Anchor Bay to release The Anniversary w/ Bette Davis in 2005 (1 Viewer)

[Thomas T]

As part of their continuing license deal with 20th Century Fox, Anchor Bay's website shows that the cult flick The Anniversary (1968) with Bette Davis as the mother from Hell (and sporting an eye patch one year prior to John Wayne in True Grit) is on their 2005 release schedule.

For Davis fans, this is a real treat!

 

[Arnie G]

eye can't wait!

 

[DavidBC]

Is there a release date or a features list for this one yet?

 

[Charles H]

Where's THE NANNY? A very underrated performance by Davis!!

 

[Ron Morgan]

This is all the info about the release currently on the AB site:

"Continuing our Hammer Collection, this entry starring the late, great Bette Davis comes to DVD in late Fall of 2005 with a new restored transfer as well as a new audio commentary featuring director Roy Ward Baker and producer Jimmy Sangster.* This chilling thriller will have additional special features to be announced later."

I notice there is no "anamorphic widescreen" between the "restored" and "transfer." I hope this is simply an oversight in the description.

An Anchor Bay NANNY would also be nice. There was R2 DVD, but I read it was full-frame, which is a shame because AMC used to run a gorgeous letterboxed print back in the good old days.

 

[DavidBC]

We're running out of 2005 for this to be released in. Has there been an announcement? Is it delayed? Does anybody know anything more than me?

 

[Douglas R]

Chilling thriller? A black comedy but hardly a chilling thriller surely.

 

[Charles Ellis]

When you consider how the careers of Davis and Joan Crawford got a second wind with What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? and its aftermath, it's quite clear that it was Bette who got the better deal. Though Joan was smart to ask for a percentage of Baby Jane's profits, it was Bette who got the Oscar nomination and juicier parts. While Bette got more big-budget films (Where Love Has Gone, Dead Ringer) and intriguing lower-budgeted films that appealed to the art-house crowd like her two Hammer films, Joan got stuck doing exploitative flicks for drive-ins made by William Castle!! Even Joan's own Hammer ripoff Beserk paled in comparison to the layered suspense of The Nanny.

I do hope The Nanny gets a Region 1 release soon- definitely one of Bette's most underrated films, and The Anniversary is a hoot! Did you know that Bette was Warner Bros.' first choice to play Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? before screenwriter Ernest Lehman came up with the idea of using Elizabeth Taylor? Bette's performance as Mrs. Taggart in The Anniversary gives us a clue as to how she would've played Martha....

 

[DavidBC]

So nobody knows anything new?

 

[DavidBC]

Just thought I'd revive this old thread (again ) to see if anyone's heard anything about this title and the reason for its delay...

 

[John Stell]

DVD Planet has this up for preorder. Retail is $14.95 and the release date is 4/04/06.

 

[Paul Arnette]

John,

Thanks for the info. *Crosses fingers* It's about time!

 

[DavidBC]

Very excited about this one! It's been a LONG 2005 waiting for word of this one (as my post history on this thread can attest! )

 

[Miguel M Santos]

Any further news on this?

 

[John Hodson]

Here

 

[DavidBC]

Any reviews?

Anyone pick it up today?

I looked around but couldn't find it. The search continues tomorrow.

 

[Junior_V]

I got the DVD last week, and it was the first time I saw this movie, and I loved it. I am gonna watch it agin today to celebrate Bette's birthday