Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

[jheez]

Shocking we're only two weeks away from release and nobody but MovieZyng wants my preorder money

[Finch]

Are MovieZyng doing their winter sale this year? Feels like they skipped summer.

[domino harvey]

Amazon's listing for Humoresque is up but still not available to order in case anyone wants to, I don't know, stare the thumbnail for the cover.

Orderable now

[Matt]

Amazon's listing for Humoresque is up but still not available to order in case anyone wants to, I don't know, stare the thumbnail for the cover.

After years of hoping and waiting, the disc is finally in my hot little hands. It looks very good, with visible grain and fine detail. There are lots of optical transitions in the film, which might have been the film element problems that made this a difficult restoration. It's perhaps not as stunning a black-and-white transfer as Broadway Melody of 1940, but that might be Ian unrealistic expectation here. More notes when I've had a chance to watch it all the way through.

[yoloswegmaster]

New announcements:

TOM AND JERRY: The Complete CinemaScope Collection (1954-1958)
CHEYENNE-The Complete Series (1957-1962)
LAST STAND AT SABER RIVER (1997)
DAFFY DUCK’S QUACKBUSTERS (1988)
JUST FRIENDS (2005)
FRANKENSTEIN JR. AND THE IMPOSSIBLES-The Complete Animated Series (1966-67)
GABRIEL OVER THE WHITE HOUSE (1933)

Titles included in the Tom and Jerry set:

SpoilerShow

1. PETE PEEVE (1954)
2. TOUCHÈ PUSSYCAT (1954)
3. SOUTHBOUND DUCKLING (1955)
4. PUP ON A PICNIC (1955)
5. TOM AND CHERIE (1955)
6. THAT’S MY MOMMY (1955)
7. THE FLYING SORCERESS (1956)
8. THE EGG AND JERRY (1956)
9. BUSY BUDDIES (1956)
10. MUSCLE BEACH TOM (1956)
11. DOWN BEAT BEAR (1956)
12. BLUE CAT BLUES (1956)
13. BARBECUE BRAWL (1956)
14. TOPS WITH POPS (1957)
15. TIMID TABBY (1957)
16. FEEDIN’ THE KIDDIE (1957)
17. MUCHO MOUSE (1957)
18. TOM’S PHOTO FINISH (1957)
19. HAPPY GO DUCKY (1958)
20. ROYAL CAT NAP (1958)
21. THE VANISHING DUCK (1958)
22. ROBIN HOODWINKED (1958)
23. TOT WATCHERS (1958)

BONUS:
24. GOOD WILL TO MEN (1955)
25. GIVE & TYKE (1957)
26. SCAT CATS (1957)

[TechnicolorAcid]

This is a fine enough slate though I won’t say it’s what I personally wanted but at least it gives me an excuse to finally check out Gabriel Over the White House which has been on my watchlist for a while now.

[domino harvey]

Literally the worst month of announcements in the history of the label, saved only by the divine intervention of Gabriel Over the White House

[flyonthewall2983]

Fond memories of Quackbusters

[What A Disgrace]

Touche Pussycat was the last Tom and Jerry shorts to be nominated for an Oscar, IIRC.

[beamish14]

Fond memories of Quackbusters

I’d love to buy it, too

[ryannichols7]

their 1990s and 2000s choices are absolutely horrible always, but Just Friends may take the cake as the worst one I've seen them do

[domino harvey]

Tall Target preorder is up on Amazon. Like the Searchers, it’s back at the lower $21.99 MSRP— hope this line stays at that price again

[Matt]

A bunch of random Warner Archive Blu-rays appear to be about half price or otherwise deeply discounted on Amazon. I noticed these titles:

Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) - $11.49
The Great Ziegfeld - $11.49
Father's Little Dividend - $11.49
Hey There, it's Yogi Bear - $11.49
Clash by Night - $13.49
The Clock - $13.82
Lullaby of Broadway - $7.99 (!)
Chain Lightning - $13.96

But if you have a wishlist, it's probably worth checking to see if your titles are on sale.

[Matt]

MovieZyng is having a sale until December 16. New releases not included, buy 3 get 33% off.

Also, the Warner Archive Collection Facebook page has changed its name and logo to Warner Classics. Not sure if that means anything.

And lastly, some info about the UHD of The Searchers.

[swo17]

MovieZyng is having a sale until December 16. New releases not included, buy 3 get 33% off.

