|
|
LATEST
UPDATE: 12/9/08
It seems to be official !! Two people at the TOONZONE.NET
forums have reported receiving their copies of the complete series from AMAZON.CO.UK.
Liberation seems to have printed these before they closed their UK
branch. If you want the series, I wouldn't take any chances so order it
right away. This could be a limited print run and, as you've seen
with this release, anything can prevent it from have more printed. (For
everyone in North America, keep in mind that this is a region 2 release, so
you will need a region free DVD player that plays PAL to view the discs.)
A long story short, start keeping up with the posts at TOONZONE.NET.
I have no contacts now that Liberation is out of the picture. Any news
will happen at the forums of TOONZONE.NET before you can see them here.
Amazon.co.uk is now listing SPIDER-MAN
& HIS AMAZING FRIENDS: THE COMPLETE BOX SET as "in
stock". No other website is listing it so we are unsure if it is an
error or not. Hopefully by the middle of this week we will have some
answers as someone will have received it by then. If you want the answer
as soon as possible then check out the thread at TOONZONE.NET;
someone will post the answer there before I can post it here.
11/3/08
Amazon.co.uk has now listed Revelation
Films as the studio releasing the already-released Marvel titles,
including Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends season 1. A reliable
source has contacted Revelation Films and they have stated that they now have
the rights to release the Marvel Cartoons in the UK. No other
information is available. An official announcement should be coming
soon.
10/29/08
 |
Reaction
to the cancellation of the UK DVDs has been nothing short of
extraordinary as I'm getting bombarded by e-mails. The DVDs have
definitely been cancelled, and there is NO new news to report. But
everyone needs to keep in mind that Liberation Entertainment still
exists. They shut down their UK branch but the company is
still in business and they still have the rights to the Marvel
cartoons for multi-territories (the UK, Germany, etc.). They are
simply located in the US now...but they can still release the cartoons
in those territories. I really think this is only a cutback for
the company in these hard economic times. It is VERY POSSIBLE
that the US branch will absorb the work and start releasing the
cartoons in the UK again. I have communicated with someone
from the Liberation's US branch. He said they are having meetings this
week to decide what to do now that the UK branch has closed. He didn't
know anything. The "higher-ups" will be making those
decisions and they'll let us know something as soon as possible.
Anything could happen from here...but this is too valuable of a
property to "sit" again. The rights situation is cleared up
for those territories. If by chance, Liberation decides to sell or
release the rights, SOMEONE is going to grab them quickly. Keep
your fingers crossed. I'll update the site as soon as I know
anything.
|
10/27/08
After getting numerous reports from people that their orders for the
complete series release and the 2nd/3rd season release have been cancelled,
the following has hit the internet:
Liberation
Ent. closes U.K. division
If you did not purchase the Season 1 release, then you better not take a
chance and RUN, don't walk to see if any copies are left on the shelf.
I'll have any further news on the site as soon as it is available.
9/29/08
SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS - COMPLETE SEASON 1 DVD REVIEW
And here we are. It seemed like it would never happen. This site is now
10 years old. So old that DVDs weren't even an expectation when it was
created. All I and many others wanted were good quality copies of each
episode, uncut. The great news is you get what everybody has wanted for
so long!
The release is
broken out as follows:
Disc 1
"Triumph of the Green Goblin" (23:52)
"The Crime of all Centuries" (23:52)
"The Fantastic Mr. Frump" (23:51)
"Sunfire" (23:55)
"Swarm" (23:50)
"7 Little Superheroes" (23:51)
"Videoman" (23:54)
Disc 2
"The Prison Plot" (24:04)
"Spidey goes Hollywood" (23:55)
"The Vengeance of Loki" (23:51)
"Knights & Demons" (23:55)
"Pawns of the Kingpin" (23:55)
"Quest of the Red Skull" (23:52) |
|
As you can see, there is little
variance in the runtimes. I haven't actually watched every single
episode again to make sure nothing is missing because I watched a screener
copy of the episodes that Liberation sent to me a few months ago. I didn't
feel the need (or desire!) to watch them all again. They were unedited
then. Odds are they are unedited now. Of course, stranger things
have happened. Let me know if you discover something missing.
