Home Video Exclusives

[JohnIan101]

Past Tense


[An earlier version of this PT was originally posted on June 26th, 2014 on JoBlo's "DVD, Blu-Ray & Home Theater Discussion" forum.]

Gotta ask yourself; have you packed enough rolls of toilet paper for when you get caught - "Under The Dome"?



"Under The Dome [Season One]" was released on home video on November 5th, 2013.

It streeted against "White House Down", "Mad Men: Season Six" and "Parkland".

This originally came with a cardboard case (not card stock like most season sets). It opens nearly in half, inside is a digipak holding the four discs. There were no inserts. The digipak held the episode guide (without air dates) and bonus listing. It was later re-release in a standard DVD case.

The box reminds of the packaging used for "Dinosaurs: The Complete First And Second Seasons" (2006, Buena Vista Home Entertainment); in that case, you had to be careful grabbing or the package would separate - causing a disaster and damage (nearly happened to me on three occasions). It's different here since the dome over the town, a half circle on the lower part the package overlaps the top half.

So you can get a good grip on the box.

By the way, the dome on the front cover is glossy, the rest is cardboard. It should be noted that the set does not say 'Season One' just the title. I'll get into that possible answer in a few.

- - -

There were two exclusives for season one.



Target offered a six postcard set (in a cardboard pouch/envelope). This offer was available for DVD ($29.99) and Blu-Ray ($34.99) editions. Above, right is the front of that pouch.

This collection was packed on the back of the box; the pouch's back, mirrored the box's rear, same size.

The cards are kinda small, measuring 4" x 6" - each are connected, perforated.

I haven't separated mine, I'm anal.



The far right image is their rear - identical to each.

Did not buy my copy on release day. I was busy picking up season six of "Mad Men" and another title.

What happened was pure luck or perhaps reflects consumer interest.

More than a month passed; my store still had a couple copies of that exclusive. Bought mine on December 22nd (2013) on sale for $24.99. Did I not say I'm anal?

That kind of good fortune doesn't happen often, stores get a limited number of copies.



Amazon had a 'Limited Collector's Edition' Blu-Ray set which sold for $99.99 on street. This was advertised on the show. Above, top is the early image, below... the final product.

I was wondering when I first saw it, if that was an aerial photograph with maybe some photoshopped 3D elements inside. Nope.

The final product looks weak as hell; far too cheap for a hundred bucks. Yeah, I see the half cow in there.

I'm not into BDs, but if I were, I would stick with the regular edition. Man, that's the definition of gimmicky packaging. The kind of stuff you would expect to see a cheaply produced, whimsical thimble collection - not detailed, just enough to get the point across.

Let me repeat, a hundred dollars.

By the way, Lenox released detailed and expensive thimbles series; cottages, castles and bird houses. Don't look at me that way, I like what I like.

You had to buy each item separately. And if you wanted, you could purchase the display rack.

Money: Some will blow it on hookers and drugs. Some on well crafted thimbles.

- - - - - - - - - -

Rant.

Something here is very strange, something here I can't explain, something that I know is true.

- C-Spot Run

There have been three woes that keep on resurfacing. All have a very simple and logical explanation, but remain a thorn for so many viewers.

Why is there wind or for that matter rain inside the dome?

*sigh*

Wind is generated on Earth by differential temperatures. Hot air rises, cold air falls - it creates airflows as an equilibrium tries to form; depending on how intense these localized agitations become; we can get a nice breeze to a destructive hurricane. Basic physics still work inside the dome; heat rises, cold sinks = wind.

Any large (and I mean huge) structure can create their own evaporation cloud just as the Earth does. As heat rises so does water vapor. As these water particles cool, they form droplets. These droplets fall once they get too big - gravity and it rains, basic physics. Source?

Remember that the force field covers ten miles and includes a chunk of the nearby lake - evaporation.

It has rain inside the Astrodome in Houston, TX. Water coming off the regions' high humidity, it can get trapped under that dome. The stadium's air conditioning remove excessive heat and moisture from the air - just like your home unit, which is why AC machines have drainage in the rear.

It rained in the Astrodome on July 30th, 1972, blame poor air conditioning.

No mystery here, there is wind and rain in the dome. Get over it.

And the third, 'why don't they run out of air?'

