A Few Words About A few words about…™ Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

People skipping this because of a plastic toy are entitled to do what they want but when it doesn't sell as well as it might have, they can't complain if there's no more releases. Not buying it because of a toy doesn't send the message that they're not buying it because of the Pop. It sends the message that people aren't buying it.

 

[BobO'Link]

How many of these cartoons have been released on Blu-ray previously?

Here's the link to a list I did shortly after the contents were disclosed:

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/bugs-bunny-80th-anniversary-collection-blu-ray.368096/post-4891986

 

[Ejanss]

It's the Funko thing that's keeping me away from this set. If they ever see fit to release it without the junk I'll pick up a copy.

Again, that's not likely--
IF Warner does mass wide-retail for a catalog title, it'll be for a house-franchise icon, and more attention will be given to the plastic shelf-tsotchke than to the restoration or bonus material.
And if that doesn't sell, they'll get abandonment issues, curl up in the corner, and cry that the public has "lost interest in the property".

...IOW, they're not the Archive.

People skipping this because of a plastic toy are entitled to do what they want but when it doesn't sell as well as it might have, they can't complain if there's no more releases. Not buying it because of a toy doesn't send the message that they're not buying it because of the Pop. It sends the message that people aren't buying it.

And even if it DOESN'T, Warner will get it anyway.
When nobody bought "Chuck Jones: the Mouse Chronicles" on Blu (seriously, whose genius idea was it to put that out first, after the big LT digibook?) at the same time as the new Cartoon Network series was slipping, the main studio put the proclamation that the public had finally "forgotten" about the Looneys, except for the marketable 90's nostalgia attached to Space Jam. (Which most real Bugs Bunny fans think should have every print thrown into a wood-chipper, and the pieces tossed into a nuclear reactor...)
So, guess who's getting a sequel. Where, apparently, the ToonStars will be going up against Warner villains like Voldemort, Harley Quinn and Pennywise.

If $70 is terrorist hostage extortion, we have no choice but to pay it. At least we finally get "Hot Cross Bunny" and "Piker's Peak" for our troubles.

 

[dana martin]

Here's the link to a list I did shortly after the contents were disclosed:

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/bugs-bunny-80th-anniversary-collection-blu-ray.368096/post-4891986

Thanks Howie,

saved me the work of posting my own mockup, yes many of these had been released before but not in HD.

So, this is what we have, and it’s one of those odd things where you are happy and ticked at the same release. It sells well and the possibility exist of maybe a second volume?? Who knows, only the accounting office.

And that is Warner Brothers strengths and weakness, they have such a huge vast library, between Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, the back catalog of MGM, the exclusives on Popeye, Tex Avery. The Original Fleischer Superman's, that at this point has become a Holy Grail if it gets restored and released as its own comprehensive package.

Anything released, is either a boon or a bust, In the way of animation, because in today's modern let's do everything with a computer it's nice to see actual artwork from artists who had a sense of humor and understood timing . Case in point, Porky Pig got 101 titles released, via the archive all in DVD format. Would I love to see every one of these get a complete and total restoration and then a possible HD release, absolutely!!! I'd buy that in a heartbeat.

So, let's look at numbers

A total of 270 shorts were released during the 1930s

A total of 307 shorts were released during the 1940s.

A total of 278 shorts were released during the 1950s.

A total of 147 shorts were released during the 1960s.

A total of 39 regular shorts have been released since 1970.


Grand Total 1041 Theatrical Shorts


This does not take in account, certain WB “official” animated shorts such as Private SNAFU or Mr. Hook, which of course were for the war effort and basically one-off training for military members. And well, maybe not suited for small children to watch. As these were made for adults, the problem therein lies with a lot of the animation from that time frame, it wasn't politically correct, unfortunately parents seemed to think just because it's an animated film that it's OK for children. how many of them would let their kids watch Sausage Party?

Now trying to nail these down to a comprehensive collection that's an entirely different story, 6 Volumes of Looney Tunes Gold Collection, 3 Volumes of Platinum Collection, Looney Tunes: Mouse Chronicles The Chuck Jones Collection, Plus the various shorts that have been released HD as extras or as bonus features on various films.

I do love the fact, that because of HBO Max many of these are being restored, hopefully to their original uncut running, and hopefully many more will be released. But I honestly don't ever see then doing a complete comprehensive set of releases the way that Disney did with the Disney Treasures line of each character. More in line if Warner Brothers wanted to do that they would have to do years instead of characters , you can break it up into two or three year chunks.

