A Few Words About A few words about...™ Stan & Ollie - in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Mysto]

It's about time we all give RAH a Laurel and Hardy Handshake !

Thereby capturing two of my most favorite films.

 

[PMF]

Good luck with that. I doubt many of the "younger generation" will see this film, much less the L&H originals.

Unless by "younger generation" you mean "people under 100" - then maybe!

"You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead." - Stan Laurel

​

I'm laying out the Pepsi challenge to you, my good Mr. Jacobson.

The very fact that its a 2018 release - therefore a "new" movie - all it will take is one individual from the younger generation in every town, county and borough to tip their friends off; be it through a BD copy that their mom or dad showed them, streaming, clips on YouTube and all other cable and computer sources. After all, there nothing like a youthful messenger who thinks that they're the one who's on the cutting edge of something that none of their peers has ever seen before.

I'm amazed that this film got the initial green-light and grateful for it; and here it is, at its successful end result.

Mark my words, "Stan & Ollie" will be discovered, which will retroactively lead to "Laurel & Hardy" being re-discovered, as well.
Ah, yes, I even dare say that a renaissance shall soon be ahead for our beloved "Sons of the Desert".

 

[zoetmb]

Wouldn't it be great if "Stan & Ollie" led a younger generation back to their own discoveries of the Laurel & Hardy shorts?

Don't count on it. When I saw it, I was the youngest person in the theater and I'm in my 60's.

It's not like the 1970's when college kids rediscovered Keaton, Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, etc. and there were film courses about them.

I fear that film history to many younger people today is discovering Tim Burton's Batman movie.

 

[Mysto]

Don't count on it. When I saw it, I was the youngest person in the theater and I'm in my 60's.

It's not like the 1970's when college kids rediscovered Keaton, Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, etc. and there were film courses about them.

I fear that film history to many younger people today is discovering Tim Burton's Batman movie.

I hope you're wrong - but I fear you may be right. Let's hope not. The only thing I see new in today's film is CGI.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I was supposed to watch this last night, but I think I am coming down with the flu and I spent the night in bed instead.

Have been dying to see this film.

My love for Laurel & Hardy harkens back to my teen years where I collected their films on Super 8mm. I built a makeshift theater in my basement (where my current theater now resides), and invited friends over to watch titles like LIBERTY, THE LAUREL & HARDY MURDER CASE, THE MUSIC BOX, etc.

Will probably finally watch this over the weekend. Looking forward to it.

 

[Mysto]

I was supposed to watch this last night, but I think I am coming down with the flu and I spent the night in bed instead.

Have been dying to see this film.

My love for Laurel & Hardy harkens back to my teen years where I collected their films on Super 8mm. I built a makeshift theater in my basement (where my current theater now resides), and invited friends over to watch titles like LIBERTY, THE LAUREL & HARDY MURDER CASE, THE MUSIC BOX, etc.

Will probably finally watch this over the weekend. Looking forward to it.

Be careful - this years flu is nothing to play with. Treat yourself well - lots of rest and fluids.
I bought a Super 8 sound projector just to watch L&H films before the BetaMax came out so they were also my entry into the world of movie collecting.

 

[Tino]

While I’m partial to Abbott and Costello, the greatest comedy duo ever imo, I’ve always liked L&H. Especially their perennial classic March Of The Wooden Soldiers.

I look forward to this film and hope it does indeed spark more interest in their great work.

 

[PMF]

[...]My love for Laurel & Hardy harkens back to my teen years where I collected their films on Super 8mm. I built a makeshift theater in my basement (where my current theater now resides), and invited friends over to watch titles like LIBERTY, THE LAUREL & HARDY MURDER CASE, THE MUSIC BOX, etc.[...]

Do I detect a fellow Blackhawk Films collector? Good ol' Davenport, Iowa.
My Super 8mm projector was a Eumig Magnetic Sound.
I could only afford the films that went on sale. Remember how all their films went on back-order? And sometimes the wait went on for weeks and weeks. "The Music Box", "Way Out West", "Sons of the Desert", "Them Thar Hills", "Tit for Tat", "Men O' War" and "A Chump at Oxford". Such joys. Hoping you are faring better.

[...]I bought a Super 8 sound projector just to watch L&H films before the BetaMax came out so they were also my entry into the world of movie collecting.

