Fox Classic titles in June (1 Viewer)

[GregoryMesh]

I'm excited about Fox announcements as much as Warner's, but it seems in June they start re-releasing a bunch of title. Here's a list of titles coming in June, but it's just start and definitely more titles will come. All titles below have a list price of 19.98

June 5
The Neptune Factor
The Sand Pebbles - Special Edition
Twelve O'Clock High - Special Edition
Von Ryan's Express - Special Edition

June 12
Charley's Aunt
The Hustler - Collector's Edition
Jeeves Collection
The Three Musketeers
The Verdict - Collector's Edition

 

[Simon Howson]

Re-releases = boring

It would be OK if they did these along with a series of new releases, but when they just reissue a film it just comes across as a cash in.

 

[Bob Cashill]

Fox must be pretty desperate to call the toy-sub-in-a-fishtank "epic" THE NEPTUNE FACTOR a classic, unless its definition of classic is simply an old movie.

 

[GregoryMesh]

Sorry, that was my definition.

 

[Simon Howson]

I didn't think much of Island in the Sun, Quiller Memorandum or The Chairman which got the same treatment.

But sometimes it works the other way, Allan Dwan's B film The River's Edge got the Fox Studio Classics treatment, and although it is far from what most consider a classic film, I thought it was excellent.

 

[ted:r]

I'd be interested in how different the new "The Hustler" is, since it's one of my favorites of all time. Otherwise, I'd agree with Simon

 

[RafaelPires]

As far as I know, Charley's Aunt is not a re release.
And anyone knows which version of The Three Musketeers is gonna be released (1939 or 19373)? I hope will be the Don Ameche one.

 

[ChrisPearson]

There are a few items of potential interest here:

Charlie's Aunt: Presumably the 1941 Jack Benny version. Nice to have some more Benny on DVD at last.

The Three Musketeers: Maybe the 1939 Ritz Brothers version? Same comment for the Ritzes as for Benny, although I would have preferred a Ritz collection.

The Jeeves Collection: presumably Fox's two (?) Wodehouse adaptations with Arthur Treacher as Jeeves: Thank You, Jeeves (1936) and Step Lively, Jeeves (1937).

To my knowledge these are not reissues (?).

Edit: Rafael, I think we must have been posting at the same time!

 

[ChrisPearson]

The Don Ameche one is also the Ritz Bros one, so let's hope so...

 

[Charles Ellis]

The 1973 version directed by Richard Lester is already out.

 

[Thomas T]

Charley's Aunt and Neptune Factor are definite buys. I've already got the other titles and feel no need to upgrade to "special" editions.

 

[Charles H]

There was a memorable "Leave It to Beaver" episode in which Beaver had to do a book report on Dumas's THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and not having read the book, he sees the Ritz-Ameche version on tv the night before. Dumas foolishly omitted many incidents that were actually in the movie version. Lester's films were controlled by the Salkinds and Anchor Bay has released them. By the by, MGM/WB's THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1948) is simply one of the most gorgeous renderings of Technicolor that I've ever seen on dvd.

 

[Jay E]

I'll definitely wait & see what special features there are before I start re-buying some of those films.

The Neptune Factor is a guilty pleasure of mine that I never thought would make its way onto DVD so I'm very happy. It's really pretty bad, but I never get bored watching it. If you enjoy watching films like Night of the Lepus, then you might like this one.

 

[Charles H]

I would hope that THE MEANEST MAN IN THE WORLD would be included with CHARLEY'S AUNT. It's only 57 minutes long, and there's no other context that it could be released in. Certainly Fox surpasses WB in the number of their never-before-on-home-video releases. The Hemingway and Alice Faye boxes are awesome (all with restoration comparison and jaw-dropping special features). Letterboxed CINDERELLA LIBERTY, JOHN AND MARY, and THE TRUE STORY OF JESSE JAMES are revelations. Even the dire dismissable THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT is redeemed by an audio commentary by author Sheldon, director Jarrott, and producer Yablans. Be warned: It takes them 2 and a half hours to bring up "the Elephant in the Bedroom"--STAR WARS. And there is no mention whatsoever of "block booking."

 

[Joe Caps]

Some great news here - the Sand pebbles is the first release of the recently restored roadshow version with at least 14 - 18 mnutes of missing footage.

 

[Greg_M]

A Restored "The Sand Pebbles"! Definate purchase (I love this film) great news!

 

[MatthewA]

First South Pacific, now Sand Pebbles. I wonder what other cut films will have their uncut versions surface at long last? I definitely want to see what got cut.

 

[Greg_M]

Too bad FOX doesn't have the cut songs from the Roadshow "Doctor Dolittle" These may have been cut before the first week of release

 

[Matt Hough]

I'm not happy to see some films here that I've already purchased (TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH, THE VERDICT) in their first incarnations, but Fox did do some nice clean-up on ALL ABOUT EVE and HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY between the first issues and the later releases under the Studio Classics name, so I'll be reading the reviews carefully to see if the transfers are new and/or improved.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Surely the CE of The Hustler is just a repackaging? The current disc has flawless a/v and already has two commentaries, a documentary, and some trailers.