What TODD-AO bluray will FOX release next?

Fox release another Todd-AO film? Highly doubtful

We know that "Cleopatra" is in the works...so I hope that's next! It's the title I want most on Blu!

I hope CLEOPATRA comes out soon!!! It will be simply amazing!!!! Can't wait!

Andrew, where did you hear that CLEOPATRA is in the works?

While I'm sure that more classic titles are in the works, I don't see any studios trying to have competing "classic" Blu-ray releases.

 

 

As much as I hold out hope against hope, I'd love to see the Tood AO version of OKLAHOMA finally released. The question is how would they convert a 30fps release?

Presumably they'd release it as a 1080i60 release.

I suppose they'll release Cleopatra in time to tie-in with the Angelina Jolie remake--due in 2013. Meanwhile, I wish they'd do Around the World in 80 Days as a blu-ray, but that's Warners...

Even at 1080i,/60fps, I'd still grab that up!!

I have a feeling we'll see "Cleopatra" on blu-ray long before 2013 

I watched Cleopatra last night, from my old DVD set, & I thought it looked fantastic (on a 42" plasma). I know the BD will look better (if they get the colour grading right), but I think some people have just shut themselves off from DVD, which I think still looks great as long as you're not projecting it too big.

As someone who has to review a fair number of DVDs, I concur. The recent Fate Is the Hunter looked superb upconverted. If that's the best we ever get that film, I will be more than satisfied. And as I've stated many times before, films like Gypsy and Doctor Dolittle, which I dearly hope will one day be brought to us on Blu-ray, look smashing on DVD right now.

I also want more 70MM, but how about some light-themed fare. Mostly we have the war epics and honestly I'm getting tired of only watching war and action films on blu-ray. Luckily we got "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" this year and "West Side Story" is coming (though I wouldn't call WSS light themed fare)

 

My Fair Lady? - why isn't this film on blu ray?????

Hello, Dolly?

Doctor Dolittle?

Star?

Oklahoma?

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines?

Can-Can?

 

 

The studios seem to be hung up on guy movies. For every 250 actions films we get one musical

 

approx 8,000 action films have been released on blu

less than 30 musicals have been released on blu

 

 

 

The Wizard of oz

An American in Paris

A Star is Born

Gigi

South Pacific

West Side Story

The Music Man

Viva Las Vegas

The Sound of Music

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Scrooge

Willy Wonka and the Choclate Factory

Fiddler on the Roof

Tommy

The Rocky Horror picture Show

Grease

The Wiz

Hair

Moulin Rogue

Chicago

The Phantom of the Opera

Rent

Dreamgirls

Hairspray

Sweeney Todd

Nine

 

 

 

Edited by GMpasqua - 8/11/11 at 2:16pm

I'm crossing my fingers it's the Todd-AO Oklahoma! looking as it should look and nothing like that horror we got in the last Oklahoma! DVD set.
 

 

Shall we review our list of disappointments about Oklahoma! and maybe other R&H titles so they might go on record and perhaps make a difference?

I got the feeling in that last DVD release of Oklahoma! that it was Fox's desire for the Cinemascope version to be deemed the de facto standard for the movie. Its transfer if I recall was acceptably sharp with good color and acceptable sound, and it was placed first in the set with the Todd-AO version placed behind it almost as if it were a bonus feature rather than the main feature.

 

I don't think there is much doubt that most fans of Oklahoma! prefer the Todd-AO version hands down.though naturally we'd like to have both versions in HD.

 

I had never seen the Todd-AO version before the laserdisc was issued, and I was awestuck at the quality of the image and the splendid audio track.

 

So I really hope the upcoming R&H box contains an Oklahoma! that its makers would be proud of.

Totally agreed. When all it takes is a look at the film itself to figure out which is the best version, and there is more than enough historical evidence, not to mention many people they could have asked... for SOMEONE at Fox to have decided to feature the 2nd rate version and palm off the obviously superior version as a supplement, is, to say the least, troubling. It's as simple as holding out two of the same kind of cookies in front of a kid... if they seem otherwise identical, won't he reach for the bigger one?

That said, and hopefully on topic, have you noticed that BluRay hasn't exactly been handled as a premium product? Especially on catalog titles, but new releases as well. Start with the packaging, to the menus that are often harder to read and navigate if they are there at all. Then we come to the sad fact that unlike with Laserdisc and many DVDs, the first release in the newer format is not always a full upgrade.

Shouldn't one hope that studios will give some consideration for those of us who have made them lots of money by buying the same titles over and over again? Instead of considering our position, and realizing that good word of mouth from the fans can have a ripple affect to others, it seems they just seek to exploit us by dismissively assuming "the fans will buy it anyway" as they shamelessly double and triple dip into our wallets which they clearly take for granted. I quote that statement about the fans often because frankly, I heard it directly from the head of a major studio's homevideo department.

I can name three catalog releases from Fox that were given a great treatment on DVD, nice packaging that wisely used the original key art, generous supplements, even cool paper extras like souvenir book reprints... And the one of them that has made it to Blu Ray kept most of the material on the disc, but is packaged like any other BRD and without any printed matter at all.

I can also name three catalog titles Fox handled badly on DVD, with careless, inaccurate transfers, thoughtless presentation, missing material from the previous release, with cheap, tacky packaging and menus that looked like they just threw a handful of photos and some standard fonts at a high school kid and took the first thing they threw together. These three were released at a cheaper price, but I think anyone who likes these films would have been happy to pay the extra price for the kind of classy product the other three turned out to be.

I tried to spark up a couple of these threads because it appeared that we might have a genuinely interested "insider" who might listen and take some of this feedback to heart, but it sadly turns out not to be the case. I googled the definition of "Public Relations" and got this: "Noun: The professional maintenance of a favorable public image by an organization or a famous person.... The state of the relationship between the public and a company or other organization or a famous person." If someone's very function is to maintain a positive communication between consumer and merchant, it seems kinda disingenuous for them to turn up their nose and bolt at a perceived slight. I would expect the professional response to be: "Can you clarify what you mean?" or "I hear you, and though i can't give a final answer, I will be happy to pass your feedback along", rather than something dismissive like "Who the heck are YOU? Whatever, buh-bye."

As I've witnessed before, often ego and self-service takes a higher priority from a politicized corporate establishment than integrity. Art vs. commerce. Lose one, the other suffers, but the corporate politicos won't accurately attribute lower sales and negative reaction to anything THEY have done, they'll blame the product or the consumer, for the result of their own careless handling. Not surprised, really, disappointed nonetheless.
Edited by NY2LA - 2/19/12 at 12:22pm