Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

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Robespierre
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2017 5:31 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#676 Post by Robespierre » Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:29 pm

Is it safe to say that with gun crazy not yet released through wac that Criterion will possibly announce it...sooner rather than later?

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Ribs
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#677 Post by Ribs » Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:32 pm

No, because there are tons of Warner titles that could be argued to be just as canonical that they’ve also chosen not to release. It’s a big catalog and they’ve only really been exploiting it relatively recently.

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#678 Post by domino harvey » Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:42 pm

Then again, given their working history with commissioning extras from the leading expert on the film, Eddie Muller, it's hard to imagine they'd pass on it

Costa
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#679 Post by Costa » Sun Feb 25, 2018 4:11 pm

Ugh....!
Still capital letters in the subtitles? really?

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film6/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#680 Post by FrauBlucher » Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:37 pm

For anyone wondering, WAC posted this on their facebook page....
Some very understandable confusion has arisen over our status due to some recent news concerning the Warner Archive Instant streaming service. Although we, indeed, initially launched the service, it was spun off as its own entity nearly three years ago (our hands are plenty full running our thriving Blu-ray and DVD business, thank you very much). The Warner Archive Collection, our podcast, our iTunes room, and most importantly, our Blu-ray and DVD releases are not going anywhere. Sorry for any confusion and thank you for your support.

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#681 Post by domino harvey » Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:34 pm

Les Girls coming next month

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dwk
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#682 Post by dwk » Sun Mar 25, 2018 6:18 pm

WAC announced at Wondercon that they are releasing Dark of the Sun and The Colossus of Rhodes on Blu-ray.

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#683 Post by domino harvey » Sun Mar 25, 2018 6:37 pm

Dark of the Sun looks like the strangest Time Machine sequel

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Feego
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#684 Post by Feego » Wed Apr 04, 2018 12:21 pm

Meet Me in St. Louis. I'm guessing this will lose the previous edition's book and sampler CD, but it's definitely getting an upgrade in the cover art.

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hearthesilence
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#685 Post by hearthesilence » Wed Apr 04, 2018 12:38 pm

Much better cover for sure, but still it feels strange that it's being reissued (and relegated?) to the archive collection. FWIW, it's already been available in the UK from Warner Bros. as a mid-priced Blu-Ray. No extras or booklet, but otherwise it seems like they cloned the feature from the American edition.

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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#686 Post by Werewolf by Night » Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:55 pm

jsteffe wrote:I got to see the Blu-ray of The Sea Wolf, and it's a stunner. Apparently it comes from a nitrate fine grain element--of the longer version of the film. The image is wonderfully atmospheric and film-like! It also serves as a reminder just what a good director Michael Curtiz could be. This film deserves to be recognized as a major work.
I finally caught this and couldn’t agree more about it being a major work. This is such a shocking, nasty little treasure that really belongs in the pantheon of dark Warner classics from their classic late-30s, early-40s era. Rossen’s script is beautifully spare and literary, and every character is just so thoroughly irredeemable and perfectly cast (even Alexander Knox, who I was heretofore unfamiliar with). One of Robinson’s great villain roles, too. It’s really too bad Criterion themselves didn’t pick up this one and try to rehabilitate its reputation with some contextualizing extras as they did with The Breaking Point (but it’s not like that one appears to be burning up the boards with much discussion).

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#687 Post by Gregory » Wed Apr 04, 2018 4:31 pm

Feego wrote:Meet Me in St. Louis. I'm guessing this will lose the previous edition's book and sampler CD, but it's definitely getting an upgrade in the cover art.
I wonder if it will retain the audio commentary. The CD sampler is all of twelve minutes, and the booklet is total fluff, with page after page filled with:
- heavily manipulated pics, sometimes with a sentence or two of text
- a short list of "must-see" Garland films that includes A Child Is Waiting but leaves out other Minnelli films she starred in such as The Clock and The Pirate; the list of Minnelli must-sees is similarly lacking and useless
- and "singalong" lyrics for "The Trolley Song," for example, that include only about the first 30 seconds of the song—part of the chorus intro, but not a word of what Garland sings! They even have to be stingy about the amount of lyrics they bother to put on the page?

This is the kind of thing I'm often tempted to rant a little about when I think of how little WHV has been good for in the high-def era and how little they do with even most of their blue-chip holdings, popular films from the 1940s and ’50s featuring major stars.

I agree with the praise for The Sea Wolf, and it's unfortunate that while the number of WAC Blu-rays has increased dramatically, the number of offerings from the 1940s has dropped dangerously close to nil (The Sea Wolf is the only one in the past twelve months, and for a time before that the only 1940s title was Battleground. Glad to see that the number of WAC releases has picked up so much but within those numbers, but there's so little among this output that interests me anymore. I was able to resell my DVD-R of The Hanging Tree so will surely pick that one up on Blu, but it's difficult to even accumulate four releases that I really want for one of the 4 for $44 deals. The Sea Wolf was absolutely top-notch, though.

