Universal Noir titles in 05? (1 Viewer)

[Chris Cheese]

I didn't have many complaints about the transfer on the Apartment at all. It's not fantastic or anything, but it's not noticeably bad either. I couldn't imagine not having that movie in my collection. It's cheap, too.

 

[Deepak Shenoy]

The R2 Double Indemnity seems to be on track for an April 04 release. The cover up at Amazon UK is one of the nicest I have seen for a classic title



Of course it isn't very noirish and could fool people into thinking Double Indemnity is a tender love story.

Now Universal - where is the R1 version ??

-D

 

[Derek Estes]

That cover look's like an old Columbia Classics release. I like how simple it looks. Speaking of Columbia, I wish they would go back to that style of cover, the new Twentieth Century cover is embarrassing.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Agreed! The Twentieth Century cover is so bad, that it may actually stop me from buying it. The first disc ever that I could say that about.

Speaking of the cover for "Double Indemnity". I've seen this movie at least 10 times in recent years, and I can't figure out where that shot is from. I don't recall it being a publicity shot either, anyone have a clue?

I certainly hope Universal does this title right, as it is easily deserving of a 2 disc SE, and I would gladly pay for a Billy Wilder Boxset including "The Major & The Minor", "Five Graves to Cairo", "A Foreign Affair", and maybe even a re-release of "The Lost Weekend".

Universal, you've failed enough in the past few years, I know you have to have something good up your sleeve.

 

[george kaplan]

I don't understand that at all. If you want a film, then the cover shouldn't stop you from buying it. They could have Rosanne Barr butt-naked on the cover and I'd still buy Twentieth Century (I might repackage it, but I watch movies, I don't look at covers).

 

[Eric Peterson]

Me too, and I've also laughed at people who said what I just did. That said "Twentieth Century" is still hands down the worst cover art that I've ever seen. Who are they trying to sell this movie to? Every thread that I've seen on this title has had a substantial amount of comments on the horrible art, and the art certainly isn't going to help sell it to a younger audience. The younger audience probably doesn't even know that Drew Barrymore is the last cog in a long line of great actors.

To clarify my stance this is a fence riding title in my book, and the lackluster quality along with the horrible art currently has it falling on the "No Buy" side. Warner is keeping me in the poor house with their never ending barrage of great classics w/ great content and great art.

 

[Deepak Shenoy]

Any news of a second wave of Universal noir titles ? All the Warner and Fox noir releases have whetted my appetite for more noir and Universal seems to have quite a few noirs that I have wanted to watch for a long time including The Glass Key, The Blue Dahlia, Ministry of Fear and Phantom Lady. Hopefully they will be making their appearance with the long-awaited Double Indemnity sometime in 2006. Also hoping it is not one of the 4-films-crammed-into-a-single-DVD kinda deals.

-D

 

[CameronMcC]

i agree with that...the franchise packs were a nice idea...and i wouldn't mind them for the cost...but the glitches all over killed it

 

[Charles H]

Frankly, it ain't going to happen. There is a similar thread on the indifference that Paramount now has towards classics (and catalog) titles. Both Paramount and Universal give priority to television series in their future releases in November thru February. If it DOES happen (and hope is not a strategy), I'd love to see ALIAS NICK BEAL, DESERT FURY, I WALK ALONE, the 1935 THE GLASS KEY, CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY, RIDE THE PINK HORSE, THE TATTERED DRESS, another vote for THE UNGUARDED MOMENT, and KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS (the last on the basis of the title alone!!).

 

[Jeff Newcomb]

Adding fuel to the fire of Double Indemnity speculation, a member from the Criterion Forum asked Mulvaney about the possibility of adding a Wilder film to the collection. I've asked that for years, and have always received the "no plans at this time" response. Now though, he is giving the "we hope to release some Wilder in the future, but nothing is certain at this time" response. Anyone who speaks Mulvanese knows that this means "it's coming, but I can't talk about it yet."

Of course the most likely candidate for a Criterion Wilder is Double Indemnity, especially since Universal yanked it from their schedule. That film along with the other Universal-held titles (The Major and the Minor, Five Graves to Cairo, re-issue of Lost Weekend) would seem to be all that could possibly be available to them.

 

[Charles H]

A FOREIGN AFFAIR (1948) would be a terrific candidate for Criterion. Shot in post-war Berlin with Dietrich, Jean Arthur, and John Lund, it's Wilder at his acerbic best.

 

[Mark VH]

Omigod, I hadn't thought of this, but you're absolutely right - this would be fantastic for Criterion. I caught the film a few years back when it played on TCM and thought it was wonderful. In fact, it actually showed up on - of all things - the Sundance Channel, very recently.

Wilder had some great stories about the film in his book-length interview with Cameron Crowe, "Conversations with Wilder." And this may be taking the fantasizing a little too far, but really, how cool would it be if Criterion enlisted Crowe for a commentary?

I have to stop. I'm going to get too excited.

 

[Jim_K]

Well it's been over a year since I posted this and it's coming up on 2 years since Universal released their 1st and only Noir wave so I think it's safe to say that Universal pulled the plug on this series. :frowning:

A shame as they have some excellent titles left.

Double Indemnity, The Blue Dahlia, The Glass Key, Ministry of Fear and The Phantom Lady are all must haves for me.

Warner has had success with Noir, otherwise we wouldn't be seeing a 3rd and 4th set. Fox seems to have had success with their Noir line with 5 waves and counting.

Universal, I don't get it.

 

[Jay E]

I don't get it either, but I have never been able to figure out Universal over the years. They released a second set of Ma & Pa Kettle films, but not a second set of Film Noir titles??????????????? Did Ma & Pa Kettle outsell Film Noir???????????

If I could just be in charge of their DVD classics division for just a few weeks....

 

[Multi-Region]

DVD release of THE BLUE DAHLIA, THE BIG STEAL and THE GLASS KEY: Febr. 5, 2007; search http://www.play.com (R-2)

 

[george kaplan]

Great news for people who don't mind pal speedup. Doesn't do the rest of us any good. :frowning:

 

[Marko Berg]

I detest PAL speed-up too, but perhaps the news of these films getting released in Region 2 means these are on their way to Region 1 as well?

 

[Jim_K]

Thanks for the heads up but I'm not multi-regional unless region 0 counts.

I'd be tempted to go mutiregional if most of what I wanted were NTSC. Unfortunately most of what I'd want from other regions are PAL and I'm firmly in the "I hate PAL" camp.

 

[Deepak Shenoy]

Any news about Universal releasing the remaining noir titles (most notably The Blue Dahlia, The Glass Key, Ministry of Fear and Phantom Lady) anytime soon ? These 4 would make a nice follow-up to the 4 titles in the noir line they started several years ago (even before Warner and Fox jumped on the noir bandwagon).

-D

 

[Multi-Region]

Ministry of Fear (R-2): http://tinyurl.com/2oz96v

Expected: