HTF Warner TV & Animation Chat 6/06/06 - The Questions asked... (1 Viewer)

[Paul Miller]

I tend to agree, if you missed last night's chat, you really didn't miss anything except a good portion of what hasn't been released animation wise so far needs remastering.

The Popeye cartoons have had dozens and dozens of releases on DVD already for people who want to get the Popeye fix.


Paul

 

[Paul McElligott]

Also, "No plans" sometimes may be a diplomatic way of saying "I can't talk about it yet." You never know.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Huh?


The Popeye films have NEVER been released on ANY home video format to date EVER.

And I agree with Ron, the chat was one of the most interesting and revealing to date and I think we should all be extremely priviliged and appreciative that a major studio is recognizing our community and cares enough to reach out and take the time to chat with us and address issues and concerns. No other studio does this, and they don't need to either. They do it because they obviously see the merit in communicating with those of us who strongly support and care about this home video format and film as a medium in general.

Thank you WB for taking the time to do this - and as Patrick said, please get the word out on the T&J and LT replacement discs ASAP!!!

Thanks again!!!

 

[Keith Paynter]

Jeff, you're in it. I got home just as the chat started (although I logged onto mIRC earlier in the day in case Id miss something), so I switched between posting and monitoring the chat for the full 3 hours, which is why the results of post #1 are somewhat shorthand in nature. If Ron & Parker allow it, I'll do the same when Warner's Feature Division schedules a return later this year.

 

[Keith Paynter]

Koch released a "75th Anniversary" 3 disc set of the 60's shorts (unrestored), and several bargain basement DVD's exist with (obviously) less than stellar source material. The Technicolor 2-reelers circulated everywhere in the 80's on budget VHS releases. Amazon currently lists over 200 DVD & VHS titles, both active & discontinued.

What, you've never been to Wal-Mart?

 

[JeffSchiller]

Keith, I realize that now However, I was unaware during the chat last night where to go in the forums to read up on what has been discussed. My suggestion is for future chats to put a link in the chat itself (perhaps as a greeting in the IRC channel when people first join) that points to the thread.

 

[JeffSchiller]

There are quite a few public domain releases out there, I agree. However, what's missing is the definitive release of all Fleischer Popeye films (only a few of which are public domain). The news announced last night is very significant in this regards

 

[Haden]

Sorry I missed the chat last night....

So Dallas was mentioned and they indicated we'd be getting more seasons, but was anything mentioned about the Dallas tv movies: "Dallas - The Early Years" and the 2 reunion movies from the 90s? I've really been wanting to see The Early Years again for a long time now. Is there some rights issue preventing those from being released? I remember reading about how some TV reunion movies are produced by different companies than the distributor of the original tv show they are based on, so therefore the same people releasing the tv series on DVD may not have the ability to release the later tv movies. Is this the case with Dallas?

 

[Keith Paynter]

Marco - I agree that the WB announcement re: Popeye is very significant, you just dug yourself in a hole when you emphatically say that "The Popeye films have NEVER been released on ANY home video format to date EVER." - that's too all-encompassing...I look forward to a very different, better looking product from WB.

 

[Jay_B!]

the reason some people, myself included, were disappointed is because Warner basically just told people what they already know (more Dallas, more "best of" crap for Friends, etc..., no more Murphy Brown). You would be expecting a lot of breaking news but that just wasn't the case. Most of the "it's coming" comments were for shows that were already hinted at in the past (like Mama's Family, which was mentioned on TSOD last Christmas). It wasn't really like Warner said anything that truly was a shock to the system, except that more shows have been abandoned (and didn't someone say Knots actually outsold Dallas? so why is that abandoned?) and that the shows people have wanted are still not coming.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

The FLEISCHER Popeyes have NEVER been released on ANY home video format to date EVER.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

A total of 7 out of 109 cartoons have been issued, unofficially. Along with the 3 two-reelers which exist in the public domain.

There has NEVER been an official release to date. period.



I think we're all well aware of the King Features Syndicate films.

And while some of them are not terrible, they are not the films that most people care about. If even acknowledge. These are TV cartoons.

I am talking about the THEATRICAL films.

I believe there are about 25 Famous cartoons in the public domain, which inlude "cheater" cartoons and redrawn animation as well.

there's been NO official release however.

 

[Keith Paynter]

What, you're honestly telling me the color 2-reelers aren't Fleischer shorts?

Have you looked on Ebay lately? You can find 3rd party videotapes from the 80's with that stuff on it at any pawn shop for a buck. Even our public library had the two-reelers in color 16mm prints. Prints like these were the source for their appearance on cheap tapes.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

There's been NO official release of these theatrical films not part of the public domain. They have been withheld for years and not seen apart from rare screenings and the very odd syndicated or packaged TV broadcast.

So I stick to my guns.

They have never been issued by any licensed studio to date.

 

[Keith Paynter]

That's fine, but don't deny their existance.

 

[george kaplan]

You are 100%, without any doubt, completely and utterly incorrect in that*.

*- subject of course to tons of unstated caveats, redefinitions, clarifications, backtracking, etc., etc.

 

[GaryEA]

Sigh. This gets more disappointing with each WHV chat.

I'm not going to give up because they did release "The Flash", and I never thought that would see the light of day.

And, for the record, I would buy seasons of "Everwood" beyond S1. After the finale aired, and my fiancee and I both said that we HAD to get the show on DVD.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Not according to what I see here:

Click Here

Click Here

 

[Conrad_SSS]

Ron,

The first compilation you mention is a group of made-for-TV POPEYE cartoons, which are not the classic theatrical POPEYE cartoons that Warner owns. In their announcement, warner acknowledged they will be assuming distribution of the TV Popeye cartoons, but the excellent THEATRICAL POPEYE cartoons, have never had a legitimate, authorized release.

The second package you link two is made of older POPEYE cartoons, indeed from the theatrical package, that belong to Warner, but are 'grey market'...perceived to be in the public domain, and there are a load of those releases made from crappy release prints. They've been stuffing dollar bins for years. Serious collectors know they are basically bogus.

The Warner release is truly the first authorized & legit release the theatrical cartoons have been given.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

The vast majority of classic Popeye cartoons have never been released on home video, let alone DVD.

Regards,