Eastmancolor
Second Unit
It would be wonderful if the above studios would license some of their catalog titles to companies like Olive Films or Twilight Time. Where Warner Bros is concerned, just look at all of those WB, MGM and RKO titles that will likely never see a Blu-ray release. It's taken this long just to get MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS and THE MALTESE FALCON. Never mind titles like RED DUST, BRINGING UP BABY, BHOWANI JUNCTION and RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY. The only way those last two titles can be viewed in HD is on streaming sites like Vudu and the films aren't even shown in the original aspect ratio.
Then there's Universal that's sitting on all of the pre-1948 Paramount titles, not to mention their own films that they produced. MGM-UA has made HD masters of many of their titles, yet very few have hit Blu-ray.
If Olive Films can release long forgotten Paramount weepies like WHERE LOVE HAS GONE and Twilight Time thinks there's a market for Fox's THE ROOTS OF HEAVEN, then why can't WB, Universal and MGM sign on so that everything from CHINA SEAS to THEATER OF BLOOD could be released in Blu?
Yes, there's Warner Archive, which is great, but DVD-R just doesn't cut it on many titles. And at the rate WB is going, Blu-ray will be long gone before they've gotten to anything but their absolute biggest catalog hits. We'll probably get another upgrade on the Batman movies long before we ever see the Val Lewtons, the Fred and Gingers or any great silents in any quantity.
For Universal, though they certainly have put out some very nice catalog titles in Blu-ray of late, what about the Bob Hope and Marx Bros films and tons of great work from the likes of Bing Crosby, Jack Oakie, Carole Lombard and others. Never mind the long forgotten, but often great, pre-code films like CROSS COUNTRY CRUISE and TERROR ABOARD.
Anyway, with companies like Olive Films releasing a couple of dozen or more Paramount/Republic titles a year and Twilight Time covering the Fox and Columbia's, it would be nice if the other studios would get on board too. Since they can't possibly ever get to 90+% of their libraries for Blu-ray release, they should at least license them to those who can.
Then there's Universal that's sitting on all of the pre-1948 Paramount titles, not to mention their own films that they produced. MGM-UA has made HD masters of many of their titles, yet very few have hit Blu-ray.
If Olive Films can release long forgotten Paramount weepies like WHERE LOVE HAS GONE and Twilight Time thinks there's a market for Fox's THE ROOTS OF HEAVEN, then why can't WB, Universal and MGM sign on so that everything from CHINA SEAS to THEATER OF BLOOD could be released in Blu?
Yes, there's Warner Archive, which is great, but DVD-R just doesn't cut it on many titles. And at the rate WB is going, Blu-ray will be long gone before they've gotten to anything but their absolute biggest catalog hits. We'll probably get another upgrade on the Batman movies long before we ever see the Val Lewtons, the Fred and Gingers or any great silents in any quantity.
For Universal, though they certainly have put out some very nice catalog titles in Blu-ray of late, what about the Bob Hope and Marx Bros films and tons of great work from the likes of Bing Crosby, Jack Oakie, Carole Lombard and others. Never mind the long forgotten, but often great, pre-code films like CROSS COUNTRY CRUISE and TERROR ABOARD.
Anyway, with companies like Olive Films releasing a couple of dozen or more Paramount/Republic titles a year and Twilight Time covering the Fox and Columbia's, it would be nice if the other studios would get on board too. Since they can't possibly ever get to 90+% of their libraries for Blu-ray release, they should at least license them to those who can.