Taking stock of M.I.A. Paramount Blu-rays... (1 Viewer)

[Jobla]

I want:BLOOD AND ROSESTHE PSYCHOPATH (1966)ADAM AT 6 A.M.

 

[Robin9]

Robin, I had an original 35mm IB Tech print of GGG back in the 1990s. It was pretty darn spectacular, with beautiful color, contrast and tight grain. The blue Hawaiian ocean was unbelievably gorgeous. Dye-transfer Technicolor was a very special treat. If they could translate that into a BD it would be fantastic. Yeah, if Paramount is just going to sit on stuff like this, Blue Hawaii, Fun In Acapulco, Roustabout (I had each of these in 35mm Tech as well), and all the other Paramount films mentioned, please do give them to Olive.

I envy you that IB Tech print. As for the blue Hawaiian ocean, this is how the DVD makes it look, grainy and ugly:

And this is what the DVD has done to the lush young femininity of Stella Stevens:

The film did not look like that when it was new.

 

[Yorkshire]

Certainly Witness and Play it Again, Sam.

Witness would (should?) look gorgeous.

Play It Again, Sam - you know, I'm hoping MGM get their act together with a more comprehensive release programme for Woody Allen - if they do, maybe the other studios will put out their odss & sodds, as has happened with Hitchcock.

Steve W

 

[John Hermes]

I envy you that IB Tech print. As for the blue Hawaiian ocean, this is how the DVD makes it look, grainy and ugly:

Girls, Girls, Girls 7.png

And this is what the DVD has done to the lush young femininity of Stella Stevens:

Girls, Girls, Girls 15.png

The film did not look like that when it was new.

That top picture, in particular, is ridiculous. No, the two Elvis movies I had from that 1962-63 period (GGG and FIA) were simply beautiful. They had perfect contrast, were super sharp, with dazzling color, and none of that noisy grain seen in your capture. I've never seen anything in the video world which could approach the blue ocean of that 35mm IB Tech print. Paramount needs to go back to their original negatives and make new scans on modern machines. I'm sure they would have some real winners. I'm looking forward to see how the French releases (if they don't come out here) in September of Hatari! and El Dorado look. We might get an indication of how the Paramount Elvis titles could appear. I also had a 35mm IB Tech of Frankie & Johnny but that was a UA film. On that note, when will MGM put out at least anamorphic DVD versions of that title and Follow That Dream? We've been stuck with those letterboxed DVDs forever.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I'll be buying Hatari from France if the picture quality is good, but not El Dorado which I saw for the first time on UK television last week. I didn't like it (nor Rio Bravo). I put on In Harm's Way today (my favourite of the Duke's non-western films), wonderful performances all round. Pity it wasn't filmed in colour in 70mm. Bring on the blu-ray.

 

[Jeff Cooper]

Whatever happened to titles like "Team America" and "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" that are actually included in their "coming to blu ray" trailers from way back when, but never materialized?

 

[Alan Tully]

Whatever happened to titles like "Team America" and "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" that are actually included in their "coming to blu ray" trailers from way back when, but never materialized?

In the UK there's a pre-order for Team America, released on 9th September, it's coming from Paramount, so I'd expect an American release, but you never know these days.

 

[John Hermes]

I'll be buying Hatari from France if the picture quality is good, but not El Dorado which I saw for the first time on UK television last week. I didn't like it (nor Rio Bravo). I put on In Harm's Way today (my favourite of the Duke's non-western films), wonderful performances all round. Pity it wasn't filmed in colour in 70mm. Bring on the blu-ray.

Hmmm...I guess everyone has their own opinion. I really like El Dorado, it's one of my favorite JW films. I like it more than Rio Bravo. Heck, I like Rio Lobo more than Rio Bravo - there's an opinion for you. The B&W of In Harm's Way is fine with me. It gives it more of a WWII feel. The film has great U.S. Navy and period atmosphere.

 

[Ethan Riley]

I can just barely tolerate watching DVDs on modern equipment...to me, they now look like QuickTime movies. So anything they release on blu is appreciated. My short list includes The Court Jester, Lil Abner and Ragtime. Anything would be great too--

 

[Mark-P]

I'll be buying Hatari from France if the picture quality is good, but not El Dorado which I saw for the first time on UK television last week. I didn't like it (nor Rio Bravo). I put on In Harm's Way today (my favourite of the Duke's non-western films), wonderful performances all round. Pity it wasn't filmed in colour in 70mm. Bring on the blu-ray.

