Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

This is FANTASTIC news --- I only hope that "Call Of The Wild" will be the complete version, as it was cut for a re-issue, and the old syndicated TV prints were from that re-issue, as was the version shown on Fox Movie Channel.

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

I like the Volume ONe. I don't think Fox has anything to make a Volume Two.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Thank you Fox!

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

I'm a big supporter of Fox, but their price structure is out of wack on their boxsets.




Crawdaddy

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

i know, it really is. i was on amazon yesterday and film noir volume 3 is only $34.99 for pre-order, and that's a 6 disc set.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

They're still doing better than any of the other major studios if you look at Paramount, Sony and Universal... all completely negligant when it comes to their classic libraries. Sony especially. Paramount would rather reissue the same 80s comedies thirteen different times, and Universal likes to stuff as many movies as possible onto discs that don't work and toss it out in the cheapest fashion.

Perhaps Fox is overpricing some of their releaes, in fact they've been doing this for a while and iy's not just their film library but TV releases and everything else too. Still, we all know you can scratch a good $10 off the MSRP online right away. I'd rather be forced to pay a few dollars extra for a nice package with top quality transfers than the other options cited above.

It's better than Criterion's tags, right?


There can only be one Warner Bros.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Did Fox make 'But Not For Me'? that's one Gable i would really like to see again.

fwiw, i don't find the discounted, retail price bad on these sets. i remember paying $35 for some early dvds (Out Of Sight, Entrapment) and now i'm ready to pay $20 for HD DVD replacements- not to mention that i cut my collecting teeth on LDs. Foxs prices here are not a big deal, imo- much better to pay a very minor premium for limited appeal material, rather than not have it at all if a mass market price point won't support them.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Marco, I totally agree with you. Don't mind paying an extra US$10,00 to get a quality product, specially if I know this will estimulate Fox to release more titles. And, yes, if we refuse to buy it, Fox will not understand it as an answer against the high prices, but as a lack of interest for classic releases. And that will stop new announcements in this category.
Great,news indeed!

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

BUT NOT FOR ME was Paramount. Maybe Fox will do Bogart box: DEADLINE USA, THE LEFT HAND OF GOD, UP THE RIVER (his first feature film), THE DEVIL WITH WOMEN, and HOLY TERROR.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Wow!
SOLDIER OF FORTUNE and THE TALL MEN are two more great titles to add to my growing Fox CINEMASCOPE Collection.

Still a few more to go though.
King of the Khyber Rifles, Violent Saturday, Untamed, White Feather, Beneath the 12 Mile Reef ( official fox release ) plus others.

Keep up the good work FOX.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Doug, you know I am also batty about early scope stereo films. Sad about the Mansfield Box. When it was talked about some months ago, it was supposed to include The Wayward Bus, a film that hasn't been shown in years because of rights problems with the steinbeck estate.
Two of your titles I would kill for, White Feather has never been shown widescreen stereo in the U.S. , only flat mono on television. Untamed has at least been shown in stereo here. Great film, with never a dull moment.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Agreed 100%. They deserve kudos for finally being aggressive with their classic catalog this year, but are they trying to kill sales with their prices? Warners just put out a 3 DVD collection of Lucy & Desi and priced it a full $20 below Fox's MSRP. Come to think of it, Fox's own L&H 3 disc collection was priced $15 below what these latest round of 3 DVD box sets are going for.

In my opinion Fox either needs to start putting 5 or 6 DVDs in these collections or adjust the price accordingly. I want to support them as much as possible, but Warners putting out better priced sets (with more films) on a monthly basis, I don't see as many of these Fox sets finding their way to my shelf as there would be if the pricing was better. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

The overpricing of their releases is strictly boxset because they usually contain only 3 dvds while Warner gives you more bang for your buck. I don't have a problem with their individual releases. Anyhow, as somebody with a 3200 dvd library, Fox is giving me cause to hesitate on some of their boxsets. However, I'll be be buying a ton of their individual dvd releases later this month and in early June.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

$50?

