Will we ever see LOOKING FOR MR GOODBAR on blu? (1 Viewer)

[The Drifter]

Music rights for broadcast and video are not the same thing, especially when it comes to films made before the home video era.

Absolutely correct. Over the years, there are a lot of shows (and even some movies) that are broadcast/re-run on TV with the original soundtrack(s). However, since the 200X's & the inception of DVD's (especially entire TV shows/seasons being put on DVD), companies that try to clear music rights for DVD/Blu release(s) can have serious problems with licensing issues - which is why there is still some great media that hasn't seen a physical release.

In the specific case of LFMG, I believe the original VHS tape & LD (neither of which I've ever owned) have the original music. But, these came out a long time ago, when I suspect music rights issues were less complex. Going along with this, I suspect some of the streams we've seen online are probably VHS/LD rips.

 

[MatthewA]

If Paramount licensed it to a third-party such as Olive or Criterion, would that third-party be footing any part of the bill for re-licensing music? Or would that still fall entirely upon Paramount's shoulders?

 

[Worth]

If Paramount licensed it to a third-party such as Olive or Criterion, would that third-party be footing any part of the bill for re-licensing music? Or would that still fall entirely upon Paramount's shoulders?

They couldn't afford it. The licensing costs are usually in the tens of thousands per song - there's no way they could foot the bill and still make a profit, especially these days with physical media in decline.

 

[The Drifter]

They couldn't afford it. The licensing costs are usually in the tens of thousands per song - there's no way they could foot the bill and still make a profit, especially these days with physical media in decline.

Sad but true. Maybe if there were only 1-2 songs in LFMG that had to be cleared, it would be feasible to eventually see a physical media release. But, given the plethora of songs in the film - I see this as a near impossibility.

 

[ahollis]

It has become easier to obtain music rights due the merging of the many music companies into just a few. Sometimes it just takes one call an 15 songs are cleared for release without giving an an arm and a leg.

 

[Worth]

They managed to release WKRP with the vast majority of music intact somehow, so you never know.

 

[The Drifter]

It has become easier to obtain music rights due the merging of the many music companies into just a few. Sometimes it just takes one call an 15 songs are cleared for release without giving an an arm and a leg.

I don't have any "inside info." on this, but I suspect that if it weren't that difficult or expensive to clear the music rights, it would have happened already.

LFMG is a well-known film, but the only way to easily see this these days is via streaming sub-par prints. So - I believe it would sell moderately well if it were ever released to DVD/Blu, even though physical media is on the decline. I.e., it's evident that some companies would have at least expressed interest in producing a physical media release, so obviously there's a reason/reasons it hasn't happened yet.

 

[AlanP]

I remember it was on TCM a few years ago in the middle of the night. It was on during the Oscar month and I DVRD it. Watched it the next day and found it very downbeat and not enjoyable. The Disco soundtrack was the only thing was worthwhile. Diane Keaton did an outstanding job and interesting she did "Annie Hall" the same year and won the Oscar for it.
Just checked IMDB under trivia it states that there was a limited DVD release early on. Not sure how true that is but it was in the trivia section under the movie along with a few other interesting facts.

Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) ⭐ 6.7 | Drama

2h 16m | R

www.imdb.com

 

[The Drifter]

As a big fan of this film, I'm 100% certain that LFMG has never had an official DVD release (Region 1 or otherwise). The only home video releases were VHS & Laser Disc (LD) back in the day. Quoted from Wikipedia:

While the film was released on LaserDisc and VHS, it has never been officially released on DVD and is currently unavailable on the home video market, likely due to expensive music licensing for the several popular songs featured.

If the film is on DVD anywhere, it's a bootleg.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I don't have any "inside info." on this, but I suspect that if it weren't that difficult or expensive to clear the music rights, it would have happened already.

It's also a question of how willing Paramount are to shell out for music rights, which is directly proportional to how many copies they think it will sell on Blu. Paramount's current Blu strategy is puzzling, kind of "penny foolish and pound wise". They will shell out to release their big hits on 4K UHD, but won't pay for music rights on lesser titles they could probably get these days for (pardon the pun) a song.

 

[DeanHarris]

As a big fan of this film, I'm 100% certain that LFMG has never had an official DVD release (Region 1 or otherwise). The only home video releases were VHS & Laser Disc (LD) back in the day. Quoted from Wikipedia:

While the film was released on LaserDisc and VHS, it has never been officially released on DVD and is currently unavailable on the home video market, likely due to expensive music licensing for the several popular songs featured.

If the film is on DVD anywhere, it's a bootleg.

Indeed. I'm not telling anyone to look at amazon.es, but if you were to do so you might see such a dvd release.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Indeed. I'm not telling anyone to look at amazon.es, but if you were to do so you might see such a dvd release.

And if it's an LD rip, it will look like garbage.

 

[Worth]

Better to wait for it to turn up on one of the movie channels. There's a decent looking HD master floating around that pops up from time to time.