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Merged Thread: Marx Brothers on DVD - 7 more films on May 4th

post #1 of 23
3/14/03 at 7:23pm
Thread Starter 
Although i started collecting DVDs back in 1999 i missed out on the chance to order the few Marx Brothers titles that were released under the Universal label via Image Entertainment in 2000.

As i understand there was a law suit over the pricing of these 'early' DVD releases between the two, and subsequently Universal withdraw the license.
Quote:
CHATSWORTH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 17, 2000--Image Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: DISK - news), the leading independent licensee and distributor of DVD programming in North America, today announced it denies all of the allegations contained in a lawsuit filed yesterday against the company by Universal Studios Home Video.

In the lawsuit, Universal accuses Image of breaching a license agreement giving Image exclusive rights to distribute 50 of Universal's motion picture titles on DVD format for a three-year period. Universal accused the company of improperly reducing suggested retail prices on those Universal titles.


Since then, nearly 2 1/2 years have gone by and 'nothing' has happened (just a few of the above mentioned 50 titles were re-released by Universal itself, but not one MB-movie !)
Are there any news about the preparation of a 'Marx Brothers Collection' DVD Boxset ? Is there any restoration work going on ? Has anybody working with/for/under/... Universal or anybody else heard or seen some Marx Brothers related stuff lately ? Anything is welcome. I am dying for any kind of news...
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post #2 of 23
3/14/03 at 8:39pm
Pretty much all of the Paramount films owned by Universal are in poor shape. This is why they've only released a handful of them, besides Image's releases.

Horse Feathers, for example, needs a scene restored due to it looking like a jump-cut marathon during it.
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post #3 of 23
3/15/03 at 1:48am
I am amazed that The Marx Brothers are notably
absent from the DVD format.

What the heck is going on?!
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post #4 of 23
3/15/03 at 6:18am
Quote:
I am amazed that The Marx Brothers are notably absent from the DVD format. What the heck is going on?!

My sentiments exactly. If any films were in need(or deserving) of restoration, these would be it!
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post #5 of 23
3/15/03 at 9:06am
I've got the old ones and would like to upgrade them as well. I should probably put them on ebay while they're still worth something. I've only watched them once and have hoped for improved editions ever since. Maybe one more viewing and I'll toss 'em.
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post #6 of 23
3/15/03 at 9:35am
I would buy all thirteen of the Marxist films if they were available. Oh, but to be able to screen A Night at the Opera ("if I got any closer, I'd be in back of you!").
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post #7 of 23
3/15/03 at 10:53am
I'm really surprised that these aren't on the slate for restoration-I'd love to get a decent looking copy of Animal Crackers, and there are a bunch of them that I've never seen that I'd probably buy. Sounds like a great opportunity for a box set...
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post #8 of 23
3/15/03 at 12:18pm
It looks like this particular licensing agreement could use a Sanity Clause.








Okay... wait for it.....
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post #9 of 23
3/15/03 at 12:24pm
Quote:
It looks like this particular licensing agreement could use a Sanity Clause.

Hah! You can't fool me! There ain't no Sanity Clause.
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post #10 of 23
3/15/03 at 1:15pm
I had two spies on this case, but it didn't work out. Just listen to what the one guy gave me as his excuse:

"Mister, you no understand. Look, he's a spy and I'm a spy--he work-a for me. I want him to find out something but he no find out what I wanna find out. Now how am I gonna find out what I wanna find out if he no find out what I gotta find out?"

I'm glad I picked up the original five for $8.99 a pop back in 2000.

Evan
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post #11 of 23
3/15/03 at 1:22pm
I was lucky enough to buy these online a few years ago. So, I bought them in my pajamas. What the DVDs were doing in my pajamas, I'll never know.

I would definitely upgrade all of the old discs for newer, improved transfers. I would also love to get A Night At The Opera and A Day At The Races on disc.
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post #12 of 23
3/15/03 at 3:10pm
HONK!
HONK!
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post #13 of 23
3/15/03 at 3:26pm
For the record, Patrick,

EMKA Limited actually owns the Paramount pre-1950 stuff, although EMKA today exists only as an in-name-only division of Universal, as it is the successor-in-interest to Universal's television division then known as Revue Studios. So techincally speaking, it's Universal's television division that actually owns the Paramount pre-50 films, including all the Marx Bros. films they made for Paramount.
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post #14 of 23
3/15/03 at 5:55pm
"If I got any closer..." is from A DAY AT THE RACES.

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post #15 of 23
3/15/03 at 9:02pm
I also wonder if the lack of release on DVD has anything to do with the lack of finding good materials to work from. Even Criterion's laserdisc of Night at the Opera suffers from some jump cuts.

I very much want to see the Marx Bros restored and on DVD.
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post #16 of 23
3/16/03 at 1:05am
Does anyone know the quality of Artisan's release of Copacobana that came out in January?

This is the cover:

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post #17 of 23
3/16/03 at 10:49am
You can find a review of Artisan's release of Copacabana here:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=5630
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post #18 of 23
3/16/03 at 10:37pm
I think the only one I dont have on either LD or DVD is the Big Store.........Id have that one but they stuck it with a Abbott & Costello Movie
Buster got a whole Box, why not the Brothers?
And hey while we are at it. Why not a Box set of "You bet your Life"

Via a Duck?
Via not a chicken?
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post #19 of 23
3/17/03 at 6:32am
For a dissenting review, my take is at digitallyOBSESSED: http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/sho...w.php3?ID=4422

While the elements are nice enough, the compression is a mess when it comes to Groucho's suits. Wear sunglasses.
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post #20 of 23
3/17/03 at 8:23am
Im an old WB chat, I thought they said they were working on A Night in Casablanca, I believe they also own
  • A Night at the Opera
  • A Day at the Races
  • Room Service
  • At the Circus
  • Go West
  • The Big Store

All being former MGM movies, with "Casablana" a United Artists release.

Universal has distribution for the previously released Image Titles:
  • The Cocoanuts
  • Animal Crackers
  • Monkey Business
  • Horse Feathers
  • Duck Soup

12 titles....0 in print
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post #21 of 23
10/19/03 at 2:06pm
Thread Starter 
Finally some good news regarding Marx Brothers on DVD, (if only R2 for now ):

Universal releases a 4 DVD Marx Brothers Collection Box on November 3rd, 2003 in Region 2.

The titles included are:

Animal Crackers
Duck Soup
Horse Feathers
Monkey Business

So this seems to be the re-release of the box formerly released by Image Entertainment in Region 1.
Hopefully they are not NTSC->PAL transfers.
This would be really to o bad after all these years of waiting ...

p.s.: There are still the rumours of Marx Brother releases by WB in 2004 (if only mentioned in regard to region 1 :-).
So something is moving in both regions.
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post #22 of 23
10/19/03 at 2:26pm
More details here .

---
So many films, so little time...
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post #23 of 23
10/19/03 at 2:35pm
Quote:
Universal releases a 4 DVD Marx Brothers Collection Box on November 3rd, 2003 in Region 2.

The titles included are:

Animal Crackers
Duck Soup
Horse Feathers
Monkey Business


You're kidding. We're getting a box set in r4 from Universal, but it's only a three disc set. We don't get Monkey Business.
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