Marx Brothers News? (1 Viewer)

[Bob Furmanek]

I apologize if I missed any updates, but has a release date been set for the MCA/Paramount box set?

 

[Jaime_Weinman]

November 9.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Thanks very much Jaime. Does anyone know if better elements were located, or are some of the films still cut?

 

[Eric Peterson]

I'm waiting for reviews on this before I pick it up. I want it badly, but I don't trust anything that Universal releases.

 

[wayne pal]

Will this set include all the early marx bros. films?

the set that was released earlier this year had only a couple of their decent movies.

I'm hoping this set will have the coconuts---animal crackers
monkey business---duck soup

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

It will have ALL of those Wayne along with "Horse Feathers" too!

I just hope MGM can match the quality that was delivered earlier this year by Warners Bros. The bonus cartoon shorts, interviews and documentaries were all great and the cover art was one of the best I've seen yet, I hope MGM can offer something as equally impressive..

The new box art's already a bit of a let-down, looks like another public domain collection, but it's the content I'm really excited about!

 

[John Hodson]

Ditto. I'm not expecting anything like the quality of the Warners box; my betting is that it we'll be looking at a virtual replica (standard wise) of the R2 set.

 

[John Whittle]

MarcoBiscotti wrote "I just hope MGM can match the quality that was delivered earlier this year by Warners Bros."

These films are coming through Universal. They purchased the pre-1948 Paramount Library which had these titles. I'm waiting for a review to see if they've found new pre-print or done any clean up. The same titles issued by Image under license from Universal had all the same problems the 16mm and 35mm prints have had for years--choppy in places, poor sound, poor or high contrast.

It would be a miracle if the original nitrate negatives still existed and could be used to make new fine grains for these transfers--but somehow I think that's just wishful thinking.

John

 

[Brian PB]

A missed opportunity to be sure ...

 

[Ben_@]

The only justification I have for getting this then is that these are my favorite Marx Bros. films. The fact that they are light on extras is not a major issue as the Warner set has so many to make up for this. But that's me being a complete optimist. (or is it optimist completist?)

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

These are some of the greatest comedies ever put to film and the best Universal could come up with for extras are a couple of Today Show interviews??



Too bad WB couldn't license these last year to compile the ultimate Marx Bros. set...

 

[Peter Svensson]

If it´s this set you mean it has not been restored:

http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Reviews...ws.asp?ID=3778

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

No, that review is for the old set of releases.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

So no word yet on whether it's worth upgrading from the Image set (except to get Horse Feathers)?

 

[John Whittle]

I have "Horse Feathers" as part of the Image release. I didn't buy a box set but got them one by one when they came out. But it was released.

I would upgrade if Universal has done anything to the masters, if they haven't it's a waste of money. If you don't have that one title, then it become a problem since Universal so far hasn't announced individual releases.

John

 

[Patrick McCart]

The lack of a lot of bonus features is kind of annoying, especially since Universal could at least put Walter Lantz cartoons as extras on the discs (like Warner did with their MGM/Warner cartoons).

However, it'll be nice to at least have the films ago.

As for remastering, I really hope Universal did it for all 5 films. Duck Soup doesn't look too bad, but the others had lots of print damage and mediocre video transfers. I'm optimistic... especially since they did a total remaster for The Invisible Man on the "Invisible Man" series Legacy set.

 

[Randy A Salas]

The set also comes in a custom package that resembles a thick (albeit somewhat flimsy) hardcover book, including a 40-page "booklet" that's bound into the cover. The booklet is light on text but does have lots of good, big photos, poster art and the equivalent of insert cards (chapter info) for each disc.

The Today Show interviews do appear to be the only disc-based extras. What's really bizarre is that the interviews get their own disc, a bonus sixth one, yet they total less than 15 minutes. That's right: This six-disc set has one disc whose contents are barely 15 minutes.

 

[Roger Rollins]

What a rip-off. I had a feeling this would be a rip-off.

I'm glad I didn't get rid of my Image versions of these titles.....

 

[Tory]

Perhaps there is more than meets the eye about the bonus disc?

 

[Derek Estes]

I was really hoping these collections (Marx and Fields) would be worth while, I was hoping they would turn to Mae West next. But, if these are junk, who cares. Why can't Universal get things together? It is a shame that the rich Paramount library, is treated so poorly.