Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray Discussion Thread

[Strumm]

Leviathan told me in a message a few hours ago he would quite this publicly until another set was announced. I expected him to break his promise quickly

[gkolb]

Haven’t had to use Ignore list for years, but I am now.

[Ned Brainard]

Originally Posted by EVOLVIST

Say, I haven't been able to find any info online. Since it's an older MGM title, would WAC have the rights to restore and release The Viking (1928)?

That seems like a swell package to have both the silent and the sound version from 1930.

Of course the topic could be moot. I need to really bone up on these distribution deals. I haven't a clue how most of these shake out.

The Viking is indeed under the purview of WAC, and it does get an occasional showing on TCM. Whether or not WAC will ever do anything with the title, I have no idea. The original synchronized musical score does survive and is used for the TCM showings. That is a major plus since WAC is reportedly prohibited from spending money to score silents. As for surviving elements, I don't think that the negative survives, but the film does look decent judging from the TCM broadcasts. Also, there was no sound era reissue. Wikipedia is woefully misinformed on that point. I would definitely be a buyer for a remastered blu-ray or DVD from WAC.

A little off-topic, but have you seen the Criterion blu of King of Jazz? That might be right up your alley - two color Technicolor, restored from the surviving camera negative, a revue style film not totally dissimilar from Ziegfeld Follies, etc.

[Leviathan]

Originally Posted by Strumm

Leviathan told me in a message a few hours ago he would quite this publicly until another set was announced. I expected him to break his promise quickly

I wouldn't have said anything if EVOLVIST hasn't made his "nerdy shit" comment.

This is the Blu-Ray forums. What is this forum except "nerdy shit"?

I'm done.

[EVOLVIST]

Originally Posted by Leviathan

I wouldn't have said anything if EVOLVIST hasn't made his "nerdy shit" comment.

This is the Blu-Ray forums. What is this forum except "nerdy shit"?

I'm done.

No, I mean, we're all nerds. I was just trying to add a little levity, thus the smilies and such.

I'm in no way bagging on you. Indeed, you'd be hard pressed to find me on anybody's tit. I'm a friend to all and I don't even want to know why peeps are up in arms.

I'm sorry if my words offended. I really am.

[Leviathan]

Thanks for that.

I realized that getting angry here and raging in this thread is pointless. I'm really done.

[SeanJoyce]

[Show spoiler]

[EVOLVIST]

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by Ned Brainard

The Viking is indeed under the purview of WAC, and it does get an occasional showing on TCM. Whether or not WAC will ever do anything with the title, I have no idea. The original synchronized musical score does survive and is used for the TCM showings. That is a major plus since WAC is reportedly prohibited from spending money to score silents. As for surviving elements, I don't think that the negative survives, but the film does look decent judging from the TCM broadcasts. Also, there was no sound era reissue. Wikipedia is woefully misinformed on that point. I would definitely be a buyer for a remastered blu-ray or DVD from WAC.

Originally Posted by Ned Brainard

A little off-topic, but have you seen the Criterion blu of King of Jazz? That might be right up your alley - two color Technicolor, restored from the surviving camera negative, a revue style film not totally dissimilar from Ziegfeld Follies, etc.

Cheers! Thank you for the info on The Viking. Yeah, it looks pretty good, but I wouldn't want a release like the KL flicks where it's just a scan of print. Then again, I would probably buy it anyway just to satisfy my collection, if that was the only way to get it.

As for The King of Jazz, no I haven't seen it. That's on my list for sure. I really like those revue pictures. Thank you!

[ukulelemonster]

Out of random curiosity, what’s the most “recent” the Warner Archives have released? Mid-90s?

[Somebuddy]

Originally Posted by ukulelemonster

Out of random curiosity, what’s the most “recent” the Warner Archives have released? Mid-90s?

For live action I’d say Starsky & Hutch (2004) and then A Mighty Wind (2003). It would be nice if they put out more 2000s titles, I’m clamouring for The Salton Sea.

