Region 2 Looney Toons coming in 2003... (1 Viewer)

[David Lambert]

Hey, thanks for accepting my apology and all.
Okay, so I'm an arrogant bastard. Fine, you win the debate. I'm a loser. I'll never show my face here again. :frowning:
Bye, everybody!

 

[James Reader]

sorry duplicate

 

[James Reader]

David, perhaps I should have acknowledged you apology in the post, but I didn't see the whole R1/R2 issue being the main content of my last post (although in retrospect it does take up 50% of the content). And I am genuinely confused when I try to think of other releases that could be tests in one region or another. Also if you read my posts again you will see that I never once criticized you personally, rather only a single statement you made. There is a difference.

Anyhow to get back on track (from this hopefully non-issue) I really do think the bulk of the membership of this board are expecting way to much from any forthcoming R1 Looney Tunes releases when they happen.

From already available/soon to be released discs in other regions it is clear that Warner internationally have no intention of releasing a complete set in a number of substantial box sets. Also although such a release strategy has been suggested repeatedly to Warner no evidence has been released by the studio that this is indeed how they will decide to release the discs.

As far as I can see only one small hint that this may be the case is the substantial restoration work being undertaken (my logic being that it would be quicker to restore individual cartoons as and when needed rather than restore the lot). However even this logic is flawed - have Warner ever stated the restoration was specifically for DVD release, or are they just making the cartoons more suitable for HD-TV or future cinematic re-showings?

As I have stated Warner Family Entertainment are likely to be releasing the Looney Tunes cartoons in R1 (I'm not sure other regions have the Family Entertainment division operating separately from the main Home Video division like they do in the US) and I'm sure everybody on this forum will agree, Warner Family Entertainment have a seriously flawed history when it comes to their DVD releases.

Of course, this could be the release that turns Warner Family Entertainment around. God knows, Looney Tunes deserve as much - but then again I would have thought the same about the Batman Animated series and after a woefully unimpressive single release that seems to have stalled, and their treatment of the Scooby Doo releases has been nothing short of appalling.

Still, fingers crossed eh?

 

[Kevin McCorry]

When it comes to R1, I think every major character will get
a disc each. We may see a simultaneous release of six DVDs,
one with Bugs, one with Daffy, one with Tweety, one with Road Runner, one with Porky, and one with another character (possibly Foghorn, Pepe, or, to maximize Bugs releases, Elmer Fudd or Yosemite Sam). This will comprise the first wave, with more promised later in the year or next year, depending on sales. As to how many cartoons on each disc, it could be as few as 10 or as many as 25. They'll probably try to cram as many of the Jones classics as possible onto the discs. The Tweety DVD ought to have "Hyde and Go Tweet" and "Birds Anonymous" on it since those are definitive and most memorable AND were left off the Japanese discs. The Road Runner DVD will probably have one or two of the Bugs Vs. Wile E. cartoons and virtually no DePatie-Freleng cartoons. The Daffy disc will feature mostly Chuck Jones hero spoofs starring Daffy and Porky and could put some of Daffy's cartoons with Bugs into the mix.

A second wave would continue the same series, possibly with a Foghorn or Pepe disc replacing Fudd or Yosemite. No doubt, they'll try to market some kind of Taz disc as well.

It's highly unlikely the supporting players will get a disc of their own or many if any cartoons with Sylvester solo
will make the first 2 waves. In Britain, the discs may be devoid of pre-1948 titles, while in the U.S. there may be a mixture.

And, yes, wave 2 could contain duplicate cartoons.

 

[James Reader]

Its worth noticing that Play now had the Daffy Duck disc up for order - and it costs more money. RRP is £12.99 instead of £9.99 that they are asking for the Bugs Bunny disc.

A mistake or...

 

[James Reader]

First Press Release for the UK R2 Looney Tunes releases:

Warner Home Video have announced the first of ten Looney Tunes DVDs due for release throughout 2003, starting with Bugs Bunny: Looney Tunes Volume 1 on February 18th 2003. Released as a series of character specific volumes this first release features 14 of the very best Bugs Bunny animated shorts for the suggested retail price of £9.99.