This makes me want to pull out hairs... Chester's Mill is largely an agrarian town, surrounded by dense vegetation (forests and farm lands).

It's called photosynthesis. Frack me.

- - -

Surprised that few people have talked about the earlier incarnation - not "The Simpsons Movie" (2007).



The 1966 (December 21st) 3-D, theatrical feature "The Bubble"; later retitled "Fantastic Invasion Of Planet Earth" in 1976 for its re-release (edited from 112 minutes to 94 minutes; and later once again to 75 minutes for home video release on VHS). United Kingdom re-release poster above.

It starred Johnny Desmond, Michael Cole and Deborah Walley as young couple with their pilot (Desmond) who are traveling by small airplane, they run into a storm and forced to land. Not just because of bad weather, but also because the woman is quite pregnant.

The trio find themselves suck in a town that's been covered by a giant force field. Making the matter worse is the town folks acting like robots, under a trance. Yup, aliens. When they're not probing your anus they're erecting invisible domes over towns. Leatherheads, get a better hobby.

The non-seen entities (yeah, a total cop out) are forcing the residents to manufacture food for them in retrofitted factory. I saw this on TV back in the 1980s; what I remember was them going into a mine and trying to dig out. It goes down deep, real deep. Can't recall the conclusion, the why or how, but they do get out (the pilot was killed by the aliens, pulled up into the sky).

Don't bother with it. This was an effects movie; all about shoving things into your face with 3D, thin on story. I still recall being bored watching this, great concept - poor execution. Ha! That's what some are saying about the series.

Anyhow, you can find the film's trailer on YouTube. I could say, 'judge for yourself', but that would be a lie. The trailer doesn't show any footage - it just talks about how great the visuals WILL be.

It's on DVD from Rhino Home Video (October 5th, 1999), but the shorten version. The case reads 112 minutes, no it's not. It does present the film in 3D with a two pair of glasses. It came out in a cardboard snapper case with zero extras.

Or if you like, it's also on 3D Blu-Ray; release from Kino on November 18th, 2014 for $34.95; presentation in mono. It comes with the 2D version, restoration featurette, a gallery, excerpts of a deleted scene (from the screenplay), trailers and an essay on the film by Bob Furmanek in BD-ROM.

- - -

Why doesn't the box say 'season one'?

I think the outer packaging was done before CBS' final decision.



"Under The Dome" (based on Stephen King's 2009 novel) was intended to be a limited run series (thirteen episodes); beginning, middle and end. With an option to continue (depending on the ratings) for a second season. It did well enough and became not self-contained.

Did they film that finale? By the way, the novel, the whole situation and resolution happens in a single week.

A side note, folks complained about the 2014 paperback edition. The publisher, Pocket Books broke the hardback (1,074 pages) into two parts - forcing folks to buy the book twice over ($8.99 each) to get complete story.

And there you go; come back here on August 24th, 2017 for a season two exclusive. Yeah, don't get excited. See you then.

[JohnIan101]

Best Buy - August 15th, 2017


Alien: Covenant
Exclusive steelbook; BD/DVD/DC combo $21.99
Exclusive steelbook; 4k BD/BD/DC combo $26.99

Stan Lee's Luck Man: Season 1
Exclusive store release (DVD) $19.99

Game Of Thrones: Season 1 (available now)
Exclusive sigil packaging; BD only $24.99

Game Of Thrones: Season 2 (available now)
Exclusive sigil packaging; BD only $24.99

Game Of Thrones: Season 3 (available now)
Exclusive sigil packaging; BD only $29.99

Game Of Thrones: Season 4 (available now)
Exclusive sigil packaging; BD only $29.99

Game Of Thrones: Season 5 (available now)
Exclusive sigil packaging; BD only $34.99

Game Of Thrones: Season 6 (available now)
Exclusive sigil packaging; BD only $34.99

[JohnIan101]

Best Buy - August 22nd, 2017


Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
Exclusive steelbook; BD/DVD/DC combo $24.99

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
Exclusive steelbook; 4K BD/3D BD/BD/DC combo $34.99

Ash Vs Evil Dead: Season Two
Exclusive steelbook; BD only $30.99

The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season
Exclusive steelbook; BD only $39.99

Supergirl: The Complete Second Season
Exclusive steelbook; BD only $39.99