I know it's a hard sell, how do you throw somebody like Bosko on the front of a package and get people to buy it, black and white, a character that most people don't even know except for animation nuts, who would be salivating at the chance of having these properly restored and released. All the way back to the original Harman and Ising period, which was in response to Disney. And as we creep slowly towards 2021, and the first of these animated shorts gets closer to the century mark, Bosko, the Talk-Ink Kid (1929), the legacy they started has endured.

For those that do not have it , Thunderbean did a great set of the Private SNAFU shorts, and the up coming Puppetoon II release will have a Bugs cameo, that was done at a different studio. Lets see what happens next.

 

[lark144]

People skipping this because of a plastic toy are entitled to do what they want but when it doesn't sell as well as it might have, they can't complain if there's no more releases. Not buying it because of a toy doesn't send the message that they're not buying it because of the Pop. It sends the message that people aren't buying it.

It's not because of the toy in and of itself that I'm not buying this.

It's because they threw in an extra $15 RSP because of the toy.

If this was being released by the Archive, the three discs would be around $65 RSP, which I have no problem with.

$80 is way too much money for what this is.

I'm not buying this to send a message.

I'm buying it if I can afford it.

And at that price, I can't.

 

[Ejanss]

If this was being released by the Archive, the three discs would be around $65 RSP, which I have no problem with.
$80 is way too much money for what this is.

I'm not buying this to send a message.
I'm buying it if I can afford it.
And at that price, I can't.

A) There are some people you just can't send a message to, even if you scream in their ear,
and
B) Amazon, and their usual discounts, have it for $72.
(Apparently, Warner hasn't caught on that that's where we've always bought our Blu-rays...)

 

[RBailey]

I'm planning on taking the Funko Bugs to my nearest Half Price Books as soon as I can. All my grandkids like Bugs but are not interested in the doll.

 

[Arthur Powell]

I'm not rooting for this set to fail, but if that happens, the hopeful silver lining would be that Warner will finally pass on the entire Looney Tunes catalog to WAC. Then we can get decent releases that aren't attached to figurines that look like they're going through narcotics withdrawal.

Right now on Amazon, I can order the complete Flintstones blu-ray set for just a few cents under fifty dollars. If I could buy the Bugs set for that price, even with the future Beanie Baby contender, I'd buy it. Again, if I could get the set for the price of the three Popeye blu-ray volumes, I'd have an active pre-order for it. However, I'm not buying it at an inflated price point. I'd rather deal with and send my money to blu-ray producers like Kino, Criterion, and, yes, WAC who don't play games.

 

[Ken_Martinez]

People skipping this because of a plastic toy are entitled to do what they want but when it doesn't sell as well as it might have, they can't complain if there's no more releases. Not buying it because of a toy doesn't send the message that they're not buying it because of the Pop. It sends the message that people aren't buying it.

Except the people who make other classic cartoon releases happen have told us that they had little to do with this set, and that there's no plans for anything else even if this does sell.

 

[David Norman]

Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection Gift Set, Anniversary Edition on DeepDiscount

Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection, Blu-ray, Gift Set, Anniversary Edition, Family, Animation, 883929707324

www.deepdiscount.com

DEEP10 10% off

Not $50, but is $57 too much (just missed the 15% code earlier in the week when it was $53).
I realize it;s not as good as paying Amazon $70-75, but it is an option.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection Gift Set, Anniversary Edition on DeepDiscount

Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection, Blu-ray, Gift Set, Anniversary Edition, Family, Animation, 883929707324

www.deepdiscount.com

DEEP10 10% off

Not $50, but is $57 too much (just missed the 15% code earlier in the week when it was $53).
I realize it;s not as good as paying Amazon $70-75, but it is an option.

That's how I purchased it last week.

 

[Arthur Powell]

Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection Gift Set, Anniversary Edition on DeepDiscount

Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection, Blu-ray, Gift Set, Anniversary Edition, Family, Animation, 883929707324

www.deepdiscount.com

DEEP10 10% off

Not $50, but is $57 too much (just missed the 15% code earlier in the week when it was $53).
I realize it;s not as good as paying Amazon $70-75, but it is an option.

At a certain point, you just have to be stubborn. Fifty dollars is my line in the sand. There are so many other releases right now that I can get without the nuisance and hassle that I'm just not inclined to deal with Warner's non-sense. So it looks like I'll be spending my Christmas with Tex Avery, Droopy, and Red instead of Bugs. So let it be.

Out of curiosity, why are some so convinced that there will never be a non-junk version? Most of the Warner junk boxes have come out in more reasonably priced "disc-only" editions (the Adam West Batman, Casablanca, Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Ben-Hur, etc.). Why will this one be any different? Even if a regular version isn't put out, it'll likely go the route of the Scooby Doo junk box which I can currently get on Amazon for $46.66. Right now, I simply see no reason to buy when I can bide my time and likely get it for the price I'm willing to pay. I have enough content as it is to easily fill up my movie nights. I can wait.

