MGM September Classic Catalogue Releases (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Budgell]

From DVDFile.com:

On September 7th the following MGM classic catalogue films will be released:

Judgment at Nuremberg Includes three featurettes "In Conversation: Abby Mann and Maximilian Schell," "A Tribute to Stanley Kramer" and "The Value of a Single Human Being" and a still gallery. 1.66:1 non-anamorphic widescreen transfer. $14.95
Blithe Spirit1.33:1 full screen aspect ratios and Dolby Digital mono $14.95
Brief Encounter1.33:1 full screen aspect ratios and Dolby Digital mono $14.95
Great Expectations 19461.33:1 full screen aspect ratios and Dolby Digital mono $14.95
In Which We Serve1.33:1 full screen aspect ratios and Dolby Digital mono $14.95
Madeleine 1.33:1 full screen aspect ratios and Dolby Digital mono $14.95
Oliver Twist (1948) 1.33:1 full screen aspect ratios and Dolby Digital mono $14.95
The Passionate Friends 1.33:1 full screen aspect ratios and Dolby Digital mono $14.95
This Happy Breed 1.33:1 full screen aspect ratios and Dolby Digital mono $14.95

The following are all are presented in 4:3 full screen only, and feature no extras aside from trailers (except The Burning Bed, which has no extras). Retail will also list for $14.95 apiece.
The Burning Bed
Gotham
Moving Target
The Martian Chronicles

Andy

 

[oscar_merkx]

I am interested in sevral of David Lean's classics

 

[Derek_McL]

Andrew I think you mean Great Expectations (1946) unless Oliver Twist is getting released twice ! Pity these are all barebones apart from Judgement at Nuremberg. As far as the David Lean titles go there's no incentive here really to upgrade even the Carlton DVD Region 2s which have been available in various guises for awhile. I envy those with the funds for the Criterions of the three essential early Leans : Great Expectations (1946) (probably the best Dickens' adaptation ever), Oliver Twist (1948) (very nearly as good)and Brief Encounter (1945) (a bit upper class stiff upper lip but still good). For those in region 2 land who don't have these titles I would recommend the Carlton editions of these three which at least have half hour documentaries about the films.

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

What about the adaptation of GRATE EXPECTATIONS by Edmund Wells?

 

[Paul Penna]

I presume the DVD of "Blithe Spirit" I Netflixed last year was the Carlton version, and it was a wretched mess, both in sound and in particular visually. I hope the new one at least makes a stab at approximating the Technicolor look, since I'm a sucker for Margaret Rutherford. This the the defining performance of her cinematic personna.

 

[Tyler Ruggeri]

Does this mean the Criterion versions will go OOP? I certainly hope not, but if it's true I may need to splurge on Oliver Twist and Great Expectations.

Tyler Ruggeri

 

[Andrew Budgell]

I am kind of dissapointed...I wished that they would have included Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice in that list.

Andy

 

[DouglasBr]

Very glad to have all these Lean titles, having held back on the Criterions all this time. What extras do the Carltons have in R2? (Well, I guess I can just go ahead and check for myself. . . .)

 

[Thomas T]

Paul, most likely the Netflix Blithe Spirit you received was the R1 Image Entertainment version which was faded and not the R2 Carlton version which apparently is quite good looking.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

The Criterion's will probably go out of print, but who cares? They were laserdisc transfers.

Supposedly, Lowry Digital did restoration work on Brief Encounter but I'm not sure about the others.

 

[Mark-W]

Thomas T-

Actually a branch of the same company as Criterion, Home Vision Entertianment, released the previous R1 DVD of Blithe Spirit in very early "Image-Entertaiment" style packaging: snapper.

 

[GlennH]

I await some nice DVDBeaver.com comparisons of these to the Criterions. I have the Criterion Great Expectations and Brief Encounter, but if these new versions are their equal or better I wouldn't have a problem selling the Criterions since the extras aren't that important to me on these.

 

[Thomas T]

Mark, I pulled out my snapper Blithe Spirit and it is an Image Entertainment release although it comes with the tag "under exclusive license from Janus films" and even has the Janus logo on the right and the Image Entertainment logo on the left. I look forward to upgrading to the MGM release which promises to have a better transfer.

 

[Randy_M]

Even though the present version of Blithe Spirit is flawed, I've enjoyed it many times since I bought it. That said, any improvment in the picture will be an automatic buy/upgrade for me.

 

[Paul Penna]

Well, I'm sure that's the case. I missed the part about the Carlton being R2. Thanks for the correction. Anything would be better than the Image; I'd hate to see anyone basing their reaction to the film on that thing.