Universal Vault Series - Amazon.com exclusive DVD-Rs - Page 4

Last year it was a 1.4 Billion Dollar market.  Its developing quite well, thank you.

Most likely true.  Unfortunately that doesn't mean ANYTHING for a lot of the fans who like old classic films (and not just the CITIZEN KANE, GONE WITH THE WIND caliber ones).  Blu-Ray is useless for the majority of catalog titles because the majority of that type of film, as we've seen from several studios recently, won't even get a proper DVD release these days and may only be offered on DVD-R, if even that.   I'm not really angry about this whole DVD-R development in homevideo anymore, because that's just the reality for these lesser known films today.  Unfortunately, it seems that the majority of people on the planet think AVATAR is the greatest movie ever made and it most likely will be the #1 film of all time.  The Blu-ray will most likely make millions!   Good for them, and that's the type of film that will help blu-ray prosper.  For me, I'm only buying DVD-R's from now on as that seems to be the only format the films I'd be interested in are being issued on.
Edited by JeffMc - 1/21/10 at 7:51am

Chuck,

Thanks for the "Brass Bottle" price info.  I have that one in my Amazon cart but I'd like a review before ordering it.  Have you viewed it yet?  The main thing I'd like to know is if this archive release is in WS OAR format.  Also, I guess the transfer quality info would be great to have before buying it.  I'd guess that it's a decent transfer as most archive titles have been that, from what I've read here, regarding the WB titles.  I'm guessing that the Uni archive titles would be comparable to WB.

The BRASS BOTTLE is presented in widescreen OAR and is anamorphic.  I found the transfer quality to be very good.  The color looks good but does not pop out at you and I did not see any dirt or scratches.  The mono sound is also in good shape.  So far, THE CHALK GARDEN is the only title that is not anamorphic that I have found.  To me that is a big disappointment.

I saw THE BRASS BOTTLE at a kiddie matinee many many years ago and have not seen it since until the other night.  I had remembered it being very funny and loved Burl Ives in it, but now Mr. Ives role is a little annoying and is not as funny.  Strange what our memories will do.  I did enjoy the film again, just not as I did in my youth.

I'm mystified as to why Universal won't give A Bronx Tale a real release - it's a big enough title, maybe even A-List IMO... I wonder how Robert De Niro feels being relegated to DVD-R. The Burt Reynolds flick 'Stick" - is that the one where Charles Durning takes a dive off a skyscraper? I always confuse this film with Sharky's Machine though both are similar in tone and plotlines. I hope Death Becomes Her doesn't fall victim to this scheme.

 A BRONX TALE had a real release, and is still available new or used on Amazon. I'm not sure how Universal acquired it.

Durning is in STICK but I think it's stuntman Dar Robinson (in an acting role) who takes the fall.

Great post Jeff I agree 100%.  I have not seen Avatar yet.

Your welcome Jeff.  I should be getting in the movie on Saturday.  I will let you know what I think.

I just got Dragnet (1954) from Amazon today (I ordered it on Tuesday). The quality of the presentation is very good. Much sharper than my recording from TCM.  It is full frame 1.37:1, but it doesn't look as though it was framed for anything like 1.85:1. Not much head room on this one.  The color is vibrant and seems accurate. Its not a cleaned up print, but quite presentable.

Having seen this, I would hope that Universal would consider releasing the original Dragnet TV show on their Vault series. They own the original negatives and could produce sets that would be head and shoulders above the PD discs that are out there now.

Doug

Thanks!

I also agree with "JeffMC"'s post.  Blu-ray isn't interesting to me at all right now.  For me, and others out there. it's all about catalog title avalibility and not just what's new or recent film releases.  Until/unless I see BR releasing many more classic movies or older TV/DVD sets, I'm not interested in any upgrade to BR.  My region-free upconvert Std DVD player does a great job with my std DVD's, at least it's good enough for me.

