When are MGM going to start releasing catalogue titles again!

[Nailwraps]

Well I hope they now reconsider Warner-Discover because the time has come.


Also, I don't think they're officially done with physical media is they're continuing to sublicense titles and also have that deal with Warner again.

We're just in a rough spot right now because of the pandemic.

[kemcha]

When it was announced that Amazon was acquiring MGM, the first thing that came to mind was that the studio would be abandoning the physical media format and that it might spell doom for any possible 4K releases of the earlier James Bond films. While I hope that's not the case, I just fear that this is the direction that streaming services are going toward.

If you look at such services like Disney +, who has produced two seasons of Mandalorian but have failed to release the series to home video; I just know that the movie studios have long had a problem with the secondary market regarding used movies and television shows, not to mention the video game industry. I had always seen the streaming services as a cynical attempt by studios to keep physical ownership of movies and TV shows out of the hands of consumers. With streaming, you're simply paying for the license to a particular title and you don't actually own a copy of that title.

It's why I prefer owning a physical copy of a movie or TV series so I can watch it without having to use an internet connection to enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, I do watch streaming content on certain movies or TV shows that I wouldn't normally wish to buy on homer video.

[Shane Rollins]

must...have...james...bond...

[Mikezilla3k]

On an interesting side note, MGM had a bunch of VHS releases be Amazon exclusives:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=amazon.com+exclusive+vhs&i=movies-tv&ref=nb_sb_noss

[Bob Schlapowitz]

Originally Posted by Shane Rollins

must...have...james...bond...

In 4K!

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Filmfanatic10

Looks like MGM doesn't care about physical media anymore ever since COVID-19 hit America and the distribution deal with Fox expired. They seem to worry or care more about the value of their library and the streaming wars and their TV businesses like Epix. But I heard that there's senators and unions pressuring the FTC to block Amazon's acquisition of the studio on antitrust grounds, plus I read that someone on another thread made a statement claiming that MGM said they might look into the WarnerMedia-Discovery deal if the blocking of Amazon's transaction happens, but does he have any proof?

MGM haven’t cared about physical media in a long, long time. I mean, it’d help if they weren’t basically a dead studio walking and actually made more than two movies a year which they could capitalise on with home video releases, but without one you can’t beget the other.

They got Warners to reprint their perennial best sellers like the Bonds once the Fox deal expired, those will never disappear from shelves, but other than that MGM simply don’t give a shit…and that was BEFORE the pandemic and Bezos, never mind after.

[Filmfanatic10]

Originally Posted by Shane Rollins

must...have...james...bond...

Yeah, that and other best-known/well-known titles from MGM's library like the Rocky and RoboCop movies, West Side Story, Annie Hall, Silence of the Lambs, Dances with Wolves, Fargo, Rain Man, Moonstruck, WarGames, Thelma and Louise, etc. really need some new DVD/Blu-ray/UHD masters from MGM and Warner.

[iap738]

Originally Posted by Filmfanatic10

Yeah, that and other best-known/well-known titles from MGM's library like the Rocky and RoboCop movies, West Side Story, Annie Hall, Silence of the Lambs, Dances with Wolves, Fargo, Rain Man, Moonstruck, WarGames, Thelma and Louise, etc. really need some new DVD/Blu-ray/UHD masters from MGM and Warner.

Kino is releasing Silence of the Lambs on UHD this year. Hopefully we see more MGM titles.

[dylrichard02]

Originally Posted by Mikezilla3k

On an interesting side note, MGM had a bunch of VHS releases be Amazon exclusives:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=amazon.com+exclusive+vhs&i=movies-tv&ref=nb_sb_noss

Some of these have reached blu-ray. I wish one of these Roadhouse 66 would get a blu-ray. It's a fun film.

[kemcha]

The thing is, the James Bond franchise might be something they can't keep exclusive to their streaming service since they don't exactly own it outright. Broccoli Productions still has a majority ownership of their property and I don't see Amazon doing all that well in a fight with Eon/Broccoli. If Amazon were smart about it, they would agree to release the films to home video, have exclusive rights to produce spinoff TV series and "direct-to-video" content for Prime Video as well as exclusive streaming rights to Prime Video before new films are released to home video.

