A slow year? (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Whitford]

I've been collecting DVD's since 1997 and by far this first half of this year has been the slowest year ever. In fact most of the stuff i've bought this year have been rereleases. Not all but a big chunk . For many years there were times when I was buying two or more titles (day & date)a week. This year im lucky if a I buy two a month. I realize that alot of that had to do with the studios playing catch up getting older popular titles out but there just seems to me that there is a real lack of good stuff that has come out this year. So far. Now I will say that I dont buy alot of TV series on DVD so I have not payed much attention there but movie wise is it just my taste or do others feel this way as well? I know my wallet is happier.

 

[Dick]

All depends upon what one considers "good stuff." I've been pretty happy with the output so far in '05, particularly (of course) the Warner product. The second half looks to be a virtual bonanza of catalog titles.

 

[Brett_B]

In regards to myself, 2004 was a real disappointment for me theatrical wise. This has affected my theater going business this year by being more cautious in what I pay for. I commented to my friends not too long ago how I really wasn't buying DVDs as I used to, because the movies released in 2004 weren't anything that I wanted to see again let alone owning it. Out of all the movies released in 2004, there were only about 10 that I wanted to buy when released, and some others that I said to myself that I may buy when they reach the bargain bins.

This year, so far, has been on par if not worse than last year. I am actually considering buying TV series that I have previously looked over because I know there won't be times that I regret facing a certain release time period that I know will affect me financially due to "must-haves" in my book. In other words, I highly doubt someone will hear me say, "My wallet going to be hurting with all these stellar releases in the next few weeks."

So, to answer your question, "No, you are not alone."

 

[Glenn Overholt]

I agree too. The catalog titles just aren't coming out like they used to. I don't really have exact figures, but I'm buying about 1/5th of what I had been buying in previous years.

Very scary.

Sure, it is a question of taste. but my average had been about 12 a month, and right now I'm at 2.

It makes me wonder if they lost the combination to the "other" vault. They can't all be tied up in clearance rights!

As for the - they are only in it to make money, and the other titles won't make enough angle - well, if that is so, then now they are really screwed.

Glenn

 

[Dane Marvin]

I buy all those re-releases because I get into the cultural impact apsects, documentaries, biographies, and things that went into making a film as much as I do the film itself. So if a relatively bare-bones disc of a great film comes out, I usually don't buy it. I wait until the better version comes along. Up to that point, I can always just rent. That said, I love the re-releases that have come out so far this year and have purchased:

Sling Blade
Jaws
Apollo 13
Hoosiers
Spaceballs
Rebel Without a Cause
Twilight Zone (season sets)

Catalog debuts have been good so far, including Easter Parade and The Band Wagon SEs, Bringing up Baby SE, plus East of Eden, film noir from Fox, Gangster Collection, Controversial Classics, and the Classic Comedy collection from Warner. Errol Flynn had a nice box set released, too. Criterion output like F for Fake, Hoosiers and Heaven Can Wait (all debuts) have been great, too.

Theatrically, one could argue that this year has been pretty bad so far (though I look forward to Cinderella Man on DVD), but some films from last year that came out on DVD this year are:

Sideways
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Ray
The Life Aquatic
Million Dollar Baby (coming July)

All worth purchasing, IMO. Plus, I think we still have a lot to look forward to this year theatrically, though not all of these films will have DVDs street in 2005:

Batman Begins
War of the Worlds
The Chronicles of Narnia
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
King Kong

And there's a lot of good stuff on the slate for the latter half of 2005 that I'm really psyched for:

King Kong (1933) SE
Titanic 4-Disc
Ben-Hur 4-Disc
The Sting (OAR!)
To Kill a Mockingbird SE
Gladiator 3-Disc
Unfaithfully Yours CC
The Truman Show CE

Between this and a steady diet of TV shows like Scrubs, Home Movies, Undeclared, Twilight Zone, King of Queens, Seinfeld, and The Simpsons being released, my money is as good as gone all the time.

 

[Jeff Whitford]

Dane as far as the rereleases go I picked up off your list Space Balls and Hoosiers is on my list to get. Both because neither was anamorphic before. From the films from last year you listed I rented all of them and only found that I wanted Finding Neverland. I have a Kate fetish. I didnt mention this fall as the thread was about what came out so far this year but im very anxious to get the Sting and Titanic(Kate again)

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I think part of the reason is that most all the
"must have" titles have been released (though it
pends on personal taste).

What we have now is an onslaught of "double-dip"
titles and "B" titles that were never really at
the top of most people's need to own list.

What's sort of cool about the state of the format
these days is that now that the well is beginning
to dry, we are seeing a lot of niche titles that
we thought would never get released.

 

[Paul Borges]

Depends on what you're into. I'm a musicals fan, and I think this year has been one of the best with 'Broadway To Hollywood', Doris Day and Astaire/Rogers and a few from Columbia, Paramount, ect. And there may be more coming.

Then there's Gangsters, Classic Comedies (with some of the best classic comedies ever imo), Thin Man Series, Garbo, Flynn, Val Lewton Horror, more Film Noir from Fox and Warner, more Davis and Craford, East Of Eden, and more....