This deal is okay. Titles work out to about $16 each. "New" means released since June. At least they aren't making you place separate orders of 3 to get the deal on everything. I was able to pick up:

They Drive by Night
3 Godfathers
You're a Big Boy Now
The Mask of Fu Manchu
Devil's Doorway

These three reportedly compromised releases are also eligible, but I decided against them:

The Rain People
Friendly Persuasion
The Nun's Story

[ryannichols7]

MovieZyng is having a sale until December 16. New releases not included, buy 3 get 33% off.

Also, the Warner Archive Collection Facebook page has changed its name and logo to Warner Classics. Not sure if that means anything.

And lastly, some info about the UHD of The Searchers.

I actually find it kinda encouraging if they rebrand as "Warner Classics" - The Seachers being a WAC release instead of Warner mainline kinda reassures me they'll put more stock into bigger titles coming through that line instead. "Warner Archive" sounds more devoted to deep cuts, but "Warner Classics" sounds more inclusive. I'm sure a bunch of junk will still come either way

that article about the UHD is wonderfully expensive. if I remember right, we got a similar one for Casablanca

[hearthesilence]

I just heard about John Berry's From This Day Forward which was originally an RKO film. It sounds promising and would be perfect for the Archive, but sadly prospects look dim given that it's been overlooked for quite some time - it looks like it was never issued on DVD except overseas.

[domino harvey]

New announcements:

TOM AND JERRY: The Complete CinemaScope Collection (1954-1958)
CHEYENNE-The Complete Series (1957-1962)
LAST STAND AT SABER RIVER (1997)
DAFFY DUCK’S QUACKBUSTERS (1988)
JUST FRIENDS (2005)
FRANKENSTEIN JR. AND THE IMPOSSIBLES-The Complete Animated Series (1966-67)
GABRIEL OVER THE WHITE HOUSE (1933)

Titles included in the Tom and Jerry set:

SpoilerShow

1. PETE PEEVE (1954)
2. TOUCHÈ PUSSYCAT (1954)
3. SOUTHBOUND DUCKLING (1955)
4. PUP ON A PICNIC (1955)
5. TOM AND CHERIE (1955)
6. THAT’S MY MOMMY (1955)
7. THE FLYING SORCERESS (1956)
8. THE EGG AND JERRY (1956)
9. BUSY BUDDIES (1956)
10. MUSCLE BEACH TOM (1956)
11. DOWN BEAT BEAR (1956)
12. BLUE CAT BLUES (1956)
13. BARBECUE BRAWL (1956)
14. TOPS WITH POPS (1957)
15. TIMID TABBY (1957)
16. FEEDIN’ THE KIDDIE (1957)
17. MUCHO MOUSE (1957)
18. TOM’S PHOTO FINISH (1957)
19. HAPPY GO DUCKY (1958)
20. ROYAL CAT NAP (1958)
21. THE VANISHING DUCK (1958)
22. ROBIN HOODWINKED (1958)
23. TOT WATCHERS (1958)

BONUS:
24. GOOD WILL TO MEN (1955)
25. GIVE & TYKE (1957)
26. SCAT CATS (1957)

...have there been any announcements in the almost two months since this slate was announced?

[jheez]

No, but Cheyenne and Just Friends have been delayed to March 25.

As of now we may just be getting the Tom and Jerry set in February.

One could speculate that because of WB’s location, their work would have been affected by the fires, but idk.

[Finch]

Some new Warner titles starting to show up on social media. So far,

Sadie McKee
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Specs for Horsemen:

New 2025 1080pHD MASTER FROM 4K SCANS OF BEST PRESERVATION ELEMENTS

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (1921)-1993 PHOTOPLAY RESTORATION
RUNNING TIME: 134 Minutes
B&W with COLOR TINTS AND TONES
BD-50
NOT RATED
Aspect Ratio 16x9 1.33:1 with side mattes
SILENT with Stereophonic Music Score Composed and Conducted by Carl Davis
Audio DTS HD-MA 2.0 STEREO

Cast: Rudolph Valentino, Alice Terry, Alan Hale, Wallace Beery
Directed by Rex Ingram

