2014 Bangs and Whimpers

[Wireduck1]

As we reach that point in the year when pre-orders for November and December are being locked into schedule, I’d like to ask what are 2014’s disappointments and highlights, blu-ray wise, for you?

For me there have been some great announcements for classic TV shows on Blu Ray such as, ‘Twin Peaks’, ‘The Sopranos’, and 1960’s shows ‘Batman’ and ‘The Avengers’ (Tea drinking not tights wearing). There’s still some hope holding out for ‘The X-Files’ making the end of 2014 deadline, but it isn’t looking good for this set, yet again.

Some distributors, such as Kino, have really come to the fore this year, and BFI/ Eureka have continued to release some great European silent era classics such as ‘Faust’ and ‘The Cabinet of Caligari’.

Personally I think Warner Brothers hold a special place in my contempt as they continue to release classic catalogue titles like precious blood from a pile of well-protected stones. All in all it has been another bad year for film noir fans with barely a handful of titles released, albeit wonderful ones, such as ‘Out of the past’, ‘Gilda’, ‘Lady from Shanghai,’ and ‘The Killers’ (From Carlotta). Let’s hope the 2015 release schedule includes more Noir and someone remembers there were films staring a guy named Bogart?

One big question perennially remains: When will James Cameron ever get his thumb out of his Avatar and release ‘True Lies’ and ‘The Abyss’ on blu ray? (‘Soon’ someone cries). Also what happened to the promised Blake Edwards ‘Pink Panther’ box set of 2013, 2014??

On the positive (and thanks for releasing) side: ‘Point Blank’, ‘Persona’, ‘Performance’, ‘Get Carter’, ‘Kingpin’, ‘What’s new Pussycat’, The Train’, ‘Dead men don’t wear plaid’, ‘UHF’, ‘Thief’, all the German release Jess Franco’s, ‘The Clint Eastwood’ and ‘Spielberg Collections’: Great for all these and more to finally surface. Are there others that you had held out hope for seeing on blu ray this year?