Great article on classic neglected films not on DVD (1 Viewer)

Jon Robertson · Dec 22, 2003

At Masters of Cinema, there's a great new article entitled Unavailable?, detailing the number of great films still languishing in vaults across the world, and how the DVD market has dealt with them up until now.

It's also got plenty of wishlists by various scholars and critics (that a few enterprising DVD companies will hopefully take note of), so give it a look!

MartinTeller · Dec 22, 2003

Sad, but so true.

BruceKimmel · Dec 22, 2003

Oh, I don't know - here we have Columbia releasing really interesting and I'm quite sure non-profitable catalog things like Bonjour Tristesse and 3:10 to Yuma, and MGM/UA releasing lots of interesting things like Images, and various esoteric catalog titles like The Hoodlum Priest, so I don't think the article is especially well-researched. Yes, from their rather predictable auterist stance, there are many wonderful films needed on DVD and I'm sure many of them will be coming. But we've just go Demy's Lola and Bay of Angels, I just watched Lelouch's swell Toute Une Vie - not exactly Police Academy-type films. In fact, at times I'm rather happily taken aback by many of the weird and esoteric catalog releases by the majors. My opinion, anyway.

Patrick McCart · Dec 22, 2003

Actually...

Milestone Films is releasing a 2-disc set of Normal McLaren films next year.

While it's funny that a Police Academy box set is coming... at least it's a release that WB will never touch again for DVD. And a lot of the choices on the "want" lists are wise.

TimJS · Dec 22, 2003

Me too. I'd be happier if it were a Universal phenomena (intended), but when I see some of the results (Columbia Tristar's Ray trilogy) or the, frankly, asinine marketing decisions (Scarface '32) from some of the majors, I know there is room for improvement.

I'm not 'auterist' enough to claim familiarity with many of the titles on the MoC list, and IMHO, would prefer a dedicated effort to bring out 'common' entertainment titles from the 20's through the 50's (which until relatively recently have, in fact, languished in the vaults) since these are the property and heritage (alright, brand identity) of the majors.

My budget can barely withstand the current pace of such releases, so I won't complain, but won't begrudge anyone else's impatience.

Tim

Brian Kidd · Dec 23, 2003

I have to say that I've developed a healthy appreciation for older films over the past year. Every morning when I get up, TCM is just starting a film. They are rarely A-pictures. Most are lesser-known films or B-pictures. However, more often than not, they are highly entertaining! Now I know that these are not Art Films by any stretch of the term, but that doesn't make them worthless. I'm glad that TCM has the cajones to program these older gems. I wish more of them were available on DVD.

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Great article on classic neglected films not on DVD (1 Viewer)

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Jon Robertson

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