Warner Catalog Titles on BD/UHD

[dx23]

Has anyone purchased or seen the Zodiac re-release? Amazon took the listing a couple of weeks ago and then just put it back this past week, but it says that it is out of stock. I couldn't find any of the Paramount re-releases at my local Best Buy so I'm wondering if anyone has any details on this BD release.

I ordered it directly from WB (link) for only $9.95 + free shipping. I ordered it on the 3rd and it shipped a few days ago...got it today. There was a bit of a hold-up on the orders, according to some of the users on the blu-ray.com forums who called WB customer service, but it looks like everything has been worked out. I'd imagine Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers will be getting it soon enough.

Thanks for the info. I place an order on Amazon and hopefully they will stock it up soon.

[domino harvey]

For some reason Sommersby is coming out on Blu May 21st

[knives]

Hollywood rediscovered a love of Jodie Foster?

[captveg]

National Lampoon's Vacation (30th Anniversary)
Vegas Vacation

5/21/13

Vacation has "a new A&E special Inside Story: National Lampoon’s Vacation", so my guess would be a new disc as compared to the previous release, but I imagine the film's encode will likely be identical.

Vegas Vacation is new to Blu.


We've definitely hit a few of Warner's mid-tier catalog release schedule a bit lately. I take comfort in the fact that one of these types of titles will eventually be one that I've been waiting for. Also, we're supposed to get those classic gangster films in Q2 2013 no?

[dx23]

Just got Zodiac from Amazon. It seems that they got all these Paramount licensed WB releases in-stock now. My only complain is the eco cases they are packaging these.

[Drucker]

Just to be clear, this is the edition being discussed, and is the preferred blu ray of Zodiac correct?

[dx23]

Yes. The theatrical version was never released on either Blu-ray or HD DVD (although it was announce before this format died). The theatrical version was only released on DVD and it is currently out of print although easy to find. The theatrical version is also the version that is streamed on Amazon and shown on the premium channels.

[Drucker]

Great. I actually meant in terms of blu ray pressing, but I think this is that, too, right?

[dx23]

Great. I actually meant in terms of blu ray pressing, but I think this is that, too, right?

I think so. The US version has the film on one disc and the extras in the second, while the international versions have everything crammed into one single disc. I imagine that the Paramount/Warner US release is better compressed.

[domino harvey]

Warners France is releasing the Fearless Vampire Killers and Death in Venice on Blu

[captveg]

Upcoming announced Warner theatrical feature film US BD releases

2/26

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) (via Warner Archive)

3/5

The Nativity Story (2006)
Westworld (1973)

3/19

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D (2012)

3/26

To the Arctic 3D (2012)

4/23

The Great Gatsby (1974) (for Paramount)

5/14

Cloud Atlas (2012)

5/17 (will probably end up being released 5/21 as cross promotion with Sommersby)

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) (for Paramount)
Runaway Bride (1999) (for Paramount)

5/21

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) (30th Anniversary Edition)
Sommersby (1993)
Vegas Vacation (1997)

6/11

Driven (2001)
Rendition (2007)
Running Scared (2006)

[gcgiles1dollarbin]

Warners France is releasing the Fearless Vampire Killers

Fantastic film. Will look gorgeous on blu.

[captveg]

6/4

The Mad Max Trilogy (Mad Max (1979), The Road Warrior (1981), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985))
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) (Individual release)

[captveg]

5/21

Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Classics

Consists of:
- Little Caesar (1931)
- The Petrified Forest (1936)
- The Public Enemy (1931)
- White Heat (1949)



http://shop.tcm.com/ultimate-gangsters- ... p?p=442922" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[matrixschmatrix]

Well that's exciting. $50 seems like a very reasonable price, too- is it going to be a TCM exclusive, or are they just the first to announce it?

[Matt]

Oh, if only they'd swap out The Petrified Forest for The Roaring Twenties. I know the former is a major first for Bogart, but it's a terrible film.

[zedz]

Yep. The only film out of those that I'm really keen to upgrade to Blu is White Heat. Still: White Heat on Blu!