 

[dana martin]

Just adding another two cents, but as the Big Lebowski would say “that's just your opinion man” Which follows a lot of what I'm about to say. It all falls down to the bottom line, Warner Brothers now has HBO Max, that needs HD material for a subscription service. My question is if COVID-19 didn't happen, and Hollywood was running full steam. How much of this would be going into back catalogue for items for this new service?

So see we get the good with the bad, the upside to this is with different spots within their organization paying for restorations, that frees up George and company to continue to work their magic with the Archive.

if this title doesn't sell well, they are not going to hand these characters or this commodity over to the archive, as much as many on here dislike Space Jam, Please realize that there is an entire generation that believe that's Looney Tunes . right down to the point that there's going to be a sequel next year. I have a young fellow that I work with that was watching that movie on his phone during lunch time , tried to get him to watch some classic Looney Tunes , and he couldn't be bothered with that because that's not his version of Bugs Bunny.

 

[B-ROLL]

I'm planning on taking the Funko Bugs to my nearest Half Price Books as soon as I can. All my grandkids like Bugs but are not interested in the doll.

IT's AN ACTION FIGURE!!!

 

[Colin Jacobson]

People skipping this because of a plastic toy are entitled to do what they want but when it doesn't sell as well as it might have, they can't complain if there's no more releases. Not buying it because of a toy doesn't send the message that they're not buying it because of the Pop. It sends the message that people aren't buying it.

I could see the "Funko = no sale" concept if people thought the inclusion of the toy greatly inflated the price of the set.

And maybe the Funko did jack up the price - I dunno.

But if you can get the set for a price that you'd have paid for a "non-Funko" version and you refuse to buy because it includes the Funko... that would perplex me!

 

[Malcolm R]

Funko Bugs comes to life when the lights go out. Sleep in the same room with it at your own risk.

 

[B-ROLL]

Funko Bugs comes to life when the lights go out. Sleep in the same room with it at your own risk.

Don't let it get wet and don't feed it after Midnite !

 

[David Norman]

Out of curiosity, why are some so convinced that there will never be a non-junk version?

I'm not at all convinced at all and would almost bet on it, but if it's a year or more then that's a barrier. If the non-junk version is $.35-40, but I can buy for $53 now and I can sell the Funko for $20+ then so much the better. I;m not sure with this one, but I know a bunch of these junk-o-box Funko are shockingly valuable. I know some sold that ugly Batman stuff for enough that made the set nearly free.

This toy appears to be unique to this bluray set so who knows what Ebay will do. I have no clue what or why these Funko's are wanted adn would cost more than $1, but I do see the value attached. Same with Pokemon cards, Amiibo's, Baseball Cards, or Coach Purses bought for investment, but it is what it is (until it's not)

 

[Arthur Powell]

I'm not at all convinced at all and would almost bet on it, but if it's a year or more then that's a barrier. If the non-junk version is $.35-40, but I can buy for $53 now and I can sell the Funko for $20+ then so much the better. I;m not sure with this one, but I know a bunch of these junk-o-box Funko are shockingly valuable. I know some sold that ugly Batman stuff for enough that made the set nearly free.

This toy appears to be unique to this bluray set so who knows what Ebay will do. I have no clue what or why these Funko's are wanted adn would cost more than $1, but I do see the value attached. Same with Pokemon cards, Amiibo's, Baseball Cards, or Coach Purses bought for investment, but it is what it is (until it's not)

Again, I'm not interested in playing Pawn Stars. All WB has to do is just sell me the discs for their market value alone. They can keep their valuable psedo-Beanie Baby and do with it as they please. This isn't rocket science. I'm only asking for the SOP that has been in play for a few decades now. If I have to wait a year or more, so be it. I'm not lacking in material to watch.

 

[Arthur Powell]

I could see the "Funko = no sale" concept if people thought the inclusion of the toy greatly inflated the price of the set.

And maybe the Funko did jack up the price - I dunno.

But if you can get the set for a price that you'd have paid for a "non-Funko" version and you refuse to buy because it includes the Funko... that would perplex me!

I tend to agree. My "line in sand" is fifty dollars, and I've based that on what I've paid for WAC's three Popeye discs (actually, that would be a few dollars less, but I'm trying to be reasonable). Anything above that is inflation caused by the Funko as far as I am concerned, and I'm not paying even a single cent for that creepy looking thing. If WB puts out a non-funko set at or below my price point, I'll happily buy it. However, if the current set dips to or below my price, then I'll buy it and send the Funko to the landfill or the Good Will.