MGM Midnite Movies "dead again" remark - Page 3

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I hope we don't have to wait another two years for MGM to start releasing decent library titles again!

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I just want Riot On Sunset Strip already!!!

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"The Savage Seven" is my main Midnight Movies "must".

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Looking at what MGM/Fox has announced for the MGM product coming up, we will have to wait two years. The big box set of 100 movie musicals has three in there that have never been released on DVD (Whoopee, Kid from Spain, and one I cannot remember), you would at least expect them to release them individually, but no they won’t. The Bonds are back in Blu-ray and they are supposed to be. They are working with Fox on a collection of films for Black History Month, but again these are repackaged titles. Except for their new releases, they concentrating on Blu-ray and coming up with these repackaged titles using the same old transfers.

I really would like anything AIP and some of the great UA 60’s & 70’s comedies, like Cold Turkey, For those Who Think Young, 8 on the Lam, Call Me Bawa, Fitzwilly, Buena Sera, Mrs. Campbell. Here We Go Around The Mulberry Bush, Some Kind Of A Nut, Gaily Gaily, Pussycat Pussycat I Love You, The Landlord, Fuzz and Happy Birthday Gemini.

Other missing in action DVD releases from the UA vault is Chilly Scenes In Winter (1979), Drum (1976), Huckleberry Finn (1974), Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1973) –Widescreen, The Music Lovers (1971), The Hawaiians (1970), Number One (1969), The First Time (1969), Five Miles To Midnight (1963), A Thousand Clowns (1965), The Group (1966), Mister Moses (1965), The Satan Bug (1965), The Best Man (1964), The Caretakers (1963), and Phaedra (1962)

Also MGM needs to go back and re-master many titles to include anamorphic widescreen. Some of the titles are Exodus, Hair, The Hallelujah Trail, A Hole In The Head, Life-force, How to Succeed In Business Without really trying, On The Beach, Witness for the Prosecution, A Small Circle of Friends, The Train, Alice’s Restaurant and many many more.

I was happy the first couple of years of the agreement in that the marriage would work, now I am disappointed. Thank you letting me get on a wooden crate and speak my mind.

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KID MILLIONS is the other Goldwyn musical title. It was abruptly cancelled a week before the release date (box art and everything) a couple of years ago.

Other MIAs include: SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL, RETURN TO PARADISE, A CHILD IS WAITING, THE NAKED EDGE, PARIS BLUES, WITNESS TO MURDER. THE KILLER IS LOOSE (Boetticher), LAST EMBRACE, THE WONDERFUL COUNTRY, NIGHT FIGHTERS, TEN SECONDS TO HELL, TWO FOR THE SEESAW, THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE, THE GALLANT HOURS, TOYS IN THE ATTIC, RED PLANET MARS, THE HONEY POT, PAPER LION, HAPPY ENDING, NOT AS A STRANGER, JOHNNY CONCHO, RETURN FROM THE ASHES, THE OFFENCE, THE OUTSIDE MAN, HORNET'S NEST, BY LOVE POSSESSED, THE GLORY GUYS, THAT MAN FROM RIO, RUN FOR THE SUN, FLIGHT FROM AYISHA, ROSEBUD, STOLEN HOURS.

Still (i.e., forever) waiting for THE DAVID LEAN COLLECTION and THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER: SE>

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This isn't a Midnite Movie but Runaway Train is the one that needs the most attention being that it exists as a pathetic-looking letterboxed DVD devoid of anything resembling extras. Great movie. Awful DVD. Why? I know Warner now owns a chunk of the MGM catalog pre-1986 and I hope this film is one of them. Warner would give it the respect it deserves. Also, the Scanners remake coming next year should mean an automatic re-issue of the original film as a special edition. An ideal scenario would be for MGM to release a boxset of the sequels like they did with the Amityville films. I love the way these people need an excuse, like a remake, to re-do DVDs and make us buy the same movies over and over

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I hope Fox lets MGM (or however that agreement works) to release more older library titles. I'd like to see all of the stuff being mentioned here come out, and I am especially interested in the AIP in UA titles. If the Midnite Movies ever continue, why not an off season (non Halloween time) batch of cult titles like RIOT ON SUNSET STRIP, THE DEVIL'S ANGELS, ANGEL ANGEL DOWN WE GO, THE SAVAGE SEVEN etc?

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RUNAWAY TRAIN is not an MGM film. The original distributor in the US was The Cannon Group.

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MGM distributes the Cannon library

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I should have been more clear. My intention was to point out that it would not be a part of the pre-86 WB controlled titles.

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Not all. Masters of the Universe and Bloodsport are Warner DVDs.

Midnite Movies wise, I really want The Black Sleep and Pharoh's Curse

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I suspect only MGM insiders would know - and given the company seems to be having a large up-shuffle, it may be some time before anyone can answer your question.

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Me too!

And another Bel-Air Prod. I'd like to see released is "Big House, U.S.A."


Are you sure that these are distributed by M-G-M though?

