Woof - The Commitments on DVD at FYE - Yahoo!!!!

Ever since I got a DVD/SACD player I've wanted a copy of The Commitments - my timing was off as it apparently went out of print before we got the player. Today I was browsing through the cheap cd bin at our local FYE and found nothin'. On the way out, I glanced hopefully at the C/Comedy section and wauuuuuuugh!!!!! Thar she was - not 1, but 2 copies of The Commitments on DVD! I grabbed one and practically bolted to the register - I gotta wait for my son to watch a Winnie the Pooh movie first, but I am stoked about finding this greeeeeat flick onna disc... When did it get back on the street???

 

I didn't know it WALKED OFF the street.

Did it take a sabbatical??

 

It was re-released a few weeks ago.

tom

 

It's been gone for awhile - I've been looking for almost 2 years to snap up a copy...

 

The Commitments went out of print a couple of years ago. It was just as I was getting into DVDs that the decision must've been made. I was turned on to this movie by way of the Irish band, The Corrs. It turns out that the four siblings in that group all auditioned for parts in the film, with all four making it. Three had bit parts; lead singer Andrea got a speaking role as Jimmy Rabbitte's sister Sharon. It was at the casting call that the four met their future manager, John Hughes, who helped shape the family band for 'prime time.'

When I heard about The Commitments, I immediately did searches on the Internet. There were copies to be had, but everyone who had one was selling them for the inflated prices of $40 and up. As I still had access to my LaserDisc player, I thought I'd try that route - and luckily found a used copy for somewhere between $10 and $20. I've immensely enjoyed the film and had hoped for a re-release on DVD so I could upgrade.

The film was re-released on DVD just a week or so ago (August 19th). To be sure I grabbed one, but not with quite the enthusiasm I might have mustered. As it turn out, the re-release is just that: a re-release of the same old inadequate DVD that had been out, and essentially not a whole lot better than the LaserDisc. The film is still only in pan-and-scan, not its original aspect ratio. As it's a movie about music, a nice, upgraded 5.1 soundtrack would've been nice, but sadly this is just the same old stereo release as before.

Harry