Bugs Bunny, Volume 1 of the Looney Tunes series includes Bugs Bunny's Academy Award winning short Knighty, Knight Bugs plus 13 other classics:

* Rabbit Seasoning
* Mad as a March Hare
* What's Opera Doc
* Captain Harebower
* Harebrush
* Bunny Tugged
* Hare-way to the Stars
* Water Water Every Hare
* Rabbit Fire
* Broomstick Bunny
* Bugs and Thugs
* Bully for Bugs
Long Haired Hare
Look out for Volume 2 of the Looney Tunes series featuring Daffy Duck, the "thoroughly maladjusted mallard set" for release on 10th March 2003.

Also announced by Warner Home Video is the first ever appearance of 'Tom & Jerry' on UK DVD with Tom & Jerry: The Magic Ring. Released on February 24th with a retail price of £15.99 special features include Making of the Magic Ring - Behind the Artists' Brush, two bonus cartoons (Haunted Mouse and The Flying Sorceress) plus a How To Draw Tom & Jerry feature and a trailer.

 

[James Reader]

" for release on 10th March 2003.

Interesting the word SET would be used for the Daffy Duck release and Play list the RRP of that release as £12.99 rather than £9.99.
Does this mean Daffy will be a multi-disc release after all?

 

[ToddL]

I hope here in R1 we get complete collections of episodes in order. Judging by the way Warner has released their other cartoons (BTAS, Justice League, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo) I'm not counting on it. Why is Warner releasing these this way? I just despise this best-of, compilation, and duplicate episodes on multiple discs mentality they seem to have.

 

[James Reader]

CANCELED
The R2 releases have been canceled (Press releases announcing the first two releases Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck had already been released):

12 May : DVD Looney Tunes - Wile E Coyote & Road Runner removed

I suppose this could be seen as a good sign for those still expecting some sort of boxed set releases in R1 (Like ToddL I'm still doubtful based on Warner Family Entertainment's past record - Have WFE ever released a box set? The release of all the 3 Free Willy movies would be an ideal opportunity but I don't think that they have announced one)
Update: See also R2 Project

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I'm hoping for box sets like the MGM/Turner Looney Tunes laserdiscs, but encompassing the best of all years.

I would buy chronological sets as well, but that will never, ever happen. And the censored 11 will likely remain so.

 

[James Reader]

But Michael, based on the Warner Family Entertainment releases of Batman:TAS and Scooby Doo I cannot see that happening!
Let's face it, both the Animated Batman and Scooby Doo properties are popular to produce a wide range of DTV releases - with 2 Scooby Doo DTV titles this year already announced - Scooby Doo and the Legend of the Vampire and Scooby Doo and the Monster of Mexico. Also there is a new Batman:TAS DTV title this year - The Mystery of the Batwoman.
However their episodic DVD releases have been appalling with Scooby suffering from random duplications of episodes (the upcoming Scooby Doo's Greatest Mysteries has 3 out of 4 episodes duplicated from existing DVDs) while Batman's releases have been s-o---s-l-o-o-o-o-w. And apart from knowing that the next Batman DVD has (only) 5 episodes, we don't know which episodes they are.
How the hell can Warner Family Entertainment undervalue their properties so much? Could it be because they dismiss them as 'kids fair' only? Because if it is, the same is likely to happen with Looney Tunes. It's telling that Warner Bros didn't release the LD sets, it is not?
I could be wrong. But I'm personally thinking the cancellation/delay is so the releases can be tied into the upcoming 'Back In Action' film not for box sets.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Hey, 'South Park' is in box sets now. And, frankly, I believe a lot more adults will buy Looney Tunes than will buy Scooby. The Scooby resurgence is largely due to newfound popularity with a new generation of children.

But I'm not making any predictions as such. I'm just wishing.