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#688 Post by FrauBlucher » Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:37 pm

Is Meet Me in St Louis the first WB bluray to get re-released via WAC? Could this be start of a trend for them. Their older blu releases I suspect could make the jump. Titles like Mutiny on the Bounty, Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre to name a few. Especially if they have been redone with a 4k scan.

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Ribs
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#689 Post by Ribs » Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:46 pm

It's a little perplexing to start with, in my opinion, as I feel like the sales of Holiday titles like that are heavily clustered on impulse buying in-stores towards the end of the year. But the thinking might be that window has already passed, I guess!

I don't really think WB needs to be getting into the re-release game, despite some less-than-stellar early BD releases. They're still got such a huge untapped library and relatively little product coming each year!

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#690 Post by FrauBlucher » Wed Apr 04, 2018 6:12 pm

True. But they are notorious at re-releasing titles, like the constant anniversary excuse they use for the money grab. Shifting titles already released to WAC would be just another way for them to continue the money grab.

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Ribs
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#691 Post by Ribs » Wed Apr 04, 2018 6:14 pm

I always got the impression the point of the re-releases was to get them in stores again, though, which decidedly won't happen with WAC titles.

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What A Disgrace
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#692 Post by What A Disgrace » Wed Apr 04, 2018 6:30 pm

Is there any point in holding out for a 4K release? If not, this is a disappointing development indeed. Of course, the cover art is better, so in that case I'll buy this one anyway.

Costa
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 5:10 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#693 Post by Costa » Wed Apr 04, 2018 8:53 pm

The inclusion of original mono audio would be great too, but I don't hold my breath.

I'm seriously thinking of selling my digibook, to get this that has better cover!


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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#695 Post by domino harvey » Mon Apr 16, 2018 2:05 pm

Before Bad and the Beautiful or Some Came Running?!

Glowingwabbit
Joined: Wed May 01, 2013 1:27 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#696 Post by Glowingwabbit » Mon Apr 16, 2018 2:42 pm

domino harvey wrote:Before Bad and the Beautiful or Some Came Running?!
My thoughts exactly. Is Bad and the Beautiful with Warner?

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swo17
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#697 Post by swo17 » Mon Apr 16, 2018 2:50 pm

Remember when people asked the same thing about Mildred Pierce?

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dwk
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#698 Post by dwk » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:22 pm

WAC also announced the specs for the previously announced Dark of the Sun and Colossus of Rhodes
DARK OF THE SUN (1968)
NEW 2018 1080p HD MASTER
Run Time 100:00
Subtitles English SDH
DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 MONO- English
16 X 9 LETTERBOX, ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO - 2.35:1
COLOR
BD 50
Special Features
Theatrical Trailer (HD)
New Commentary by Trailers From Hell's Larry Karaszewski and Josh Olson with Brian Saur and Elric D. Kane

Take elite commandos, send them on a do-or-die assignment – and sit back and watch the action explode. The men-on-a-mission formula that worked in 1967’s The Dirty Dozen and in Where Eagles Dare (released in the U.S. in 1969) provides another salvo of volatile screen adventure with this strike force saga released in 1968. Rod Taylor and Jim Brown are among a mercenary unit rolling on a steam train across the Congo, headed for the dual tasks of rescuing civilians imperiled by rebels and recovering a cache of diamonds. The film’s violence is fierce, unforgiving, ahead of its time. Quentin Tarantino would offer a tribute of sorts to this red-blooded wallop of a cult fave by using part of its compelling score in Inglourious Basterds (2009).
....
COLOSSUS OF RHODES (1961)
NEW 2018 1080p HD MASTER
Run Time 128:00
Subtitles English SDH
DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 MONO- English
16 X 9 LETTERBOX, ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO - 2.35:1
COLOR
BD 50
Special Feature
Commentary by Film Historian Christopher Frayling

Filmmakers often begin their directing careers with works of limited scale. Sergio Leone began with a Colossus. Spectacle is king in The Colossus of Rhodes, Leone’s first credited film as a director. Sun-bronzed heroes (including toga-wearing Rory Calhoun) battle tyranny. Prisoners scramble for their lives in coliseum pageants of doom. Usurpers connive. Revolution erupts. And towering over all the excitement is the mighty bronze Colossus that straddles the harbor, fighting foes by dropping burning oil from the huge cauldron it holds and firing streams of molten lead from the catapults in its headpiece. Once upon a time, it dazzled the ancient world. Cult-movie fans think it’s pretty nifty, too.

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Ashirg
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#699 Post by Ashirg » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:24 pm

Is it first time Warner Archive produced a brand new commentary for a blu-ray?

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

#700 Post by FrauBlucher » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:29 pm

Some details for Gun Crazy
•BRAND NEW REMASTER OF THE FILM prepared in 2018
•Audio Commentary by Author/Film-Noir Specialist Glenn Erickson
•Feature Length Documentary: "Film-Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light" (2006)
•Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature

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