[Filmfanatic10]

Right. Amazon only buying MGM for the library (which is mostly a hodge podge of UA movies and a bunch of independent and low budget films that previous owners like Kerkorian and Parretti bought up in the past) and especially the franchises including Bond is feeling like the Turner and Sony/Comcast/etc. situations all over again. This was the reason previous owners the past only bought the studio for: Exploitation, and no interest in producing new films. Turner was only interested in the classic MGM and Warner Bros. libraries so he can exploit them for his cable networks, which was why he dismantled MGM and left it as a little more than a holding company for the UA library with the MGM name and logo. Sony was only interested in the hodge podge library so they can use it to grow DVD sales and promote Blu-ray in order to win the format wars, which caused the studio to have so much debt they stalled very badly and went bankrupt after releasing a bunch of bad movies.

As for Kerkorian and Parretti, they were only interested in destroying property and making the studio very lawsuit-happy. Kerkorian didn't care about movie-making and only used MGM's resources to build casinos, and Parretti only wanted to loot the studio and ultimately ran it to the ground by destroying production and financial resources, inviting strangers and filing baseless lawsuits, as if he was trying to criminalize the studio and turn it into a boys' club.

[neo_reloaded]

Sigh... MGM doing MOD now?

https://www.moviezyng.com/how-it-end...s/810072545831

Why wouldn't they release this through their deal with WB?

[Nailwraps]

Originally Posted by Mikezilla3k

On an interesting side note, MGM had a bunch of VHS releases be Amazon exclusives:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=amazon.com+exclusive+vhs&i=movies-tv&ref=nb_sb_noss

That is so cool TBH.

I'm surprised the Warner Archive hasn't consider doing this. I know VHS aren't as big as they used to be, but who would love to own a post-2007 film on VHS?

[MasterAS]

Originally Posted by Mikezilla3k

On an interesting side note, MGM had a bunch of VHS releases be Amazon exclusives:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=amazon.com+exclusive+vhs&i=movies-tv&ref=nb_sb_noss

Interesting thing about these is that they were released right at the tail end of the format's life span.

[Jobla]

The MGM/Amazon release of DIARY OF A HIGH SCHOOL BRIDE had wonderfully restored audio, perfect for the film's great title song.

[AVmovies2]

Originally Posted by kemcha

If you look at such services like Disney +, who has produced two seasons of Mandalorian but have failed to release the series to home video

Slightly off topic, but I have notice how many of the D+ exclusives have failed to show up on DVD or Blu-Ray. Yet some of the Exclusive shows have aired on TV. Not completely sure about Mandalorian.

[Shane Rollins]

I have selflessly made a sacrifice to the 4K gods and bought this:



The 4K will be announced shortly.

[Filmfanatic10]

I just discovered some brand new DVD reprints of Canadian Bacon, New York, New York, and Jason's Lyric at Dollar Tree yesterday. I know they're bargain bin DVDs, but they're reissues distributed by Deuce Entertainment under license from MGM. They have the same cover designs as older DVD prints, but they just have the new MGM print logo.

[Filmfanatic10]

Since the current MGM/Warner Bros. home entertainment deal is still quiet and hasn't been confirmed yet, I think an eventual confirmation might depend on the successes that Universal's and Warners' marketing/distribution team at their Studio Distribution Services joint venture may achieve from Warners' physical media releases of Wrath of Man, the Rocky IV director's cut, the new Orion movies and/or MGM's TV shows and Universal's releases of No Time to Die and Addams Family 2 on Blu-ray, DVD, 4K and other formats on behalf of their two studio partners, or it might not happen until MGM is sold to Amazon, or another company if Amazon's acquisition talks drop the ball and fail? I'm suggesting the former based on how MGM and Fox renewed their previous distribution deal in 2016 due to the successes of Skyfall, Spectre and previous 007 movies on physical media.

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by Filmfanatic10

Since the current MGM/Warner Bros. home entertainment deal is still quiet and hasn't been confirmed yet, I think an eventual confirmation might depend on the successes that Universal's and Warners' marketing/distribution team at their Studio Distribution Services joint venture may achieve from Warners' physical media releases of Wrath of Man, the Rocky IV director's cut, the new Orion movies and/or MGM's TV shows and Universal's releases of No Time to Die and Addams Family 2 on Blu-ray, DVD, 4K and other formats on behalf of their two studio partners, or it might not happen until MGM is sold to Amazon, or another company if Amazon's acquisition talks drop the ball and fail? I'm suggesting the former based on how MGM and Fox renewed their previous distribution deal in 2016 due to the successes of Skyfall, Spectre and previous 007 movies on physical media.

The MGM/Warner deal is solidified and confirmed. Warner has distributed Bill and Ted Face The Music and Wrath of Man along with repacking existing Fox/Sony discs in new artwork.

Universal has distribution for Candyman in theaters & home video and No Time To Die for home video.