Video
Everything is relative, right? The picture quality you get here is
the best looking you'll have seen the show...depending on your point of
view. Quite a few episodes seem to have the contrast set too high.
Iceman often appears white (he's a light blue, if you didn't know) and his
interior lines are washed out at times. The transfers that have been
airing on TOON DISNEY here in the US seem to be better done...but the DVD
quality of these episodes makes them better overall. I find it
disappointing...but certainly not a deal breaker. And don't get me wrong, SOME
episodes look great. I know Liberation had to make use of the copies that they
were given. That may have limited them severely here. But try to
avoid the Wolverine & the X-Men preview; it's so stunningly clear
that it's hard not to be disappointed when you see the picture quality of this
27 year old cartoon.
Audio
Sounds clear to me! Stunningly clear at times. I noticed a 5.1
option on the menu but haven't had a chance to play with it. After years
of watching old VHS copies of the show, this was pleasantly surprising.
Extras
There is only a "restoration" video like the other Marvel/Liberation
videos have had. My understanding is that extras are coming for the complete
series releases.
Package
This a pretty nice package for such an inexpensive release. The DVD
case slips into a cardboard sleeve. There's a nice booklet with an
episode guide. I love that Liberation is getting the logos right on all
of their Marvel releases. Personally I think the artwork and the color
scheme are misfires. It's a nice tip of the hat to the show that they
used the green background of the show's title card on the back of the
box...but that's one dingy, unappealing green! It just doesn't suit
superheroes very well. And I think it is little to ask that the artist
draw Firestar's hair, mask and aura correctly.
Menus
Nice work. I loved the web transitions and especially love the use of
the background music on the sub-menu screens. Fantastic job.
The Bad
News
Now...for you completists...there is ONE THING missing: a green
title card. This title card (right) was only shown in the original NBC
airings. Spidey's eye in the pic zoomed toward the camera to
reveal the episode title card. I supplied this to Liberation from
the 16MMs I have. Unfortunately, various factors such as time and
cost prevented it from being included. Apparently, it would have
thrown off ALL of the subtitles which had already been completed. It IS
something I would liked to have seen included. |
 |
Also, the show originally aired
with a "cold open", meaning ACT ONE was shown, THEN the intro
aired. I don't think I even informed Liberation of the fact. I
feel that the large majority of people who watch TV shows on DVD skip the
intro of a show, especially after the first few episodes. I would have
found it annoying to sit through or pick the remote up to skip the intro at
that point into the episode. Feel free to blame me if you'd like to have
seen it that way.
If you're asking where the Stan Lee narrations are...there weren't any when
this season originally aired. Narrations were later added to the
first season episodes when they were re-run in the second season. The
choice was made to keep the episodes original, and I feel like it was the
right one. Though, one day, I would like to see a release that makes it
an option to have the Stan Lee narrations in the first season.
Summary
Does anything I've written above matter? When it all comes down to it,
we've got the episodes uncut. The episodes have aired somewhat recently
in their complete form in the UK...but the US hasn't seen the large majority
of these episodes uncut since their first airing...and I mean the first YEAR
they aired. (Even NBC edited the episodes in re-runs.) So,
despite my nit-picking, I'm thrilled Liberation was the company that got their
hands on this show. I think they've done a fine job and they've included
me almost every step of the way. We didn't always agree but I've
respected and understood every decision they made. Now it's your turn to
do the work: GO BUY TEN COPIES SO THAT THEY DECIDE TO MAKE A COLLECTOR'S
SET THAT INCLUDES ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES!!!!
Excelsior!
9/4/08
COVER ART FOR THE COMPLETE SERIES
Available
from Amazon.co.uk
COVER ART FOR SEASON 2 & 3!
7/21/08
COVER ART FOR SEASON ONE!
7/8/08
PLAY.COM lists the following:
Spider-Man
and his Amazing Friends - Seasons 2 & 3 for release on 10/27/2008
Spider-Man
and his Amazing Friends - Complete boxed set also for release on
10/27/2008
Keep in mind that all dates are subject to change.
6/30/08
WILL THE EPISODES BE UNCUT?
