An Open Letter to the Folks at Paramount Home Entertainment (1 Viewer)

[Dick]

Hello, Ladies and Gents.

I am a lifelong movie collector, going back to the 60's with 8mm, Super 8, and through every video format. I can't recall exactly when it happened, but your studio had been pretty reliable getting DVD's and Blu-rays (the latter beginning, I believe, in 2005) of your classic titles out to the public, and then, I believe shortly after your wonderful release of SUNSET BLVD in 2012, the flow dried down to a dribble for Paramount catalog titles. For seven long years we had been thirsting for a fresh supply of highly desirable movies that simply weren't being upgraded to HD. A few that actually did escape to hit the shelves looked pretty awful (HATARI!, DAY OF THE LOCUST), and I hope you will address those for re-issue. A few others, only because (I assume) Paramount does not have foreign rights for their release, turned up in Europe on numerous labels.

However, I am really posting this to commend whoever currently runs your Home Entertainment dept., as we unexpectedly see a startling, prolific library output (seemingly as copious as Kino's), coming out of nowhere, because you understand the value of your media holdings. Bless you for pulling the plug from the dyke!!

I won't list all of the many dozens of major films from your studio that a great many of us want released on Blu, as I have already done that on this forum. Some of them, either through your new Paramount Presents! moniker, or simply on your own label, are already announced. Please do consider giving us domestic releases of the films you licensed out to Via / Imprint, of which only one so far, WAR OF THE WORLDS, is available here (and thanks for doing business with Criterion again...can't wait for THE PARALLAX VIEW!) But I am incredibly grateful to see the choices you have already provided to us in so short a time, even if a majority of them hold no appear for me personally. But ROMAN HOLIDAY is a beautifully mounted disc, and I hope your quality control and any new scans you make can live up to it.

In any case, after being truly incensed that such a great catalog as yours was being squandered for seven years, all is forgiven, as long as the transfers are up to Blu-ray specs (some bonus material wouldn't hurt, either), and I look forward to adding many Paramount Blu-ray catalog titles to my shelves. I suspect one of your reps may be following related threads here at HTF, and please know you are welcome to show your proverbial face by posting here, or not. Either way, you have lots of new fans, and...

THANKS AGAIN!! ​

 

[SWFF]

. . . and we'd all love to see DRAGONSLAYER (1981) finally on blu. That's all I wanted to add.

 

[Dick]

. . . and we'd all love to see DRAGONSLAYER (1981) finally on blu. That's all I wanted to add.

I totally agree, but for that one (one of my favorite fantasy films, right behind 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD), I would love to have a commentary and some special effects documentary material. Issue of 6 of Cinefex (October, 1981) headlined that movie and the development of go-motion is fascinating. Interviews/commentary with some of the surviving members of the ILM team that worked on this would be great!

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Was very disappointed about The Day of the Locust and i chose it as the worst looking Blu-ray of the year. I hope for better results when Paramount releases it in the US.

 

[Arthur Powell]

My two top wants from Paramount:
Beau James (1957)
The Wedding March (1928) - supposedly licensed by Criterion, but with a DCP available now, what is the hold-up?

 

[RBailey]

CASANOVA'S BIG NIGHT (1954) with Bob Hope, Basil Rathbone, Joan Fontaine, Audrey Dalton, John Carradine, Lon Chaney and Raymond Burr is my top choice for a Blu-ray release. The Technicolor is gorgeous on the DVD and it would be outstanding in HD.

 

[timk1041]

The Country Girl needs a Blu Ray release.

 

[Bartman]

I noticed the early drop off in Paramount Blu-ray releases too. I wonder what the reason was?

I want When Worlds Collide to get the Criterion treatment. The streaming version looks pretty good.

 

[filmnoirguy]

I'm waiting for restored Paramount Blu-rays of Hud and A Place in the Sun.

 

[maxfabien]

Waiting for Paramount blu-ray releases of Best Picture Oscar winners "Ordinary People" and "The Greatest Show on Earth", as well as "Looking for Mr. Goodbar".

 

[Doug Abbott]

. . . and we'd all love to see DRAGONSLAYER (1981) finally on blu. That's all I wanted to add.

Dragonslayer is my most wanted film. I'm beginning to doubt that we will ever see it on Blu-ray. I just found out that either Netflix or Prime is streaming a beautiful restore copy of Dragonslayer. I downloaded it and it's fantastic, colors are awesome. All this is great, but I would still love to buy the film on Blu-ray.

 

[Alan Tully]

My little list:

The Greatest Show On Earth
Li'l Abner
In Harm's Way
The President's Analyst
Paint Your Wagon
Catch-22
The Big Bus
Heaven Can Wait.

Let's see if we get a few of those next year.

 

[trajan007]

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

 

[LouA]

I’d buy many of those mentioned above plus Elvis Presley’s remaining titles and many more. Keep them coming!

 

[marcco00]

would like to add Anything Goes 1956 and a new scan of Funny Face

 

[Scamp]

Would love to see Foul Play with Chevy Chase & Goldie Hawn make it to Blu.

 

[Lasermanfan]

"Looking for Mr. Goodbar", "Lipstick", "Little Darlings", "Bugsy Malone"

 

[LouA]

Fear Strikes Out
Return To Paradise,
Donovan’s Reef,
I Married A monster From Outer Space ,
Many others!

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Any unreleased of HD DeMille's would be great, especially Greatest Show on Earth.

 

[Alan Tully]

Any unreleased in HD DeMilles would be great, especially Greatest Show on Earth.

I think that's the only DeMille film left for Paramount, all the other films are now owned by Universal, they've released quite a few of them. I have Blu-rays of:

The Sign Of The Cross (France)
Cleopatra (US)
The Crusades (France)
The Plainsman (Germany)
Reap The Wild Wind (France)
Unconquered (Germany)

Amazon es is a good place to look for them, Universal have released a lot of titles in Spain (the real thing, not boots) multi-region with colourful garish covers.