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I'm not sure to be honest. I think MGM got them because UA was the original distributor, but i could be mistaken

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I think so too because Voodoo Island (another Bel-Air film) was released as part of the series.

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I'm not sure about BIG HOUSE, USA, but MGM does own THE BLACK SLEEP.

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This all goes back to the economy plus the lack of retail space. MGM will have another deal tied in with Best Buy, which they couldn't do last year because of Universal and this year there was a deal with Warner. I'm sure BB doesn't want three studio exclusives in one economy torn season.

I'm sure many here remember the first time this line started. How many times have we gone from them releasing nothing to releasing twenty then back to zero and then back up high?

MGM has always done stuff backwards. They had a Bronson line that had anamorphic transfers for smaller titles yet when it came time for the highly wanted DEATH WISH sequels they delivered them cut and full screen. They then cut the series off with several more out there needing to be released.

They do have LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT coming next year with special features from the R2 version.

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2008 is the first year since 2001 that absolutely no "Midnite Movies" were released on DVD.

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>>Given the economy there should be room for lower cost releases.
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There you have it-people across all the nation are being laid off-by the 100s. make that 1000s
(I think the BLS plays fast and loose with the UC numbers-Unemployment is more like 10%-and their numbers on inflation- 5%....?!
Aw, gimme a break!) Info gleaned from the alternative financial sites, not WSJ or MSNBC-or as some call it-MSN BS.

Cutbacks-things cost more. Fuel. Credit lines frozen-People buying less.
So the studios dont want to gamble on marginal titles-that also may or may not sell well in a meltdown economy...
The fact that a larger-and probably selling very well MGM 'B' film like LIFEFORCE cant even get an upgrade, but rather, is bundled into 3-discs-for-a-dollar packs says it all.

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Do you know this for a fact?

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That's very true and to me, it doesn't make sense to spend money on new widescreen transfers of stuff like HANDS OF THE RIPPER, TWINS OF EVIL, VAMPIRE CIRCUS, BLACK SABBATH, BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW, THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN and WITHOUT WARNING only so the films can play on Monsters HD. Wouldn't they want to utilize these for DVD sales?

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No source information.

The doom and gloom just hangs over horror releases from major studios. I remember last year everyone was in a panic that Warner wasn't releasing any titles yet they came through. This year word got around saying Warner was releasing nothing and they did come through with two double features. Last year we weren't getting any Universal titles but they eventually came. The only thing we know for certain is that Paramount is worthless but I think the others suffer from the economy, too much stuff on the shelf and the fact that Best Buy is one of the last big chains and they are cutting back on what they stock.

I think the studios think it's crazy for them to release too much stuff to one genre when sales might suffer from too much being released. If MGM releases 15 titles, Warner releases 2 box sets and then Universal has a couple box sets out there then not everyone is going to be able to pick up everything. I think Best Buy is calling the shots on this stuff and they don't want three exclusives released at the same time. MGM, Universal and now Warner are all working with BB now and they have more say than the studios do. BB controls the small guys as well because studios need their shelves.

Of course, you do have to wonder why the majors think fans only buy horror titles at Halloween time. I mean BB could release MGM titles in Jan., Warner titles in May and then Universal titles in Oct. or however they want to release them. Having all three studios fighting over Oct. will probably cut back on releases but I certainly don't feel that we're never going to get this stuff.

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Can we have someone other than Best Buy? Someone who ships to the UK?

I'm glad a friend got me the Uni Horror set because unlike the other Best Buy stuff, it hasn't been released to other stores

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If they do go with Best Buy exclusives next year, I'm sure they'll be available everywhere after a window of a few months. But I understand how frustrating this can be for overseas collectors.

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Well as i said, the Uni Horror set isn't avaliable

I found this frustrating post on the Midnite Movies yahoo group. This is a quote from someone in the industry who was in the beginning stages of licensing the Midnite Movies series from Fox/MGM:

"I approached MGM who in turn passed me over to FOX with an offer from a smaller company to take over the Midnight Movie line. The offer was all new releases would be prepared by this other company, including bonus materials and then distributed by MGM/FOX. Having worked on numerous titles in the past I would aid in the gathering of bonus materials and even do audio commentaries.  We had hope of bring the line to the Blu-ray arena with 4 to 6 titles on one Blu-ray disc - many of the films part of the line and or attached as future releases to the line have been mastered for HD already. After setting up meeting with certain parties for a phone conference FOX decided to NOT to return calls and ignore emails. All I know is that a major curve at FOX must have been ordered when hiring. I have dealt with that company for over 20 years and have seen a general decline in intelligence - and the product shows it."

Pretty sad statement about the way this company is now being run. I am also reading that Fox's control of MGM's library will expire within a year or so, so hopefully the Shout! Factory might be able to license some of their cult titles.

Considering most studios only put 5 episodes of a 45 minute TV show on one Blu-ray disc, I wish them luck with fitting 6 to 9 hours on one disc.