International Via Vision Entertainment announces new premium Blu-ray label IMPRINT (2 Viewers)

[Ronald Epstein]

These are by and large the same transfers that have been distributed to streaming storefronts for purchase in the US - if you want to see what it looks like before you buy, try renting it on iTunes or Vudu.

As to whether or not Paramount should provide them, I’m not sure there’s a solution that will please everyone. The disc market has declined dramatically and is still in free fall. A license to sell a thousand or so copies doesn’t come close to the cost of creating a new state of the art master. Many of these titles have limited sales potential for licensing to subscription streaming platforms as well as on disc. From a practical point of view, the choice is between an older but generally decent batch of masters or nothing at all.

For all of the discussion I see about this issue, I don’t really see any acknowledgment of the reality of the marketplace nor any outside the box thinking for how to address those difficult realities. There’s a lot of pitchforks but what are the options here? Should Paramount or any other studio spend money they don’t have on titles that they can’t possibly recoup the investment on, for an audience that generally won’t have an issue with what’s already on hand?

Josh, that's a valid point.

 

[Robert Crawford]

These are by and large the same transfers that have been distributed to streaming storefronts for purchase in the US - if you want to see what it looks like before you buy, try renting it on iTunes or Vudu.

As to whether or not Paramount should provide them, I’m not sure there’s a solution that will please everyone. The disc market has declined dramatically and is still in free fall. A license to sell a thousand or so copies doesn’t come close to the cost of creating a new state of the art master. Many of these titles have limited sales potential for licensing to subscription streaming platforms as well as on disc. From a practical point of view, the choice is between an older but generally decent batch of masters or nothing at all.

For all of the discussion I see about this issue, I don’t really see any acknowledgment of the reality of the marketplace nor any outside the box thinking for how to address those difficult realities. There’s a lot of pitchforks but what are the options here? Should Paramount or any other studio spend money they don’t have on titles that they can’t possibly recoup the investment on, for an audience that generally won’t have an issue with what’s already on hand?

You see that a lot around here from certain posters.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

I guess i should be thankful that Imprint did release some titles i wanted on Blu-ray like Locust, The Winslow Boy and Waterloo. By the way Waterloo has a nice looking print of the film.

 

[Worth]

When it comes to Paramount titles in particular, I'll only buy them on disc if I know they come from a new master - and even that's no guarantee of quality, as To Catch a Thief aptly demonstrates. Otherwise, I'll pick them up for $5 on iTunes.

 

[haineshisway]

So, the answer is to take what's given and be grateful? Is that the answer? Got it. I don't think like that, however, and never will. And anyone who thinks Paramount doesn't have the money to do a new 2K transfer of something, well, c'mon already. They should do it just to have it, for Blu and for streaming, but they don't because - and wait for it - everyone is perfectly content to take what they get no matter what. That is my opinion.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Absolutely not, vote with your wallet and support the stuff that meets your needs and don’t support that which doesn’t - I would never suggest otherwise. But I just don’t think it’s realistic to expect that every master will be updated in perpetuity. At some point, you look at the numbers and the demand isn’t there for redoing a lot of things. The revenue isn’t there anymore to support large home video departments and discs don’t sell well enough anymore to drive strategy and priority when it comes to deciding what does and doesn’t get another bite of the apple. There’s a choice to be made between getting out a bunch of stuff in varying quality and getting a lot of things out as is, or having a reduced staff on a reduced budget do a reduced slate at high quality bit by bit. So you’re either Paramount, MGM, etc and getting as many things out as possible, or you’re Warner Archive focused on getting things out at near perfection but drip by drip. Either way, you’re not gonna please everyone. I don’t think there’s one simple or right answer here. I get the frustrations. Stuff I love is never gonna get redone to today’s state of the art. Heck, the sheer number of DVD-Rs of ancient NTSC VHS and broadcast masters I have from various studios have some of my most enjoyed films with my favorite actors and they’re stuck at like 1982 quality, let alone DVD or Blu-ray. For every museum piece on display, there are countless forgotten works languishing in basements and vaults. It’s true of all art forms from all eras. It sucks but that’s how it goes. I wish there was a more creative solution.

 

[willyTass]

Who knows , might get to the stage where enthusiasts, many of us in our twilight years, will have to start a Go Fund Me page for a boutique label like arrow or criterion to pay for Paramount to release up to date masters. It’s sad to see so many young folk prejudiced against films because they’re “old” or in black and White. Often if it’s downloadable or piratable it’s good enough for them.

A Place in The Sun is a mystery as paramount said it was from a 4k scam of original elements . What ever happened there.

 

[Dick]

You see that a lot around here from certain posters.

But that shouldn't stop us from trying, friends. Paramount (or any other studio) is not going to do what they cannot or won't do because of dubious (if any) financial reward on the other end. But if they don't know there is interest on the part of fans on forums like this, why would it even cross their minds to release these films? I think most of us are quite aware of the fall-off of the Blu-ray market, a fact that has been repeated in these threads just as often as our posted wish lists. But by not expressing our desire to see catalog titles released -- by not constantly posting requests on online forums -- aren't we simply telling studios, by default, that they needn't bother? But we do post about our interest in owning them, and perhaps one or two oft-requested titles will get serious consideration.