Liberation asked me personally to check the episodes to see if they were
uncut. I sat down for quite a few hours and synced up my uncut copies to
their copies and....everything matched. All thirteen episodes of
the first season are uncut. The episodes you will be able to buy in a
few short months will have all the footage that they had when they originally
aired on NBC starting in 1981. For all of you people in the US that plan
to by the set, this is the first time you will be able to see most of these
episodes uncut since the early 1980's.
6/17/08
Liberation
Entertainment seems to be pushing back the release dates of all of the Marvel
cartoons. (Which is a GOOD thing. Quality is better than
quantity!)
Spider-Man
and his Amazing Friends - Season 1 now shows a release date of
9/29/2008 at PLAY.COM.
Stay tuned for further updates.
5/9/08
If anyone has ANY 16MM copies of the episodes please contact me ASAP at:
5/1/08
Do
you live in the United States and wish to have these DVDs to watch?
|
It was pointed out to me by e-mail that this DVD release "can"
be played in the US on a region-free DVD player ONLY IF it can play PAL
DVD's. The DVD regions specify which parts of the DVD viewing world can
watch certain DVD's. Having a region-free player gets around that
limitation. That said, here in the US, our broadcast standard for television
and standard DVD is NTSC, while over in Europe, they're using the PAL format.
Some DVD players (and perhaps a DVD capable computer) can convert PAL to NTSC,
but just because a DVD player is region free, doesn't imply that it can
do that.
Did
you get all of that? If you live in the US and you want to be able to watch
these DVDs you can purchase a region free DVD player to view them BUT MAKE SURE that
it will play PAL DVDs.
|
4/28/08
SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS - THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE has a listing on
Amazon.co.uk
for August 25th, 2008.
Amazon has been known to list things before they are finalized. Still
this should be a pretty good idea of when the first season will be out.
Here's the entire list of Marvel cartoons that Amazon.co.uk shows so far:
4/24/08
Liberation
Entertainment has obtained the rights to the Marvel Cartoons in the
UK. Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends is one of the cartoons
that they will be releasing on DVD. The company has contacted the makers
of this website and we have agreed to help them in any way possible. No
other news is available at the moment, but this site will be updated as soon
as any further information is available.
PRESS RELEASE:
LIBERATION ENTERTAINMENT INKS DEAL
WITH JETIX CONSUMER
PRODUCTS TO DISTRIBUTE CLASSIC MARVEL ANIMATION CATALOGUE ON DVD
Deal covers DVD distribution for classic animated series across multiple
European territories
Liberation Entertainment Ltd has agreed a multi territory DVD deal with Jetix
Consumer Products, the licensing division of leading kids entertainment
company Jetix Europe, for classic Marvel Entertainment animated series. The
deal gives Liberation Entertainment exclusive DVD distribution rights for
popular Marvel character based animated series including Spider-Man, The
Incredible Hulk, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer and Spider Woman.
Territories covered by the deal are the UK and Ireland, Benelux, Germany as
well as German-speaking Austria and Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and
Finland.
Jay Boberg, Liberation Chairman commented: "This deal expands our
relationship with Jetix and continues to build Liberation’s ongoing
partnership with Marvel. Liberation has already acquired DVD distribution and
television sales rights outside the US to Marvel’s new animated Wolverine
and the X-Men TV series, and as a result of this deal we will be able to bring
the “crown jewels” in Marvel’s animated TV series - including Spider-Man
and The Hulk to new audiences, as well as long-time fans. Aggregating these
new and classic Super Hero animations will give us leverage in the marketplace
to maximize sales.”
Spencer Pollard, Managing Director of Liberation Entertainment commented,
“This catalogue represents a huge opportunity for Liberation and I am
delighted that we have secured the distribution rights from Jetix Consumer
Products. The catalogue has enormous potential – many people grew up with
the original Spider-Man series as well as the rest of the catalogue and we
believe it is hugely collectable, which will interest both children and adults
alike”
Tina Lorenzo, Director of International Home Entertainment at Jetix Consumer
Products, said: “We’re delighted to have struck the deal with Liberation
for the Marvel catalogue. Many of the series covered in the deal feature some
of Jetix viewers’ most popular characters and we’re certain that with
Liberation distributing them, they will prove incredibly popular with fans
across the countries included in the deal.”
Liberation will announce the full release schedule for the catalogue in the
near future.
|
