DVD comparisons
Below are thumbnail comparisons for 5 different sources of the 1985 film "Explorers", click on any image for the original full-size PNG.
It should be noted that Paramount stuffed up the DVD releases of this film, quite seriously I believe because the aspect ratio is wrong, the picture is squashed vertically which means the bubble the boys fly around in isn't a perfect circle but an oval. As this was a budget release I don't think there's any chance they'll fix their mistake. |
| UK VHS | The first column contains captured stills from the UK VHS release, integrated into the film are the two 'bonus' scenes featured on the DVD releases, but doesn't have the Thunder Road in the classroom near the end and when the credits start, Wak just says "I know you're out there, I can feel the popcorn." |
| US laserdisc | The second column contains captured stills from the US laserdisc release, this differs from the UK release in that it doesn't have the two 'bouns' scenes that the UK VHS and DVD releases have, but does have the Thunder Road in the classroom near the end and when the credits start, Wak tells a psychiatrist joke. |
| UK R2 DVD | The third column contains re-scaled thumbnails of the anamorphic UK R2 DVD release, this version of the film, scene-by-scene wise, is identical to the US laserdisc release but has two scenes added as 'bonus features' rather than integrated into the film like the UK VHS: - First scene has Wolfgang meeting up with Ben whilst walking to school, Ben tells Wolfgang about the dream he had and gives him the drawing of the circuit diagram, Wolfgang gets picked on, and decides to ditch school where we eventually find out he spent time working on the circuitboard in Ben's dream. - Second scene is of the boys pushing the carnival ride home (the Thunder Road), it goes out of control while going down a hill and crashes through a fence and falls into the creek. |
| US R1 DVD | The fourth column contains re-scaled thumbnails of the anamorphic US R1 DVD release, this is virtually identical to the UK DVD release except the audio on the bonus scenes has 5.1 and 2.0 soundtracks. |
| homebrew DVD (best) |
The fifth column shows re-scaled thumbnails of my anamorphic homebrew PAL DVD, Paramount stuffed up both the UK and US DVD releases of my favourite film so I set to and re-created a fixed aspect ratio of the film with the two 'bonus' scenes integrated seamlessly back into it. |
| UK VHS | US laserdisc | UK R2 DVD | US R1 DVD | homebrew DVD (best) |
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Format: VHS Video: PAL Country: UK Aspect ratio: unknown letterbox Audio: 2.0 English Extras: None |
Format: laserdisc Video: NTSC Country: US Aspect ratio: 4:3 pan&scan Audio: 2.0 English Extras: None |
Format: DVD region 2 Video: PAL Country: UK Aspect ratio: 16:9 anamorphic wide Audio: 5.1 English, 2.0 French / German / Italian / Spanish Extras: 2 'bonus' scenes |
Format: DVD region 1 Video: NTSC Country: North America Aspect ratio: 16:9 anamorphic wide Audio: 5.1 English, 2.0 English Extras: 2 'bonus' scenes |
Format: DVD-R Video: PAL Country: - Aspect ratio: 16:9 anamorphic wide Audio: 5.1 English Extras: none |
fox@ridhughz.demon.co.uk
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