Universal To Celebrate 100 Years in 2012 - Page 2

As is Cape Fear.
Edited by Worth - 11/17/11 at 8:48am

Yes, I should have that BRD by the end of this week.

 

My hope for Universal's 100th is a big DVD box of classic monsters with the best quality prints of all of the films modeled on the Abbott & Costello Box and including all the films in the monster legacy collections (except maybe CFTBL), the 1943 Phantom, the Bela Lugosi Collection films (released before on DVD-18s), and some new content like Secret of the Blue Room and the 1931 Shadow shorts. I also would like to see Universal continue their Backlot collections, expecially with an Alan Ladd set. On BRD, I would like top quality issues of Rear Window and Vertigo and maybe some of the monster films or something from John Wayne.

In case anyone is interested, the 1941 Wolfman is on netflix streaming in HD.

Doug

Unfortunately, I'm not region-free capable.  Hopefully, Universal will release a blu-ray version ("The Shadow") here in the

states.

Quote:

 

 

A region free"Touch of Evil" is available from Amazon UK -

...as is Silent Running. HTF'ers locked to Region A might be interested in this post from another forum:

When my Touch of Evil arrives, I'll see if the same workround applies...

I could argue that my theory might have made it at least through the day if that was it, but the simultaneous announcement of HONEY 2, the Audrina Patridge classic, just completely chastised me. 

 

I'd like to see either a DVD OR a Blu-ray of the 1930 Technicolor musical "King of Jazz"! My old VHS is wearing thin!

I was going to joke about getting some Maria Montez movies, Deanna Durbin movies, Francis the mule movies....

So far we're getting Billy Elliot on January. My optimism is gone. No offense to that movie's fans, I just mean that it looks like it's just going to be a bunch of popular movies of the last 20 years, and the press release says re-issues are going to be part of the cellebration too, so maybe not all titles are even going to be new to blu-ray.... what a waste.

well that latest criterion newsletter does have a chimp, maybe we are getting a criterion Bedtime For Bonzo??

That's a clue for BEING JOHN MALKOVICH

I'm sure the vast majority of movies will be less than 30 years old but I think there will be some Hitchcock titles too. I wouldn't be hopeful for much else before 1980 though. And I guess Jaws is supposed to be coming.

I wouldn't say that just yet. As well as the titles already mooted, a reliable source tells me the Universal Monsters on heading our way; which ones, how many, I couldn't say however.

Yours and mine both! In fact, I try not to play it too much knowing that it's got to last for a while longer.

 

Hitchock, Jaws and E.T. would be great titles to pick up.

Universal is basically the worst company when it comes to not destroying catalogue titles. It's too bad GE doesn't simply sell their whole library to someone with at least some track record technical competency.

It does work with Touch of Evil.  When the wrong region notice appears, you need to press the stop button then go to your menu and from there, it will play on Region A players.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crawdaddy

 

Oddly, that doesn't work with my MR Oppo.

Oh my god...It works!...on my one Region B-locked blu-ray (so far), the Masters of Cinema Metropolis. 

 

Player is the Panasonic BDT100 series (specifically, the 107 bundled with the VT25 at Best Buy last year).

 

A THOUSAND THANKS!!

 

Either it simply doesn't work on some players, or maybe just those that are already MR enabled (in which case the issue is moot). Anyway, Touch of Evil in 1080p - fabulous...

My Samsung P3600 is not one of the players the workaround works on (unless I'm doing it wrong).

NBC/UNIVERSAL is now owned by Comcast, not GE, and I imagine their interest in the studio is partially because of the library of titles. They've owned it less than a year so far and I'm hopeful that as they explore all the material they now have access to that they'll begin a serious restoration and archiving process to preserve their assets for the future. And hopefully that'll lead to some better quality Blu-Ray releases in the future than what they've often given us so far from the catalog titles.

 

I hope your correct, but they were one of the purchasers of MGM with Sony before the last Chapter 11 and did nothing with that library except to put some of the titles ON DEMAND.  I thought Comcast's interest's lies in the cable channels and NBC.  The film library along with the amusement parks seem to be just tag-a-longs. 
 

 

Mention is made of wanting to see titles from Universal's c1912-1929 start on DVD for the 100 years celebrations but this is a hard road because Universal had a New York? fire in 1923 and deliberately scoured the vaults for a lot of material for silver content drives in 1947 and this was mostly silent material. Sure some material is available found elsewhere but the outlook is not too good for what might appear choice material in the catalog of titles they made in that period. 

I don't believe Universal ever had any of the M-G-M library in that deal. It was Fox and Sony that shared M-G-M titles and Fox is issuing many of the M-G-M catalog titles, though not always in the best versions (in my opinion).

 

I think you miss understood my comment.  Universal never did have any control of the MGM library. But the 2004 purchase of MGM by Sony was backed by Comcast and private equity firms TPG Capital, L.P., DLJ and Providence Equity.  Sony really wanted the library to help support their Blu-ray program, since at the time they were in a format war with HD-DVD.  Comcast had access to the library. but did relatively nothing with is except for use on their On Demand Channels.  After their last Chapter 11, Comcast, Sony and the investors have lost just about everything they put into is.  Except Sony now distributes MGM pictures and MGM also co-finances film with Sony. 

 

Comcast just does not seem to have any interest in the Universal library just as they did not have an interest in the MGM library.  MGM had at the time a few cable networks and that was what Comcast was interested in, just as they are watering at the mouth now that they own the Universal cable networks.  What we will see out Universal is what they are able to do for the 100 anniversary and any outside deals they can make with 2nd parties. 

 

What Comcast should do is partner with Fox on their Movie Classic Channel and try to give TCM a run for their money.  That would cause Universal to go back and work on their and the early Paramount titles.  We might get a benefit from this in the form of more MOD's or launch label with Fox that would be sold over their channel. 
 

 

TCM has nothing to worry about. I recently saw that Fox Movie Channel, starting in January, is adding commercials and recent movies in an attempt to...whatever, do something. Make money, clearly.

Say it ain't so! Going the way of AMC! How tragic for us movie lovers. Argh!

 

I remember FMC being good a decade or so ago when I was on DirecTV for a short time, but I've had Comcast since then and they have never offered the channel.  But what lousy news to hear those plans.  Just lousy.