Another fellow Blackhawk Films collector, as well? If so, then wouldn't that be something to find that we have all reconvened at HTF.
Guess the old saying remains true, as water truly does seek its own level".

While I’m partial to Abbott and Costello, the greatest comedy duo ever imo, I’ve always liked L&H. Especially their perennial classic March Of The Wooden Soldiers.

I look forward to this film and hope it does indeed spark more interest in their great work.

In most cases, I've found that people were either L&H or Abbott and Costello fans but never both. I, on the other hand, happen to love both teams, as well. Long ago, there was a "Home Movies" group known as Castle Films (a subsidiary of Universal Pictures). Ever heard of them? They offered 7-9 minutes excerpts of the A&C films, to which I must've had about 7 of them; along with a vinyl recording of "Who's on First?". Castle Films also offered feature-film excerpts of W.C. Fields, The Marx Brothers, the 1930's Monster classics and - in color, no less - our first landing on the moon; to which I'm certain I had worn out.

To all, I repeat and expand; if we were lucky enough to have had this new "Stan and Ollie" film green-lighted, financially backed by producers and fulfilled in this day and age with theatrical bookings, then shouldn't it go to show that this film will be caught along the way by so many others now that its out there on disc, streaming or available in clips through endless venues? Funny is funny. Talent is talent. And the perfect storm of positives are all lined up; being "Stan and Ollie", Steve Coogan, John C Reilly and an availability of the real Laurel and Hardy films. All are just too infectious, engaging and lovable not to spawn newer viewers as the next year or so goes on. The boys haven't gone away. Why just last week, I spied the excellent 10-disc DVD box set of "Laurel and Hardy: The Essential Collection" on the racks of Best Buy; currently at about $49.99. A true steal. Best Buy, of all places; to which far less older titles had seemed to disappear and where once I had thought it could only be found on-line or at Barnes and Noble. Eventually the BD of "Stan and Ollie" will pop up at Best Buy and be teamed up alongside the displayed box-set, as well. One will hopefully feed the other.

P.S. My thanks to Tony Bensley; as he had first viewed the L&H box-set.
Were it not for his assessment, I might've missed out altogether; as I had an initial trepidation about the transfers.
It's a really great collection.

 

[Mysto]

Do I detect a fellow Blackhawk Films collector? My Super 8mm projector was a Eumig Magnetic Sound.
I could only afford the films that went on sale. Remember how all their films went on back-order? And sometimes the wait went on for weeks and weeks. "The Music Box", "Sons of the Desert", "Them Thar Hills", "Tit for Tat", "A Chump at Oxford". Such joys. Hoping you are faring better.
Another fellow Blackhawk Films collector, as well? If so, then wouldn't that be something to find that we have all reconvened at HTF.
Guess the old saying remains true, as "water seeks its own level".

I, too, happen to love both teams, as well; yet, in most cases, I've found that people were either L&H or Abbott and Costello fans but never both. Castle Films, if you ever heard of them and depending on your age, offered 7-9 minutes excerpts of the A&C films. I must've had about 7 of them; along with a vinyl recording of "Who's on First?", along with many other classic radio shows.

To all, I say this; if we were lucky enough to have had this new "Stan and Ollie" film green-lighted and fulfilled in this day and age, then shouldn't it go to show that this film will be caught along the way by so many others, now that its out there streaming and available in clips or as a whole in every other venue? Funny is funny. Talent is talent. And the perfect storm of positives; being "Stan and Ollie", Steve Coogan, John C Reilly and the real Laurel and Hardy are just too infectious, engaging and lovable not to spawn newer viewers as the next year or so goes on.

Oh yes Blackhawk films and sales. One I bought was You're Darn Tootin which was the, I think, first silent L&H I'd ever seen. The only TV showings I ever saw were the 2 reeler soundies. I also bought a couple of films at full tilt from a place called Thomas Film Classics. He was an avid 16mm collector and sold me my projector and later my first betamax.

For the record I also enjoy A&C - and Three Stooges and even L&M (in small doses) but "the boys" will always be king to me.

 

[Rob W]

Another Blackhawk customer here.... I remember how it seemed to take forever to get a film, once you went to the trouble of getting a money order, sending in the order by regular mail and then waiting ,,, and waiting.. for your films to arrive. Quite a difference from today when we can order something with just a few clicks and get almost instant gratification.

And I also bought most of my purchases on sale.

