Warner Archive Discussion Thread (The Announcements/The Films) (1 Viewer)

[Dick]

DVD's are among the very few products one buys for which he cannot get a refund for poor quality. I kind of understand -- if the disc has been opened, a person might have made a copy and is trying to get his money back. But, in the case of a terrible transfer, we are screwed. Such is the case with the Warner Bros. Archive title, THE BIG HOUSE. This blurry mess is nearly unwatchable. I paid (with a discount) $15.00 for it, but because I have opened and played it, I cannot get a refund due to customer dissatisfaction. I have bought numerous Archive titles and have generally been satisfied with them, but this one truly sucks. There must be some sort of quality control at WB that would normally put a stop on DVD-R release if the transfer wasn't up to par. Isn't there? I think this one was released after having been transferred by a blind person. The sad thing is that I doubt we will ever see a better release of this movie.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Dick:

Have you actually gone through the customer service process and let them know what you think of the product? I'd be curious to hear what their reaction was.

If so, I'd also follow-up with letters to the higher-ups. They need to hear comments like yours...and be accountable for some kind of quality control.

 

[greylocke5]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon
Dick:

Have you actually gone through the customer service process and let them know what you think of the product? I'd be curious to hear what their reaction was.

If so, I'd also follow-up with letters to the higher-ups. They need to hear comments like yours...and be accountable for some kind of quality control.

Perhaps even more important - post a negative review at WBShop of any Archive DVDs that have technical issues - to warn unsuspecting customers. (Customer comments have helped me avoid some DVDs, e.g., at Amazon.com.)

It's good when consumers look out for one another and I also appreciate that this thread has identified various issues with Archive DVDs. Thanks, folks!

 

[GregoryMesh]

I posted the review of The Big House here. Unfortunately, I don't think that Warner archives will add negative comments about their releases on their page. At least, I haven't seen one. For example. The Beast of the City page only has a positive review and doesn't mention any short comings of the transfer (however, it is better than The Big House).

 

[Paul_Scott]

Originally Posted by GregoryMesh
I posted the review of The Big House here. Unfortunately, I don't think that Warner archives will add negative comments about their releases on their page. At least, I haven't seen one. For example. The Beast of the City page only has a positive review and doesn't mention any short comings of the transfer (however, it is better than The Big House).

They should. See the last review here.

 

[ahollis]

For Pre-Order today WA has Show Business, Summer Holiday and Remote Control with William Haines. Still wish they would have double featured Show Business with If You Knew Suzie, which is out today. The William Haines film is in addition to the three also released today. Summer Holiday is also a fun film if not entertaining. They also have the the release date for the Pre-Orders as July 22, which is Thursday.

I am really glad about the two RKO Eddie Cantor films. I have Show Business on Laser and have always guilty pleasure enjoyed it. I do wish MGM would get it's Samuel Goldwyn Cantor films on DVD. But it will be a long while until they sort out their problems and with Lions Gate at the lead in the negotiations now, we will never see them until the Goldwyn contract is up.

For William Haines fans this is a good week. With Navy Blues out several weeks ago more than half of his MGM sound films are available. Now if we could only get Show People and a few of his silents besides just Speedway and West Point.

 

[ajabrams]

I would dearly love to see "Memory Lane" issued - It's a really terrific Haines silent film directed by John Stahl.

 

[MLamarre]

Very interested in checking out Devil's Doorway. I hope Warner continues releasing more Westerns, including The Lusty Men, Run of the Arrow, and The Sea of Grass, to name a few.

 

[kingfish]

I was wondering if the warners archives dvds will play on a blu ray player?

 

[Chuck Pennington]

Yes, they will play on all Blu-ray players. They won't, however, play on ALL DVD players. Some DVD players stick at the FBI Warning and won't proceed. I sold one of my discs on Amazon.com and the guy returned it as defective when it was not. Then a friend of mine said another WB Archive title would play on all his DVD players save for one when it would exhibit this phenomena.

 

[JoHud]

Originally Posted by ahollis
William Haines fans this is a good week. With Navy Blues out several weeks ago more than half of his MGM sound films are available. Now if we could only get Show People and a few of his silents besides just Speedway and West Point.

They also released the silent THE SMART SET, which stars William Haines.

 

[jdee28]

Originally Posted by ahollis:/forum/thread/293104/warner-archive-discussion-thread-the-announcements-the-films/810#post_3711797

For William Haines fans this is a good week. With Navy Blues out several weeks ago more than half of his MGM sound films are available. Now if we could only get Show People and a few of his silents besides just Speedway and West Point.

It would be even a better week if he had a Value Pak. I wouldn't get those titles any other way. I couldn't afford to.

 

[Corey]

Why on Earth won't WHV group films together and release them as value packs i.e Hedy Lamarr, Classic Musicals, Edward G. Robinson, Norma Shearer, Lana Turner.

 

[Brent S]

Originally Posted by jdee28
It would be even a better week if he had a Value Pak. I wouldn't get those titles any other way. I couldn't afford to.

I'm interested in picking up the Joe E. Brown titles that came out earlier, but they will have to wait for a "Value Pack" opportunity.

 

[mike--]

I'm STILL waiting for PT 109 (1963) and The Hanging Tree (1959), both of which are Warner owned, that for some reason or other have never been issued on DVD. Maybe these will eventually see the light of laser in the Warner Archives.

 

[Chuck Pennington]

They announced on their facebook page that PT109 is coming very soon. It is also being shown in widescreen on TCM within the next week.

 

[kingfish]

TCM is going to air yesterday's enemy. Does Warner's own the rights to this film or Retreat hell which definitely needs a dvd release.

 

[Grant100]

Yesterday's Enemy is a Sony title.

 

[Guy Foulard]

Originally Posted by Grant100
Yesterday's Enemy is a Sony title.

And it's available in in the UK:
http://www.moviemail-online.co.uk/film/dvd/Yesterdays-Enemy/
with a 24 page booklet...

 

[ahollis]

Warner Archive has YELLOWSTONE KELLY listed as a remastered title for release 8/4. There is a kick in that the first 300 orders will receive the DVD autographed by Clint Walker. I am looking forward to this release for the acting and photography are outstanding. This is probably Clint Walker's best role. Besides Clint Walker, the film was a who's who of Warner TV personalities, Edd Byrnes, John Russell, Claude Akins, Ray Danton, Warren Oates, Gary Vinson, and Andra Martin. While many of these did not star in a WB show, they appeared in just about every show WB did produce, from Cheyenne to Bourbon Street Beat, to Hawaiian Eye.

I also understand that this title has never appeared on any home video media in the past.