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Universal Vault Series - Amazon.com exclusive DVD-Rs (1 Viewer)

Marcel H.

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Next in the series of: "Want a catalog title, pay 20 for a DVD-R" is Universal. As of now, the following movies are offered exclusively via Amazon.com as DVD-Rs for $ 19,98:

Found the list over at criterionforum.org

Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain (1995)
The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)
40 Pounds of Trouble (1963)
Gambit (1966)
Resurrection (1980)
The House of Seven Gables (1940)
The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977)
Pure Luck (1991)
A Bronx Tale (1993)
Stick (1985)
Dragnet (1954)
The List of Adrian Messinger (1963)
The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) > Hello Universal, realised that this is out on BD in UK for less than the price of a DVD-R????
The Perfect Furlough (1958)
A Good Man in Africa (1994)
Kitten With a Whip (1964)
Spawn of the North (1938)
Shout (1991)
Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
Shoot Out (1971)
Tell Them Willie Boy is Here (1969)
The Brass Bottle (1964)
Death Takes a Holiday (1934)
The Chalk Garden (1964)
Blue Collar (1978)
 

Albert_M

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A Bronx Tale is out of print???

And going forward will only be available as a crappy dvd-r?

Wow.
 

Thomas T

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It was inevitable. With the smashing success of the Warners Archives, it was inevitable that other studios would follow suit and as Universal releases their product thru TCM and Amazon and MGM their exclusive deal with Amazon and the Warner Archives still going strong, it is clearly the wave of the future.

Of course, there will always be the "I'll never pay $20 for a 'crappy' DVD-r" segment but I doubt that they would have paid $5 for a DVD-r either! The day of the pressed disc as regards to catalogue titles (excepting, of course, major titles like The African Queen) is gone.
 

mdnitoil

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I agree with that. I'll also add that by using inferior media and charging premium prices, they are going to make streaming look a whole lot more attractive. If I'm going to be given junk, there's really no point in paying extra for it. Those of us who just have to feel something in our hands are about to become second-class citizens.
 

Anthony_H

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After waiting a very patient 12 years to see Ellen Burstyn's Oscar nominated performance in Resurrection to show up on some type of disc format... I can't help but feel like something of a stepchild at this point. No high quality transfer..no SE materials. It is not inevitable if we don't support these products. The studios will continue to give us crap if we purchase it at a high price and with a smile.
 

TonyD

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This is terrible but nothing that can be done to stop it, too bad.
Originally Posted by Mike*HTF /forum/thread/296971/universal-vault-series-amazon-com-exclusive-dvd-rs#post_3648509
Wasn't Death Takes a Holiday released as an "extra" on the Meet Joe Black DVD?
Originally Posted by Albert_M /forum/thread/296971/universal-vault-series-amazon-com-exclusive-dvd-rs#post_3648471
A Bronx Tale is out of print???
And going forward will only be available as a crappy dvd-r?
Wow.
Bronx has been oop for a few years now, Lucky for me I have that and the Meet Joe Black Ultimate edition that includes the Death Takes a Holiday, it isn't included on the regular Joe dvd.
 

Thomas T

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"It is not inevitable if we don't support these products"

Are you saying that if we don't "support" these products that Universal (and Warners and MGM) will go back to pressing DVDs of hard to market titles? Optimistic, I say. I say that if we don't "support" these products we don't get them at all.

It all boils down to whether we want those titles OUR way or THEIR way, doesn't it?
 

Marcel H.

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The good thing for those that are not dependend on RC 1 releases is, Universal licenses titles out and several of these DVD-Rs are available as pressed discs in Europe.
And to be honest as an American I would be more than annoyed that I have to pay $ 20 for a "The Black Shield of Falworth" DVD-R whilst British movie lovers can buy this for less as a Blu-ray!
 

kingfish

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I wonder if Stick is in Widescreen. I am also wondering where Tobruk is. If any film needs a release it is this one.
 

Jeff Willis

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Marcel.

Thanks for posting the list! I see one that I've wanted for a long time, "The Brass Bottle", but I don't know about these Universal releases....are these OAR releases? Are the archive stores (WB, Uni) releasing any of their titles in "Pan/Scan" where a WS OAR is a choice in any of these titles?

"Brass Bottle" is a rare archive title where I'd buy it for the $20 price.
 

Holer

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I noticed with my last batch of Warner archive purchases, it was obvious they were all B pictures and the quaility of the film stock itself was pretty bad on most of them. I can't see the big studios ever spending the dough to restore movies like 'Crime School' and release an 'official' DVD just so 200 Dead-End Kids completists can snap them up. It doesn't make sense economically.

