Other Region DVDs better than Region 1?

[wahlers]

I am going to be getting a regionless player very soon, and am interested in finding out what non-Region 1 DVDs people can recommend that are superior to the same Region 1 releases, or are not in Region 1.

Note: I don't really care if the only extra is a DTS audio track.

The ones I have located so far (that interest me) are the following:

Scream (Japanese Region 2): has director's cut from LD
Battle Royale (English Region 0): not in Region 1
Ring 2 (English Region 2): not in Region 1
Secret of NIMH (English Region 2): is this in Widescreen?
The Rescuers (English Region 2): not in Region 1 (yet)
Aladdin and the King of Thieves (English Region 2): not in Region 1 (yet)
Fanny & Alexander (English Region 2): not in Region 1
Beautiful Thing (English Region 2): not in Region 1
Blair Witch 2 (English Region 2): Has 2 mockumentaries that are only on videocassette in Region 1
Predator 2: Special Edition (Region 4): Supplements not in Region 1
Conan the Destroyer: Special Edition (Region 4): Supplements not in Region 1
South Park: Complete Seasons 2, 3 & 4 (English Region 2): not in Region 1 (yet)
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout (English Region 2): not in Region 1
Salo (English Region 2): Long out of print in Region 1
Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror V/VI/VII/XII (English Region 2): not in Region 1 (yet-- will be years and years before some of these episodes are out here)
Transformers: Takara (English Region 2): not in Region 1
Transformers: The Five Faces of Darkness (English Region 2): not in Region 1 (yet)
Transformers: The Movie (Australian Region 4): extras that are not on Region 1 release
Transformers: Beast Wars: Volume 1 (episodes 37-43): not in Region 1
Transformers: Beast Wars: Volumes 2, 3, 4 (Australian Region 4): episodes that are not in Region 1

Any others that people can recommend?

[Chaplin]

Wasn't there a region 4 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves SE? It would have been from a few years ago, but I thought I heard that...

[RealmRider]

http://www.bytesandbobs.com/dvdcompare/default.asp

That is exactly the sort of website that you are looking for. Has comparisons of all the different regions and the best version to buy.

Oh to add to your list:

R2 "Withnail and I" has a screen specific audio commentary with Paul McGann not found on the R1 Criterion Collection version...

Great film....

[Monterey Jack]

Originally posted by wahlers
Secret of NIMH (English Region 2): is this in Widescreen?

Yeppers (1:85). I have it, yet am unable to watch it until my fucking local Best Buy gets in the Cyber Home multi-region player I requested nearly a month ago. :rar:

Another good comparison homepage is:

www.dvdcompare.org.uk


I think this one is a little bit better than the one above (post from RealmRider).

Take care,

Flo

[wahlers]

Those are both good links. Thanks.


Monterey Jack: is your Secret of NIMH dvd the English one, or from another country? Actually, what is the code or number on the spine, etc?

[Monterey Jack]

The copy of NIMH that I have is region 4, with a spine # of 15905SDW. It has a 1:85 widescreen transfer (single layer) and audio in 2.0 English stereo and 1.0 German and Spanish mono, plus the same(?) full-frame trailer from the U.S. disc (although it lacks the 8-page insert). Again, I'm unable to watch it until I can get a Cyber Home player. Can anyone help me buy one online (I have no credit card)?

[newt]

Predator 1, R2 is a 2 disc special edition

[Riedenschneider]

Apart from having higher (PAL) resolution anyway, a shitload of non-anamorphic Paramount, MGM and Universal titles ARE anamorphic in RC 2.

[Quinnsey]

Windtalkers:

Region 1:
Original Theatrical Trailers

Region 2:
Actors' Boot Camp - shows the gruelling physical Marine training the actors went through
Bravo Special - Making of featurette
Audio commentary with Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater
Audio commentary with Navajos Albert Smith and Roger Willie
Fly on the set Diaries - 4 raw set pieces that observe the contruction of each scene and viewers can jump to that scene in the film
Behind the scenes photo galleries

Robocop:

Region 1:
2 Trailers

Region 2:
Documentary 'Flesh and Steel'
Production Reel with Deleted Scenes Build
Audio Commentary by Director and Screenwriter
Deleted Scenes
Two Original Featurettes: 'Shooting Robocop' and 'Making Robocop'
Photo Gallery
Storyboard Comparisons with Audio Commentary
Trailers
TV Commercial
Choose The Theatrical or Director's Cut Version of Robocop


Can't think of any others off the top of my head... Friends series 1-8 are available here in Ireland.

[JakeLipson]

The one title that jumps out at me would be Balto, which apparently has a widescreen release in Region 2. Last year's barebones release here in Region 1 was P&S only. While I bought it, I'm really ticked.

[BubbleGumUK]

Germany already has a deluxe 2-disc Sleeping Beauty, while France get a much, much, much better 2-disc edition of Peter Pan in March.

Plus it seems that Treasure Planet will be a 2-disc delight when it hits UK shores, unlike the rumored region 1 single disc.

[SkottDMD]

Anyone know where you can pick up the Scream DVD with the directors cut?

[gachamann]

Copying and pasting on one of my old threads that still applies, when I first bought my Malata DVP-520 (which I still recommend if someone's looking to buy a multi-region player...every feature you could want, including progressive scan, and it still works flawlessly!):

"Crimson Tide, GI Jane, Top Gun, Eyes Wide Shut (non-censored, the way it should be), and True Lies.

First to go in was Crimson Tide, having been disgusted with the Region 1 we got that was not enhanced and had no supplements to speak of. The region 2 I watched played perfectly and looked wonderful on my 55" widescreen. I was also surprised to find the general quality of these discs to be better in almost every way to the region-1 counterpart. Crimson Tide had behind the scenes footage, rehearsals, daily activites and general joking around on the set...GI Jane had interview clips...animated menus and full motion on scene selections. I was impressed. And of course, they were all anamorphic!

True Lies. Region 4..anamorphic and kicks much ass! Just got that a few weeks ago."

[WhipSilk]

Although your list indicates it might not appeal to you (except for Salo -- what the hell is that doing in there?), the R2 title I long for the most is Kon Ichikawa's An Actor's Revenge. Maybe it'll help if I tell you that Ichikawa claimed the two greatest influences on this movie were Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney!