RETREADS YOUR OPINION (1 Viewer)

[Ernest]

I don't know what other members think, I really have no real interest for a retread of Event Horizon or Escape From NY or upgrades to 4K. I want the good stuff on Blu-ray that is missing in action, The Alamo, The Abyss, True Lies, Raintree County, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, Mountains of the Moon and many, many more. I was holding out hope that Twilight or Criterion would release titles like Esther and the King or the Land of the Pharaohs on Blu-ray? Twilight went out of business and Criterion still gives us a chance, even though very slim. So instead of getting a Blu-ray of the Abyss we are receiving a retread of Event Horizon or some Blu-ray title upgraded to 4K. I really wish there was hope the studios could clear up this backlog first then move to upgrade titles to 4K. No such luck it is a sorry state many truly great titles will never see the light of day on Blu-ray.

 

[Thomas T]

As physical media dwindles and streaming/downloading takes over, titles with limited appeal such as stodgy biblical stories like Esther And The King (even its star Joan Collins hated it) are increasingly unlikely to see a physical media release. Cult sci-fi and action films like Event Horizon and Escape From New York still have a market niche. The Alamo is a lost cause though I suppose there may be a chance in the future long after we and physical media have faded away for a restoration but most likely for revival showings and streaming. If The Abyss, True Lies and Raintree County were available for HD transfers, they'd long have been out by now. But the first two would need James Cameron's input and approval but he seems to have devoted these last few years to his Avatar franchise and Warner knows that anything less that a pristine transfer of the complete Roadshow cut of Raintree County would not be acceptable. Frankly, I'm just grateful for every crumb tossed at us by the Warner Archives, Kino Lorber, Shout Factory and other boutique labels.

 

[StarDestroyer52]

At this moment, I probably am going to just break down and buy the DVD of The Alamo as it probably is never going to see a BluRay release.

 

[Robin9]

I don't have an opinion about "retreads" because they have nothing to do with me and I've never been one to complain about what is released. If films that don't interest me appear on Blu-ray disc or in 4K iterations, I just ignore it.

I've pretty much given up worrying about which films are going to be released on disc and I accept - with great sorrow - that some that I really want will never be mine. Taking the good with the bad, I think that today is a great time to be a collector because so many films are being released on disc and in far better quality than was attainable by previous generations of collectors.

 

[English Invader]

I've pretty much given up worrying about which films are going to be released on disc and I accept - with great sorrow - that some that I really want will never be mine. Taking the good with the bad, I think that today is a great time to be a collector because so many films are being released on disc and in far better quality than was attainable by previous generations of collectors.

The only problem is that it's an insane money pit and, if fully indulged, it could pretty much drive you to bankruptcy. I think the happiest time for me in terms of film collecting was in the mid-2000s when there was a big boom of everyone dumping their VHS tapes in the charity shops and I was buying them up for as little as 20p a time. I was living on unemployment benefit at the time and money wasn't a problem because I didn't have any.

The problem now is that I have a 20p a time appetite in a £15 a time market.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I take this retread issue on a case by case basis. I’d jump on a UHD Aliens, and I’ll likely buy the UHD Pitch Black. I will be the first to agree with anyone that the films that get released to BluRay and the films that don’t are head-scratching. Why is Battlefield Earth getting released, and Ordinary People not getting a U.S. release?

 

[TonyD]

I thought it was going to be about tires.

 

[Tino]

I thought it was going to be about tires.

Yes. Very strange ambiguous thread title. Who’s retreading my opinion?

 

[KeithDA]

The problem now is that I have a 20p a time appetite in a £15 a time market.

or £24.99 a pop if you want 4K in the UK...

 

[Alan Tully]

The thing about any DVD/Blu-ray that you've had for many years, is that you know how many times you've watched it, or even if you'd watched it at all. I updated a number of DVDs that I hadn't watched & then didn't get around to watching the replacement Blu-ray! I think I've stopped that all now. I was thinking of buying the new Doors remaster, but then thought, why? I'm quite happy with my current Blu-ray.

I do have a core of long time favourite films, I dunno, maybe 30-40 films that are really special to me (films that have passed the test of time), & I'd always buy the latest release of those if there's an improvement, & The Great Escape certainly came into that category.

 

[Worth]

I take this retread issue on a case by case basis. I’d jump on a UHD Aliens, and I’ll likely buy the UHD Pitch Black. I will be the first to agree with anyone that the films that get released to BluRay and the films that don’t are head-scratching. Why is Battlefield Earth getting released, and Ordinary People not getting a U.S. release?

I'd bet Battlefield Earth would outsell Ordinary People by a wide margin.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I'd bet Battlefield Earth would outsell Ordinary People by a wide margin.

Scary thought

 

[cb1]

but but but… you don't want the 18th release of Gladiator????
I'm in total agreement. There are some real classics not even on Blueray yet.

 

[Camps]

Universal deserves recent kudos for releasing classic 3D titles with the assistance of 3D Film Archive but for the most part over the past decade or so they've been a leading culprit (for lack of a better word), with incessant upgrades of previously released material while not delving appreciably further into that relatively vast untapped library.

 

[MatthewA]

I would welcome a double-dip of Bedknobs and Broomsticks that was actually uncut.

I also do not mind double-dipping on titles to take problematic picture/sound and replace it with improved transfers as long as they are actually better. On some of the early Blu-rays, they went overboard with DNR, essentially treating it as if it were just a very nice DVD.

What I do mind is doing it over and over again in the same format until it reaches almost Groundhog Day-level absurdity when we are at the age of 4k. I also mind when the new versions drop extras from the old ones (this means you, Paramount).

 

[OliverK]

I would welcome a double-dip of Bedknobs and Broomsticks that was actually uncut.

I also do not mind double-dipping on titles to take problematic picture/sound and replace it with improved transfers as long as they are actually better. On some of the early Blu-rays, they went overboard with DNR, essentially treating it as if it were just a very nice DVD.

What I do mind is doing it over and over again in the same format until it reaches almost Groundhog Day-level absurdity when we are at the age of 4k. I also mind when the new versions drop extras from the old ones (this means you, Paramount).

Hey, I love my UHD disc of Groundhog Day

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Ernest, I'm right there with you. And I happen to LOVE the "stodgy" biblical and historical films which are quite gorgeous to look at. Worse could be said of all the cheapo fakey horror (Italian and otherwise), obscure aimless comedy and forth tier crime stuff that ALL make it to HD somehow. At least Raoul Walsh and Howard Hawks knew how to make an interesting product. Some completists (who DO still buy discs) might even spring for an unusual film by a beloved director. Yes, and NO NEED to rub our noses into it, either. The Egyptian sold out quickly at Twilight Time with a price tag of $39.00. So much for the silly hatred and dismissal of a genre. And yes, the same titles seem to be released over and over again and I'm not buying any more of it, been there seen that.

 

[Robin9]

Ernest, I'm right there with you. And I happen to LOVE the "stodgy" biblical and historical films which are quite gorgeous to look at. Worse could be said of all the cheapo fakey horror (Italian and otherwise), obscure aimless comedy and forth tier crime stuff that ALL make it to HD somehow. At least Raoul Walsh and Howard Hawks knew how to make an interesting product. Some completists (who DO still buy discs) might even spring for an unusual film by a beloved director. Yes, and NO NEED to rub our noses into it, either. The Egyptian sold out quickly at Twilight Time with a price tag of $39.00. So much for the silly hatred and dismissal of a genre. And yes, the same titles seem to be released over and over again and I'm not buying any more of it, been there seen that.

Ed, come on! The Egyptian did not sell out out quickly and only some, not all, of horror, comedy and crime films obtain a Blu-ray release. Like you, I'd love to have a Shawn Belston special edition Blu-ray disc of The Story of Ruth, and like you, I have little interest in much of what does come out in high definition, but this is still a good time to be a collector of movies.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

I agree, Robin, and I know we share some "hopefully someday titles", but it did seem to me that The Egyptian was a fairly fast sell out compared to other titles. I remember rushing to get yet a second backup copy and for that $39 price tag, too. No sale price there. I love these so much that I'll pick up Kino's Ulysses and Sign of the Cross even though I already have the foreign ones. Can't understand the pure hatred for this genre. The sets, costumes and scores are always fascinating to me and the plots often resemble ancient "westerns" but with pagans and sexier gals in skimpier costumes. As for other tastes, well you recall what Peter Graves said to Joey in Airplane.