PHE Press Release: Braveheart * Gladiator * Forrest Gump (Sapphire Series Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Michael Reuben]

Before this discussion goes any further:

This thread is about the announcement of several titles on Blu-ray. Detailed discussion of the content of those films belongs in the Movies area. There is an existing official discussion thread about The Passion of the Christ. Any further discussion of that film should be taken to that thread, without exception. Non-compliant posts will be deleted without further notice. Please be sure to take note of the guidelines set forth at the beginning of the thread.

As for Braveheart, there is no existing official thread, but anyone who wishes to continue discussing the content of that film should feel free to start a new thread in the Movies area. Further debate about Braveheart in this thread will be deleted without further notice.

An existing Movies thread for Forrest Gump can be found here.

Thank you for your cooperation.

 

[JulianK]

It was two years before Spartacus was released on DVD, four years before Ben-Hur and Lawrence of Arabia came out, and six years into the format's life before King of Kings made its DVD début.

Despite this, DVD seems to have done OK for itself, and I fully expect Blu-ray will follow suit, even without the immediate release of the titles you cite.

 

[Vegas 1]

I would rather the Studios take their time on older films for BR so they can be properly done (hopefully), I for one cannot afford them all at once anyway. There are plenty of good titles to keep one busy for quite sometime.
Regards

 

[JonZ]

Passing on Gladiator and Braveheart.

Just Gump for me.

 

[Ray_R]

Dammit I just bought the 2-Disc of BRAVEHEART a few months ago! Doesn't really matter to me anyway. All three are purchases but can't afford them all at once. So GLADIATOR will be purchased first.
Hopefully Paramount will be releasing The Duellists on Blu-deesc soon.

 

[Brad Vautrinot]

I thoroughly enjoyed these three movies and will be buying the BD releases without hesitation.

Brad

 

[Mike Frezon]

Sapphire Series, schmaffire series. The thing I don't like about such "series" is that they inevitably dwindle out and fizzle: Fox' 5-star Collection, Columbia Classics, Weinstein's The Miriam Collection, and on and on (too many to list). It's all rather pointless.

I agree that the series name and the overdose of blu is not needed. The films certainly stand on their own without needing to be tied together and set above the rest of the studio's titles.

I also hope the prices come down by release date. If not I'll be waiting.

But all three are probably destined for my shelves eventually. Gump first (and definitely) and later on Braveheart and maybe then Gladiator.

 

[MatthewA]

At least Warner isn't doing them or they'd all be giant $80 sets; Gladiator would come with a sword, Braveheart would come with a bucket of blue face paint, and Gump would come with a toy shrimp boat and a box of chocolates.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

You forgot the miniature tiger for Gladiator and replica kilt for Braveheart.

 

[AaronMK]

------ Rant Start -----
It really says something about blu-ray pricing and purchasing options when we are relieved that a title can be purchased outside of a box set or pricey collector's edition.

While I find $28 Amazon per title a bit steep and will wait for the prices to become more reasonable before purchasing these three, I will give paramount credit not blatantly fleecing the consumer.
----- Rant End -----

 

[Cees Alons]

The expensive set with a chalk (to write big "X"-es), a whip and a snake is... no I'm not telling.

(I already have the hat!)


Cees

 

[JulianK]

"Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?"

 

[Ray_R]

Originally Posted by Robert Crawford

They're the heavyweights for the under 40 crowd that the studios are trying to get to buy into BR. I'm afraid those other great titles you mentioned have to hang onto the coattails of those other three titles for any future BR releases. I don't like it, but that's the reality of the situation.So younger people who're 30 like me wouldn't buy these older films, I'm a fan of older films, on Blu-ray then? I own The Adventures of Robin Hood on HDDVD and would readily buy an older film on Blu-ray if given the chance to. I take it that means since I'm not 40-above I can't buy The Maltese Falcon, Sahara, any Errol Flynn title, North by Northwest, BEN-HUR, The King and I, Singin' in the Rain, On the Waterfront, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape and more on Blu-ray? I even own a few Sean Connery OO7 titles on Blu too. Are you going to confiscate them from me since I'm not old enough to appreciate them?

 

[PaulDA]

You're misreading what he said. And let's be honest, while YOU may enjoy such films, the under 40 crowd is NOT the main consumer of such titles. So Robert's comment is not wrong because of an exception like yourself. Moreover, he is most certainly NOT arguing that people under 40 are unable to appreciate such films.

 

[Dave H]

I just have to say one thing about these "Sapphire" releases. These better be reference quality. No excuse for any DNR, EE, or "having to use old masters because of the bad economy" excuse. Given the extra price and labeling they are using, these better be top notch. Paramount has not done a good job on many catalog releases, so this is their chance.

 

[brap]

I would suggest under 30 as possibly not interested. I'm 31 and these movies came out when I was a teenager or early 20's. Everyone I know was interested in them. We would still buy these titles because we are the same age group that would also buy and play a PS3. Although, I have lost faith in my generation when they all started liking Saw.

 

[Ray_R]

Originally Posted by PaulDA

You're misreading what he said. And let's be honest, while YOU may enjoy such films, the under 40 crowd is NOT the main consumer of such titles. So Robert's comment is not wrong because of an exception like yourself. Moreover, he is most certainly NOT arguing that people under 40 are unable to appreciate such films.

I certainly took it as he meant people under 40 are unable to appreciate such older titles. It's highly insulting. Oh, just cause I have a 4:3 20" flatscreen CRT means I ONLY watch P&S? Since I own several titles in Region 3 NTSC on DVD they must be BOOTLEGS. Way to make generalisations.


I'll be purchasing all three titles anyway.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Originally Posted by Ray_R

I certainly took it as he meant people under 40 are unable to appreciate such older titles. It's highly insulting.

If you took it that way, it can only be because you're not reading the words actually written by Robert Crawford. He said nothing of the kind.

 

[Mike Frezon]

They're the heavyweights for the under 40 crowd that the studios are trying to get to buy into BR. I'm afraid those other great titles you mentioned have to hang onto the coattails of those other three titles for any future BR releases. I don't like it, but that's the reality of the situation.
1.) The three titles-in-question should be popular among the demographic the industry is trying to entice.

2.) Other classic titles will need to wait to see how these (which should be more popular to that afore-mentioned demographic) do in the marketplace.

3.) He wishes that weren't the case because he'd like to see more classics released on blu-ray, too.

WHERE do you get the sense that he's saying young people don't like older films or wouldn't buy them if they had the chance? He's not making any such crass generalizations but simply telling the truth of the marketplace. if these films don't sell well on BD, it's going to be a long time before you see many of those other classics you are looking for.

And, of course, there are many young people on the HTF who enjoy older films. This is a discussion forum for such enthusiasts--young and old.

 

[David_B_K]

Posted by Ray_R: I certainly took it as he meant people under 40 are unable to appreciate such older titles. It's highly insulting. Oh, just cause I have a 4:3 20" flatscreen CRT means I ONLY watch P&S? Since I own several titles in Region 3 NTSC on DVD they must be BOOTLEGS. Way to make generalisations.

Do you not understand what generalize even means? A generalization by its very nature does not include every specific person. Do you really think most people under age 40 would rather see Citizen Kane than Transformers? Notice I said most, not every single person under 40. When he made the comments about people under 40, he didn't include your awesome film-appreciating self.

Seriously, he makes a generalization and you are "highly insulted"?