Is the b&w era of TV on DVD slowly coming to an end? (1 Viewer)

[Professor Echo]

It seems obvious, at least on the surface, that this movie was not geared toward older fans of previous incarnations of the character, which could create the impression of disrespect. Whether that's an accurate assessment or not has to be made by those who see the movie or from a consensus of trusted reactions from others who have. I am not too familiar with the character or its history and I haven't seen the new movie, so I can only comment on the reviews I've read and the general impression from fans of the original who have posted here and elsewhere.

 

[Gary OS]

Having seen the movie, I don't feel that it's particularly disrespectful to the character or its previous incarnations.

I've not seen the film (and never will), but a friend I highly respect has seen it and he disagrees with your assessment above. Because he and I have similar tastes I'm inclined to believe he's correct, but to each his own.


Gary "still enjoying Rawhide S6 and HGWT S6" O.

 

[TravisR]

^ I guess it depends on what each person considers to be disrespectful. Personally, I don't have a problem with some jokes being made at the expense of any fictional character but I'm sure there many people who have no sense of humor about that kind of thing and think that even one joke at the expense of a character that they love makes the movie the most disrespectful thing ever made. People have varying degrees of what they will and won't accept.

If they had made a good movie that had some jokes at the character's expense, I would be quite happy with this movie. However, they made a bad movie that had some jokes at the character's expense and the lack of quality would be why I wouldn't recommend people see it.

 

[Gary OS]

Great news, per Chris (Silverking) in another thread: Mackenzie's Raiders - the complete series - due for release on October 8th.


Gary "another neat b/w western I'll be looking forward to" O.

 

[Randy Korstick]

I'm looking forward to this one as well Gary. Also hoping we'll see Tombstone Territory Seasons 2 and 3 soon, most likely as one set since season 2 was only 8 episodes.
I'm also hoping that Timeless can get the rights to Bat Masterson Season 3 since TGG apparently doesn't have the rights to it.

Great news, per Chris (Silverking) in another thread: Mackenzie's Raiders - the complete series - due for release on October 8th.


Gary "another neat b/w western I'll be looking forward to" O.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Everything now has to be over the top. Something can't just be loud, it has to be deafening. It can't be quiet, it has to be so far below the threshold of human hearing, it's inaudible. It can't be risque, it has to be filthy. It can't be fast moving, it has to be so fast it's incomprehensible. It can't be slow, it has to be glacial.

You're definitely right about that. In a lot of older films, when they dealt with mature subject matter, they had a way of doing it so that, if a child happened to be watching it, it would be so far over his head that it wouldn't be noticed. Scenes like that are in The Maltese Falcon where Mary Astor says something to Bogart like, "If I can't buy your loyalty with money, what can I buy it with?" Bogart then kisses her and the screen fades out. In It's a Wonderful Life, there is a great scene where George Baily is talking with Burt and Ernie and Violet walks by. Ernie says, "How would you like to . . . ." George interrupts him with a "Yes," whereupon Burt announces that he's going to go home and see what the wife is doing.

 

[LouA]

Great news, per Chris (Silverking) in another thread: Mackenzie's Raiders - the complete series - due for release on October 8th.


Gary "another neat b/w western I'll be looking forward to" O.

Great news.

I'm looking forward to this one as well Gary. Also hoping we'll see Tombstone Territory Seasons 2 and 3 soon, most likely as one set since season 2 was only 8 episodes.
I'm also hoping that Timeless can get the rights to Bat Masterson Season 3 since TGG apparently doesn't have the rights to it.

I'm looking forward to getting this . I wonder if Timeless can get the rights to Black Saddle , and The Rough Riders .

 

[oldtvshowbuff]

Great news.

I'm looking forward to getting this . I wonder if Timeless can get the rights to Black Saddle , and The Rough Riders .

Maybe TMG could go for other westerns as well, like Johnny Ringo, Law of the Plainsman, and The Westerner, starring Brian Keith, in which there were only 13 episodes in that series.

 

[Silverking]

'Johnny Ringo,' 'The Westerner,' 'Black Saddle' & I think 'Law of the Plainsman'were all Four Star productions, so not likely unfortunately.'Rough Riders' was ZIV,as was 'Pony Express'.There was also 'Man Without a Gun','Legend of Jesse James' 'Man from Blackhawk' 'Hotel De Paree' ' The Californians' 'Boots & Saddles' 'Jefferson Drum'' The Loner' & several other 1/2 hour black & white westerns. Probably too obscure for release now.

 

[Richard V]

'Johnny Ringo,' 'The Westerner,' 'Black Saddle' & I think 'Law of the Plainsman'were all Four Star productions, so not likely unfortunately.'Rough Riders' was ZIV,as was 'Pony Express'.There was also 'Man Without a Gun','Legend of Jesse James' 'Man from Blackhawk' 'Hotel De Paree' ' The Californians' 'Boots & Saddles' 'Jefferson Drum'' The Loner' & several other 1/2 hour black & white westerns. Probably too obscure for release now.

