Peanuts on DVD... Where are the last two movies? (1 Viewer)

[LeoA]

Not strictly TV on DVD, but like Looney Tunes and such, they're largely associated with the many tv specials so I'm posting this question here. Are there some sort of rights issues holding these up?

Did the rights perhaps stay with Paramount instead of following the tv specials to Warner? It seems like the parties involved are just giving up money by not getting these out for the fans along with uncropped versions of the first two films.

It's great that Peanuts content continues to make its way out even though most of it is recycled at this point rather than being new to DVD (See TVShowsOnDVD's latest news announcement for example). But it seems a crying shame that there are two solid classics just sitting in the vaults that frankly are far superior to the vast majority.of the made for tv specials since 1980.

I hope they see DVD or even Blu-Ray release eventually.

 

[Sam Favate]

There is a Peanuts theatrical film coming out in 2015, I believe, so maybe whatever is missing will be issued then.

http://www.movieinsider.com/m10791/peanuts/

 

[moviebuff75]

I need the 2 movies, 9 specials, the documentaries, and the Snoopy Ice Follies specials (which will never be released.)

 

[Greg Chenoweth]

The Peanuts theatrical movies were not included in the licensing deal with Warner Brothers. Maybe the films will change hands down the road, but for right now Paramount has the rights to all Peanuts theatrical films.

 

[Rodney]

I am patiently waiting for a blu-ray release of "Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown" in OAR.

 

[LeoA]

I only want OAR if it was developed from the ground up for widescreen. If it's like the misguided attempt at widescreen on Snoopy Come Home and A Boy Named Charlie Brown that poorly cropped many scenes, I'd just as assume have that extra picture area that they created with future tv airings in mind.

If Bon Voyage Charlie Brown ever comes out, I hope the follow up tv special is also included.

 

[JMFabianoRPL]

Movies nothing, where's my 1980s Collection?

 

[DeWilson]

I am patiently waiting for a blu-ray release of "Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown" in OAR.

Me,too!

 

[Radioman970]

yeah, Race for the Life is an absolute must. Why can't I buy a blu ray set with ALL the films? Good grief!

I watched Snoopy Come Home last summer for the first time since seeing it when it originally came out. Seriously, those first 2 films just make me sad about what passes for kid film these days. amazing classics.

 

[LeoA]

Movies nothing, where's my 1980s Collection?

I kind of figure that there's too many rights issues for anything definitive for the 80's?

'What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?' has bits of 'Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown' and as clarified in this thread, those rights aren't held by Warner. So they'd need permission from Paramount for those bits and pieces.

Then we have 'A Charlie Brown Celebration' and 'It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown' that have never seen a DVD release to the best of my knowledge despite no clear issues that I'm aware of. With them mostly having recycled things on DVD for several years now, I assume there must be some stumbling block with these two specials with multiple segments that inspired the Charlie Brown & Snoopy Show. Otherwise, why hold back something new to DVD for a line of releases that clearly must be successful but has mostly released everything else?

And we also have two musicals that decade. I'm not an expert on music licensing deals, but that definitely led to extra cost for 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown' on DVD. So while they successfully cleared that music already, perhaps the cost to include it in anything but a standalone release would destroy the economics of it if they'd have to pay further to include it in a subsequent release? And they never even released 'Snoopy: The Musical' so either the economics didn't work out with the first musical on DVD in the end or this one would be even more expensive.

Lastly for a tv special from the 80's not already available on DVD, we have the very poorly received 'It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown'. Perhaps they just haven't seen a way to sell us this one due to the lack of quality that would drag down a smaller normal DVD release, but one possibility is that they'd have to pay royalties to the actors for the live action segments?

Or perhaps we're over thinking it. Maybe the earlier Decades sets started to decline in sales by the 3rd volume (Which makes sense to me since the quality of the specials and my interest in them decline the later we go and i think most fans are similar)? So they simply stopped it since these smaller sets were more profitable for them?

They'd have a hard sell with subsequent sets to many fans if a handful of DVD releases gave them all these tv specials. Milking it the way they've done and making us rebuy a lot of content certainly has helped their sales and kept their cost low.

Many fans probably have 4 or 5 versions of the same special on DVD by this point in their quest to get everything.

 

[LeoA]

And that's without the documentaries. I've never seen any of those and would be interested in a set that just focused on those.

 

[Kirben]

The following Peanuts specials from the 1980s have been released on DVD in Australia, so they shouldn't have any issues at all:A Charlie Brown CelebrationIt's an Adventure, Charlie BrownSnoopy!!! The MusicalYou're a Good Man, Charlie BrownAll four are included on the last volume of the Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show DVD release from Manga Pacific in Australia.

The Peanuts specials have really been poorly handled, the collections lack any extras at all, and seems to have been abandoned. While the individual DVD releases offer good extras, but only a few specials.

 

[moviebuff75]

They should just start over with a complete blu-ray collection in a few volumes. The documentaries/ice shows/anniversary shows can be extras. These are television mini-masterpieces and should be out there for everyone to enjoy in the best quality possible.

 

[LeoA]

I wonder why Australia gets those but we don't?

I think masterpieces is stretching it for these 80's tv specials (And even less so for their 90's content). But I'd love to see this franchise complete on DVD or Blu-Ray even if the quality is far less for this more modern material.

 

[albert_m2]

It is amazing to me that Race for your life and Bon Voyage haven't made it to DVD.

 

[Kirben]

I wonder why Australia gets those but we don't?

Australia seems to be the only region, where a different company (Magna Pacific) had the Peanuts rights. Magna Pacific in Australia were releasing Peanuts on DVD, before Warner Bros. even bought the rights in other regions.

I posted a complete list of Peanuts episodes and specials released by Magna Pacific in Australia, if anyone is curious what else was released.

 

[moviebuff75]

The documentaries, especially You Don't Look 40, Charlie Brown, feature a lot of music. I know that particular special had "Through The Years" (the Kenny Rogers song) included. It was released on vhs, but I would think that a dvd release would require a lot of licensing.

 

[Bob_S.]

Ugh! A cgi Peanuts movie? No classic animation? Don't know if I'm liking that!

 

[JMFabianoRPL]

Ugh! A cgi Peanuts movie? No classic animation? Don't know if I'm liking that!

I know...the only solace is that they are usually handled with respect even after Charles' death. So I would HOPE that means that they won't stick in farting jokes, wacky pop culture references, etc. like they do with every other 2000s revival.

Back to the original topic, and particularly with It's the Girl in the Red Truck..., I also get the feeling the special is an Old Shame to the people involved anyway. It's not mentioned at all in the Peanuts Animation book. As far as rights issues, isn't Jill Schulz the only real live action principle?

 

[LeoA]

I'm not sure off hand, it was just a shot in the dark anyways. If I was to bet, I think they just see no reason to release something that was so poorly received.

CGI spoiled their attempt at a 60's style with Happiness is a Warm Blanket for me. There's no way to imitate hand drawn animation short of paying talented artist to actually do things by hand instead of in front of a computer. If they're going with straight CGI like all these animated cartoons, there's no hope for it.

I miss the days, even as late as the 1980's with things like The Land Before Time, when they actually still did animation the traditional way (And sometimes even here in the US proper... I believe 80's Peanuts specials were offshored to South Korea at that time).

Cheap CGI work will never capture the beauty of something like the nighttime sky in It's the Great Pumpkin.