rob kilbride
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2001
- Messages
- 733
- Real Name
- Rob Kilbride
Most sources claim aspect ratio to be 1.85:1 but it says "ORIGINAL FULL FRAME EDITION" on the back of the Legend Films release.
As I recall, the original WB DVD had both a 1.33 full frame and a 1.85 version on each side, and I may be wrong, but the double feature DVD with the remake only presents the 1.85 version. I'd just as soon get the original DVD - I like Geoffrey Rush but I'm not interested in the remake.Originally Posted by ahollis
The Warners DVD release of the 1958 film was in widescreen 1.85:1. The DVD was released in 1999 and is now out of print. This film has been in PD hell for years until Warners re-did it when it released the remake in 1999. I guess is it is now back in PD hell again.
The best version is the double disc version put out by Warner Brothers with both versions of the film on two discs. It has the best master for the 1959 versionAt any rate, it would be nice if an entity like Scream, Vinegar Syndrome or Kino Lorber released a standalone Blu or 4K of the original House on Haunted Hill; as it stands, what's the best version to pick up to replace my aging and cruddy looking Alpha Video version?
Thanks Joe. Much appreciated.The best version is the double disc version put out by Warner Brothers with both versions of the film on two discs. It has the best master for the 1959 version
Problem is that it's in Public Domain. Seems like nobody wants to spend the money on it only to have it on youtube 48 hours after its releasedThanks Joe. Much appreciated.
These are DVDs, yes? No studio has released a standalone Blu-ray of it?
It's on Amazon!I realize it's public domain -- much like what Romero went through with Night of the Living Dead -- but is that Warner two-disc edition still available?
Perhaps you should make the same post over at the Warner Announcement thread in Blu-ray. Somebody at Warner might actually read your suggestion.Here is my humble suggestion to Warner Bros/George Feltenstein/Warner Archive (and perhaps Shout/Scream Factory)...
Let's see a blu-ray "double feature" pairing of Macabre (1958) and House on Haunted Hill (1958).
Both are Allied Artists titles from director William Castle, kicking off his popular cycle of horror movies. Macabre previously saw release as a Warner Archive MOD DVD and Warner controls the copyright on it. While it's a fun film, Macabre doesn't have a lot of star power in its cast --the major, recognizable "name" star in it is Jim "Mr. Magoo/Mr. Howell" Backus-- and, in comparison, House on Haunted Hill is overall just a stronger and more popular horror film.
Pairing the two films in one blu-ray package accomplishes a few things, from both a marketing and a collector's standpoint:
1.) They fit together both thematically (William Castle, gothic horror/suspense) and chronologically.
2.) House on Haunted Hill gives the package a more marketable star name (Vincent Price) for modern fans, which Macabre lacks.
3.) Macabre gives House on Haunted Hill some cover, since Macabre isn't in the public domain, so competitors would have a tougher time ripping this double-feature off than they would a stand-alone House on Haunted Hill blu-ray from Warner. I believe this was part of the reasoning for including HoHH in that out-of-print Vincent Price Collection Vol. 2 blu-ray set from Scream Factory (ditto the public domain perennial, The Last Man on Earth, even though Kino Lorber later released it as a stand-alone).
4.) Both films are brief, running 72 minutes and 75 minutes, and in black & white, so both could be included on one disc, and still have a decent bit-rate, insuring higher quality and a lower manufacturing cost.
Yeah -- I believe this is the only way to get the film in high definition (BD), but this set is sold out everywhere and those who are selling it are asking ridiculous prices for it. It needs a standalone edition already.Shout/Scream Factory released the film as part of their second collection of Vincent Price films.
They released it in 1.78.1
View attachment 181310