Warner Archive Discussion Thread (FEEDBACK)

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Karine,

You owe us no apology.

This was a total cluster-F as far as a gameplan execution.

This story was not supposed to break until Monday. We were
supposed to have exclusive on the announcement followed by
nationwide press release and further discussion of it in our chat.

Instead, it seems one hand did not know what the other was doing
and the website that featured the list of titles went unexpectedly live.

I have had the chance to talk with Warner today about what happened.

They are looking forward to discussing this rollout with all of you
during Monday's chat. Not only will you be able to ask questions about
this rollout, but the studio will have additional title announcements
pertaining to this program that I think will make people very happy.

We are very excited for Warner and this program as it allows them
to release an array of product that have never seen the light of day
on DVD. This is just the beginning of what the studio hopes to be a
very beneficial program for their consumers.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

John,
I expect these titles to have the same quality as a retail released DVD, at least in regard to video/audio.





Crawdaddy

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

As long as they don' stop releasing their "bigger" catalog titles (Film Noir and other stuff) nationwide, it's ok with me.
And just in case they release some titles that interest me in this exclusive line, I'll find a way to get these movies to Germany but for us non-US citizens it'll be much easier if they offer worldwide shipments. Nevertheless I'm looking forward to monday's chat.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

All in all, it sounds very exciting. Assuming some good answers regarding the manufacturing process, it looks like I'll be opening an account with yet another online dealer. I don't think I'll be sharing the news with the wife just yet.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

When I first heard about this a few weeks ago from an archivist friend, he was under the impression that these would in fact be DVD-Rs and mentioned TCM's RKO set as having set an industry precedent. I hope that isn't the case.

I'm most interested in how they will handle the silents - will there be scores? The Garbo titles already have been released on Laserdisc so it might be possible to reproduce those, but what about something like the Red Lily?

Similarly, as far as I know, the Red Mill only had flashtitles. I see it is also on the list and I'm curious as to what it will look like.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Ron or Robert,

could you ask Warner if they will offer these DVDs also to customers from other countries, please? They would sell much more, especially the films with big stars like Clark Gable, James Stewart, et cetera.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I had always assumed that one thing keeping 'One Trick Pony' off DVD was music rights.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I am actually responding to this thread on my
iPhone so please excuse the formatting.

I think some of you should re-read my statement
in post #14.

The quality of these DVDs are what you would expect
from a studio like WB. They are not DVD-Rs being
slapped in an envelope. These are high quality releases
in their proper aspect ratio and manufactured to normal
studio standards.

The studio intends to release thousands more of these
titles and you'll learn just how during Monday's live chat
including exclusive title announcements.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Like you, Mike, I have great interest in the silents and will order all of them, provided the first couple of "guinea pigs" that I sample are satisfactory. I don't doubt that they are DVD-R, which makes me uneasy, but they should be much nicer than copies recorded from TCM.

RED LILY and RED MILL have both been shown, with scores and restored title cards, on TCM, so these will doubtless be the same versions.

EDIT - just read Ron's additional comment - if these are indeed pressed DVDs and not DVD-Rs, that's thrilling news and I foresee a lot of future orders to WB!

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

It looks like Darby's rangers and Purple Hearts are among the releases. I am a bit confused however because it states that Darb's Rangers is in widescreen format. WBshop.com - The Official Online Store of Warner Bros. Studios: Darby's Rangers (MOD)

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

What's so confusing about that?

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I'd be far more excited and upbeat about this Robert if only the WBShop shipped overseas; the chances of that happening, I understand, are nil.

As it is, I stand by the sidelines and watch with a semi-detached interest.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I believe it was originally 1.66 so anamorphic widescreen would be appropriate.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

This is exciting news!

But it looks like bad news for international members who (1) are unable to order through that site (directly, although I agree that one could have it sent to a friend inside the US, but it's really a burden), and (2) cannot hope to see the same titles arrive as well on "regular" DVD (or BD) soon or at all.


Cees

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Yeah, I understand John.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

AFI has its OAR as 1.75:1

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Warner, I'm begging you; don't shut the door on overseas sales, don't make UK fans have to rely on the horrors of (gasp...) Universal for any RKO transfers, or endure the demands of scalpers on ebay - please, please, please think again and throw this open to other etailers, even a 'sideways' exclusive with Amazon would do...