We can dream, can't we?

 

[Robert Crawford]

But that shouldn't stop us from trying, friends. Paramount (or any other studio) is not going to do what they cannot or won't do because of dubious (if any) financial reward on the other end. But if they don't know there is interest on the part of fans on forums like this, why would it even cross their minds to release these films? I think most of us are quite aware of the fall-off of the Blu-ray market, a fact that has been repeated in these threads just as often as our posted wish lists. But by not expressing our desire to see catalog titles released -- by not constantly posting requests on online forums -- aren't we simply telling studios, by default, that they needn't bother? But we do post about our interest in owning them, and perhaps one or two oft-requested titles will get serious consideration.

We can dream, can't we?

Nice speech, however, people asking for certain titles isn’t my point because I’m fine with others requesting BD titles.

 

[haineshisway]

We all know what your point is, just as you know what ours is, us "certain posters."

 

[Robert Crawford]

We all know what your point is, just as you know what ours is, us "certain posters."

Since, we're all disc consumers in this thread, what is your point?

 

[PMF]

Is there any word on the horizon concerning A Place in the Sun becoming available through the “Paramount Presents” label?

Also, if such an announcement is known to be in the wings, does anyone have any speculations as to how the transfer might stack up to the Imprint disc; or would it be the same?

 

[Angelo Colombus]

When i was viewing Day of the Locust i was thinking about Sunset Boulevard so that would another good film for the Paramount Presents series.

 

[PMF]

When i was viewing Day of the Locust i was thinking about Sunset Boulevard so that would another good film for the Paramount Presents series.

Agreed on Sunset Boulevard, if a finer transfer or restoration could be had. And I’m betting that it could.

Additionally, Day of the Locust and Searching for Bobby Fischer are also biases that I have for brand-new transfers. Both belong to Paramount and both are Conrad Hall works that had each garnered for him an Oscar nomination. Yes, indeed, I have a very strong bias towards Mr. Hall and for seeing his career made available in the finest of possible light.

But, still, I wonder how HTF members have felt about their Imprint Edition of A Place in the Sun and what it’s future may be for the “Paramount Presents” label? Tempted by the Imprint offering, BUT is it worthy of its overall price?

 

[Matt Hough]

I thought the original Blu-ray release of Sunset Blvd. looked pretty great. I'd rather Paramount spend time on things we don't already have in excellent condition.

 

[bugsy-pal]

These are by and large the same transfers that have been distributed to streaming storefronts for purchase in the US - if you want to see what it looks like before you buy, try renting it on iTunes or Vudu.

As to whether or not Paramount should provide them, I’m not sure there’s a solution that will please everyone. The disc market has declined dramatically and is still in free fall. A license to sell a thousand or so copies doesn’t come close to the cost of creating a new state of the art master. Many of these titles have limited sales potential for licensing to subscription streaming platforms as well as on disc. From a practical point of view, the choice is between an older but generally decent batch of masters or nothing at all.

For all of the discussion I see about this issue, I don’t really see any acknowledgment of the reality of the marketplace nor any outside the box thinking for how to address those difficult realities. There’s a lot of pitchforks but what are the options here? Should Paramount or any other studio spend money they don’t have on titles that they can’t possibly recoup the investment on, for an audience that generally won’t have an issue with what’s already on hand?

Point taken about the costs involved in preparing updated masters for older films. But I have to agree with Nick that some of these Imprint titles are lousy, ie unacceptable. My issue with them is that they are charging premium prices for so-called limited editions with fairly basic glossy slipcovers. Criterion or Arrow they are not. The limited edition label obviously excites people to purchase for fear of missing out. Shock in Australia have released quite a few older movies on bluray - eg. the Cinema Cult series and a batch of Martin and Lewis films - and they sell for one third to one half the price of the Imprint titles. Sure they usually lack extras. But at that price you don't necessarily expect too much, and the odd dud doesn't hurt that much.

 

[haineshisway]

Since, we're all disc consumers in this thread, what is your point?

Oh, you know I'm tempted to respond, but I shan't

 

[Robert Crawford]

Oh, you know I'm tempted to respond, but I shan't

Thank goodness.

 

[Thomas T]

I thought the original Blu-ray release of Sunset Blvd. looked pretty great. I'd rather Paramount spend time on things we don't already have in excellent condition.

Absolutely! There's nothing wrong with the current Sunset Boulevard blu ray and do we really need another double dip when Paramount has so many titles yet to make their debut on blu ray: The Greatest Show On Earth, The Naked Jungle, Dragonslayer, The Joker Is Wild, The Rose Tattoo, Come Back Little Sheba, Artists And Models, Nevada Smith, to name but a small handful.

 

[Dick]

When i was viewing Day of the Locust i was thinking about Sunset Boulevard so that would another good film for the Paramount Presents series.

I'm pretty happy with the extant Blu of SB. Looks good to these old eyes.