Serious and terrifying question: Are any Paramount DVDs that don't fall under this [Paramount Centennial Classics] banner still in print?

Yes and No. A lot of there teevee stuff, including some older shows, and stuff from the last thirty years are in print. The classic stuff under them not so much as far as I can see. The more frightening thing is many titles under this banner are also OOP.
A few odd things like the Wayne line seems to be doing okay though.

It is just insane to me that Paramount would just say "screw it" on such an absolute level. I don't think it's a coincidence that all the OOP titles are available for streaming on Amazon either. Let this be a warning while it can still be heard: snatch up any available Paramount title you think you'd want now, because even shit like the Carpetbaggers is pushing triple list price and who knows what the market will look like even a year from now

It's an awful situation isn't it?

I hope Paramount lets Criterion and some of the other independent companies license more of their catalog titles. They seem fairly open to doing that so far...and it would be a boon to Criterion, Kino, Lionsgate, Olive Films, Legend, Image, etc.

It's too bad they think there is such little value in their library.

EDIT: It should be mentioned that several chunks of the titles going out of print aren't actually owned by Paramount. The Coppola American Zoetrope pictures, the John Wayne produced Batjac titles, all of the Jerry Lewis films are independently owned and were only being distributed by Paramount. The Coppola stuff seems to be emerging from Lionsgate...dunno who's going to hand the Wayne and Lewis stuff, if anyone.

If Amazon is to be believed Rosemary's Baby is OOP. I just hope it means there will be a Blu, because if that is sinking with the ship that means we're seriously screwed.

I think Rosemary's Baby was more because of internal politics than anything. It went out of print along with the Chinatown Centennial release shortly after Polanski's arrest. Chinatown had only been released something like two weeks prior before being pulled.

Guys, every Paramount title that had that little colored banner at the top/bottom that I can think of is OOP. Big titles like Rosemary's Baby, the Tenant, Paper Moon, Play It Again Sam, Harold and Maude, Nashville, etc. I've only been able to find one that isn't unavailable on Amazon, Wyler's excellent Detective Story, and I'm sure it'll be any second now

EDIT: Found a couple more: Hud and A New Kind of Love. Safe investments, dudes.

Now might be an excellent time to browse your local B+N store for their Paramount titles, what with the 3-2 deal going on...

Most of these titles are still available in the UK, some for as little as £3. I don't know about other regions.

What I don't understand is how these titles dry up immediately after they go OOP. This is pure speculation, but is it possible that Paramount, wishing to make money via streaming pay-downloads, recalled every title from retailers the moment they drew it out of circulation?

Boggy's Daisy Miller has been among the unavailable titles for some time, but it is currently available new from third party sellers for as low as $3.63. I picked it up as a Prime-eligible, fulfilled-by-Amazon title for $7.99. It's a blind buy for me. Any other similar deals on the OOP Paramount titles?

Daisy Miller is a flawed film, but I (rather unpopularly, I might add) think Shepard's great in the title role and the DVD has a fun commentary track. I also lucked in to grabbing a new, cheap copy Quine's The World of Suzie Wong, which is going for absurd prices, from an Amazon seller who had it listed under a slightly garbled title. Your best bet is to find titles on Amazon that a seller has not noticed as going out of print-- remember, these were bargain basement movies that are now going for as much as seven times their list price now. As far as getting Paramount titles that have already skyrocketed, try searching for the title you want on eBay-- MoviesUnlimited was selling some of their remaining OOPs at list price, which was how I was able to snag Lil Abner for a reasonable price.

Honestly though, if you think you'd want it, pay whatever it's going for now-- I don't think most of these are ever coming back and the price is only gonna get higher... which is how I can justify the $30 I spent on lightweight fluff like All In a Night's Work

John Sturges' Last Train from Gun Hill and Gunfight at OK Corral are available in a double-disc set for still reasonable prices (i.e. under $10). They're also still available as individual titles from third-party sellers, but why pay double the shipping for the same discs? People are probably sick of me hyping these films, but they're very good.

More speculation: Didn't Criterion ask us what Paramount/Pre-(date) Universal title we would want? Perhaps Paramount realized there was bigger money elsewhere.

Nashville's price is going to skyrocket very soon, so it's definitely a title to pick up - also I don't think there's an R2 release so that should give you even more incentive.

OK, I bit.

Some personal Paramount DVD recs, in case you come across them cheap:

All three Bogdanovich titles: Daisy Miller, Paper Moon, Targets Well, duh

All in a Night's Work A good VistaVision transfer of this lowkey, fun sex comedy. Shirley MacLaine is adorable in the picture and your enjoyment of the film will hinge on your ability to be swayed by such things

Come Back, Little Sheba Great transfer with typical ace cinematography by Howe. Booth won the Oscar for Best Actress because a drunken Burt Lancaster calls her a slut and nearly beats her to death. Terry Moore also got nommed for being a total qt

Lil Abner Very underrated backwoods musical from Melvin Frank, with scene-stealing Stubby Kaye, a smart and still relevant satirical bent, and some terrific artificial set design. Don't tell anyone, but this is one of my favorite musicals!

the Parallax View The seventies conspiracy thriller to end all seventies conspiracy thrillers. Totally apocalyptic in its implications, but not in a ridiculous way (as in Pakula's 80s misfire, Rollover)

Play It Again, Sam The funniest Woody Allen movie, even though he didn't direct it

This Property is Condemned Underrated Tennessee Williams adaptation with a great performance by Natalie Wood-- better here than in Splendor in the Grass, in my opinion

And if you can find them, definitely snatch up the second volume of the Martin and Lewis set and the Legendary Jerry 10-DVD set

Note: Coppola's the Conversation is coming back into print via Lionsgate in August

Other than going OOP, is there a reason for the skyrocket that doesn't apply to all the other OOPs?

Big, big, big name. One of Altman's most popular titles.

Strike that. Reverse it.

Don't forget to get the Special Edition of Stalag 17, it's quite an upgrade from the old dvd!

Speaking of, how could I forget the excellent Paris... When it Sizzles? I think the other four titles from the Audrey Hepburn box are Centennial Classics, right?

EDIT: Apparently this came out in December. A good deal if you don't have the films:

Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Sabrina
War and Peace
Roman Holiday
Paris When it Sizzles
My Fair Lady
Funny Face

AND IN A GODDAMN HAT BOX, HOW PRECIOUS

A few more big titles:

Miracle of Morgan's Creek (already mentioned previously)
A Place in the Sun
Atlantic City

Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown will come out on Blu sooner or later.

I have to think that Nashville and some of the other big titles will be rereleased at some point, whether it's Paramount themselves or they license them to someone else. Nashville is Altman's most celebrated film for chrissake!

I'm gloomy about the future of B&W film on DVD/Blu, but somebody will rerelease Hud someday, won't they?

A lot of these titles- Nashville, Rosemary's Baby, and The Conversation in particular- are ones I've seen over and over again at cut rate prices or even in Wal-Mart's $5 bin. I'm wondering if they just massively overestimated the demand and don't feel it's worth printing any more.

(It also means it might be worth rooting around in the Wal-Mart bins for them.)

The conversation is actually getting a rerelease in august, but not on Blu.

Not all of the Centennials appear to be safe, either. If Amazon is accurate, The Odd Couple, El Dorado, and Sunset Boulevard are no longer in print.

Oh shit, than reminded me of that excellent John Wayne Century box with like fourteen movies in it. Ran over to Amazon and it's going for a shade under $200. I'm putting this baby in the safe

Every time I'm reminded of yet another Paramount title being exiled to Download-Onlyville, I get more and more bummed. Enjoy the new post-Blu-ray market, jerks