Of that group, I would mostly love to see The Californians, mostly.

 

[David_B_K]

Travis, I think the reason why some of us here want the movie to fail is to send a signal to the studios that this is not the type of treatment a pop culture icon deserves.Of course, knowing the studios as I do they will invariably miss that particular signal and place all the blame on it being a western and/or the character being unknown to today's target audience. That will definitely account for a large part of it should it fail, but I also hope they will read the numerous negative reviews from critics who disparaged their misguided and disrespectful portrayal of a once popular, legendary American media figure.

I heard yesterday that the poor showing of the new Lone Ranger movie is indeed being blamed on its being "a western".

In a way, I guess that's true. Movie genres do go in cycles in terms of popularity. The current movie cycle genres appear to be CGI effects laden super-hero movies or kid's animated movies. I was turned off by the trailer to The Lone Ranger when I saw that a movie that should have been a western had been turned into another CGI fest.

The other movie mentioned as a "failed western" was Cowboys and Aliens. It would be interesting to see what a "real" western would do.

 

[JoeDoakes]

The other movie mentioned as a "failed western" was Cowboys and Aliens. It would be interesting to see what a "real" western would do.

The reboot of True Grit did quite well.

 

[oldtvshowbuff]

Shotgun Slade starring Scott Brady from Universal still could be a complete series possibility, and Men Into Space starring William Lundigan from MGM, the latter is more likely than the former, since TMG is on an MGM binge! They might be done with NBC Universal.

 

[Richard V]

Shotgun Slade starring Scott Brady from Universal still could be a complete series possibility, and Men Into Space starring William Lundigan from MGM, the latter is more likely than the former, since TMG is on an MGM binge! They might be done with NBC Universal.

If they are, I hope they re-release updated Laramie Seasons 3&4 before they ride off into the NBC/Universal sunset.

 

[Professor Echo]

I love ZIV shows, but MEN INTO SPACE is one ZIV show I wasn't all that impressed with. It seemed to be the same story every week. As a space age relic, it's ok, but I don't think I would ever buy it.

 

[LouA]

The first half of 2013 has actually been very good in terms of B&W releases . And we have Mckenzie's Raiders , and Harbor Command coming up soon. Let's hope the second half of 2013 is just as productive.

 

[Gary OS]

I'm almost a third of the way through S6 of Rawhide and it's still holding up well for me as a series. Still plenty of beautiful location shooting, and the plots are decent, if not somewhat recycled from time to time. Ripcord looks to be solid, although I am disappointed they are cut.


Gary "hoping we hear some more b/w release news soon" O.

 

[Jeff Willis]

I'm almost a third of the way through S6 of Rawhide and it's still holding up well for me as a series. Still plenty of beautiful location shooting, and the plots are decent, if not somewhat recycled from time to time. Ripcord looks to be solid, although I am disappointed they are cut.


Gary "hoping we hear some more b/w release news soon" O.

I'm about 2/3 complete with S5. I miss "Pete Nolan" in this series as the trail scout. It's still one of the best Westerns in my collection but it wasn't the same after Sheb Wooley left the series imo.

 

[Gary OS]

I'm about 2/3 complete with S5. I miss "Pete Nolan" in this series as the trail scout. It's still one of the best Westerns in my collection but it wasn't the same after Sheb Wooley left the series imo.

I completely agree. After Sheb left the show wasn't quite the same for me either. I abhorred the late S4 and S5 experiment with "Clay Forester" as the new scout. I just hated his personality and never felt he fit in. I was glad they nixed him after S5. And "Pete Nolan" will return for some episodes in S7, so that will be nice.


Gary "long live Rawhide - my favorite western of all time" O.

 

[Silverking]

Season 6 of Rawhide was something of a mixed bag., has some excellent episodes 'Incident at Gil Flats' 'Incident at Hourglass' & some real duds 'incident of the Geisha' 'Incident of the Peyote Cup'. Overall the good outweighed the dull ones.

Hopefully we will get Season 7 this year, as apart from the last half season' this will wind the show up . Pete Nolan does return in Season 7, in the episodes 'Texas Fever' which is a bit odd as it seems to be stitched together from scenes in earlier segments.

With 'Wagon Train', 'The Virginian' Have Gun all completing their runs on disc this year, Cheyenne almost there, nearly all the major westerns are done & dusted.

As for B/W in general. We have had a good run lately and things are inevitably slowing up. In truth there are not many major shows left in the field apart from those previously discussed. Timeless appear to be hanging in, bless them, but with Shout calling the financial shots & that companys avowed policy of moving away from classic TV even this may change. Here in the UK, Network seem more interested in acquiring vintage films lately so the outlets for the older series are diminishing quite rapidly..