Yours pleadingly

John Hodson (aged 52½, currently considering American citizenship)

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I don't mind the high price if it can't be done any other way, I can live without extras, but I find the lack of international shipping options very disappointing and at least very troublesome for international customers who should be quite interesting for Warner because these rare films may have never run in their native countries.
An even more important question: what about English subtitles for the hard-hearing or foreigners who don't wish to rely only on their learned English???
And finally does the announcement of these titles mean that they are automatically dead for a normal release? Because some of these seemingly obscure titles are far more popular than some of the regularily released ones by Warner ...

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I wonder if "Idiot's Delight" will have both endings with the ability to choose which ending you want to see. Very happy to see a lot of 1930's Gable on the list.

You can see a clip from each movie on WB site. The clips have a Warner Bros Shield bug in the corner.
I assume the films on DVD will not have the bug.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I don't see how they can be anything DVD-Rs - maybe high quality and all, but if it's basically the equivalent of Print On Demand, there's no way for them to be pressed DVDs - how on Earth would they know how many to press? And that's the point of Print On Demand - you print exactly what you have orders for as they come in. I don't really care what they are as long as the transfers have been mastered to a high standard and aren't old VHS masters. But I'm willing to put my money on it and I'm ordering twenty titles.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I'm entirely with you.

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...well, I tried to place an order just now and failed...I got to the final page only to be informed that I could not proceed "at this time."

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Agree absolutely John.

I have seen many titles on that website that I have been after for a long, long time. I must admit that my heart sank when I realised it was only available for residents within the United States. Your suggestion of an affiliation with Amazon would be absolutely perfect.

CineKarine suggested getting a friend in the U.S to buy and send for you. Well, I don't know anyone who would do that for me, so that is really a pointless exercise. I have purchased countless Warner classic releases and intend to purchase a great many more. Please don't leave us International residents out

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Has anyone figured out how to get the 20% off yet?I called earlier and i was told by a wb phone rep that i should try later .She claimed that they are still working on the website and that the 20% should automatically show up on your order.I have tried a few times with no luck.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

o.k.,..the order at the site appeared to not go through, but my email says otherwise.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I agree that I would like to see these released. I hope Warners considers these and that this is brought up during the conference on Monday.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I have a friend in the U.S. who has bought some Best-buy exclusives for me. My first thought was to ask him to order everything that BOTH of us wanted, and then get him to post them all to us. But that effectively means paying for postage twice.

I was going to ask about Wichita during the chat, but that's already up on the site!

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I'm looking at all 140 titles, but there is no Wichita in the w's. I've scanned the entire page, and there is no Wichita. Do you see it there now?

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

WB has updated their "Archives" site with a new background that includes a photo of Elizabeth Taylor from Beau Brummell! I guess we can expect that title as part of the "on demand" series--which is great as it's one of my most wanted films on DVD!

Since I'm in Canada, I'll have to get a friend in the States to get this for me. Or Warners could just ship internationally. I don't see why they aren't sending to Canada at the very least--we're at part of Region 1!

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I would order WICHITA right now... but apparently I cannot since I'm in Quebec.

That's kind of lame. Unlike some eager spenders here, I've no interest in sending them to a US address to then pay additional shipping costs to have someone redirect to Canada. Not at these prices! Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of online shopping from the convenience of your desk?

I'm also curious to know how it's possible that WHV could not find a viable retail release for their Cary Grant titles in some kind of budget TCM set?

And finally, I realize these are "made to order" but at costs exceeding those of retail stock, couldn't they have done something a little bit more fitting with the art work? Plain black backgrounds would look much classier than what they have up on the website right now which remind me of those generic A&E home video "exclusives".

Lastly, at these price points I would like some reassurance that all of these "on-demand" titles on this site will truly NEVER turn up in any future star collection and it will not be a case of certain titles selling exceedingly well online and therefore warranting a future release. Or being sneaked out on some two-fer disc as part of a larger box set. Because as much as I'd like to own a handful of these, that will make me never want to touch another one of these made to order titles again...

Now anyone who's ordered WICHITA, please report back asap to let us know the verdict. I can't believe this Jacques Tourneur western couldn't find a retail shelf market on DVD!