To each his own, when it comes to film appreciation and how a person spends their discretionary monies.  I understand that my spectrum of film appreciation might be much broader than certain posters in this thread.  Furthermore, it's been my motto never to tell another person on how they should spend their money because it's none of my business.  However, with that said, I just want to clarify that there is a lot of pre-1980 films on Blu-ray discs.  The number is nowhere near what I think it should be, but I think it's greater than some of us realize at this juncture. 

In my personal film library, I have over 100 films on Blu-ray/HD DVD disc that were made over 30 years ago or earlier.  Some of us might question whether certain movies are classic films or not, but we're in the fourth decade since these movies were filmed which in my book is a long time ago.

Before I list these films, let me preface my list by saying right off the bat that I might have missed some films that have been released 30 or more years ago that are on BRD so the following listing is not a complete one, but instead just a snap shot of what's available to film collectors on the high definition formats that's currently in my personal film collection.

Gone with the Wind
The General
It's a Wonderful Life
A Christmas Carol
Easy Rider
North by Northwest
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
The Wizard of Oz
Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs
Billy Jack
Godzilla (1954)
M*A*S*H
The Towering Inferno
The Deep
The Wage of Fear
Vanishing Point
Dr. Strangelove
In Cold Blood
The Searchers
The Graduate
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
3 Days of the Condor
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Saturday Night Fever
Gigi
An American in Paris
The Pink Panther (1963)
Thunderball
Dr. No
Goldfinger
From Russia with Love
You Only Live Twice
Diamonds are Forever

The 400 Blows

The Robe

Quo Vadis

South Pacific

Pinocchio

The Omen

Battle of Britain

A Bridge too Far

The Professionals

The Longest Day

The Sand Pebbles

Patton

Dirty Harry

The Enforcer

The Gauntlet

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Bonnie & Clyde

A Clockwork Orange

2001: A Space Odyssey
The Omega Man

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The Wild Bunch

The Shining

The Warriors

Rio Bravo

The Cowboys

The Green Berets
The Dirty Dozen
Rocky
Rocky II

The Deer Hunter

The Sting

The French Connection

The French Connection II

Casablanca
Young Frankenstein

Blazing Saddles

Becket

Great Expectations (1946)
Zulu
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Beneath the Planet of the Apes

It Came from Beneath the Sea

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

20,000 Miles to Earth

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad

Sleeping Beauty

The Godfather

The Godfather II

How the West Was Won

Cool Hand Luke

The Adventures of Robin Hood

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Capricorn One

The Eagle has Landed

Black Narcissus

The Seventh Seal

Battle of the Bulge

Dog Day Afternoon

The Getaway

Bullitt

81/2
That's Entertainment (HD DVD)
That's Entertainment II (HD DVD)
Viva Las Vegas (HD DVD)
Jailhouse Rock (HD DVD)
Grand Prix (HD DVD)
Spartacus (HD DVD)
Forbidden Planet (HD DVD)
Mutiny on the Bounty (HD DVD)

Release Date in next few months:
Lady Killers (1955)
Fantasia
The African Queen
Yojimbo
Sanjuro
Doctor Zhivago

Coming Soon with No Release Date:

A Star is Born

Ben Hur

The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Exorcist

The Guns of Naverone
Lawrence of Arabia
The Maltese Falcon

In closing, I agree we need more classic films on Blu-ray disc to entice more classic film buffs into adopting this format.  However, the cupboard isn't as barren as some might believe when it comes to older films on BRD. 

Also, unlike SD DVD, most BRDs released in other regions are region free except for Fox and I think Disney which is why my collection has titles released in other regions outside of the one here in the states.  There is no NTSC versus PAL issues with Blu-ray.








Crawdaddy

Crawdaddy,

This is an impressive list!  I learned something here about what's available on "pre-current" BR.
 
Since I'm mainly a pre-90's TV/DVD collector, BR hasn't as yet expanded much into that genre but I do see a few BR movie titles in your list that tempt me to enter the BR mkt.

I've been trying to get info on the "region-free" aspect of BR with some apparent conflicting articles on the 'net.  I do know that BR had 3 regions:
 
A:  North & South America, southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea
B:  Europe, Greenland, Africa, Middle East, and Australia
C:  Asian continent except the southeast area.

