Dutch DVD Version -- Caveat emptor!

[garzo]

I just received the Dutch version of Volume One of the DVD set (from the UK). Not that I wanted Dutch subtitles, but because it was well priced. I assumed it would be the exact same version as the regular U.S./U.K. version. Low and behold, it's not a 12-Disc set but a 6-Disc set with all the episodes but none of the extras!
I got it from an Amazon seller and on the description it specifically said "12-Disc." Very frustrating indeed. I'll contact them to see if I can swap for the regular version or get a refund. Buyer beware!
But what's the deal with leaving out the extras?! I will never understand the workings and illogic of international video distribution.

[Aztec]

That's unfortunate! The DVD documentaries are very well produced and make the episodes that much more exciting.

[Stoo]

In my best Short Round voice: "It no unfortunates...It CRAZY!" Seriously, that is really sad. (It must have a been a marketing decision to make the set more affordable. How much did you pay?) The documentaries are great and it's a sore loss for The Netherlands. I don't believe this has been mentioned here before so this is news, garzo!

This means that the boxed set must have been redesigned to make it thinner (Volume 1 is the thickest of all three at 2 inches/5 cm) and the DVDs were re-authoured to exclude the extra content. Three of the episodes don't have an extra disc for the documentaries. The craziest thing is that the US/Canada/UK/Australia volume has *7* episodes and not 6. So, I'm guessing the Dutch one ends with "Spring Break Adventure"?

For comparison's sake:

01) My First Adventure (& Special Features)
02) Passion For Life
03) Passion For Life Special Features
04) Perils of Cupid
05) Perils of Cupid Special Features
06) Travels With Father (& Special Features)
07) Journey of Radiance (& Special Features)
08) Spring Break Adventure
09) Spring Break Adventure Special Features
10) Love's Sweet Song
11) Love's Sweet Song Special Features
12) Interactive Bonus Disc (with the games & timeline)!

Originally Posted by Aztec

That's unfortunate! The DVD documentaries are very well produced and make the episodes that much more exciting.

They also show how much research went into the real history of the characters/events. True-to-life trivial details ABOUND throughout every chapter!

(BTW, I love your screen name, Aztec!)

[garzo]

Thanks Stoo. Yes, it is an outrage. I also picked up Volumes Two and Three and those are fine (regular English versions).
The Dutch version packaging is the same size, but have only one disc per flap instead of two, like the other sets. The six discs include:

01) My First Adventure & Passion For Life
02) Perils of Cupid
03) Travels With Father
04) Journey of Radiance
05) Spring Break Adventure
06) Love's Sweet Song

That is all.

I'm in Germany and there is no German version, which is why I ordered them from Amazon UK. The Dutch set was actually bought from a UK dealer.
I wonder, are there any posters from the Netherlands that have been similarly duped?

[fommes]

The Dutch DVD box is released by Dutch Film Works, not Paramount, and they don't have the rights to the documentaries. The official word is:

Het is inderdaad jammer dat deze extra's er niet op staan. De reden daarvoor is dat we daar de rechten niet van konden kopen, en deze dus helaas ook niet op de dvdbox konden zetten.
Ik hoop u hiermee voldoende geinformeerde te hebben.

Met vriendelijke groet,

Noortje Tutelaers
Marketingmedewerker

As found here: http://www.dvd.nl/nieuws.php?id=3097
They couldn't acquire the rights, she says (but perhaps it was just too expensive, who knows).

Review here: http://www.dvd.nl/reviews.php?reviewid=3648

When I saw this (after a long wait), I avoided the Dutch release and ordered the DVD from Amazon UK itself, so I've got the UK versions. I do have some regrets over purchasing the second box there too, because of that small cut in Daredevils.

Apparently the sales are not that good (no wonder, they're leaving out all the extras), so it's not sure yet if DFW is going to release Part 2 and 3, but allegedly they're trying.

I hope you get your money back if the seller's advertisement was wrong.

[garzo]

Thanks Fommes,

yes I saw that it was Dutch Filmworks. I figured it was something like that. But these are exactly the kinds of things I don't understand about DVD distribution. This DVD set should not be sold without the extras, that's the whole point. Not to mention the packaging is exactly the same. I suppose it would be OK to sell this if it had a totally different package and they pointed out that it's just the episodes not including the extras.

I hope I get my money back as the Amazon order specifically says 12-Disc set. I chose this one because it was just a few pounds less than the others, this one was about £19 compared to about £23 for the others. I'm waiting to hear back from the seller, but I'll be sure to make a big stink with Amazon if they're not helpful.

Say Fommes, what exactly did the UK version cut from Daredevils? Are there other differences between the UK and US versions?

Aside from this little mishap, I'm really enjoying the series. I'm not watching it in order. I got Vol. 2 first and have also watched some from Vol. 3.

[fommes]

There's a horse falling or so that's been cut, only a few seconds. (The BBFC still tends to cut out certain stuff like animals that are being hurt (the drowning mouse from The Abyss) or headbutts or so.)

The other thing that I didn't like about the DFW release is that they put two episodes on one DVD; I'm thinking perhaps this might result in even more compression...

[Stoo]

Here's what an automatic translator says for the Dutch that fommes posted.

---
It is indeed unfortunate that these extras will not insist. The reason is that we could not buy the rights, and therefore unfortunately not able to put dvdbox. I hope this sufficiently informed ones you have.

Regards,

Noortje Tutelaers
Marketer
---

More details on the falling horse from Jeremiah Jones' report in this thread: Scenes Cut From VHS/DVD films.

Originally Posted by Jeremiah Jones

Actually the one minor change between videos and Dvds is in Daredevils of the desert, in my video version, when Daniel Craig is on that machine gun at the end shouting 'DIE YOU SVINE' and that horse sort falls over him, the actual fall of the horse was cut out, so what you got was a horse charging over, then it cut to Indy as you heard a falling sound effect, then cut back to seemingly dead horse with Craig running away. It always confused the heck out of me. Like Craig was some immovable object that killed the course that rammed him

Shame for those who bought the U.K. set but the bright side is, they have about 2 seconds of footage that other people don't! (Although I've never seen it so I could be wrong.)

[garzo]

"I hope this sufficiently informed ones you have."

Sounds like Yoda

[Johnny Nys]

Yes, we Dutch and Flemish folk are seriously being duped in this deal, which is even more of an insult when you consider Ronny Couture's participation and the entire Belgian army business in this series.

At the moment we have only one box set with six discs as mentioned above, no extras whatsoever, and we'll probably never see volumes 2 and 3, which are in fact far more interesting IMO.

[garzo]

Just wanted to add that the online store was happy to refund me the money for the Dutch DVD set (which they had been advertising as being the 12-Disc set when in fact it was only 6 discs!).

For any Dutch and Flemish folks considering a purchase, I definitely recommend getting the UK version.