Wednesday, September 5, 2007

CREEPSHOW Details and more!

So it has been a reeedeekulosslee long time since my last blog update. Apparently nothing has happened to me in 2007 worth posting here, but of course that's about as far from the truth as it could possibly be.

It will take some time to really go into the madness of 2007 which has seen an enormous amount of work come my way and some significant releases that have been rewarding in numerous ways.

As I write this, I am but mere days away from attending the world premiere of DIARY OF THE DEAD which will bring to a close (of sorts) one of the most important and wonderful experiences of my life. For anyone attending the Midnight Madness screening this Saturday at the Toronto Film Festival...say hi if you see me.

Now, I have other updates coming in the next few weeks, but the main purpose of this posting is to help clarify some details about the upcoming CREEPSHOW 2 DISC SPECIAL EDITION DVD that is coming out this October from Universal in the United Kingdom.

Some information about the DVD has been released on various websites including the cover art (pictured to the right) and it would seem that this cover has not been widely hailed by the fans, which is understandable. It's not exactly the most attractive thing in the world, though I do kinda like the spareness of it all with the old familiar title treatment being used. And could they have more logos at the bottom? What's what that? Anyway...I've gotten off-point. Although, yes, this cover is what you will see on your local shelves, if you live in the U.K. that is, I must make one point very clear.

This is not exactly the cover for the DVD.

We have one of those situations where the outer slipsleeve case is actually quite different that the cover design adorning the DVD case itself. The DVD itself comes in the standard plastic DVD keepcase with its own unique cover design. This isn't going to be one of those situations where the slipcase and DVD insert have the exact same artwork, which is something I've always found bizarre and quite frankly an enormous waste of money. What's the point of having two covers if they are identical? Whatever.

So here's what you will see once the black slipcase has been removed from the package. Now I happen to love this cover, and hopefully you guys will too. Of all the releases I've worked on lately, this is one of the rare times where I have felt the DVD cover art was EXACTLY what I was hoping would be used. Kudos to Universal for deciding on the slipcase/slipsleeve approach...and also to hiring a designer friend of mine for the DVD slipsleeve cover. I think he knocked it out of the park. A little trivia note, this same designer friend also designed the cover for the recent Anchor Bay UK Special Edition of CREEPSHOW 2. They'll look good on the shelf next to each other don't you think?

Anyway on to the disc's contents which have also been a subject of discussion.

Here's what you need to know. This is a two-disc set that contains the following....

A Widescreen transfer of the film that is brand-new, having been downconverted from a new HD master that was completed last year.

An all-new 5.1 Surround Sound track in addition to the original stereo mix.

An audio commentary track with George Romero and Tom Savini, with myself as moderator.
We recorded it in George's living room and it was a very loose and entertaining affair. One funny thing...we tried to point out all the times that the "Father's Day" ashtray appears in the film, but we kept missing it. Provoked multiple discussions.

Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow, which is a seven part 90 minute documentary that goes into virtually all aspects of the film's production and release. Included in the documentary are rare behind-the-scenes photos, footage, and a couple of bloopers for good measure. I am very anxious to hear what people think of this doc. It was a long journey to get this one done, but I feel it was worth it.

Deleted Scenes, of which there were around 12-15 minutes worth. Not the greatest quality, but they are broken down by episode and are pretty entertaining

Tom Savini's Behind-The Scenes Footage. Although I used a lot of it in the documentary, I also compiled almost a half-hours worth of his video footage into this highlight reel which is presented separately. It, like the deleted scenes, is broken down by episode.

Theatrical Trailer & Still Galleries

There you go...hopefully this is a set everyone will consider getting this October, and maybe one day we will see it on these shores. But in the end, at least somewhere there is a DVD of CREEPSHOW that finally treats the movie with some respect. I sincerely thank Universal UK for jumping on board with this project.

See you later kiddies...

MRF