Old MGM titles that you want to see in a New Special Edition (1 Viewer)

[Jing_B]

MGM (Sony) might not be the best in the DVD business but it can certainly do good stuff. Raging Bull 2-Disc CE was the proof. What are some of the other old MGM titles (those that came out in the early days of DVD) would you like to see rereleased in newly remastered special editions? Here are some of mine.

The Graduate (I don't think it will happen anytime in the near future).

Annie Hall: Anamorphic Transfer needed! Plus some extras please!

Midnight Cowboy

The Best Years of Our Lives: The most deserving Best Picture Winner for a super-duper Special Edition.

Paths of Glory

Although unreleased, I'll also add Wuthering Heights (1939) to the list too. The old HBO has been OOP for a long time already.

 

[Patrick McCart]

I'm hoping that Sony has It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and The Alamo restored (hopefully by Robert Harris).

For "Mad World", we'll get a brand new 16x9 HD-origin (from restored 65mm sources) 2.55:1 remaster, a 5.0 soundtrack faithful to the 70mm, hopefully a commentary or two, a revised documentary... and lastly, a section with the preview print deleted scenes that do not belong in the roadshow version. Perhaps there could be a featurette on the restoration, given how complicated it'll be.

As for The Alamo, more or less the same thing.


I'm looking forward to the Bond remasters, though. Goldfinger and Thunderball look horrible on the current special editions.

 

[JoeyCarr]

I think we could see a Graduate:SE when Rumor Has It comes out.
What MGM titles would I like to see?

Return of the Living Dead:SE

That's all I can think of right now,but that tells you how much I want it,seeing as that was the first thing to come to mind....

 

[Mark_TS]

need to be upgraded, soon:
ANNIE HALL
GRADUATE
FLORETTE/MANON
ALAMO roadshow
FELLINI ROMA
MIDNIGHT COWBOY
(an SE is supposedly due late Dec/Jan in the UK(go to HMV.uk)
ON THE BEACH (1959)16:9-only France has this (LE DERNIER RIVAGE)
LIFEFORCE-SE (both versions, seamless, +"making of" etc

 

[Martin Jeeves]

ANNIE HALL

MIDNIGHT COWBOY

LEVIATHAN

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978)

 

[Mark Anthony]

Thief - in 16x9, audio could do with re-mixing/better source elements.

Alamo Roadshow Edition

Khartoum in 2.76:1 and multi-channel audio, rather than the current cropped transfer.

Great Escape - need's new transfer as look's unacceptable. 5.1 remix is spread out mono, this could do wth being truly discrete.

Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 - in 16x9

Bond film's - 'Spy Who Loved Me' through to 'World is not Enough' needs new HD transfer's, 'Spy' through to 'Licence to Kill' inclusive could do with 5.1 remixes as the current dvd 5.1 audio is well below par in terms of fidelity.

The earlier films are taken care of by the lowry/mi casa restorations and re-mixes.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Midnight Cowboy, The Graduate, Paths Of Glory & The Apartment.


I'd also like to see all the Don Bluth films get new remastered oar transfers with extras and commentaries.

 

[Charles H]

MGM is bringing out A BRIDGE TOO FAR and THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN next month. These were available in R2, as is THE BOUNTY. Also: THE MIRACLE WORKER and EXODUS.

Does Sony now control the Goldwyn products?

 

[Patrick McCart]

I think they're just licensed to release them... sort of like the StudioCanal and Carlton titles.

 

[Todd Hostettler]

Annie Hall
It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
FORBIDDEN PLANET, dammit!

 

[jim.vaccaro]

Second that, and in the OAR of 2.55:1, not this cropped 2.35:1 nonsense, please. A 4.0 Dolby Digital track made from the original magnetic 4 track stereo would be icing on the cake. 2006 is the 50th Anniversary of this influential film...dare we hope?

 

[Charles H]

WB owns FORBIDDEN PLANET.

 

[Jing_B]

How about Some Like It Hot? This classic comedy deserves something much better.

 

[Bruce Morrison]

As well as supporting the requests for The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy and Annie Hall, I'd like to put in a request for special editions of 'In The Heat Of The Night' and 'The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes'. The present DVD transfers both have very grainy patches where the film elements used must have been of poor quality, and I'm sure Sony could do a much better job with more careful remastering and possibly a full restoration if necessary.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

WESTWORLD (now owned by Warner).

C'mon, WB - Michael Crichton commentary!!

 

[ScottJH]

Red Dawn & War Games

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

There is also the excellent remaster of The Manchurian Candidate.