[SeanJoyce]

Originally Posted by Somebuddy

For live action I’d say Starsky & Hutch (2004) and then A Mighty Wind (2003). It would be nice if they put out more 2000s titles, I’m clamouring for The Salton Sea.

The Salton Sea kicks so much ass.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by Ned Brainard

The Viking is indeed under the purview of WAC, and it does get an occasional showing on TCM. Whether or not WAC will ever do anything with the title, I have no idea. The original synchronized musical score does survive and is used for the TCM showings. That is a major plus since WAC is reportedly prohibited from spending money to score silents. As for surviving elements, I don't think that the negative survives, but the film does look decent judging from the TCM broadcasts. Also, there was no sound era reissue. Wikipedia is woefully misinformed on that point. I would definitely be a buyer for a remastered blu-ray or DVD from WAC.

A little off-topic, but have you seen the Criterion blu of King of Jazz? That might be right up your alley - two color Technicolor, restored from the surviving camera negative, a revue style film not totally dissimilar from Ziegfeld Follies, etc.

And I’ll trot out my monthly wish for the 1929 The Mysterious Island. Technicolor print found and restored 2013.

[JasonMichael]

I am a huge animation fan, and was disappointed when Tex 2 was released and the reviews here were not kind. I decided not to bother buying it. But when MovieZyng had their recent WAC sale, I decided to add Tex to my order.
Watching it, I forgot all the negative comments and just got immersed in the cartoons. They may not be perfect (and my eyesight at 61 is not ideal!) but I enjoyed them and laughed out loud many times. I'd buy a corrected disc if it was ever released, but I don't honestly know if I'd get any more enjoyment out of it.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by Shanghai Express

If The Crowd and Greed aren't out in 2022, we riot

A small consolation: TCM will be showing Greed on May 8/9 (depending on your time zone). Looks like it’s the extended version they’ve shown in the past.

[darrellmaclaine]

It just amuses me that the infamous 'worst looking WAC release', even despite its problems, still presents those cartoons in higher quality than virtually all the Disney shorts are or have ever been available in. And even then those are mostly on Treasures discs which are, largely, literally impossible to get now outside of piracy.

Is an overly-DNR'd streaming master of a Tex Avery cartoon in print on physical media in 2022 really worse than a soft, 4:3, standard-def, letterboxed-Cinemascope master of a Humphrey The Bear cartoon struck in the laserdisc days and released once on a limited edition mail order DVD that now goes for $200+ on eBay?

All I'm saying is if I could get all that Disney stuff right now in quality akin to the Tex Avery Vol 2 set, I would. WAC's low bar would be a high bar for any other studio with a shorts library.

[Okeh1931]

All films listed are owned by Warner and newly restored, so we might be seeing WA releases of these soon.

[koberulz]

Are they showing Blonde Crazy at all?

[Strumm]

I'd like to also point out, even with a few flaws, Volume 3 was mostly a return to the standard. As much as I hope they fix the poor half of Volume 2, it won't be next

I also wonder if the next set may be The Bugs Bunny Show, but it seems unlikely because of just off its been (the original color negs have been cut to pieces, accessing color material in Europe). I also wonder how the cartoons shown in the show itself would be presented, as well as original commercials

[Jaymole]

Remakes are the norm now, but back in 1931 it was even worse as Hollywood was remaking films in the same year as the original!!!

[TechnicolorNut]

I still have hopes that "Maytime" (1937) and "Sweethearts" (1938) can make their blu-ray debuts soon. There may not be a huge Mac/Eddy fanbase anymore but these two films have other merits as well. "Sweethearts" being MGM's first 3-strip feature and "Maytime" just being a beautifully filmed production. I had talked with George F. many times at Dave's Video in Studio City, when they had studio days,and he seemed to think they wouldn't sell well though most came out on laserdisc. They would certainly look better, I hope, than the current DVD incarnations.