 

[EManT2200]

Yes, here also with the Super8 films. Though I did have some of the Laurel and Hardy films, most of my collection was of the classic horror and classic Sci-Fi films. Now in my early 60's, I now have a home theater with a 140" screen, I have to admit that I kinda miss the clackity clack sound of the old projectors. Also had some 16mm.

 

[ahollis]

A Blackhawk customer here also. Fond memories of thumbing through the monthly catalog for hours figuring out what one item I wanted.

 

[Mysto]

A Blackhawk customer here also. Fond memories of thumbing through the monthly catalog for hours figuring out what one item I wanted.

http://uschefnerarchive.com/blackhawk-films-catalogs/

Who says you can't relive your childhood. We here at HTF do it everyday.

Forgive us Ronald for derailing this thread.

ADDED: Think before clicking the link - you can get lost for hours.

 

[loaloa55]

Here is the dance: Original B&W:

Color:

 

[Mysto]

I think this split screen shows it even better. They nailed it. Great work guys.

For those that are new to L&H ... Left - Way Out West 1937 Right - Stan& Ollie 2018

 

[PMF]

http://uschefnerarchive.com/blackhawk-films-catalogs/

Who says you can't relive your childhood. We here at HTF do it everyday.

Forgive us Ronald for derailing this thread.

ADDED: Think before clicking the link - you can get lost for hours.

I wouldn't say that this is derailing, at all.
Yes, there are some offshoots; but all roads lead back to our talks of Laurel and Hardy.
I took a gander at the link and was awash with Blackhawk catalog memories.
Imagine, just one 18-20 minute B/W Laurel and Hardy short in Super 8mm Magnetic Sound went for $39.99;
which is why I still laugh when people complain about paying for a Criterion BD of an entire feature film.
And mind you, a feature-length Criterion could be 3, 4 or 7 hours long, in color, 5.1 sound and restored.
Want a bigger bargain in today's home market?
Then check out Blackhawk's 16mm Optical Sound prices.
Such prices on a 16mm print were painful to a teenager;
but still a hopeful nirvana of goals, never to be reached in my early adulthood.
And here's another bargain in today's market; as the 1977 Blackhawk Catalog shows a price of $99.99 for a Super 8mm Mag Sound edition of an unedited "Sons of the Desert"; which cost us more in that year than today's cost for an entire 10-disc DVD collection of Laurel & Hardy.
To me, a discussion of Blackhawk Films is synonymous to all things Laurel & Hardy; as well as "Stan & Ollie". In fact, I'm willing to bet that the director or writer of this film had also ordered from Blackhawk Films, in their younger days.
BTW, fantastic link. I could smell the pages.

P.S.
Had I already mentioned that I'm a Laurel & Hardy fanatic?
Just wanted to be certain that everyone knew.

 

[ahollis]

http://uschefnerarchive.com/blackhawk-films-catalogs/

Who says you can't relive your childhood. We here at HTF do it everyday.

Forgive us Ronald for derailing this thread.

ADDED: Think before clicking the link - you can get lost for hours.

I know what I’ll be doing tonight. Thanks for that link. I used to save all the catalogs but my mom through them away after I left the nest and before I could rescue them.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

The Blackhawk link is pretty cool, I opened the Oct/Nov 1979 catalog (when I would have been getting them) and instantly remembered the "Lease Agreement" for the 8 Chaplin features - good for 12 years or "life of the print", whichever is sooner - on page 21.

 

[PMF]

I know what I’ll be doing tonight. Thanks for that link. I used to save all the catalogs but my mom through them away after I left the nest and before I could rescue them.

And you still talk to her?!!!

 

[PMF]

The Blackhawk link is pretty cool, I opened the Oct/Nov 1979 catalog (when I would have been getting them) and instantly remembered the "Lease Agreement" for the 8 Chaplin features - good for 12 years or "life of the print", whichever is sooner - on page 21.

Your post on the "Lease Agreement" gave me a flashback. And so I returned to the link.
I now remember as to how those 8 Chaplin features with the music soundtracks were way out of my price range;
but the offerings felt all so impressive.
1979. To lease "The Circus" in Super 8mm Magnetic Sound would cost $225.00.
So here we are some 40 years later; with just a mere 27 years after the lease would've run out on me.
And guess what? Its still out of my price range, today.
Ah,well, at least the BD price on "Stan & Ollie" won't be posing such dilemmas.