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Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

post #1 of 33
12/3/08 at 11:33am
Thread Starter 
Just a few years ago noboby expected much from Paramount when it came to releasing schlocky horror movies to DVD, let alone in uncut form. They seemed to be above it all, even though these movies made them tons of money. A "Special Feature" to them were scene selections and caption for the hard of hearing. Now they're not only releasing Friday the 13th uncut but apparently they are also licesing out to other studios. (See Lionsgate's My Bloody Valentine). Obviously something has changed at the studio and I think this is the right time to ask about our guilty pleasures. There are two titles I specifically want from Paramount: The TV-movie sequel to Rosemary's Baby and the 1967 sci-fi flick A Crack In the World. These days I'm not losing too much sleep over lack of extras just give me the movies completely uncut and in their OAR and I'm happy. How about it Paramount?
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post #2 of 33
12/3/08 at 12:23pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

And don't forget, Mya Communications is releasing Paramount's Dario Argento giallo, Four Flies on Grey Velvet to DVD in 2009.

As long as we get... Tales That Witness Madness and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors from somebody, whether it be Paramount, or one of their licensees (Legend Films) I'll be happy. Make it happen, Paramount!
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post #3 of 33
12/3/08 at 1:08pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

I am very impressed by the Criterion Paramount releases: ACE IN THE HOLE, THE NAKED PREY, ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS, THE FURIES,and most impressively, WHITE DOG. I doubt that Paramount even knew if they existed, let alone how they could have released them. They are all provocative films, and in the case of WHTE DOG, the film was a downright embarassment to the studio. CORPORATE CAPITULATION AT ITS WORST!

Would that they would license MY SON JOHN (1952), the Otto Preminger films (HURRY SUNDOWN, TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME, JUNIE MOON, SUCH GOOD FRIENDS, and take a stab at negotiating SKIDOO with the Preminger estate), and more Stanwyck noirs.
Does anyone know if there will be more licensing deals with Legend films? WON TON TON, MONEY FROM HOME, RHUBARB, PHASE IV and VILLA RIDES were worth the price of admission alone.
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post #4 of 33
12/3/08 at 1:33pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wesley Ray
And don't forget, Mya Communications is releasing Paramount's Dario Argento giallo, Four Flies on Grey Velvet to DVD in 2009.

Didn't know that was Paramount. Certainly looking forward to it.

I actually want the 2 remaining Peanuts feature films: Race for Your Life Charlie Brown and Bon Voyage Charlie Brown(and Don't Come Back!)
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post #5 of 33
12/3/08 at 2:14pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Or BEN and WILLARD.
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post #6 of 33
12/3/08 at 2:38pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Hate to rain on the parade, but I doubt those Legend releases sold well enough to entice them to license another package of titles. They were for the most part pretty marginal titles, fond as I am of some of them. That last minute Best Buy exclusive deal seemed like a desperate ploy to move units.

I wasn't really thrilled with the quality of them either. Interlaced transfers in 2008? That's disgraceful.

Hopefully Criterion might end up with a few of the major unreleased Paramount movies, like LOOKING FOR MR GOODBAR or the Preminger titles mentioned earlier.

Paramount should perhaps try marketing some of their unreleased catalog titles as box sets, like Sony and Universal are doing, or double-features at least. Maybe a NIGGER CHARLEY double bill, or the pair of WALKING TALL sequels, or the above-mentioned BEN and WILLARD.
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post #7 of 33
12/3/08 at 3:03pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Quote:
Originally Posted by walter o
Or BEN and WILLARD.

You beat me to it.

Yeah, Paramount - WILLARD and BEN -- looonnnngg overdue!
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post #8 of 33
12/3/08 at 4:46pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Hatari! John Wayne's 1961 Action Adventure/Comedy film could use a new release, I know there is stuff from this film sitting in their vaults collecting dust and crumbling away.
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post #9 of 33
12/3/08 at 5:29pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

I'd just like to see their silents. It's been rumored for a while about a few licensed to Criterion. Wings is confirmed to be in the works, at least. I'd like to see a triple-feature of their three W.C. Fields silents (Running Wild, So's Your Old Man [remade as You're Telling Me], and The Old Army Game).

