Warner Archive Discussion Thread (The Announcements/The Films) (1 Viewer)

[Miguel M Santos]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein /forum/thread/293104/warner-archive-discussion-thread-the-announcements-the-films/60#post_3614269

• Politics and Propaganda! - Controversial in their day, these films utilized the power of cinema to convey political thinking. Walter Huston stars as the mentally-impaired President in GABRIEL OVER THE WHITE HOUSE, THEY WON’T FORGET is director Mervyn LeRoy’s attack on prejudice, and, Edward G. Robinson’s CONFESSIONS OF A NAZI SPY takes on the growing threat of Nazis in New York, Margaret Sullivan and James Stewart co-star in the MGM classic THE MORTAL STORM, Ambassador Joseph Davies 1943 pro-Soviet movie MISSION TO MOSCOW and Lloyd Bridges stars in Herbert Biberman’s warning of Nazi theology in THE MASTER RACE• Legendary Ladies of the Silver Screen – Some of the most requested MGM titles in our vault make their debut! Myrna Loy charms Ramon Novarro in THE BARBARIAN, Spencer Tracy stars as a government agent in WHIPSAW, Warner Baxter falls for Myrna Loy in PENTHOUSE,

Why was still harbouring hopes for some of these as DVD releases, is beyond me. Surely PENTHOUSE could have made it to a Forbidden Hollywood set (especially if it's one of the most requested MGM titles) and THE MORTAL STORM deserves be released somewhere... And I still can't buy them, even if I want to...

 

[JeffMc]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein

• Trekkies will be Out of This World Over the Release of Gene Roddenberry’s Never Before Released TV Pilots “Planet Earth” and “Genesis II”

Correction: "PLANET EARTH" had a VHS release from Unicorn Video so it has been released before. Unless WB means never before released on DVD, but that would be for pretty much everything coming out on Archives.
Definitely picking up THE STRANGER WITHIN and several others of these new ones whenever there's a substantial discount and the price is right (if ever).

 

[jsmiller]

Originally Posted by Marcel H. /forum/thread/293104/warner-archive-discussion-thread-the-announcements-the-films/60#post_3614275
Frank Borzage.... Fritz Lang... c'mon Warner....

Rancho Notorious in the Archives?!! I know I should be happy with an R1 release, but, really, what a shame...

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

shameful... all of these titles deserve so much better.

the sad part is that I'd be willing to pay what WHV is charging for proper pressed discs at this point. it's clear that in the current economic situation, the cost of producing classic catalog discs marketed to "niche" audiences liek ourselves has driven up msrps. but the fact that the studio is inflating their prices, cheapening their product and still not delivering retail quality standards is just pitiful. Universal and Sony are releasing higher priced catalog titles but at least they're proper dvd's. I would buy nearly every one of the above listed films at the prices asked if only Warners would do the same. Instead I'll tivo them and import from other regions. Disgraceful that they'll release a bunch of Esther Williams slop but under the radar classics by master directors above get slapped on dvd-r like this.

 

[Thomas T]

Apparently, there are now more classic blu-ray releaes on Warners' release schedule than standard DVDs. That pretty much says it all, doesn't it? If it weren't for the Archives, we classic film fans would be starving!

 

[greylocke5]

Based on the organization of today's lengthy press release - I see the outlines of some future "Value Packs."

Most notably, packs that include:

1) the several TV miniseries;
2) Romantic Comedies from Hollywood's Golden Age;
3) Politics and Propaganda;
4) Legendary Ladies of the Silver Screen;
5) TV Movies released by Popular Demand!;
6) another 1950s Western/Action Heroes;
7) another sci-fi grouping including GENESIS II, PLANET EARTH, EARTH II, CITY BENEATH THE SEA, and MAN FROM ATLANTIS.
8) COMRADE X could be added to the recently released Hedy Lamar titles, and
9) BEAU BRUMMEL to the other early-50s Elizabeth Taylor titles.