What I've been reading is that the BR region-free issue is mainly an issue with one's HD display: ie, Is the display capable of 24fps viewing?  I admit that I'm still trying to understand the BR R-free tech stuff.  My Panny 50" Plasma has 24fps capacity.

For me, I'm fortunate that the Std PAL 4% "speed-up" parameter doesn't bother me when I watch converted PAL to NTSC DVD's but I do know that it is a problem for some.

If I'm understanding you right, there is no requirement to internally (via a built-in PAL/NTSC Converter in the DVD player) convert BR PAL DVD's to NTSC to view on most HD display sets?  Did I get that part right?  For this post, I'm assuming that we're talking about HDMI in/out connections.

For me, there are some pre-90's movie titles that are available in BR that tempt me ("The Deep") where a particular movie hasn't seen a re-issued (std) anamorphic release but just me, there's not yet enough titles out there for me to enter the mkt.  That said, I am happy for fellow DVD collectors that the BR mkt is releasing titles for their purchases.

Hey, Is this thread about the Universal Vault Series or about what is in BR and regions for BR. Let's get back on the thread subject shall we. As a moderator Crawdaddy you seem to have broken your own rules

I am wondering how often (monthly) will universal be releasing titles?  We we get on a regular basis like Warners?

For those interested, a list of pre-90's films available on Blu-ray (USA) is maintained in this thread:

 www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/290295/pre-90s-catalog-on-blu-a-comprehensive-list

And a similar non-USA list is here:

www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/292440/pre-90-s-catalog-titles-on-blu-ray-disc-a-non-usa-alternately-comprehensive-list

Wes,

Perhaps, you need to refresh your knowledge of our rules because I didn't break any of them while you just did, with your complaint aimed at me as a moderator.


http://www.hometheaterforum.com/wiki/terms-of-service




Crawdaddy

I've been wondering the same thing, as I just ordered "Tell Them Willie Boy is Here" and "The List of Adrian Messenger" from them.  I hope to have the latter by Monday to view while the former hasn't shipped yet. 

 

 

 

 

 

Crawdaddy
 

Jeff,

There is no PAL/NTSC conversion for BRD as long as the material is in high definition.  However, certain studios do enforce the region requirement by making their BRDs non-region free.  Those studios are Fox and Disney.  Studios such as Warner, Universal, Paramount and Sony release their BRDs as region free for the most part.

Also, do checkout the link Glenn provided as it is very informative on pre-1990 titles on BRD.




Crawdaddy

Crawdaddy,

Your list is impressive and thanks for providing it. I noticed just a couple of others right off the top of my head:

The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

All three That's Entertainment! films are available on Blu-ray (I reviewed the set for this site.)

The Music Man arrives the first week of February.

Is it really news that the latest hollywood offerings as well as the various AFI Top 100-type entries are getting put out on Blu?   You want to impress me?  Show me something that's not been given an SD release.  Otherwise we're just re-plowing the same old turf and actually losing ground in the process.

Yes, I know the format isn't mature enough to be at that point yet.  My point is, with every user who jumps into Blu swearing that they'll not make the same mistake they did with SD and actually be more discerning about their purchases, this whole thing is sort of doomed to confine itself to only the biggest sellers, from a catalog perspective.

Crawdaddy,

Thanks for the info.  My apologies for the OT R-free posts.

I'll check out that BR link.

Matt, that's interesting about "The Diary Of Anne Frank" ('59).  That one's one of my all-timers.  I recenty bought the WS std edition and enjoyed a re-view.

Matt,

As I stated, I knew I forgot some titles in my haste to compile the listing like "That's Entertainment III" and "The Music Man".  All of the titles in my listing are titles in my actual Blu-ray collection except for the titles not released yet.  I haven't bought "The Diary of Anne Frank" yet as I'm patiently waiting to get a good deal on that title.  Therefore, there are more pre-1980 titles out on Blu-ray not mentioned in my list.






Crawdaddy

If I hadn't reviewed them (TE and Anne Frank), I probably wouldn't have remembered them myself.