Maybe Jeff, you're not into movies that go far this back. A lot of the more recent movies that have a decent following are probably already out.

 

[Thomas T]

I'm with Paul!

For fans of mainstream studio product, the big guns have been shot and I can sense your dismay of what is being put out there.

For fans of pre-1970 American films and for classic foreign cinema, the well is not only far from dry, it's barely been dipped into and every new announcement from Warners, Fox, Paramount and Criterion has my pulse quickening and my bank account groaning!

 

[Mathew B]

It's actually been a good tear for my collection, which is growing rapidly by the way the prices seem to drop on many big titles after a few mere weeks. Plus I'm looking forward the Batman movies in October (Begins and the Burton saga; an insider from Warner UK spilled the beans on this), as well as maybe War Of The World and Hitchhiker's Guide in the second half of 2005.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I buy 99% catalog titles because 99.5% of theatrical films are horse crap IMO, so I certainly would not buy DVDs of these films. Bring on MORE catalog output!

 

[BarryR]

There are TONS of catalog titles as yet not on DVD, if one is interested in collective studio output from, say, 1927 through 1970. From that angle, we've had a few tantalizing drops each month but that's about it.

 

[Marc Colella]

There are a buttload of foreign and independant catalog titles that either haven't made their way to DVD in R1 yet, or are available but are in desperate need of a re-release. It's slow for me only because the studio's aren't releasing the titles that I want, not because there's not much left to get.

Just to name a few that I'm dying to see released or re-released:

The Conformist, Picnic at Hanging Rock, À bout de souffle, Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring, Babette's Feast, Exotica, Pierrot le fou, The Double Life of Veronique, Fearless, Badlands, Le Samourai, Los Alvidados, Andrei Rublev, The Sacrifice, The Mirror, Night on Earth, Shoot The Piano Player, Small Change, etc etc etc.

 

[Walter Kittel]

No disrespect, but it depends upon your preferences. As a fan of older films, I believe it has been one of the best years yet with the incredible Warner boxsets, the Fox film noirs, more solid catalog titles from Paramount, the Criterion releases which almost never disappoint, more Fox titles from Anchor Bay, some nice re-releases of earlier titles that have offered improved transfers, features, etc. and so on.

- Walter.

 

[Jeff Whitford]

There are alot of old films that I like but they aren't being released either. 30 seconds over Tokyo for one

 

[Hal F]

I think it has been a fantastic year - for those into older movies or foreign films. And that is exactly what I am into.
Hardly every get dvd's of recent american movies anymore. Did pick up The Incredibles and thought it was great. But most of the other recent stuff seems like so much dreck to me.
The recent releases of film noir have been wonderful. And am really looking forward to what is coming later in the year.
Just last week I picked up Under the Flag of the Rising Sun. Very powerful anti-war film from the Japanese pov made in the early 70's.
And look at all the great stuff from the silent era that's come out so far this year.

 

[Hal F]

Yes, I'd sure like to see that one on dvd.

 

[StevenFC]

I've been pretty happy with the releases thus far. Good tv like "The Andy Griffith Show" (season two). Some good Westerns and plenty of older stuff also like "Call Northside 777" for instance. As usual Warner has come through with the goods. I'm almost tempted to not even include them in the discussion any more--because it almost seems unfair to compare them with other studios.

I only hope standard DVD will have enough of a run to get down to the lesser known "B" movies that Ron alluded to. Movies like "No Time For Sergeants", "The D.I.", "This Land Is Mine" (1943), "Passage to Marseille", "A Tale Of Two Cities", and "The Mortal Storm".

All of those and many, many others would be nice, but all I ask for is an honest effort (see "Colossus: The Forbin Project" for a pitiful effort). I don't expect every month to be filled with my personal favorites. I'll take what I can get and hope for the best. This probably hasn't been the best half year no doubt, but maybe we're just a little jaded.

 

[Jeff D Han]

I haven't bought many new theatrical titles lately.
I picked up Sideways, The Incredibles, Blade Trinity,
and After The Sunset this year so far. I have bought
some catalog titles and/or re-releases for my library
that always seems to be a work-in-progress.

I'm REALLY looking forward to getting the Titanic
4 disc set, and The Sting later this year.

 

[Jim_K]

Well as others have already stated it depends on your preferences/tastes.

For me it's been a pretty good year so far.

Just off the top of my head - catalog titles new to DVD

The Warner Gangster Box, The Flynn Box, The McQueen box, 6 Fox Noirs, a few Criterion Noirs, Sword of Doom, Bad Day at Black Rock, Palm Beach Story, I Am A Fugitive From a Chain Gang & some good classic Westerns from Fox & Columbia, etc.

Coming soon..........

Warner Noir set Vol #2, Point Blank, Night Moves, Major Dundee, The Karloff/Lugosi set, The Universal Hammer Collection, The Val Lewton set, The Innocents, The Fly SE, War of the Worlds SE,, more Fox Noirs, etc.

we might even get the original King Kong this year. Keeping my fingers crossed.

The only major disappointments so far was the Peckinpah Box pushed into 06. MGM's collapse before we could get the Leone Dollar SE's & Duck You Sucker out & no continuation of Universal's Noir line.