Universal To Celebrate 100 Years in 2012 (1 Viewer)

[jaaguir]

There are separate threads for each of these, but I thought I'd mention within this one that the first two big catalogue titles have been announced: To Kill A Mockingbird and All Quiet on the Western Front. These appear to be upgrades of the previously existing DVD editions. There are new featurettes listed about the 100th anniversary and restoration. To Kill A Mockinbird also gets a new "Scene Companion" function while All Quiet on the Western Front comes with the silent version of the movie. The other bonus content looks like it comes from the earlier DVDs.

Glad to see I was wrong, and it seems like Universal is actually going to do something worthwhile with this anniversary thing.

I know Universal has been working on a major restoration of THE KING OF JAZZ. With these other Blu-Ray announcements, I would think Blu-Ray would be the final destination for this title.
I would hope at least the first three FRANKENSTEIN films would make it to Blu, along with DRACULA, THE INVISIBLE MAN and THE WOLF MAN.
Also, W.C. Fields THE BANK DICK and NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK and perhaps a mini set for ABBOTT AND COSTELLO. I know BUCK PRIVATES would have to be there, but my choices would be WHO DONE IT?, ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, HOLD THAT GHOST and THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES.
And for sure, THE BIRDS and possibly SABOTEUR and SHADOW OF A DOUBT.
And the 50s sci-fi films would have to be there....THIS ISLAND EARTH, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE?
Personally, I would think Deanna Durbin should be represented as she helped save the studio, but I don't think she is well remembered today.
Well, I can dream.....

That's great news about King of Jazz, but studios do restoration work on a lot of catalog that then, never bother to release.
I would be up for all the stuff you mention. I would especially like to see some Deanna Durbin, as you say. I love to see that kind of mainstream entertainment from the past, which in a way I find a better snapshot into the past than the still famous titles.

I can attest to the fact that this week all the mag elements for "Vertigo" are being digitized to Protools at Blu-Wave Audio on the Universal Pictures lot. Perhaps that's pointing to a new release of that title on Blu next year.

That's great. Vertigo would be a must for this anniversary celebration, but it's a Paramount movie, so I don't know...

So the vast majority of the titles that I'm excited about are M.O.D.?

+1.
About that long-list of presumably up-for-release titles , count me in for:
Harvey, Buck privates, Pillow talk, Abbot & Costello meet Frankenstein, Double indemnity, the Classic Monsters set, and Holiday Inn.
I hope the Hitchcock set is not the only way they release Vertigo and The birds. Forcing people to double-dip on Psycho would be ugly.
Also, I find odd that no Mann-Stewart westerns would be released, and no Sirk. I sure expect at least something from there.

 

[benbess]

Vertigo along with most of the other movies that Hitchcock did for Paramount have long been owned by Universal. Long story, but basically Hitchcock owned the films a few years after their release, and he eventually sold them to U in exchange for stock...

 

[Eric Peterson]

Also, I find odd that no Mann-Stewart westerns would be released, and no Sirk. I sure expect at least something from there.

Mann/Stewart would be a huge oversight. As for Sirk, I'm assuming that the M.O.D. Mellodramas set is intended to have some Sirk. I'd rather buy the old Criterion versions if that comes to be.

 

[Timothy E]

Mann/Stewart would be a huge oversight. As for Sirk, I'm assuming that the M.O.D. Mellodramas set is intended to have some Sirk. I'd rather buy the old Criterion versions if that comes to be.

The Mann/Stewart films are some of the greatest westerns ever filmed IMO. These films deserve to be released on BD.

 

[Kevin EK]

Bill Hunt is posting a tentative date of 8/14/12 for Jaws Blu, which is the date on the list seen in this tread. He is also posting the possibility of Jaws sequels, particularly a BD3D release of Jaws 3D. His post also discusses the Universal Monsters Blu-ray Box, again without specifying which movies will be in the box. Looks like as a tentative list, that document has some accuracy...

 

[Michael Allred]

As long as Universal puts out the rest of the John Carpenter titles on BD (ok, there's only like two of 'em) then I'll be happy. Anything else would be gravy ("The Shadow", etc.)

 

[Darby67]

I just hope they release Amazing Stories: The Complete Second Season and Night Gallery Season 3 on DVD in 2012.
Darby

 

[bob kaplan]

i am with ya' Darby!!! ...on both counts!

 

[dpippel]

I just hope that Universal starts producing more QUALITY releases in 2012. They've put out some pretty vile looking Blu-ray titles.

 

[Kevin EK]

Doug, I think everyone will agree that we'd like to see the catalogue releases for the 100th Anniversary be of the highest quality. I'll be looking forward to those.

And there certainly have been some unfortunate releases, like Spartacus and Out of Africa. But there have also been many excellent releases, such as the Psycho Blu last year, so I have hopes for a good year for both Uni and Paramount's centennials. If that list is even half accurate, we're in for a really fun ride this coming year.

 

[dochaliday]

No point in mentioning any titles I want to see released since most have already been mention dozens of times already (though I will say Midway with better sound than the DVD, and a 3D release of Creature from the Black Lagoon would be amazing). I will just say that I would love to see Universal concentrate on titles that have never been released in North America on Blu Ray. Titles not available on DVD in a long time would be especially appreciated.

 

[Kevin EK]

With Universal's March releases now showing up on their publicity website, and being echoed at Bill Hunt's website, we now have pretty strong evidence that the leaked list shown on page 3 of this thread is accurate.

Just as that list shows, The Deer Hunter, Harvey, Parenthood and a remastered Out of Africa are shown for release in early March as combo Blus. Further, the SD DVDs mentioned in that list are also present, including Three Smart Girls, My Man Godfrey and The Last Temptation of Christ.

