Disney and MGM in a 5-year deal to begin in 2003... (1 Viewer)

[Walt Riarson]

I hope I am wrong, but this is NOT good news. MGM refuses to do anamorphic treatment of 1.66 titles, and has been moving into more and more pan and scan releases.

Name one major title that MGM has refused a widescreen version of. True, some of their smaller titles are going P&S only. I myself was disappointed when Missing in Action 2 and 3 was released as only P&S, but until they start releasing bigger titles like Thelma and Louise or A Fish Called Wanda in P&S, I hardly think they should be considered a bad company.

Besides, they just announced a slate of titles (of fairly small titles, to boot) for March, and ALL of them look to be widescreen and even 16:9.

 

[Paul_Scott]

I'm certain i heard this was to be released earlier this year, w/ an msrp of under $15, then the alleged release date came and went and nothing.
not even a listing on Amazon for it.

one of my favorite war-time pics.
i would love to see this on DVD.

Fox put out the LD, why would they not have the rights now?

 

[Paul_Scott]

about the only title out of that Anchor Bay list i want but don't have is Hell In The Pacific.
i didn't buy it because its 2.35 and not anamorphic.
MGM is so inconsistent with anamorphic enhancement (about the only consistency is NO enhancement on 1.66) its not even worth hoping this would get a decent newer transfer.

 

[soop.spoon]

Thread Resurrection!
Well, last week's news from MGM confirms that some of these titles are actually on their way:

Hell in the Pacific
Impulse
Junior Bonner
Silkwood
Too Late The Hero
Flamingo Kid
Custer Of The West
Duel In The Sun

Only Too Late The Hero was previously issued with a 16x9 enhanced transfer. It'll be interesting to see if these titles are remastered or if they contain any new supplements.
It will also be interesting to see if MGM releases the theatrical or the roadshow edition Duel In The Sun. Anchor Bay released both.

 

[Joe Caps]

It would be nice to see Happiest Millionaire roadshow version back in anamorphic and with 4.0 sound. There are many extraws including a making of, theatrical premiere, and many trailers. The anchor bay disc was a two channel mixdown and was missing the end of part one and the exit music.

 

[Dick]

Wish Disney would license JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN, as they were going to do for Anchor Bay before withdrawing it. AB would have released a widescreen version. Disney itself gave us their family P&S crap.

 

[MatthewA]

I'm with Joe on Happiest Millionaire. A non-flipper anamorphic disc with extras on the "roadshow" version would be great.

There are plenty of other Disney titles I'd like MGM to do or re-do in anamorphic with extras.

 

[soop.spoon]

I just read this on another site:
"The Flamingo Kid will be OAR, but will not be anamorphic"

F*$&. That doesn't bode well for the others. I was going to ebay my Anchor Bay versions, but I think I'll hold out.

 

[RolandL]

I have Custer of The West and Krakatoa East of Java (actually Krakatoa is west of Java) from Anchor Bay. They were originally promoted as being "In CINERAMA" on their roadshow releases. The roadshow releases would be in 70mm, 6-track stereo sound with overture, intermission and exit music. The Anchor Bay prints must have been 35mm and mono sound.

 

[soop.spoon]

More bad news... apparently the reissue of Prizzi's Honor will also be non-anamorphic.
What a wasted opportunity this is... I would have re-purchased a large number of these titles had MGM taken the time to create some respectable transfers. Instead, we just get new cover art.

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

Yeah...and also, I think MGM only has the rights to the ABC Pictures/Cinerama Releasing/Selznick International catalog, so anybody wanting (Disney film X) from them ain't gonna get it...

I wonder if we'll get a DVD of "Charly," though...that's an ABC/Cinerama title, that AB never did a DVD of...

 

[RolandL]

Anything new on Custer of the West or Krakatoa East of Java being released on DVD?

 

[Pete SE]

Another ABC/Cinerama release Anchor Bay had was "Song Of Norway" it was offered as a VHS only release.It was listed as a future DVD release for a while on their web site.

The most interesting ABC/Cinerama release that Anchor Bay didn't touch was Louis De Rochemont's "Windjammer". It had a 35mm reduction print general release at one point. I have a copy of that versions movie poster.

 

[Greg_M]

Pete, "Song of Norway" recently went through a sort of video restoration or some sort. It was scheduled for Anchor Bay, but I would guess MGM/UA will now release it. I guess they were going to use the Cinerama OAR.

The film is really weak on acting/script but the cinamtopraghy is beautiful, (as is the scoring) They only way I would consider bying it is if the widescreen image is done justice.

 

[RolandL]

The OAR for "Song of Norway" would be 2.2:1. It was only promoted as being in CINERAMA in London - http://cinerama.topcities.com/incinerama.htm .