It would be nice if they launched new value packs like they did with "Stars of The Wizard of Oz" pack, i.e., when the individual titles are first introduced. On the other hand, it may well be a long wait, like it has been for many of the other packs.

We are still waiting for a Katherine Hepburn pack and the Ladies of Warners (Lupino/Sheridan) pack. Many of these groupings include what I suspect will be top sellers; hence new value packs that include them probably won't be announced till sales of popular individual titles slow down to a crawl.

 

[Jay E]

Another mix of titles which gladdens and saddens me at the same time.

Rancho Notorious is out on DVD in the UK, so at least if you have a multi-region player, you can pick it up pressed.

 

[Colin McGuigan]

Originally Posted by Jay E /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Rancho Notorious is out on DVD in the UK, so at least if you have a multi-region player, you can pick it up pressed.

You can also get The Fastest Gun Alive, The Badlanders and The Sheepman in France.

 

[DeWilson]

Originally Posted by Livius /forum/thread/293104/warner-archive-discussion-thread-the-announcements-the-films/60#post_3614490
You can also get The Fastest Gun Alive, The Badlanders and The Sheepman in France.

Someone really needs to put together a list of what titles are available on R2 (With English tracks) That arn't available in R1 when it comes to classic films!

 

[soop.spoon]

Originally Posted by greylocke5 /forum/thread/293104/warner-archive-discussion-thread-the-announcements-the-films/60#post_3614402
Based on the organization of today's lengthy press release - I see the outlines of some future "Value Packs."
7) another sci-fi grouping including GENESIS II, PLANET EARTH, EARTH II, CITY BENEATH THE SEA, and MAN FROM ATLANTIS.

I would buy these for $50.
I would NOT buy them for $100. No way.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

I put those movies in my wishlist and will get them when a pack comes out. Any good promotional codes I can use to get a discount?

 

[jdee28]

Penthouse was released on laserdisc back in the day, but it doesn't rate a DVD release.

This new list of releases is a bit shocking, with stuff like The Mortal Storm, Gabriel over the White House, etc. I thought some of these might have had a chance for a regular release. What's sadder though is that because all of these titles are Archive releases, none of them will be restored. We'll be stuck watching the 20 year old master for each of them, perhaps for the next 20 years or more.

 

[jdee28]

Originally Posted by MarcoBiscotti /forum/thread/293104/warner-archive-discussion-thread-the-announcements-the-films/60#post_3614322
shameful... all of these titles deserve so much better.
the sad part is that I'd be willing to pay what WHV is charging for proper pressed discs at this point. it's clear that in the current economic situation, the cost of producing classic catalog discs marketed to "niche" audiences liek ourselves has driven up msrps. but the fact that the studio is inflating their prices, cheapening their product and still not delivering retail quality standards is just pitiful. Universal and Sony are releasing higher priced catalog titles but at least they're proper dvd's. I would buy nearly every one of the above listed films at the prices asked if only Warners would do the same. Instead I'll tivo them and import from other regions. Disgraceful that they'll release a bunch of Esther Williams slop but under the radar classics by master directors above get slapped on dvd-r like this.

It is disgraceful. Not the idea of the Archive per se, but the idea that these Archive titles can be released as is, without any sort of digital upgrade whatsoever, not even a new telecine. What happened to Warner's budget for restoration? Has it been slashed to zero?

 

[Thomas T]

"Disgraceful that they'll release a bunch of Esther Williams slop but under the radar classics by master directos above get slapped on dvd-r like this"

But Esther obviously sells (even CostCo is selling it) while there's a hardly a market breathlessly awaiting a Marlene Dietrich western ... even if it was directed by Fritz Lang.! Your frustration at not getting the pressed standard DVDs you want, while understandable, is no reason to denigrate Ms. Williams, her films and by inference, her fans (like myself) who are overjoyed at a second volume of her films.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Thomas T /img/forum/go_quote.gif
"Disgraceful that they'll release a bunch of Esther Williams slop but under the radar classics by master directos above get slapped on dvd-r like this"
But Esther obviously sells (even CostCo is selling it) while there's a hardly a market breathlessly awaiting a Marlene Dietrich western ... even if it was directed by Fritz Lang.! Your frustration at not getting the pressed standard DVDs you want, while understandable, is no reason to denigrate Ms. Williams, her films and by inference, her fans (like myself) who are overjoyed at a second volume of her films.