Looks to me that there's a lot to look forward to, although the extras indicated on the publicity website seem to be whatever was ported from earlier editions, plus new brief featurettes about the centennial. But just having good HD picture and sound for these films will be a nice thing indeed.

 

[dpippel]

Originally Posted by Kevin EK /t/316229/universal-to-celebrate-100-years-in-2012/90#post_3885089
With Universal's March releases now showing up on their publicity website, and being echoed at Bill Hunt's website, we now have pretty strong evidence that the leaked list shown on page 3 of this thread is accurate.

Just as that list shows, The Deer Hunter, Harvey, Parenthood and a remastered Out of Africa are shown for release in early March as combo Blus. Further, the SD DVDs mentioned in that list are also present, including Three Smart Girls, My Man Godfrey and The Last Temptation of Christ.

Looks to me that there's a lot to look forward to, although the extras indicated on the publicity website seem to be whatever was ported from earlier editions, plus new brief featurettes about the centennial. But just having good HD picture and sound for these films will be a nice thing indeed.

For me extras are gravy. Delivering exceptional audio and video quality is the entire point of a HD release. Otherwise why even bother? This has been my problem with Universal's Blu-ray track record so far. I'm hoping they'll finally get their act together this year and shut me up.

 

[Richard V]

I just hope they release Amazing Stories: The Complete Second Season and Night Gallery Season 3 on DVD in 2012.
Darby

You got your wish, partly at least. Night Gallery season 3 coming out soon.

 

[Richard V]

Sept.
Blu combo (9/4): Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, Airport (also dvd), Double Indemnity, Jurassic Park (also dvd)
Repackaged blu combo + dvd (9/4): Atonement, Bridesmaids, Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Out of Africa, Scarface '83
Repackaged dvd (9/4): The Birds*, Double Indemnity*, The Incredible Shrinking Man, It Came From Outer Space, Psycho*, Scarface '32, Vertigo*
Blu-ray Alfred Hitchcock set (9/4): Not certain, but thinking this will contain The Birds, Psycho, and Vertigo
Standard blu (9/4): Rumble Fish, Slap Shot, Streets of Fire (all bd)
This is what caught my eye. Love this movie, thought chances for bluray release were less than zero. If true, I am there to pick this puppy up, the first day of release.

 

[MattPeriolat]

Those screams you hear are two-fold.

While I am cheering with joy, my wallet cries in agony.

I could easily go month to month this next year just getting Universal titles on blu and not complain an iota. I'm especially interested to see what is in the Universal Monsters collection. IF Phantom is included, it may explain why the 1925 "pure" cut was not included in Image's blu-ray release last October. Even if it is not, to get the Universal monster flicks is an easy get, as is Jaws, ET, All Quiet on the Western Front and To Kill A Mockingbird, to say nothing of the Hitchcock releases as well.

The one I got my fingers crossed on that we have not heard anything about yet is Schindler's List. Given this seems to be Speilberg's year from Universal (and don't forget the Indy movies from Paramount), it would be silly to skip Schindler's List unless it is not up to the standards demanded.

All and all, it looks good. VERY good. EXPENSIVE but good

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by MattPeriolat /t/316229/universal-to-celebrate-100-years-in-2012/90#post_3885305
Those screams you hear are two-fold.

While I am cheering with joy, my wallet cries in agony.

The one I got my fingers crossed on that we have not heard anything about yet is Schindler's List. Given this seems to be Speilberg's year from Universal (and don't forget the Indy movies from Paramount), it would be silly to skip Schindler's List unless it is not up to the standards demanded.

All and all, it looks good. VERY good. EXPENSIVE but good

Nor have we heard anything about 1941 and ALWAYS.

 

[TravisR]

The one I got my fingers crossed on that we have not heard anything about yet is Schindler's List. Given this seems to be Speilberg's year from Universal (and don't forget the Indy movies from Paramount), it would be silly to skip Schindler's List unless it is not up to the standards demanded.

I'm guessing that they'll be waiting for the 20th anniversary of Schindler's List in 2013 to release it. Clearly, it would never sell unless it's released in a year when the movie's age ends in a '5' or a '0'.

 

[MattPeriolat]

Originally Posted by TravisR /t/316229/universal-to-celebrate-100-years-in-2012/90#post_3885310
I'm guessing that they'll be waiting for the 20th anniversary of Schindler's List in 2013 to release it. Clearly, it would never sell unless it's released in a year when the movie's age ends in a '5' or a '0'.

Horse-hockey. Schindler's List would consistently sell well, regardless of when it is released. That being said, it is an "important movie", so yes, you are probably right in it COULD be saved for an anniversary. I just hope not.

 

[Kevin EK]

I think they are saving Schindler's List til 2013 for the reasons stated above, and because they already have 2 major Spielberg films on the books for release this year. As it is, this is already a pretty solid list of material, which should be enough to challenge many forum members' pocketbooks.

I believe the Hitchcock Blu collection may not have Psycho in it, since they just released that in 2010, but it should have Rear Window, Vertigo and The Birds, and who knows what else.

I agree with Doug that the HD picture and sound on all of these movies is the key ingredient, but I must confess that I do love the extra features, particularly when they've been created with care and love for the movies in question. At the same time, I also realize that with many of the older catalogue titles, there simply isn't any further material that can be created - when the cast and creative staff have long since passed away and the only people available for interview are several times removed from the movie, probably the best thing to do is present the movie in the best possible manner.

This is going to be a fun year, and I just hope I can keep with the titles and the forum members on this stuff.