Warner Unveils Aggressive Catalog Initiative for 2006 (1 Viewer)

[NeilM]

These incredible news were posted on Video Store Mag website!

I hope no one has posted this yet!


Warner Unveils Aggressive Catalog Initiative for 2006
Author: Thomas K. Arnold
Posted: January 31, 2006

Last fall's lavish The Wizard of Oz and King Kong DVD gift sets was only the beginning. After years of watching other studios blow out their libraries at a rapid clip, Warner Home Video this year is preparing a major catalog initiative that will see a record 200-plus titles hit the market, the vast majority appearing on DVD for the first time.

Classics also factor in Warner's plans for HD DVD, the first of two rival next-generation formats to come to market. They will arrive on high-def the same day Warner bows special-edition DVDs. Titles include The Maltese Falcon and The Forbidden Planet.

Warner's classic release slate also includes 52 collections, including Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart “signature collection” sets and a lavish 14-disc “Superman” set that features the famed “Richard Donner” cut of Superman II, up to 40% longer than the theatrical version. Donner was fired 70% into the shoot, and much of what he filmed has been locked away in the vaults. Newly restored footage includes an alternate opening in which Lois Lane suspects Clark Kent is the Man of Steel and then almost dies trying to prove it.

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[John Hodson]

Grand Prix; great to see that's coming.

 

[Simon Howson]

Yay! More Ultra Panavision goodness

 

[Will*B]

Wow! That's even going to beat 'Alien' and 'The Matrix' for crazy amounts of shelf-space.

 

[John Hodson]

...but 52 collections; I'm going to have to rent some storage space

 

[Paul_Scott]

shame Paramount doesn't share the same analysts.

looking forward to Mutiny on the Bounty, and hopefully it will be one of the day and date HD classic releases besides Forbidden Planet and Falcon.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

You mean to tell me Warner is going to win
for BEST STUDIO for the third time in
a row? Sheeeeesh!

Oh...keep February 21st open on your calendar.
You may get to personally chat with the folks
from Warner Brothers that evening.

(PS: Don't post questions on this forum, please)

 

[ChristianLiemke]

I hope that Warner USA will take more care for their backcatalog titles as it is the case in Germany. In January they started a new collection called "Endlich auf DVD" (Finally on DVD) with more than 100 titles to be released until December. We got "The Three Musketeers" with Gene Kelly, not available in the USA, and titles like "Ivanhoe" and "Kings of the Round Table" that spot nice transfers in the US. That's not the case with the German DVDs because they were mastered from old analog masters, partly showing the old "Turner" and "MGM/UA Home Video" logos before the movie.

Other titles doesn't even have the original audio tracks or subtitles, some are cropped from 2.35:1 to 1.33:1 or feature non-anamorphic widescreen transfers, chapter selections are missing. Call them "VHS-DVDs"!!!

Warner Bros. is risking their good reputation over here.

 

[Richard Matich]

Does this mean that I have to have a High Defanition dvd player to be able to view the Maltese Falcon SE??? If so 2006 will be not so good. Any chance of a SD edition of this title?

 

[John Hodson]

I read it that Warners will produce High Def versions at the same time that they produce DVD SEs of Forbidden Planet and The Maltese Falcon.

 

[Dale MA]

Wow, that's more than two discs per movie even if they include Supergirl and give both versions of Superman II the two disc treatment each.

Another great year for Warner Brothers I think, looking forward to the Gangster Collection Volume 2 and I'm hoping they'll release a James Cagney set at some point.

 

[Leroy Williams]

I hope Warner Bros. release more "blaxploitation films". If Warners reading, here is the list.

Black Belt Jones
Black Samson
Comeback Charleston Blue
Three The Hardway
Black Eye
Sweet Jesus Preacher Man
Cool Breeze
Hit Man (71)
Tick..Tick..Tick
The Learning Tree

 

[Eric Peterson]

Great News Ron! I love the chat every year and appreciate every thing that you guys do to make it happen. I do ask this though, please do whatever you can to get some animation people at the chat. If not then make sure it's clear at the beginning so that no questions are wasted. Personally, I would still like to hear an explanation for the butchering of Tom & Jerry.

 

[Tim_C]

I hope this initiative includes finally getting some of their silent masterpieces out on DVD, namely "The Crowd," "The Big Parade," "The Wind," and "Greed" (among others.)

Anyways, great news, I'm already excited for several of the titles listed, like the "Superman" set and "Grand Prix."

On the other hand, I'm pretty certain that my wallet is not too appreciative.

 

[JPCinema]

Great News!!!! I can't wait to see which titles are coming!!

 

[soop.spoon]

I only have 3 Warner titles left on my "must have" wishlist:

Atlantis, The Lost Continent
O Lucky Man!
Captain Nemo And The Underwater City

Even with 200+ titles coming out, I'd say my chances are still pretty thin

 

[Simon Howson]

In the past Warner in Australia have made some poor decisions, such as releasing DVDs in NTSC, rather than PAL format.

Also, there pricing structure is quite poor. They charge a lot more for films, and frequently release boxes in Australia that omit films present in the R1 releases, even though Warner own the distribution rights to the films locally.

 

[FrancisP]

I do disagree that studios have burned through their titles. There are plenty of titles that have not been released because the studios have decided not to release them.

I think the statitics for Warner films on dvd and home video are pretty indicative of the industry.


Figure this, if you put 150 out a year, it would take approximately 12 years to get up to where VHS was alone. It will be interesting to see how many are new to home video.

Off the top of my head, my Warner candidates would be:

Boys' Night Out
Marlowe
Live A little, Love a Little
36 Hours
House of Dark Shadows
Night of Dark Shadows(extended version)

However, I'm not holding my breath for these. Apparently they think they can sell giant bunny wabbits but not vampires and witches. Also hope they aren't listening to the TCM poll. Of the top 10, I have no interest in any of them.

 

[Beast]

Only one word fits that Superman set...

'Drooltastic'.

 

[Charles H]

Anyone have any hints about the Pre-Production Code FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD SET (other than BABY FACE)? LETTY LYNDON (with an audio commentary about the complicated legal reasons about why it hasn't been seen since 1940?