Rudolph Valentino stars in the role that made him a star, as the romantic Argentine hero who sacrifices his life for love in this classic adaptation of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez's novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Julio Desnoyers (Valentino), the libertine son of a wealthy Frenchman living in Argentina , follows in the footsteps of his family when they return to Europe. Julio lives as an artist in Paris and falls in love with married Marguerite Lurier (Alice Terry). When the World War breaks out, Julio remains aloof from the conflict, despite a visitation by the specters of the Four Horsemen-War, Conquest, Famine and Death. Marguerite volunteers for the Red Cross and devotes herself to her husband when he is blinded in action. Shamed by his lover’s sacrifice, Julio enlists in the army, aware that his German cousins are fighting without mercy on the other side. Under the extraordinary direction of Rex Ingram, this film achieved the rare combination of critical acclaim and box-office success, going on to earn its place in film history as one of the greatest classics of the silent era. Newly remastered for Blu-ray release, based on Photoplay Productions’ 1993 photochemical restoration of the film, accompanied by a magnificent orchestral score by Carl Davis.
Special thanks to Kevin Brownlow and Patrick Stanbury of Photoplay Productions for their invaluable support and guidance which enabled this new Blu-ray release

Specs for Sadie McKee:

New 2025 1080pHD MASTER FROM 4K SCANS OF BEST PRESERVATION ELEMENTS

SADIE McKEE (1934)
RUNNING TIME: 93 Minutes
B&W
BD-50
NOT RATED
Aspect Ratio 16x9 1.37:1 with side mattes
Audio DTS HD-MA 2.0. Mono
Special Features: : Classic 1934 cartoons: POP GOES YOUR HEART (HD), SHAKE YOUR POWDER PUFF(HD), WHY DO I DREAM THOSE DREAMS? (HD), Original Theatrical Trailer.
Cast: Joan Crawford, Franchot Tone, Gene Raymond, Edward Arnold
Directed by Clarence Brown

In this vivid melodrama, Joan Crawford is Sadie McKee, who must choose between love (with Gene Raymond) and money (with Edward Arnold)…and eventually gets both (with Franchot Tone). Crawford had an amazing ability to adapt her screen persona with changing times. She was a frenetic flapper in the ‘20s, a chin-up working girl in the ‘30s, and a film noir femme fatale in the ‘40s. Here she is at her Depression-Era peak as Sadie, a maid who sacrifices all for love, suffers like crazy but somehow winds up happy at the end.The leading lady gets excellent support from her three co-stars. Tone (who was soon to become Crawford’s second husband)and Raymond are compelling as the handsome young suitors in her life, one good, one a scoundrel. And Edward Arnold is particularly memorable in his sympathetic portrayal of the millionaire drunk Sadie marries. But from rags to riches, from heartbreak to happiness, the film is all Crawford’s.

[Finch]

COMING TO BLU-RAY FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION ON MARCH 25th!
New 2025 1080pHD MASTER FROM 4K SCAN OF THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE

EARTH II (1971)
RUNNING TIME: 97 Minutes
COLOR
BD-50
NOT RATED
Aspect Ratio 16x9 1.33:1 with side mattes
Audio DTS HD-MA 2.0 Mono
Subtitles: ENGLISH SDH

Cast: Gary Lockwood, Gary Merrill, Lew Ayres

Includes Original Trailer

In the peaceful space colony called “Earth II”, even toy guns are banned. But something far more dangerous threatens this ideal world: a Chinese satellite armed with three nuclear warheads. The citizens of Earth II decide to disarm the warheads, despite China’s warning that anyone who interferes will instigate a thermonuclear World War III. Outstanding special effects and an impressive cast headed by 2001: A Space Odyssey co-star Gary Lockwood highlights this space-frontier chiller that brings audiences to the terrifying edge of Doomsday. Can men and women of peace triumph over the formidable power of nuclear weapons? Earth II has the answer. Originally produced by M-G-M as telefilm/pilot for a projected television series, this new remastered Blu-ray release features additional footage intended for International distribution, not part of any previous release.

