it has been formatted to fit your screen", Special Features: Audio commentary with Randy Quaid and Beverly D'Angelo].

The peak of DVDs had already just passed, yet they still couldn't even find a way to give us a matted or 16:9 widescreen print of this not even mega blockbuster? After hundreds or thousands of movie releases over the 8 years prior!

So was this actually open matte, as shot? Or did they still pan & scan it? Apparently, as per VHS tapes, this movie you could indeed see extra vertical footage with the odd boom mic or dead space and edges of stuff not meant to be seen, as per trivia/goof webpages.

But yeah so bizarre. And just months or 1 year later they did release a 1.85:1 and 16.9 print, as part of a double peak with "Vegas Vacation". Like WTF. And a BluRay shortly after. Perhaps the source was different, obviously by mid-late 2000s a digital re-master and HD would've been required for TV broadcasters, HD DVD, BluRay, etc. So this DVD must've been from an older VHS or Laserdisc master? Wonder if they'll do a 4K restoration.

1. "16:9 Transfer" (as was written on the back covers, at least here in Australia) also had two different descriptors in a long box above this phrase for those widescreen aspects:

A) This film is presented in a "matted" format, preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition. Enhanced for widescreen TVs.

Was usually seen next to the "1.85:1" symbol.

Seen on titles such as "The Fugitive" and "The Name Of The Rose".

---------------------------------------

B) This film is presented in a "letterbox" format, preserving the 'scope' aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition. Black bars appear at the top and bottom are normal for this format.

Was usually seen next to the "2.35:1" symbol.

-------------------

So can someone explain the difference between A and B and why?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. "Two-Sided Format".

"Please flip disc to Side B".

AKA 'DVD-10'.

Often seen on some of their earliest releases around 1998 - 2000. Such as "Lethal Weapon 4" and "US Marshals".

Be it due to a long run time, addition of special features, both or two different titles/films.

Also, sometimes the transfer and aspects would be different on each side.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. "Side A: 4x3 Transfer | Side B: 16x9 Transfer".

Side A "Regular" symbol and Side B "Widescreen" symbol". But both usually had the same aspect, eg. "1.85:1".

"Side A: Suitable for all TV Screens".

"Side B: {as per 1B above}."

So you could see a pillarboxed 1.33:1-esque version on one side, ideal for older CRT TVs (still dominant at that time) or a widescreen enhanced/anamorphic version on the other side (better for flatscreen TVs which were expensive and rare at the time like Plasmas). But am guessing neither was encoded properly, so I'd imagine Side B wouldn't auto 'Pan & Scan' if a 4:3 screen is detected by the DVD Player and would look distorted?

Such as "Hard to Kill" and "A Perfect Murder".

---------------------------------------

Warner Home Video (at least in Australia) were the only home entertainment arm to use those exact terms on the back of DVDs from 1998 - 2007: "Transfer", "Matted" and an "Australia" territory logo - which I always found odd but somewhat cool - which was in addition to the Region 4 logo also being used. As well as the only ones to use dual-sided discs, both for different content or differing transfers/aspects, as far as I can remember. Perhaps showing how scary the new advent of "DVD Video" was to many at the time, especially late 90s and around 2000.

Have an eBay Google seach of some WB Aussie DVD back covers from this era to get an idea.

God I miss the original peak physical media days, so glad it's made a slow comeback!

Anyway, who had one of these back in the day? 💿 🎞

It has to be Paramount, surely?

Chinatown, Marathon Man, Fatal Attraction, Witness, The Untouchables, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan adaptations, The Firm, Mission Impossible franchise, Primal Fear, Face/Off (North America only), James Patterson's Alex Cross adaptations, Snake Eyes (North America only), Double Jeopardy, No Country For Old Men, Zodiac, Disturbia, etc etc.

This is even before the 2010s to present!

And not even including the nine Friday the 13ths from the 80s, which have several thriller elements (suspense/tension/mystery)!!

Other studios seemed to specialise or go down different genre paths, especially in that golden run period of 80s to 90s eg. Universal = family friendly/blockbusters (Amblin/Spielberg), Fox = action/Schwarzenegger, MGM/UA = James Bond and Rocky, Warners = Clint Eastwood/Mel Gibson- Mad Max & Lethal Weapon/Steven Seagal, Columbia TriStar = a mix (from Karate Kid to A Few Good Men to In The Line Of Fire to Jerry Maguire to Men In Black to My Best Friend's Wedding to Erin Brockovich to Spider Man).

What do you think?

One of my childhood favourites! Was such a nostalgic and fun re-watch. Hadn't seen it in over 20 years. Feel it is very underappreciated and overlooked, especially amongst Walt Disney renaissance and given the names involved. Could've been a famous hit.

Peak film era Charlie Sheen (not including his TV peak resurgence fame with "Two and a Half Men" a decade later), rising star Kiefer Sutherland (post "Flatliners" but pre-"24"), Oliver Platt who'd pop-up in numerous movies in the 90s and 2000s and did some great shows in the 2010s ("The Big C" and "Chicago Med") and Chris O'Donnell (off the back of Oscar-winning "Scent of a Woman" with Pacino, would go onto 'Batman' and later in the 2010s TV "NCIS: LA").