But do keep in mind that the absence of a DVD release does not mean a film is decaying somewhere. For many titles, such as the Republic library, they've already restored and preserved so many - but the preservation materials are simply not being utilized. The Quiet Man, for instance, looks horrible on DVD, but UCLA restored and preserved the original materials years ago.

It's sort of like how Sony spent a fortune restoring their animated shorts library, yet have only released a handful as bonus features on various DVDs.
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post #10 of 33
12/3/08 at 5:29pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Of course, I am always hopeful, but this being Paramount we are talking about, I wonder how far on the radar would be my top wants from them...:

Knock on Wood (53) - Danny Kaye's funniest film
About Mrs. Leslie (54) - a real, offbeat charmer
Mr. Music (50) - I just love the Bing Crosby films!
September Affair (50) - a favorite romantic film of many
The Rat Race (60) - such a good, often neglected drama
Dark City (50) - great noir, Heston's film debut
Paid in Full (50) - tearjerker supreme
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post #11 of 33
12/3/08 at 5:52pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Don't forget THE KEEP, which we were promised several years ago, they had it on their release schedule, then reneged for some unexplained reason.
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post #12 of 33
12/3/08 at 10:13pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Do Paramount still own the copyright on The File On Thelma Jordan? It's a great movie that I'd love to have on DVD.
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post #13 of 33
12/3/08 at 10:26pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Whenever I think of possible DVDs from Paramount I really think only of one truly significant title and that's One-Eyed Jacks.
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post #14 of 33
12/4/08 at 10:37am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Whom do we ask,and WHERE do WE WRITE ??
I vote
for "ONE EYED JACKS" the best western ever made..........
And "Looking For Mr. Goodbar" !!!!
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post #15 of 33
12/4/08 at 12:19pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

I'd like the Elizabeth Taylor/Henry Fonda film ASH WEDNESDAY.
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post #16 of 33
12/4/08 at 6:43pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

I would also looooove to see Paramount release some of their silents; particularly the ones with Gary Cooper and Clara Bow. Ms. Bow is pitifully underrepresented on DVD and a box set of some of her Paramount films would be wonderful. One of the movies I want to see the most is Children of Divorce from 1927 starring Gary Cooper (in one of his first leading roles), Clara Bow and Esther Ralston. This film has been restored so it's ready for a release.
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post #17 of 33
12/4/08 at 9:45pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Quote:
Originally Posted by AdrianTurner
Whenever I think of possible DVDs from Paramount I really think only of one truly significant title and that's One-Eyed Jacks.

I agree with this 150%. Actually, I'd even prefer if they licensed this title to Criterion
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post #18 of 33
12/5/08 at 6:50am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Silents for me too. There are many that I'd love to have, although realistically I know that most won't happen. The Clara Bow films are very high on my list, along with others that are said to be in the works (WINGS, von Sternbergs, WEDDING MARCH). And others that are lesser-known, but gems, such as Raymond Griffith's comedies (HANDS UP, PATHS TO PARADISE, CHANGING HUSBANDS, and a few other survivors).
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post #19 of 33
12/5/08 at 7:54am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Quote:
Originally Posted by CinéKarine
Of course, I am always hopeful, but this being Paramount we are talking about, I wonder how far on the radar would be my top wants from them...:

Knock on Wood (53) - Danny Kaye's funniest film
About Mrs. Leslie (54) - a real, offbeat charmer
Mr. Music (50) - I just love the Bing Crosby films!
September Affair (50) - a favorite romantic film of many
The Rat Race (60) - such a good, often neglected drama
Dark City (50) - great noir, Heston's film debut
Paid in Full (50) - tearjerker supreme

love the Dieterle titles on your list CK!
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post #20 of 33
12/5/08 at 10:05am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