The titles that I want are pretty similar to those above, but with a few additions:

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
- Non-anamorphic transfer could be much improved upon
- No extras; loads of critics would line up to do a commentary/intro
- Dull artwork

The Night of the Hunter (1955)
- Transfer could be better
- An epic making-of documentary exists

Paths of Glory (1957)
- Adequete transfer (Laserdisc port?); could be much better
- No extras; Warner are said to be planning SEs of
their Kubrick films in 2006 and Sony have already
remastered Dr Strangelove in hi-def and added
extensive extras
- Dull artwork

12 Angry Men (1957)
- Old non-anamorphic 1.66 transfer; could be a lot better today
- No extras for a landmark masterpiece like this?!

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
- Old non-anamorphic transfer is okay, but could be so much better
- Again, no extras for this pivotal classic
- Dull artwork

On the Beach (1959)
- Good non-anamorphic transfer, but we'd love a new anamorphic image, right?
- Once again, a landmark film with no extras from MGM!
- Dull artwork

The Alamo (1960)
- The 192-minute 65mm version should be restored
digitally at 4-6k with a new 65mm negative from the files
- No extras on the current DVD
- Dull artwork

Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
- MGM dropped the ball on this back in the day and
created a good NON-anamorphic transfer! The R2 disc
is 16x9, but drops the Corman commentary - WTF?

The Great Escape (1963)
- I am not happy with the 2-disc SE's transfer.
Yes, it is the best the film has ever looked on home
video, but it looks awful in places and the 5.1 track is a sick joke

The Train (1964)
- Brilliant non-anamorphic 1.66 transfer and the JF
commentary is one of my personal favourites, but I'd
buy again to get a new HD-sourced 1.66 anamorphic transfer
- Dull artwork

King of Hearts (1967)
- Poor NON-anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer of one of
the best films of the 60s
- Dull artwork

In the Heat of the Night (1967)
- Landmark film needs a 2-disc SE with a new transfer
- Dull artwork

Midnight Cowboy (1969)
- Current R1 and R2 transfers are among the worst for
popular, award-winning films; awful
- A Special Edition was announced for the UK early
this year, but has dropped off the radar
- Dull artwork

Fellini Roma (1972)
- Needs a new anamorphic transfer and extras

Sleeper (1973)
- I'd love to see SEs of all of Allen's films, but it won't happen, or will it...

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
- Current transfer is weak, non-anamorphic
- No extras
- Dull artwork

Thunderbolt & Lightfoot (1974)
- Current transfer is weak, non-anamorphic
- No extras
- Dull artwork

Annie Hall (1977)
- Needs a new transfer
- Any chance of getting the original 142-minute
'murder mystery' version, before the film was
redeveloped in the editing room as a witty intellectual romantic comedy?
- Extras?

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
- Current transfer is a fairly good non-anamorphic
job, which is a bit too dark and the print is a bit dirty
- Dull artwork

Something Wild (1986)
- Current transfer is good, but how about some extras?

House of Games (1987)
- Current transfer is goof, but how about some extras?

Henry V (1989)
- Deserves a new anamorpic transfers and extras


Sony will have their work cut out rectifying MGM's pox-ups of the late-90s, early 2000s, whilst simultaneously working on the unreleased films in the United Artists catalogue, whilst also working on their Columbia titles, old and new. Meanwhile, we have the Bond titles being restored...

I'm not expecting much, but I want to see Sony release the best of their now-huge library on DVD with great OAR transfers and quality extras.

By the way: This post has...
- Dull artwork

 

[seanJ]

Gordon, that`s a great list.

Would especially like to see something better done for "Sweet Smell Of Success" and "In The Heat Of The Night".

Incidentally, the current region 1 "Thunderbolt & Lightfoot" would appear to be missing some scenes if the running time stated on the box is correct. It says 106 minutes when the original run time is 114 mins.

Recently watched "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" again, first time for some years, surprised by how well it holds up, would be nice to see this one spruced up.

As for "Midnight Cowboy" I seem to recall seeing somwhere that Voight and Hoffman were contributing a commentary track to a new special edition, but as you said it appears to have dropped off the radar.

Regards

 

[Mike Wadkins]

fx murder by illusion
dressed to kill
thief

also will second war games

edit: both bill and ted movies with all the deleted scenes


(all released in uk by MGM sorry if diff in r1 land)

 

[Will*B]

WarGames for sure! I'd love to see this as a full-blown S.E.

Dressed to Kill already has a pretty good R1 S.E. in my opinion. Unrated cut, documentaries, trailers, anamorphic transfer. A DePalma commentary would be great, but let's face it, if he doesn't want to record one for Scarface or Carlito's Way, I don't think he'll do one for this!