I'm okay with this DV-R on demand approach, because it's better than nothing, as the man says, but the price point has to come down. That's what we should be campaigning for. I only buy the Warners titles when they have one of their 5 for $55 deals. At 10-11 bucks each, I don't really mind if the quality isn't top notch - I can enjoy the movie for what it is.
 

Bradley-E

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I think we are pretty much seeing the end of "packaged" store sold catalog titles from the studios unless they are remastering for Blu ray. DVD's as a single entity are not selling well enough anymore to produce and market them as single discs. I was hoping Universal would do more multiple title sets and give us some of these titles, like the past Rock Hudson, John Wayne, Cary Grant etc.
 

jdee28

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Originally Posted by Thomas T /forum/thread/296971/universal-vault-series-amazon-com-exclusive-dvd-rs#post_3648542
"It is not inevitable if we don't support these products"
Are you saying that if we don't "support" these products that Universal (and Warners and MGM) will go back to pressing DVDs of hard to market titles? Optimistic, I say. I say that if we don't "support" these products we don't get them at all.
It all boils down to whether we want those titles OUR way or THEIR way, doesn't it?
Maybe if we don't support these products, they'll introduce higher standards for these MOD discs, or maybe even lower their price to bring them more in line with the quality of what they're offering?
 

walter o

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Originally Posted by Albert_M /forum/thread/296971/universal-vault-series-amazon-com-exclusive-dvd-rs#post_3648471
A Bronx Tale is out of print???
And going forward will only be available as a crappy dvd-r?
Wow.
Actually,, there are used and sealed copies of the OOP HBO DVD edition being sold by second hand sellers at Amazon that are much cheaper than what the DVD-R Universal is offering us now is, so if you want a pressed disc of A BRONX TALE, just buy the OOP ones that came out years ago from a second hand seller, as in the long run, that disc will be more durable than a DVD-R version that got annonced.
 

Simon Howson

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Originally Posted by Marcel H. /forum/thread/296971/universal-vault-series-amazon-com-exclusive-dvd-rs#post_3648462

Next in the series of: "Want a catalog title, pay 20 for a DVD-R" is Universal. As of now, the following movies are offered exclusively via Amazon.com as DVD-Rs for $ 19,98:
Tell Them Willie Boy is Here (1969)

Blue Collar (1978)
Tell Them Willie Boy is Here is currently AUD$9 at most Australian department stores.

I'm glad I have the Anchor Bay version of Blue Collar.
Originally Posted by Bradley-E /forum/thread/296971/universal-vault-series-amazon-com-exclusive-dvd-rs#post_3648713

I think we are pretty much seeing the end of "packaged" store sold catalog titles from the studios unless they are remastering for Blu ray. DVD's as a single entity are not selling well enough anymore to produce and market them as single discs. I was hoping Universal would do more multiple title sets and give us some of these titles, like the past Rock Hudson, John Wayne, Cary Grant etc.
I still don't understand how Criterion can profitably release Eclipse boxes that feature new transfers of films from the best available element on pressed discs, while Universal and Warner seemingly can't make new transfers. Most Eclipse boxes cost US$10 per disc, yet these MOD programs charge double, and aren't pressed discs or new transfers. That doesn't make sense to me.

Well, I guess we should wait and see if these Universal discs are new transfers (many of them feature recent transfers on other releases in other parts of the world), but we know that most Warner Archive discs feature very old transfers.

Originally Posted by Marcel H. /forum/thread/296971/universal-vault-series-amazon-com-exclusive-dvd-rs#post_3648554

The good thing for those that are not dependend on RC 1 releases is, Universal licenses titles out and several of these DVD-Rs are available as pressed discs in Europe.
And to be honest as an American I would be more than annoyed that I have to pay $ 20 for a "The Black Shield of Falworth" DVD-R whilst British movie lovers can buy this for less as a Blu-ray!
Before Black Shield was released on Blu-ray, there was a DVD version released as 16:9 widescreen. I don't know if this was Pan & Scan or an alternate non-CinemaScope version of the film.
http://www.avforums.com/movies/index.php?showmediareview=9462

It will be interesting to see which transfer is used for this MOD version.
 

AlanP

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[COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)][SIZE= larger]I guess that means,
"The Uninvited", "Back Street", and "Midnight Lace" will become DVR's eventually.
I was hoping they would eventually be released as pressed.............
Too Bad !!!!!![/COLOR][/SIZE]
 

Jim_K

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Well it's unfortunate to see another studio turn to this bastard business model.

Unless the image quality is absolutely stunning on these I'll be sticking with my homemade DVD-R's.

I'm pretty sure the image quality will be on par and my custom artwork will trump whatever they offer, saving me $20 a pop to spend on something else.
 

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