Not enough classic movies on Blu-ray ...

[ymmv]

For a movie medium that's now three years years old there really are very few movie classics being released still. It's a shame, because widescreen movies from the fifties and sixties look glorious in 1080p. I've recently seen South Pacific and How the West Was Won and was astounded by the picture quality. Show those movies to any movie lover and they'd be cured of the popular fallacy that only the latest movies will look good on Blu-Ray. I'd say that those classic movies improve the most from a hi-def transfer, especially those 70mm widescreen movies that look squashed on DVD. I've been just as pleased with the small number of Technicolor movies on Blu-Ray. The Red Shoes looked incredible.

The coming months will see the following new releases but it's only a drop in a bucket compared to all the titles that deserve a proper HD release:

North by Northwest
The 39 Steps
Gone with the Wind
Wizard of Oz
The Ladykillers
Hamlet
Henry V
The Red Balloon
Sunrise
The Black Shield of Falworth
The Leopard

Is this about it for the rest of 2009? I'm gonna buy at least 6-7 of these but it's really not enough to whet my appetite...

[Bruce Morrison]

Originally Posted by ymmv

For a movie medium that's now three years years old there really are very few movie classics being released still. It's a shame, because widescreen movies from the fifties and sixties look glorious in 1080p. I've recently seen South Pacific and How the West Was Won and was astounded by the picture quality. Show those movies to any movie lover and they'd be cured of the popular fallacy that only the latest movies will look good on Blu-Ray. I'd say that those classic movies improve the most from a hi-def transfer, especially those 70mm widescreen movies that look squashed on DVD. I've been just as pleased with the small number of Technicolor movies on Blu-Ray. The Red Shoes looked incredible.

The coming months will see the following new releases but it's only a drop in a bucket compared to all the titles that deserve a proper HD release:

North by Northwest
The 39 Steps
Gone with the Wind
Wizard of Oz
The Ladykillers
Hamlet
Henry V
The Red Balloon
Sunrise
The Black Shield of Falworth
The Leopard

Is this about it for the rest of 2009? I'm gonna buy at least 6-7 of these but it's really not enough to whet my appetite...

It's inevitable that the studios will concentrate on new and relatively recent films but, given time, I would expect a fair number of acknowledged classics to be released on Blu-ray over the next three or four years. Patience is the name of this game.

[Deciazulado]

I see more than 60 tiles from before 1970 on our UK database. I hope it keeps growing.

[pro-bassoonist]

I have no idea what your definition of classic is but...the UK market is set to receive a number of very important classics, which are (surprisingly) not on your list above.

To mention a few:

Belle de Jour
Last Year at Marienbad
Ran
The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum
The Go-Between
Le mépris
The Innocents
The Dam Busters

etc....

Pro-B

[ymmv]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

I have no idea what your definition of classic is but...the UK market is set to receive a number of very important classics, which are (surprisingly) not on your list above.

To mention a few:

Belle de Jour
Last Year at Marienbad
Ran
The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum
The Go-Between
Le mépris
The Innocents
The Dam Busters

etc....

Pro-B

My personal definition of a classic movie is anything released before 1970 (but I suppose that has something to do my age, I was born in '65 and every move released after Star Wars is "recent"). Thanks for the additions.

I forgot two more: El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire (German Special Editions)

[BellesPrince]

Hmmmm, just because a movie is later than Star Wars doesn't mean it isn't classic. :S

[Sky_Captain]

Not this again...

[medium61]

Have recently aquired El Cid and Fall of the Roman Empire from Germany!

El Cid - even though this was a 70mm Cinema release, and a few 70mm films have been very effectively transferred to Blu-ray, this transfer is not much better than a DVD!! very disapointing

Fall of the Roman Empire is a much better transfer. What I find interesting about BR releases is that Germany/France do have the English option, which was rare on DVD releases.

Peter

[syncguy]

Not enough classic movies on Blu-ray ...

Yes, this is a worry. It looks like the early adopters do not appreciate classics. Hopefully this will change with more and more people going for blu.

[syncguy]

Originally Posted by BellesPrince

Hmmmm, just because a movie is later than Star Wars doesn't mean it isn't classic. :S

Yes. There are contemporary classics as well. The key strength of a classic, I expect, is its timelessness which yet to be proven by the recent releases.

[Suntory_Times]

Originally Posted by syncguy

Yes, this is a worry. It looks like the early adopters do not appreciate classics. Hopefully this will change with more and more people going for blu.

Also, restoring older films no doubt costs more and usually don't sell as well as 'new' films. Hence studios are releasing what will give them the largest profit margin. (Captain obvious strikes again).

[BellesPrince]

Just looking back through my own collection, and movies which I'd consider to be classic (not necessarily before Star Wars), which are already out on Blu Ray.

Batman
Field of Dreams (at least in the US - but it is region free)
Ghostbusters
Bond Movies
The Omen Trilogy
The Planet of the Apes films
Pinocchio
Sleeping Beauty
At least some of the Star Trek movies
Superman
Terminator (again, region free)
Terminator 2
The Untouchables

I think classic is a very subjective term, and one man's classic can be another person's trash.

I think older films will inevitably take longer to clean up, but, just looking at what's around the corner for the Autumn / Winter schedules, should be enough to convince anyone that studio's are looking back towards their catalogue titles.

I do think it's very unfair to use Star Wars as a point in history of what determines whether a movie is a classic or not. True, Star Wars changed cinema forever, but a lot of classic movies came after Star Wars.