[Finch]

COMING TO BLU-RAY FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION ON MARCH 25th!
New 2025 1080pHD MASTER FROM 4K SCAN OF ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE

HIT MAN (1972)
BD-50
Running Time: 91 Minutes
COLOR
Aspect Ratio 16x9 1.85:1
Audio Specs: DTS HD-MA 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH
RATED R

Includes the original theatrical trailer
Cast: Bernie Casey, Pam Grier

Tyrone Tackett's brother wasn't the kind of man to throw his life away. Somebody killed him, plain and simple. And by the time Tyrone crisscrosses L.A. and pieces together the crime, lots of folks are going to pay. With equal amounts of tough and sexy, Bernie Casey portrays Tyrone and Pam Grier plays a sultry skin-flick star in this first Americanized remake of the iconic Michael Caine action film Get Carter. From Watts to the West Side, from porno parlors to a high-rise, from motel dives to a crime kingpin's sprawling pleasure dome, from corner hangouts to a wildlife preserve, Tyrone covers a lot of real estate, busts a lot of heads. And throughout, star Casey "keeps enough cool for a half a dozen movie heroes" (Roger Greenspun, The New York Times).

[swo17]

HIT MAN (1972)

An early blaxploitation film from the director of Miami Blues and Grosse Pointe Blank!

[Finch]

COMING TO BLU-RAY FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION ON MARCH 25th!
New 2025 1080pHD MASTERS FROM 4K SCANS OF NITRATE AND SAFETY ARCHIVAL ELEMENTS

MONOGRAM MATINEE VOL. 1 (1949)
containing three feature films:
CRASHING THRU
MISSISSISIPPI RHYTHM
WESTERN RENEGADES

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 176 Minutes
B&W
BD-50
NOT RATED
Aspect Ratio 16x9 1.37:1 with side mattes
Audio DTS HD-MA 2.0 Mono
Subtitles: ENGLISH SDH

Cast: Johnny Mack Brown, Whip Wilson, Jimmie Davis

Three long-unseen western-themed B-pictures from Monogram Pictures have been compiled one one Blu-ray collection: MONOGRAM MATINEE VOL. 1. The films included represent the poverty-row's more popular outings from the year 1949. Country singer (and later Louisiana Governor) Jimmie Davis stars in a tale of bad guys vs. good guys aboard a riverboat in MISSISSIPPI RHYTH, while cowboy Whip Wilson takes charge in the action-packed CRASHING THRU, while Western fan favorite Johnny Mack Brown is an ever-ready U.S. Marshal in WESTERN RENEGADES. Assembled as an homage to the Saturday matinees before the age of television, fans of these fondly remembered adventures can enjoy this triple feature, all newly remastered for the first-ever home video release.

[Finch]

COMING TO BLU-RAY FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION ON MARCH 25th!
New 2025 1080pHD MASTERS FROM 4K SCAN OF THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVES

THE MAGILLA GORILLA SHOW: The Complete Animated Series (1964-66)
RUNNING TIME: 569 Minutes
COLOR
A 3 BD-50 DISC SET
NOT RATED
Aspect Ratio 16x9 1.33:1 with side mattes
Audio DTS HD-MA 2.0 Mono
Subtitles: ENGLISH SDH

Special features: MAGILLA THEME SONG: Live and un-plugged: Rare footage of Hoyt Curtin and Bill Hanna at the piano. Introduced by series animator Jerry Eisenberg, MR. PEEBLES PET SHOP: Interview gallery with Magilla Gorilla’s voice Allan Melvin, series animator Jerry Eisenberg, and Animation Historian Jerry Beck, HERE COMES A STAR: VintageTV Special which goes inside the Hanna-Barbera studios to introduce this New Simian Character, and the process which brought him to television stardom.

Direct from his Peebles Pet Shop habitat, Magilla Gorilla swings into the Blu-ray™ jungle, his inimitable goofiness and penchant for stumbling into trouble still intact to delight new generations of cartoon fans. As the naïve ape demonstrates, primates and humans share similar situations. Magilla gets to be an Army draftee (Private Magilla, featuring famous news anchor Walter Crancake), a football player (Gridiron Gorilla), an astronaut (Planet Zero) and more, ever silly situation an occasion for laughs. You can also relish the frisky feuding of Punkin’ Puss and Mushmouse in a rootin’-tootin’ shooting gallery of hillbilly hilarity. Lightning-fast sheriff Ricochet Rabbit and his coyote deputy Droop-a-long round out the animated animal antics. All 23 original, uncut episodes of this Hanna-Barbera classic series have been newly remastered from 4K scans of the original negatives (including the original Ideal Toys opening theme song, long-unseen bridges, the ‘curtain call’ and end credits) for pristine quality, along with eight bonus Magilla cartoons that are sure to please!