I thought "LOOKING FOR MR GOODBAR" was stuck in "Music Rights" HELL.
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post #21 of 33
12/6/08 at 5:10am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Who said they were awake? IIRC, F13 is getting remade and that's the reason they are going back to the well on these at this point. They still can't seem to be bothered releasing Love With The Proper Stranger- even when they could ride Warners coat-tails and leech off the visibility of the Natalie Wood sets release. Best a lot of us can hope for is more robust licensing from Criterion and others...and that's going be a slow slog.
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post #22 of 33
12/6/08 at 8:23am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

I'd love "Assault On A Queen".
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post #23 of 33
12/6/08 at 9:18am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

.
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post #24 of 33
12/6/08 at 11:39am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick McCart
I'd just like to see their silents. It's been rumored for a while about a few licensed to Criterion. Wings is confirmed to be in the works, at least. I'd like to see a triple-feature of their three W.C. Fields silents (Running Wild, So's Your Old Man [remade as You're Telling Me], and The Old Army Game).
I completely agree - even if Paramount doesn't release these titles themselves at least sublicense them to a third party ala Criterion/Eclipse.
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post #25 of 33
12/7/08 at 4:03pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Quote:
Originally Posted by AdrianTurner
Whenever I think of possible DVDs from Paramount I really think only of one truly significant title and that's One-Eyed Jacks.

I'm not sure whether Paramount still owns the negative for 'One Eyed Jacks'. We already know that they no longer hold the DVD distribution rights, hence all those terrible public domain DVD versions that have appeared over the years. But I also saw something on the internet several months ago suggesting that the film itself is "owned" (in whatever sense) by the Brando Estate rather than Paramount. I don't know whether that's true but it could explain why it's has been allowed to fall into the public domain, since it seems very unlikely that Paramount themselves would have allowed that to happen.
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post #26 of 33
12/7/08 at 7:04pm

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

I wish Paramount would let Howard Stern prepare a special edition of Private Parts, as he's asked them numerous times and they've refused.
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post #27 of 33
12/8/08 at 12:22am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

I'd like to see new re-releases of the following.

Rosemary's Baby
The Addams Family
Airplane!
Better Off Dead
Charlotte's Web
The Elvis Film Series
Plaza Suite
The Odd Couple
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post #28 of 33
12/8/08 at 2:18am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Morrison
I'm not sure whether Paramount still owns the negative for 'One Eyed Jacks'. We already know that they no longer hold the DVD distribution rights, hence all those terrible public domain DVD versions that have appeared over the years. But I also saw something on the internet several months ago suggesting that the film itself is "owned" (in whatever sense) by the Brando Estate rather than Paramount. I don't know whether that's true but it could explain why it's has been allowed to fall into the public domain, since it seems very unlikely that Paramount themselves would have allowed that to happen.

I suppose that could be true, but I just don't get it. Paramount payed the bills, surely Paramount own it!
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post #29 of 33
12/8/08 at 2:23am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Batson
I suppose that could be true, but I just don't get it. Paramount payed the bills, surely Paramount own it!
Not if they gave Brando a heap of points instead of paying him a huge upfront salary for acting and directing.
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post #30 of 33
12/12/08 at 12:27am

Re: Paramount Is Awake. Let's Start Asking For Stuff

Whether Paramount releases these under their own banner, or sublicenses them to other parties, I'm itching to own R1 editions of:

CRACK IN THE WORLD
TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE (unless the whole post-RKO Tarzan series became WB property, or some such)
TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT (ditto)
MONTE WALSH (1970)
DARKER THAN AMBER
DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS
THE BLISS OF MRS. BLOSSOM
DARK CITY (1950)
UNION STATION
HELL'S ISLAND
FILE ON THELMA JORDON
WILLARD (1971)
UNMAN, WITTERING AND ZIGO
THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK
SPACE CHILDREN
BLOOD AND ROSES
AMERICAN HOT WAX
FEAR IS THE KEY
ONLY WHEN I LARF
PROJECT X (1968)
ARNOLD
TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS
HANNIE CAULDER
INNOCENT BYSTANDERS

--as well as anamorphic releases of ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ (1979), 48 HOURS (1982) and BREAKDOWN (1997).
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