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Hell Just Froze Over.... (1 Viewer)

Charles H

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Finding titles on Movies Unlimited is a bit awkward--compared to DVD Empire, which lists the titles by release date. With MU, go to "What's New?" and look under the different genres "Comedy," "Drama," etc. for releases pn 6/3--latest to more recent. Today I noticed that MANDINGO has been added for "Drama" and HITLER: THE LAST TEN DAYS for "History and War."

Admittedly these are "B" titles and they are all color films with previous video incarnations, but it may be a prognosis for better things and the catalog potential is terrific: UNION STATION and THE RAT RACE on TCM today); LITTLE BOY LOST, NO MAN OF HER OWN, THE TURNING POINT, PAID IN FULL, BOTANY BAY, THE LAWLESS, BEAU JAMES, KNOCK ON WOOD, FOREVER FEMALE, THAT CERTAIN FEELING, OFF LIMITS, SUBMARINE COMMAND, THUNDER IN THE EAST, THAT KIND OF WOMAN, THE BUCCANEER (1938), UNDER TEN FLAGS, SOMEBODY LOVES ME, DEAR WIFE, DEAR BRAT, RED MOUNTAIN, HELL'S ISLAND, THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY, MY SIX LOVES, WIVES AND LOVERS, ON THE DOUBLE, SITUATION HOPELESS BUT NOT SERIOUS, APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER, and DARK CITY and tons of other titles never before represented on homevideo.
 

Mark Oates

Supporting Actor
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Mar 12, 2004
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Couldn't be happier about Monte Carlo Or Bust (aka Daring Young Men In Their Jaunty Jalopies). I've been after a proper disc (as opposed to an off-air) of this for years. I'm just hoping it'll be more widely available if it actually does come out as I've never dealt with Movies Unlimited. Do they ship internationally?
 

Patrick McCart

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They included The Ten Commandments '23 on the 3-disc SE of the 1956 film. Excellent remaster, too.

It's rumored they licensed The Wedding March to Criterion. And also rumored that a 3-film Josef von Sternberg silents Eclipse set may happen with the three silents Paramount owns (Underworld, Docks of New York, and The Last Command). That still leaves Wings, The Covered Wagon, Running Wild, and Old Ironsides - of what they released on VHS/laserdisc.
 

Peter M Fitzgerald

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If this really does pan out as a slate of legit, Paramount-sanctioned releases, I'll be picking up THE SKULL and maybe THE POSSESSION OF JOEL DELANEY.

Here's a crazy thought that just occurred to me--

What if this is some sort of weird joint-marketing arrangement between Paramount, Movies Unlimited and Turner Classic Movies? TCM has recently put its imprint on MU's long-running giant annual mail-order catalog, and promotes it often on their channel & website; TCM has also recently picked up a rather large broadcast package of Paramount films, some of which haven't gotten airplay in the U.S. for several years.

As we know, Paramount, which previously had a "no-licensing" policy for their catalog on DVD, now has let Criterion tackle some of their titles, and unlike Time-Warner's TCM, Paramount doesn't have their own, in-house "classic movie" network to keep their overall catalog (beyond their post-1970 heavy-hitters like the GODFATHER films, INDIANA JONES, AIRPLANE) in circulation and to promote catalog DVD releases.

Could it be that Paramount plans to manufacture the DVDs themselves, but market them as Movies Unlimited exclusives, with promotion done largely through TCM and TCM.com (maybe with those little TCM promo flyers packaged inside the DVD cases, as has been done in the past with some of Universal's catalog titles, like DOUBLE INDEMNITY)?

Not that I know anything, just idle speculation.

And, naturally, my wacky theory will be completely blown out of the water if/when DeepDiscount, DVDEmpire, Amazon, DVDPacific, etc, start offering them for pre-order.
 

CineKarine

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Looks like Paramount are licensing their newly-announced catalog films through another company (which?)

From MoviesUnlimited:

We have to applaud Paramount, long one of the most disappointing major companies when it comes to opening their vault of catalog titles. Sure, they’ve had some winners: the John Wayne portfolio, Reds, foreign classics like 1900 and The Conformist, the Martin and Lewis sets, and Once Upon A Time In The West. Still, there’re so many appealing things in their library that have never seen the light of day on DVD, so that the company never ceased to confound film fans. However, they’ve now licensed a plethora of titles to another manufacturer, and movie buffs should be quite happy. It’s an eclectic mix of recent past and vintage, most never on DVD before (and some never on VHS, either!) and while there are no true extras, they will be issued in the proper ratio with good quality transfers.

So, abracadabra! Here are some of the highlights of the first batch of Paramount-licensed titles:

Houdini (1953): While the story of the famed magician is filled with flights of fancy, this is an extra-entertaining account of his life, with Tony Curtis winning as the charismatic escape master and Janet Leigh as his loving wife.

Mandingo (1975): Controversy has always followed this tale of heated race relations down South, beginning when it was a best-seller penned by Kyle Onstott, then a play, and later when this Dino De Laurentiis production was released. A plantation is the setting for sex, violence and some politically incorrect behavior with James Mason, Susan George, Perry King, and Ken Norton.

The Possession Of Joel Delaney (1972): Perry King again, this time as the demonically possessed brother of socialite Shirley MacLaine, in this creepy forgotten film of the 1970s.

Z.P.G. (1971): In this futuristic shocker, Oliver Reed and Geraldine Chaplin play a couple in a dystopian future where, forbidden to have a child, they decide to ignore the law and have it their way. Any resemblance to the recent City Of Men is strictly coincidental. We think.

Villa Rides! (1968): A real popcorn movie, this highly speculative historical saga stars Yul Brynner as Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa and Charles Bronson and Robert Mitchum as support. Sam Peckinpah (who was removed as director) and Robert Towne are credited with the screenplay.