Do you feel this way about all black & white films or just this one in particular? I think B&W photography lends itself to the tone of WWII. I couldn't imagine a movie like The Longest Day in color. It would completely destroy the mood. And in more recent times, Steven Spielberg desaturated the color for Saving Private Ryan as did Clint Eastwood in Flags of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima.

 

[Keith Cobby]

Mark-P: Just this one. It has tremendous scope and grandeur, there is not a bad performance by anyone. I suppose I am comparing it with films like Patton and The Battle of the River Plate, both large format colour films. We are so used to seeing WWll in b & w through newsreels and films like the Longest Day that when we see colour newsreels it takes on a surreal appearance.

The only genre I don't like b & w is westerns with the exceptions of High Noon and 3:10 to Yuma.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Mark-P: Just this one. It has tremendous scope and grandeur, there is not a bad performance by anyone. I suppose I am comparing it with films like Patton and The Battle of the River Plate, both large format colour films. We are so used to seeing WWll in b & w through newsreels and films like the Longest Day that when we see colour newsreels it takes on a surreal appearance.

The only genre I don't like b & w is westerns with the exceptions of High Noon and 3:10 to Yuma.

What about Red River. ?

 

[Matt Hough]

There are SO many black and white westerns that I love. I just rewatched The Ox-Bow Incident last week, and I can't imagine that movie in anything but black and white. I'm not sure it would have the same impact as a color film. Red River, My Darling Clementine, The Gunfighter, Stagecoach. Black and white is essential for them, I think.

 

[JoeDoakes]

I thought i did read somewhere that The Paralax View is coming out on blu-ray soon.

I hope so. IMO it's certainly the best paranoid thriller ever made. It really deserves a blu release.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Mark-P: Just this one. It has tremendous scope and grandeur, there is not a bad performance by anyone. I suppose I am comparing it with films like Patton and The Battle of the River Plate, both large format colour films. We are so used to seeing WWll in b & w through newsreels and films like the Longest Day that when we see colour newsreels it takes on a surreal appearance.

The only genre I don't like b & w is westerns with the exceptions of High Noon and 3:10 to Yuma.

Actually, my love for westerns had its foundation based on black and white westerns. I won't even attempt to list the number of black and white westerns I consider as good if not superior to most westerns filmed in color. Furthermore, most of us in the early 60s didn't even have color TVs so even the color westerns were shown in black and white at home including all of those western TV series. My love for black and white films has no bounds because I will never forget how those films were the basis for my love of westerns and for film in general.

 

[Mark-P]

And to tie this all back into Paramount and Blu-ray, I just received my Blu-ray copy of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence from Amazon UK. Very pretty Black & White Western!

 

[John Hermes]

Actually, my love for westerns had its foundation based on black and white westerns. I won't even attempt to list the number of black and white westerns I consider as good if not superior to most westerns filmed in color. Furthermore, most of us in the early 60s didn't even have color TVs so even the color westerns were shown in black and white at home including all of those western TV series. My love for black and white films has no bounds because I will never forget how those films were the basis for my love of westerns and for film in general.

I really don't care if a picture is B&W or color. Part of it is because, like you said, I was brought up on B&W TV. I don't think my family had a color set until I was 16 or so. Then you watch films like The Apartment or Touch Of Evil, and they have that "feel" that only B&W can give. Don't get me wrong. I'm about the biggest lover of Technicolor you'll find, but each type of photography has its own merits.

 

[Rachael B]

Whatever happened to titles like "Team America" and "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" that are actually included in their "coming to blu ray" trailers from way back when, but never materialized?

Even though the DVD of Team America looks way above average, Josh Zyber said it was because it was so well lighted and that, "puppets don't sweat". I want a BD of it. I saw the same promo that you did.

 

[Rachael B]

And to tie this all back into Paramount and Blu-ray, I just received my Blu-ray copy of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence from Amazon UK. Very pretty Black & White Western!

I got that one a few weeks back. I concur that it looks very good. How in the world is it not released here, years ago?

 

[FoxyMulder]

Even though the DVD of Team America looks way above average, Josh Zyber said it was because it was so well lighted and that, "puppets don't sweat". I want a BD of it. I saw the same promo that you did.

All that energetic love making and still they don't sweat, it would be great to be a puppet for a day.