Loved the great Michael Wincott (that voice!) and Tim Curry's performances too, great casting. And Rebecca De Mornay on a high ("The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" from the same studio).

Plus produced by then Buena Vista studio head and producer Caravan Pictures (loved that logo!) co-creater Joe Roth and prolific producers Roger Birnbaum & Gary Barber (now "Spyglass" - known for "Rush Hour" & "Shanghai Noon" with Jackie Chan and more recently the hit "Scream" re-boot).

Buena Vista Pictures' mature audience labels "Touchstone Pictures" but also "Hollywood Pictures" (AKA Walt Disney Studios today).

From Pretty Woman to Sister Act to Father of the Bride to The Hand That Rocks The Cradle to Dangerous Minds to Crimson Tide to The Rock to Con Air to Face/Off to Armageddon to Enemy of the State to Runaway Bride to The Sixth Sense. Plus way more.

Miramax would probably be next... But coincidentally also a subsidiary of Disney (at that time).

What a run for the company! Such an era. And to think prior to the mid-80s they were dormant and nearly extinct while studios like Paramount were raking it in. They all seem to have had periods of big success yet also big slow downs.

So many classic titles amongst Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Touchstone, Hollywood, Buena Vista International and Miramax.

Ah... The memories! 😢

Upon searching, I couldn't find any 2005 or 2006 onwards Hollywood mainstream movie release on VHS in Australia (but I think in the USA there were still some during those years).

So pretty sure it must've been the end of 2004 (which would've flowed into 2005).

I'm sure somebody will know what the last films were, if not THE very last one. Not including continued prints of earlier releases.

Apparently 2003 was the year DVDs outdid VHS. Despite DVD starting in the late 90s, I definitely feel VHS was still dominant up until around 2001-2002 and then DVDs just exploded, but I'm sure plenty still rented or bought VHS until mid-2000s or a mixture, especially if money was tight (early DVDs were not cheap especially latest releases!) I still used VHS player to record blank tapes of TV until 2010 when I got a DVR.

I reckon it could've been "Finding Neverland" (2004) starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, exhibited at cinemas in Australia on New Year's Day (Jan 1) in 2005 and came out on VHS (there is physical evidence online via eBay) & DVD a few months later from Buena Vista Home Entertainment (who owned Miramax). Tech specs said: Colour - Hi Fi Stereo - Digitally Mastered - This film has been modified from its original theatrical version, it has been formatted to fit your TV.

A feature on Victoria's freeways since the 1970s, last week Transport Victoria removed the last "VicRoads Help Phone" from urban Melbourne along the Frankston Freeway.

They can now only be found on rural freeways (several locations have recently been fixed/updated too).

The sign in the bottom image is what they have been replaced with, progressively across metro since 2015.

Eastern Fwy went first in mid 2015, then the Ring Road in 2016, then the Tullamarine & Calder Fwys by 2018, EastLink in 2019 and all the others during COVID. Unsure about the Craigieburn & Deer Park Bypass and the southern end of the Morn Pen Fwy though. Several sites still physically exist however, despite being switched off, often with a sticker/notice.

A decade ago, a report in The Age newspaper claimed they were costing "$1,000 per call" and planned to cease their use, citing their rapid decline in usage since the advent of mobiles and high maintenance costs (said to be millions of dollars in a given year) including Telstra telecomm upgrades. As well as metro having vast CCTV, traffic sensors, automated incident detection, incident response and better mobile signals vs regional.

Did you ever have to use one? What do you think, good government money saving initiative or potentially dangerous?

Underrated gem from nearly four decades ago, arguably a Schwarzenegger vehicle and amazing some of the names involved in this project:

The one and only Walter Hill (story, script, production, direction). EPs Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna (AKA Carolco). And co-stars Jim Belushi in one of his better performances, an early Gina Gershon in a prominent role and the great Peter Boyle.

Restored for 4K a few years ago by Studiocanal (who own Carolco's library).

Loved the Russian elements for a Hollywood mainstream film. The opening scene and the action and violence was also memorable. Plus Chicago and a rare one not involving Andrew Davis or Ron Dean & Co.

A top, often overlooked espionage thriller from the late great Tony Scott.

What do you think about this one?

I thought the writing and casting was good and liked the premise and retrospective narrative, also the limited setting meeting/interrogation scenes inside CIA Langley. Love this sort of flick.

A shout out as well to the always reliable Marianne Jean Baptiste and a brilliant performance by Stephen Dillane.

"Along Came A Spider" (2001), a rather terrible Alex Cross adaptation and compared to the excellent James Patterson source material. Also coming off the decent "Kiss the Girls" in 1997 also with Freeman and with Ashley Judd.

Plus what happened to Monica Potter? Was looking like becoming something! After "Con Air", "A Cool Dry Place" and "Patch Adams". Though she did appear in S1 of "Boston Legal".

And having seen the movie before reading the novel, all I can say for this sequel was the plot twist at the climax was a nice jump moment and a few chills, I will give it that. Michael Wincott's as always solid performance too.

So what are others??