The One And Only (1978): Winning saga inspired by the life of Gorgeous George starring Henry Winkler as a flamboyant ‘50s wrestler.

Jekyll & Hyde…Together Again (1982): Mark Blankfield is the infamous doctor in this '80s comic staple, this time experimenting with white powder which brings out his animalistic tendencies.

King Of The Gypsies (1978): Eric Roberts’ breakthrough performance came in this colorful saga that casts him as the young leader of a gypsy clan in New York. Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, Shelley Winters, and Sterling Hayden also star.

Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973): Alec Guinness is the Nazi leader in what many consider the most realistic screen portrait ever.

Student Bodies (1981): Long before Scream and Scary Movie came this goofy spoof of horror flick conventions, with a young Richard Belzer as the psycho killer.

The Skull (1965): This creepy Amicus effort stars Peter Cushing as a doctor who discovers his latest artifact is the headbone of the Marquis de Sade.

Those Daring Young Men In Their Jaunty Jalopies (1969): In the tradition of Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines comes this wacky farce about a car race across Europe starring Tony Curtis, Terry-Thomas, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

The Optimists (1973): Engaging, gentle comedy stars Peter Sellers as an aging London street busker who falls into a beneficial friendship with a pair of impoverished kids.

Some Kind Of Hero (1982): Richard Pryor offers one of his most rounded performances in this comedy-drama based on the James Kirkwood novel of a Vietnam POW’s difficult acclimation to life back in the states. Margot Kidder, Ray Sharkey co-star.

Almost An Angel (1990): Paul Hogan shelves the croc-hunting for this frothy tale of a crafty burglar convinced, after a near-death experience, that he was brought back to perform good deeds. Linda Kozlowski, Charlton Heston co-star.

Blue City (1986): From the Brat Pack’s heyday, this Judd Nelson-Ally Sheedy vehicle tells of Nelson’s return to his small Florida hometown to root out the truth regarding his mayor father’s murder. This Ross Macdonald-based thriller co-stars David Caruso, Paul Winfield.

The Whoopee Boys (1986): Likeably lowbrow farce teams Paul Rodriguez and Michael O’Keefe as doltish New York con men who try to crash Palm Beach society in order to save a special needs school.
 

Kevin M

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Wow, The Possession Of Joel Delaney is finally getting released on disc? I never thought Paramount would let it happen just like I never thought they would release Let's Scare Jessica to Death....but there you go.

What a fine little disturbing film with an ending sequence that is just riveting, can't wait for this one.
 

Eric Peterson

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So who is this mystery company that Paramount is working with?

Most of these films are obviously not Criterion-esque nor do they fit in Criterion's new Eclipse line.

God forbid these are more titles through Lion's Gate.

Whoever it is, I hope that they do a bang up job...and then hopefully when the Lion's Gate contract ends, they can roll over all of those licensed titles to this new company. I so badly want to show my girlfriend "The Quiet Man", but I'm absolutely embarassed to show her the current edition.
 

Douglas Monce

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Paramount's early films pre 1955 are scattered over many different film companies as the owners at the time didn't see the value of its library and sold it off.

Wikipedia has a fairly in depth posting on the early Paramount library.

Paramount Pictures - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm not sure who owns Johnny Guitar at this point. It maybe public domain.

Doug
 

Jim_K

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Ooh, I'll definitely pick up The Skull if it's OAR and anamorphic. Too bad they didn't also opt for the other Freddie Francis Amicus title controlled by Paramount, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors.

Also somewhat interested in Villa Rides and The Possession of Joel Delaney.
 

Jay E

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I'm a little wary until I see the full details, but if they are OAR and Anamorphic, then I'm definitely in for The Skull and The Possession of Joel Delaney.

Might pick up ZPG too as I'm a big Oliver Reed fan.
 

ted:r

Second Unit
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I believe, from what I've read elsewhere on this board, is that it is owned by Lion's Gate.
 

Patrick McCart

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Johnny Guitar is part of the Republic library, which was licensed in whole (except for It's a Wonderful Life) to Lionsgate. Lionsgate only holds current DVD rights, not ownership of the films.
 

Steve Christou

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Widescreen Amicus horror classic The Skull is the only one I'm interested in from that list. I've had a badly panned and scanned vhs copy for more than 25 years now. I'd love to see what it looks like in it's correct ratio.
 

Werner_R

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Mar 24, 2002
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Johnny Guitar was recently released in R2 by Paramount, it still has the Republic Pictures logo on the dvd case so that would mean it's still part of the Republic Pictures library.
BTW, the picture quality of the film on dvd is very good...
 

Charles H

Screenwriter
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Jan 7, 2004
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More Paramount releases on 7/1: RHUBARB, THE BUSY BODY, PAPA'S DELICATE CONDITION, SERIAL. PARTNERS (Ryan O'Neal, John Hurt), DANIEL, DESPERATE CHARACTERS.
 

William Miller

Second Unit
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Feb 13, 2000
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250
From DVDDrive-in.com

Legend Films Releases Paramount Cult Titles!

Legend Films has licensed a number of library titles from Paramount for DVD release. Of interest to DVD Drive-In readers include THE SKULL, ZPG, THE POSSESSION OF JOEL DELANEY, THE STUDENT BODIES, JEKYLL AND HYDE TOGETHER AGAIN, THE BUSY BODY, THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH, PHASE IV, THE DEADLY BEES and THE SENDER. Some of these titles will be available for sale at the Legend Films website as of April 1st, and they will be available for retail everywhere else in June and July in separate batches. Cover art and more information to follow!
 

walter o

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Sep 6, 2004
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Odd these titles didnt go to a more well known label, as especially on PHASE IV, Criterion or Blue Underground could have done wonders with it.
 

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