I love CALL OF THE WILD but my recording from FMC will do. Fans have asked for some of these "lesser" titles for many years now and it seems Fox has finally caved in but they're going to charge us as much as they possibly can. If I can find the set for $30 then I'll bite.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

This comes out to less than $20 per film. That's not bad -- at least it didn't used to be bad.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

I'm interested in Call of the Wild but will probably just netflix it, how are the other two?

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Yesterday, I just preordered a bunch of Fox titles that are coming out on May 23rd and June 6th which includes westerns, war films, crime films and film noir. My cost per title is less than $7.00 per dvd. Sure, Fox is running a sale price ( buy two for one free) through different etailers, but even if there wasn't a sale, I could've still bought each title for less than $10.00 a piece because the MSRP for those titles is $14.95 each.

So tell me if you still don't think that's a bad price?




Crawdaddy

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Speaking of the Bogarts, I'd love to see "The Devil With Women" and "A Holy Terror" combined with "Deadline --- USA" and "The Left Hand Of God", but do both these even exist now? I haven't heard of either being shown ...

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

I thought about this situation at work today and I'm just gonna stick with my "screw Fox" attitude. They can keep the Tracy, Moto, Chan and Gable in their vaults. When studios bitch about certain "retailers" they need to see why that problem is there to begin with. I just paid $50 to Warner for a 6 film, 8 disc set of Tennessee Williams films. And now Fox wants me to pay $50 for three films???

As Robert has said, from 1999-2005 I supported these studios by buying every classic title they released. When I say every I really mean EVERY title. I've got over 2000 titles in my collection and a high majority of them were blind buys. Blind buys of me supporting "classic" titles by buying everything even if I wasn't interested in them. I bought all of Fox's Studio Classics even several that I wasn't too interested in. The whole time people wanted the Chan's, Moto's, Gable's and, for me, the Loretta Young titles. After all of this support of buying lesser titles, we're finally getting some known titles but at a very high price. A high price that's way over what they usually charge. With that in mind, it really seems, like gas prices, we're just being screwed.

We've gotta listen to studios cry about losing money to certain "gray areas" but they need to show more respect to those who have supported them from day one. I'd say a good portion of sales come from blind buys so if the studios are going to raise the prices then they're going to lose blind buys. Those blind buyers will take their money else where and to other options and then the studios cry low sales.

You can mark my word that (to mix subjects) Columbia is going to run their Midnite Movie line into the ground by doing this. That series lived so well because MGM gave us 2 films for $10. Now Columbia is giving us one film for a retail of $20. There goes your blind buys and there goes your sales. Those in charge then say "well, people just don't want these titles" and we, the fans, don't get any more releases.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Whoa! That's pretty extreme there, Michael. Any one of us on this forum would prefer to pay no more than only $1 - $10 per film, but would you REALLY prefer that Fox kept all their vintage films in their vaults forever, rather than charge $15 - $20 each for some of them? Believe me, I'm NOT rolling in dough and I can stand to spend as little as possible on releases... but don't forget that we're still saving an awful lot of cash from other movies by other studios. Which is why I look back to those days where I was paying as high as $30 sometimes for a single videotape movie on VHS, and even bought USED tapes in 1982 for $50 a piece sometimes!!

You may ask, "so what does all that past history have to do with the current market?" and I would definitely see what you mean. Hell, even I recently frowned when I had to pay $12.99 for a new Sam Arkoff Double Feature when I expected in to be only $9.99 --!! But it's just a matter of my being spoiled by too much of a good thing.

Anyway - the main thing is, whether the films are priced quite cheap or higher than other studios, I'd still think we'd rather have them released to DVD than not at all!


Those Universal Abbott & Costello 8-movie collections I've now seen at Best Buy for $14.95. It's gotten to the point where $19.99 or $24.95 seems outrageous for those collections to me (and they all have 8 MOVIES!!!) -- so I see what you mean -- but I think it's a matter of us having gotten so used to incredibly low prices in the past.


I don't understand. You're saying you used to buy 2000 or so DVDs - even blind buys - in the past (I presume some of these were $15 or more each?) and now you're saying these sets are too high? While admittedly they are higher-priced than their competing studios, I still think the price is better than what I used to pay for tapes.


