Will there ever be a definitive Stooges Collection? Yes! See Post #60! (1 Viewer)

[JohnPM]

If Sony is doing this with the Stooges, it may mean they're initiating new releasing policies with regards to other library titles. Maybe the drought will finally lift ...

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/

 

[Eric Peterson]

Excellent!

I had a strong feeling that we would see something new now that Sony is in charge. That's not to say that they're great, but Columbia was clueless. Also, the fact that Sony had been repackaging previous releases and cutting prices dramatically (i.e. Cary Grant Box & Frank Capra Box), and also the incredible treatment given to the Buster Keaton box that really didn't deserve it (at least in comparison to his great silent films & shorts). Count me in on this, as I was one of the Stooge fans that gave up early. I purchased the first three ridiculously over-priced lackluster discs before deciding to wait it out.

....and I've been really craving a Stooge-Marathon too.. I don't know if I can wait a year though.

 

[Robbie^Blackmon]

Now, that sound you might have just heard was ME falling BACKWARDS out of my CHAIR! This is the BEST news I've heard in just about forever!

I would like to thank Sony right here and now for the excellent news! Now, I have to go and redo my budget for the next year or so-- I'll be setting aside quite a heap of cash for the Stooge sets. I bought all the other discs and I will gladly fork over the dough for these. Bring 'em on!







Where is the dancing banana icon when you need it?!

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I had to check the date on the calendar to be sure it wasn't April 1st!

This is VERY exciting news!!

 

[MatthewA]

Oh...my..god.

Sony actually plans to give consumers what they want? Is the Sony of Pan-and-Scan-and-DTS "Special" Editions, disappearing widescreen sides, arbitrary TV release patterns and no customer service really turning over a new leaf?

 

[Steve...O]

Thanks Aaron! Great news. Please send our collective "thank you" to your contacts at Sony. I know it sounds like a long ways off, but I imagine the wait is due to restoration requirements.

Getting my Maltin reference book on short subjects out, this is the breakdown of # of shorts in two year periods so unless they ramp up the number of shorts per set these look to be a long term committment with at least a dozen "collections" required. Maybe they could be convinced to go with 4 year increments At 8 shorts per year, one year is essentially one disc.

1934/1935 11 shorts
1936/1937 16 shorts
1938/1939 16 shorts
1940/1941 16 shorts
1942/1943 17 shorts
1944/1945 11 shorts
1946/1947 16 shorts
1948/1949 16 shorts
1950/1951 17 shorts
1952/1953 16 shorts
1954/1955 14 shorts
1956/1957 16 shorts
1958/1959 8 shorts

 

[KieranO'C]

Nice one! And at least they can't turn around in a few days time and tell us these won't be anamorphic!

 

[Jack Theakston]

Fingers crossed that the post-'53 shorts will be correctly, anamorphic widescreen, the way few Stooge fans have seen them since their original release!

 

[Random Hero]

Anamorphic widescreen? What aspect ratio were the post-'53 shorts in?

Great news about box sets. Can't wait!

 

[Jack Theakston]

1.85, as Columbia made the change-over fairly early to flat widescreen in the fall of '53 with both their features and shorts. The only ones it hurts are those few "fake Shemps" and Curly Joes that are made out of retreaded footage from earlier shorts.

The Joe screenshot above is a good example of how much "empty space" can be seen, although it seems that Columbia framed most of those transfers slightly up (notice the frameline on the bottom).

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

I can't wait for this!!!

I'm so glad I never bothered with those crappy 5 shorts per disc overpriced colorized Columbia releases.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I would have no problem accepting the post-'53 shorts in 1.33 as long as we get everything.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

The 1.85 issue with the Stooges shorts is correct. Starting with the release of GOOF ON THE ROOF in December 1953, all newly shot material was composed for widescreen. The problem you run into is the extensive use of older footage in these shorts. Some of them have 2 or 3 minutes of newly shot 1.85 footage, and the rest of the short is pre-1953, 1.37. I've run some in 35mm (Pals and Gals, Of Cash and Hash, Fling in the Ring, etc) and they are WAY too tight at 1.85.

However, titles like Income Tax Sappy, Blunder Boys, Shot in the Frontier, Muscle Up a Little Closer and Outer Space Jitters look great in widescreen, as they consist of all newly-shot footage.

It would be nice to see the fully widescreen shorts in their correct ratio, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

So, then seeing the latter Stooge shorts in 1.85 might actually have a negative effect...

 

[David Deeb]

Are these sets for real? Please don't let this be a cruel hoax.

If so, I'm first in line to buy each and every one, if they are presented properly.

I agree w/ Steve O, however. I'm hopeful that Sony makes bigger box sets, or at least releases several box sets at a time. If they doled 1 set out a year, I can't wait 12-13 years for the whole series. Hurry please. I need these.

 

[Jack Theakston]

Depending on if they have an abundance of stock footage. Those 8 or 10 titles that Bob mentioned that have no stock footage should be seen the way they were meant to be seen.

 

[Matthew H]

Don't really know what to say here..

Being a Stoogeophile, this set is obviously a no-brainer. I just can't believe it's a year off. Another thing, how many sets do you think we'll get at once? Just one? Basically, taking 10 years to get all of the shorts in our possession? Sony generally has a good track record, but if *any* of the shorts are modified for whatever reason, you can expect an uproar in the online Stooge community.

Fan input on this would be awesome, considering close to 80% of the people planning to purchase these are fellow Stooge nuts.

I just don't know what to do with ALL of the Columbia discs I have now. There's so many.. with so few shorts. Blah.

 

[John Stell]

NOW I can finally add the Stooges to the DVD library. Excellent news!

 

[David Deeb]

Same here. If I sell them, then we actually are introducing some other person to these inferior DVDs. I don't want a potential Stooge fan to suffer the same fate as I did.

Let's hope that Sony gets these out soon and has the inferior product pulled from store shelves quickly too.

 

[David Deeb]

It's been well over a year since the subject of complete Three Stooges box sets was brought to our attention.

Does anyone have any current news, or definitive information from Sony? Or was this just a cruel rumor?

Heaven help us if Sony drops another over-priced, single disc, 60:00 minute, "colorized" DVD on the market.

Where are these box sets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!