How about The African Queen. Yes probably a Top 100 AFI kind of film, but no SD DVD release. As to Non-AFI top 100 type classic films, what exactly are you looking for in terms of classic films?

Doug

I can't answer for Scott (mdnitoil), but I think what he was getting at is that the majority of BR releases of any older catalog films have already been out on SD, so starting to release these same titles all over again on a new format just slows down (once again) the release of the hundreds of films (actually thousands) that have never made it even to SD yet, and sometimes not even to VHS.   I agree, in this economy, these titles may still have never come out, but starting all over again at point 'A' with rereleases of WIZARD OF OZ and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, et al, is just so boring for the 1,000th time.  Some of us want titles that haven't been out before and that's why the DVD-R programs are our only option at this stage.

I have nothing against BR.  Out of Crawdaddy's list of catalog BR films above, I do think that most of them are the AFI type top films that have been reissued many times over the years and none of them have ever been rare or OOP from VHS on.  There are no obscurities there.  I own about 40 of the titles on that BR list, but mine are all on SD.   Would I switch them all for the BR versions instead if I could blink and make it all happen?  Sure!  But I don't care about it that much and would rather spend my time and money on films never released before.  My favorite film has still not even seen a SD release and is rotting away in MGM's vaults.  I would die for a DVD-R of that and would probably pay $100 for it.   But I'm not interested in repurchasing any of the top 100 AFI films anymore.  I already own all the ones I want and they look great.  Not as good as BR, of course, but SD is totally fine for what I get from these films.   It would just be nice to get some never released films instead of the same stuff over and over and over and over again.

Warner Archives is releasing seriously obscure tv-movies, silents, classics, cult films, and so forth, many of them have never been on homevideo before.  MGM and now Universal are following to a degree and I'm thrilled.  I hated the idea of DVD-R at first, but I've come to the conclusion that I'd rather pay the exorbitant $20 for a barebones DVD-R of a very rare film instead of paying $10-$15 for another reissue of THE GRADUATE, but this time it's on BR.   But I know we're all different and are looking for different things to spend our money on.  So BR can flourish with the usual big titles and the rest of us can live in the DVD-R world.  Some may live in both.  It's all good.

To get back on topic, I am also eagerly awaiting whatever Universal titles may get announced next.  There are quite a few rarities that made it to VHS, but not DVD, that I would die for.

I thought I'd weigh-in with my opinion on "Resurrection". When it dipped to $14.95 I decided to go ahead and go for it. I'm glad I did, it looks really good for an MOD release. It's obviously been remastered at some point, I hardly noticed any dirt and debris. It is anamorphic, as someone else said. It's not a perfect transfer, but it's in the ballpark and I'm thrilled to death to finally have this film.

It came shrinkwrapped with artwork that mimics Universal DVDs. The odd thing is there's no menu. You pop the disc in, there's the FBI warning, and then the film starts. And it plays in a loop, once the end credits are over it just starts again. Not complaining, just stating the facts. :)

My question is: is there any kind of schedule for Universal's releases like with WB? When is the next round of titles due to be announced, and is there a good site to follow that has complete details?

Well I think the main reason for that, is that in a niche market (classic films) those are the ones that sell well enough to make it worth while to release. That is why I like the Vault or Archive programs. They release films, tv movies and some TV shows that would other wise never see the light of day.
Doug

I live in both worlds and life is very good to me.

I can't wait until my two Universal titles get to me so I can judge these DVD-R releases against what Warner Archive is doing.

Also, it would be nice to know what else is coming from Universal as they have many of their own titles plus a tremendous amount of old Paramount titles they can release on DVD-R.






Crawdaddy

They compare very favorably. Universal definitely has the edge in packaging and fulfillment via Amazon...but it, and MGM's program via Amazon, are in serious need of marketing savvy. If a DVD-R falls in the forest, and no one's there to hear it...seriously, without online forums who would ever have known these were in place? (I trust we'll keep each other informed on new developments.)

I just bought two more Universal titles for 14.24 each.  I hope to have them next week to view and will post my comments about them.





Crawdaddy