 

[James Reader]

Michael - South Park is released by Warner Brothers, not Warner Family Entertainment (who I believe have released all Looney Tunes VHS releases in the past in America). And after the fuss over the cut Return of the Joker, I'm sure Warners on the whole are aware of the animated Batman's popularity with adults.

Scooby is popular, no matter who with and the current releases with their sloppy selection of episodes are noting more than a joke. There is no excuse (especially as they started releasing the series in order with Scooby Doo's Original Mysteries containing the first 5). The current releases just show lazyness.

Hey I hope I'm wrong too. Nothing would please me more than to own a series of carefully prepared and collected box sets of Looney Tunes.

I just think I should point out WFE's past record. When issues of P&S releases etc are brought up, we are constantly told WFE is independent from Warner Brothers Home Video. Keep that in mind.

 

[David Brent]

http://www.r2-dvd.org/article.jsp?se...articleId=5070

2003-01-07 15:25:20 Warner Bros have confirmed that the "Looney Tunes" releases scheduled for DVD this year have been removed from the schedule. That's not to say they won't reappear at a later date, perhaps in an enhanced form. So there will be no "Looney Tunes: Volume 1, Bugs Bunny " released on Feb 18th.

Dare we hope it's in response to the lukewarm reaction from fans hoping for more comprehensive releases, and that we might see this classic material presented in comprehensive chronological sets like Disney Treasures?
Given that WB in the UK seem to believe that Looney Tunes is purely for kids I'm not getting my hopes up.
David

 

[Chris S]

I'll interject a random thought. Anyone think that this could have something to do with the Warren Lieberfarb firing last month?

Chris *always looking for conspiracies* S.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Anyone think that this could have something to do with the Warren Lieberfarb firing last month?

No.

They've been working on these DVDs for a while.

 

[James Reader]

Looking back on the leaked Warners R2 schedule for 2003 (which has been pretty accurate - within reason - to date) I've just seen the following:

22-Sep-03 tba Looney Tunes relaunch (as per Tom & Jerry strategy)

Perhaps this date is roundabout the date 'Looney Tunes: Back In Action' is to be released in the UK.

Anyhow, I suspect the releases have not been cancelled as such, but postponed until this date - the relaunch becoming, in effect, the launch of the Looney Tunes DVD series.

 

[Sean Aaron]

I saw this today on play.com with a release date of 17/02 -- it had been TBA previously (following the postponement by Warners).

Looney Tunes - Bugs Bunny

Special Features
Interactive menus
Scene selection

Review
All the best of legendary animator Chuck Jones' Bugs Bunny cartoons!


Knighty, Night Bugs (the Oscar winning short!) / Rabbit Seasoning / Mad as a March Hare / What's Opera Doc? / Captain Harebower / Harebrush / Bunny Tugged / Hare-way to the Stars / Water Water Every Hare / Rabbit Fire / Broomstick Bunny / Bugs and Thugs / Bully for Bugs / Long Haired Hare


Technical Details
Certificate Universal Suitable for All
Screen Fullscreen 4:3
Languages English
Subtitles None listed
Duration 1 hour and 30 minutes (approx)

The Daffy Duck disc is still in the catalog but is still listed as TBA -- can anyone confirm if this has been officially put back on the schedule by Warners UK?

 

[James Reader]

The Daffy Duck disc is still in the catalog but is still listed as TBA -- can anyone confirm if this has been officially put back on the schedule by Warners UK?

The details about the cartoons on the Bugs Bunny disc seem to have come from Warners initial press release (before posponement). I expect some confusion over the order of the press releases sent to play - as those details have been put on recently.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Knighty Knight Bugs is a Friz Freleng cartoon.

In fact, Chuck Jones never won an Oscar for a Bugs cartoon. The two cartoons he won an Oscar for were The Dot and the Line (an MGM cartoon in 1966) and So Much for So Little (Warner Bros. 1949, not a Looney Tune or Merrie Melodie)