This goes back to what I said above. I got so spoiled by paying $9.99 for the MGM Midnite Movies that recently I almost felt cheated by paying $12.99 for the Lion's Gate Double Features! If Sony continues to market their Midnite Movies but makes them $20, that will definitely not be pleasurable, but the main thing is that I'd rather have the films. You're definitely right that many fans won't "take a blind chance" because the films are higher priced, but I think you're fighting a losing battle. And if the studios release ZERO oldies because nobody wants them at $20 each, then we all lose.

Michael, didn't you think the TCM Warner Laurel and Hardy set (with only two features - THE DEVIL'S BROTHER and BONNIE SCOTLAND) was just as "overpriced"? Wasn't it $40 for two films? I paid $30 "on sale". It's got some nice extras, but I know you've never been that big on extras.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

I must admit I was annoyed when Fox adopted more expensive pricing, compared to the Studio Classics, for their Marquee Musicals line.

In defense of Fox, they are still producing some very good quality transfers. For example the recent Region 2 disc of The Virgin Queen (1955) features a stunning transfer, I think even better than the recent R1 release of Daddy Long Legs (another 1955 'Scope film). Here is a screen shot:

The Virgin Queen (1955)

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

As far as I'm concerned they can keep every single one of their films in the vault. I don't care how much money they gain by colorizing HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL while sitting on other items and I don't care how much they lose by charging $60 for items that will need blind buys in order to sell. As long as I have other options for seeing the film then I couldn't care less what happens to Fox (or any studio outside Warner)


And the prices are still cheaper than me taking the girlfriend to a movie and treating ourselves to popcorn, a drink and tickets. That point really doesn't matter because the prices are still higher than I'm willing to pay. I'm not on the inside at Fox but I think this has everything to do with someone being in charge and they really don't have much of a clue about things. The same thing for those at Columbia. We can all question how certain titles are left unreleased but at the same time you have to question the reasoning for this price hike. When 3 films use to cost $30 and now they cost $50 or higher.

In fact, I'm willing to bet that Warner's Gable set will contain more films, more extras and can be had at a cheaper price. Not to mention contain "bigger" films.

As for Warner's L&H set, I wouldn't say it was overpriced, although I did bash them for the first time for not releasing all their L&H films. The thing here is that the TCM Archive sets have always sold for $40. Had their been a 50% price hike then I would have said something about the price. I'm not bashing Fox for not releasing 8 films for $20 like Universal. I'm bashing them for raising their own prices on films and the fact that I think they're taking advantage of fans.


In the end, it's my money. We've known each other for many years and you know my DVD buying habits. You also know that I'd go to no end to support any studio. I've always put my money where my mouth is. I guess you could say I also put my money where my heart is. However, this has all changed. Perhaps it's due to me getting older and not wanting to spend as much money but I'll tell you this. Fox will be very lucky to get any money from me as I'll look for other ways (Netflix, W&W, FCM) to see these titles. My money will go to Warner and various other smaller companies who have their hearts in the same place as mine.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Thanks John. I wasn't aware that it had been announced.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

Well, as I used to tell you, it does get harder as you get older. It is true that you have to start watching your money -- the only thing is, I don't buy these movie to "see" them, I pretty much buy to own them. If all you're interested in is to see them once and check them out, then cable or Netflix is more for you.


Your loyalty to Warner is legendary (and I agree they're the best studio now) but still you've got to admit that a measley 2 L&H features for $40 is the same thing as this thread's complaint. Actually, this is a better deal --- 3 Gable films for $50 (Retail price: approx. $16.50 per movie) vs. 2 films in Warner's L&H set $40 (Retail price: approx. $20 per movie).

This is before discounts, of course.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

But you're also forgetting a full length (and wonderful) documentary so that's pretty much three films.


And we can look at the "Track Your Films" list to see how many of them I do buy to see. Or, at least use to.

Re: Fox announce 'The Clark Gable Collection Volume 1' in August

The bottom line ISN'T about money. It's about how much do you REALLY want these films. If you really want them, you'll pay whatever Fox asks, if you don't, you won't.

I'm not much interested in Call Of The Wild but Soldier Of Fortune and The Tall Men have been on my wish list for years. I'll probably end up paying $34.98 or less rather $49.98 for the set but, hell yeah, I want 'em and I'd fork out $99.99 if that was Fox's asking price.