[matrixschmatrix]

Oh, if only they'd swap out The Petrified Forest for The Roaring Twenties. I know the former is a major first for Bogart, but it's a terrible film.

Really? I liked that one, I'd say Little Caesar is the dog of the bunch- I suppose it's groundbreaking, but it plays largely as camp to me. Though Petrified Forest is the worst fit for the genre.

[Drucker]

A second (or third and fourth and fifth) Walsh would have been ideal. the others are not of much interest for upgrading. I would far prefer a standalone of White Heat.
(Has anyone else like Z reached the point where simply upgrading/replicating titles for Blu Ray has ceased to have much attraction, and for reasons of space alone (and budget) one feels much more finickety about what to upgrade.

If I've only watched a film once (and wasn't floored by it), I have recently been able to cool it and resist the urge. Stay strong my budgetary brother.

That said I've been close to buying all these films in recent weeks (Heat and Public Enemy) so I'm excited for this set.

[Jonathan S]

I'd say Little Caesar is the dog of the bunch- I suppose it's groundbreaking, but it plays largely as camp to me.

You may mean something different by "camp", but Little Caesar - more than most gangster movies - has always struck me as a quasi-gay film, albeit mostly in a negative way. Rico's secretive "fruit store" may be a humorous pointer, but his obsession with hyper-masculinity (professional dancing "ain't my idea of a man's game") and male bonding makes him seem both camp and gay in a Village People sort of way. He's obsessed with what he sees as his old buddy Joe's desertion of him for a woman. Even more intriguing is his relationship with his fawning valet-bodyguard Otero. The imagery often makes the two short men seem like a couple: the mirror shot of them together, Otero beaming approval of his boss' tuxedo; the shot of Rico in bed, Otero climbing onto it (but keeping one foot on the floor!) And Otero is keen to eliminate Joe, who he clearly sees as his rival for Rico.

[Finch]

I'm not keen on Petrified Forest and Little Caesar either, so I'll wait and see if White Heat and Public Enemy are getting released individually eventually (though by that time, the set will probably be so cheap that buying the 2 films on their own might be more expensive!).

[Matt]

If the list price is $50, it will probably be on Amazon for about $32, $8 per movie. That's a pretty good deal, even if there's one I'll never watch.

[Gregory]

News about this leaked several months ago, and the word then was "also sold separately" (see here).

[captveg]

Well I'll be picking up the set either way. I like all the films enough to own them, and the fact is that a major is releasing four B&W 1.33:1 1920-50s films and I want to see more such releases.

Including these, the numbers on such releases from the "majors" (without licensing out to other companies) have been poor to say the least.

Warner - 17
Fox - 16
Universal - 13
Paramount - 4
MGM - 3
Lionsgate - 2
Sony - 0
Disney - 0 (though to be fair I don't think they own any such films that qualify)

[zedz]

Has anyone else like Z reached the point where simply upgrading/replicating titles for Blu Ray has ceased to have much attraction, and for reasons of space alone (and budget) one feels much more finickety about what to upgrade.

This could be an interesting discussion. I'm certainly at the point where a mere upgrade to Blu is unlikely to get me excited, except in the case of beloved films I know I'm going to rewatch and rewatch, or films that were screwed up badly on DVD. Plus you've got the added wild card that a mere upgrade to HD is no guarantee of quality control. I actually think my old DVD of Don't Look Now is more watchable than the alienating mess on the BluRay, which makes me feel like I need an eye test.

In terms of those gangster sets, having seen the three non-Walshes, I'm satisfied that I'll never feel a burning need to watch them again. The Public Enemy is all well and good, but I've seen that a few times now, including a decent film print, so it's not something I'm going to revisit any time soon, and the existing DVD is fine.

What used to be so great about all those Warner box sets was that you'd pick one up (usually on sale) for one or two films you wanted and get a bunch of other films for next to nothing. They were often hit or miss, but you'd stumble across some real gems and fill in lots of gaps in your knowledge along the way. The current reissue / repackage regime takes most of the fun and all of the surprise out of the game.