And await a third volume.

 

[GlennH]

Guys, I know it's difficult to keep separate because the announcement of new titles leads immediately to complaints about why certain films deserve better, etc, but Ron broke the original thread into two and this one is supposed to be only for discussion of the new announcements and films themselves. I think they want our gripes about the program and counterarguments to stay in the other thread (FEEDBACK).

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by GlennH /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Guys, I know it's difficult to keep separate because the announcement of new titles leads immediately to complaints about why certain films deserve better, etc, but Ron broke the original thread into two and this one is supposed to be only for discussion of the new announcements and films themselves. I think they want our gripes about the program and counterarguments to stay in the other thread (FEEDBACK).

You are correct. I guess this subject is almost as hot as Health Care.
I am looking forward to Gabriel Over the White House. I have had the laser disc for years and enjoy this film. Also looking forward to The Rounders and the other westerns. I do think the one item lost in the announcement was the collection of Robert Benchley's shorts. They were always on target and in some ways still are and I can get a chuckle or two from them. I do wonder if the Pete Smith shorts will be in two volumes or more since there were over 150 of them. Now that I think about it I guess there would be three volumes.

 

[kingfish]

I am hoping for more war movies from Warners.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Originally Posted by Thomas T /forum/thread/293104/warner-archive-discussion-thread-the-announcements-the-films/90#post_3614663
"Disgraceful that they'll release a bunch of Esther Williams slop but under the radar classics by master directos above get slapped on dvd-r like this"
But Esther obviously sells (even CostCo is selling it) while there's a hardly a market breathlessly awaiting a Marlene Dietrich western ... even if it was directed by Fritz Lang.!

Point taken however, I'm not buying it. No way! The idea that Esther Williams has stronger name recognition or mainstream appeal than Alan Ladd, Glenn Ford, Cary Grant, Ava Gardner, Myrna Loy, Eddie Robinson, etc... or more sustainable market appeal within the film community and among fans of classics than names like Fritz Lang, Mervyn Leroy, Marlene Dietrich, etc. B.S.
The difference is that Warners is chosing to market these discs! The others, they clearly care less about so they dump age old telecines onto DVD-R with added mastering glitches to boot. How can you say that Esther Williams is obviously selling when these other films are not even available to the retail public at all... period!
Perhaps if they were actually on store shelves and the studio devoted a minimal effort towards marketing them...
I'd wager my paycheck that they'd easily bring in equal return as any lighthearted musical fluff, and I've nothing against Esther Williams. I own the first set and would not make such a comparisson if it weren't for the studio's treatment of bonafide classics relegated to fourth-rate archive releases. The point is that the studio is not giving any of their classic catalog titles a chance simply because they don't want to spend the money to strike new transfers or clean up the films. Broadcast quality is fine for Television and companies like Alpha Video, VCI, etc. but not for new DVD releases from a major studio. In the end it's not the consumers but the films that suffer as companies continue to neglect important works of art. As someone else had raised the question, I too am curious what's become of Warners restoration budget? Is it spent entirely on Blu-Ray now as I suspect? What a shame that this new format has done nothing but hinder the viability of future catalog titles that could have otherwise once seen a retail shelf life. Due to the economic circumstances it hasn't entirely picked up with mainstream buyers yet it's appeal to film enthusiasts proves contradictory. Personally, I feel the studios have invested way too much into the newest format and lost touch witht he potential in standard dvd sales. It's really too bad.
But to say that Esther Williams sells more than any other classic unreleased titles is just silly.

 

[GregoryMesh]

A couple more titles I found to be released in the future that are not available yet and were not on press release:
Dying Room Only (1973)
Lucky Night (1939)
Tribute to a Bad Man (1956)