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Just what is up with Warner Bros and Blu-ray?

#1
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11/2/09 at 11:00am
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I do not know how much influence Mr. Feltenstein has regarding DVD and Blu-ray releases these days, but I am surmising his power has been diminished, which would be terribly sad. A number of high-profile HD releases (Grand Prix, Forbidden Planet, etc.) have not made the leap to Blu, yet we now have a second and rather unnecessary Blu release of Goodfellas. This is not unlike the Universal HD backlog (including Spartacus) that have so far been ignored on Blu. What is the issue here? Is further restoration required to get these films in Blu? Have the powers that be decided these very popular films wouldn't earn back their investment on the current high-def format? I just can't help but wonder why these great titles aren't being made available to help support a format that is obviously going to define the future of DVD.
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#2
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11/2/09 at 11:19am
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Whew! I thought you were gonna say that Warner Blu-rays were'nt up to snuff - I just ordered several of them thru Amazon, having been a recent convert to the format. I'm very pleased with the two Warner titles I already own but have been disappointed with titles from other studios, picture-quality wise. I was also surprised at the relatively few number of Blu-rays already released - I suppose we're gonna have to be patient with the studios and let them do their thing. I don't want to end up with a mediocre product because of a rush job
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#3
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11/2/09 at 11:57am
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I'm sure they are coming, but if I had to guess I would say that they are waiting for a good time to maximize their release from a marketing perspective.  Right now they have a packed fourth quarter with some high profile releases, and I'm not sure how well these titles sold on HD DVD.  Thankfully I own them both on HD DVD, and I have been very content with North by Northwest the Wizard of Oz, and soon Gone With the Wind.  WB has been doing a fantastic job.

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#4
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11/2/09 at 12:01pm
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Like Adam said, it's most likely because they didn't sell well on HD DVD or they're waiting to tie-in some of them with an upcoming theatrical or video release.
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#5
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11/2/09 at 12:04pm
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Warner repackaging current releases is nothing new. It probably has nothing to do with Mr. Feltenstein, but rather with a marketing department trying to work out additional sales for a product that has already been made.

The remaining HD-DVD exclusive Warner titles are as follows:

Caddyshack
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)
Excalibur
Forbidden Planet
Grand Prix
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
Poseidon
Smallville - Season 5
Troy (Theatrical Cut)

Troy is unlikely to come out since the Extended cut is already on Blu-ray.

Smallville Season 5 probably won't make it out until Warner decides to try catalog TV on Blu again (Justice League did not sell that well). The HD-DVD of this title came out day-and-date with the DVD as a new release.

Of the remaining 8 titles, I believe Charlie, Dukes and Poseidon came within a year of the DVD as a new release, which means a Blu-ray release would be the first time the catalog department would be handling them. (Charlie has already been released on Blu in non-US territories, which means this one is probably gonna come out at some point in 2010. One would think they'll cross promote it with Burton's Alice in Wonderland somehow.)

The other 5 are catalog titles that probably sold fairly poorly on HD-DVD and have therefore been put on the slow trickle of a release schedule on Blu. In the case of Forbidden Planet, the HD-DVD piggy-backed on the Anniversary release back in 2006 (along with the DVD), so now they don't have that marketing assist.

I'm sure that those 8 titles will make their way out eventually. I don't think a repackaging of the GoodFellas, Christmas Vacation, or Christmas Story discs has anything whatsoever to do with it.
Edited by Brandon Conway - 11/2/09 at 1:10pm
My DVD/BD Collection
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#6
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11/2/09 at 1:14pm
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Warner's had a stellar year, Dick. Among the other Blu-ray releases mentioned here, they issued the first-ever (since LD) OAR release of a classic that should be as near and dear to your heart as it is to mine: Grumpy Old Men.

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These are a few of my favorite pills.
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#7
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11/3/09 at 2:33pm
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They did indeed release ' Grumpy Old Men ' and graced some of the finest american character actors best comedy performances with less extras than the wrong aspect ratio original dvd

I also wish they would use 24-bit audio when possible...

~M~

I have just two words to say to you..... Shut the f*** up !

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#8
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11/3/09 at 8:21pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Manus View Post

They did indeed release ' Grumpy Old Men ' and graced some of the finest american character actors best comedy performances with less extras than the wrong aspect ratio original dvd

I also wish they would use 24-bit audio when possible..
 

In the context of this thread, the point is that catalogue titles are being released in significant numbers. And 24-bit audio is neither a mainstream issue nor relevant to Grumpy Old Men.

(And speaking both as a fan and as the HTF reviewer of the Blu-ray, I care a lot more about the presentation of the film than I do about the extras.)
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#9
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11/4/09 at 8:23am
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Warner has been disappointing with thier catalog Blu rays.  Hopefully in 2010 they will start getting serious and stop releasing the crap they have been.  The Green Berets, Mystic River and The Music Man make it seem promising.
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#10
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11/4/09 at 8:55am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bradley-E View Post

Warner has been disappointing with thier catalog Blu rays.  Hopefully in 2010 they will start getting serious and stop releasing the crap they have been.  The Green Berets, Mystic River and The Music Man make it seem promising.
2009 has been just fine.

This year alone their catalog department has released/will release these Blu titles:

2010: The Year We Make Contact
300 - Complete Experience
Above the Law
Amadeus
American History X
An American in Paris
Any Given Sunday
Batman
Batman & Robin
Batman Forever
Batman Returns
Being There
Catwoman
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Collateral Damage
Contact
Creepshow
Dead Calm
Falling Down
Final Destination
Fracture
Freddy vs. Jason
Friday
Gigi
The Green Mile
Gremlins
Grumpy Old Men
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Extended Cut
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Extended Cut
A History of Violence
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
Ghost Ship
Gone with the Wind
Heat
Horton Hears a Who (1970)
Logan's Run
Menace II Society
Natural Born Killers - Director's Cut
The Negotiator
The New World
North by Northwest
The Notebook
The Number 23
Over the Top
The Pelican Brief
Point of No Return
The Postman (1997)
Quo Vadis
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Secondhand Lions
Set It Off
Snakes on a Plane
Sphere
Taking Lives
Tango & Cash
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
A Time to Kill
True Romance
The Wedding Singer
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
The Wizard of Oz
Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music

Now, not everything on that list may be to your liking, but that's a hell of a lot to choose from.
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