Fox Studio Classics

[devlinnn]

As good as Cornel Wilde is in Leave Her to Heaven, the picture is all Tierney, and she should grace the cover alone - sunglasses, horse or boat optional. Pleasing to see Kenneth Geist back to do a commentary on A Letter to Three Wives as well. His knowledge and honesty when dealing with Mankiewicz was welcome on the stunning The Ghost and Mrs Muir DVD.

[viciousliar]

A shame, really, that Warner hasn't started to license their Ultra Resolution process technology to other companies...

[Narshty]

Seems that In Old Chicago will be an upcoming Studio Classics release, seeing how the trailer is featured on the disc.

[viciousliar]

Yet another Heaven review... "Video: 3 out of 5... some unfortunate fluctuation...smearing..."

Grrrr.....

[Ashirg]

3 more are coming:
Anna & the King of Siam
The Best of Everything
The Razor's Edge

Here's a link!

[Michael Strangeways]

I'm very happy 'The Best of Everything' is coming, but under the Fox Classics banner? Don't get me wrong, I love this movie, but it's junk...glorious, beautiful, ludicrous junk....

[viciousliar]

Do you really think so Michael? I think it has a lot going for it not least Joan's standout performance in a tough role. And the astonishing Mondrian-like set design of the office with those blocks of color!! This is a real treat to me, esp as there is so little Crawford on disc. I certainly don't bracket it with other Negulesco post 'Scope stinkers like Three Coins in the Fountain!

Flixyflox, I have to side with Michael - Everything is nothing but slick trash, certainly by no means a "classic" - Crawford's stellar bitch role notwithstanding, which is truncated and way too brief anyway.

Re Fox' 3-strip Technicolor "Studio Classics" releases - it is no wonder that they are under-represented, considering Fox' problems with the mastering - off the top of my head, only Heaven & Blondes have been released thus far. And Fox has a library jam-packed with 3-strip Technicolor features, but they concentrate their efforts on transferring non-Technicolor pictures and B&W ones. Fox, it's high time that you get your act together, and deliver your goods in 3-strip Technicolor in a way befitting the marvelous look as to how these movies were originally presented theatrically!!

[peerpee]

Can't find a FOX NOIR thread, so posting here.... Fox are sending out what looks like final product promos for LAURA. It features two versions of the film -- one with the montage at the end, which was cut -- two commentaries, etc. -- Yippedy doo!

[Michael Strangeways]

I have enormous affection for The Best of Everything, but Negulesco was a director of very limited means. You can drive a truck through the pauses in the dialogue; pick up the pace. man!! The difference between Negulesco and Sirk, who both worked with very similiar melodramatic material, is that Sirk was a master confectionatier who turned out elegant, slightly exotic puff pastries while Negulesco directed like a graveyard shift baker at Dunkin' Donuts. And there's nothing wrong with that; I can enjoy an eclair as much as I can enjoy a confetti sprinkled donut....but I recognize the difference.

on another note, since he's about the only living major cast member, I wonder if there's a Robert Evans interview on this disc? And this movie is living proof that Evans did the right thing by switching from acting to producing, though he's actually not that bad in this movie...the role is not that big of a stretch for him....oily haired, overly tanned, virgin seducing slime-weasel.....

[Ashirg]

Is it just me, or shouldn't Crawford's name appear on the cover?

[FilmFanSea]

Is it just me, or shouldn't Crawford's name appear on the cover?

I thought exactly the same thing. I never thought Hope & Joan even resembled one another ...

[rlendog]

I'm kind of curious why Drums Along the Mohawk, which is also coming from Fox on 5/24, doesn't qualify as a "Fox Studio Classic".

[milk114]

Is there a list anywhere of what has already been released and what the future holds under the fox studio classics line? I've noticed quite a few titles are out. thanks.

[Sai]

His knowledge and honesty when dealing with Mankiewicz was welcome on the stunning The Ghost and Mrs Muir DVD.

I couldn't bear to finish that track, because the woman accompanying him was so incredibly awful. She reminded me of Marion Keane minus the psycho-analytics. "You see a miniature boat in the foreground, this makes clear that it's really a sailor's house."

Maybe I'll give it another shot, because I would like to know some more about Manckiewicz.

[The Digital McGuffin]

Is there a list anywhere of what has already been released and what the future holds under the fox studio classics line? I've noticed quite a few titles are out. thanks.

Try here or here. The latter is a little out of date, but does give a few rumours of what is likely to be in the works.

[milk114]

I had a couple questions about the Studio Classics line:

I've yet to find a reasoning behind what is and is not included. Whas is the criteria for inclusion... academy awards or popularity or availability or something else?

Are spine numbers for completionists only or do they serve another purpose (I noticed the Film Noir series has them as well)?

If the quality of the transfers and extras are at Criterion-level, why are they $15 and often times on sale for $10 at places like Borders?

Looking through the links matt and McGuffin posted (thanks a lot) it seems that Heaven Can Wait was a big fan favorite for release, but now it's coming from Criterion at twice the price. How does Fox justify that or profit from it and when did Fox and Criterion make any deals? I thought only Buena Vista and Universal (of the big studios) had deals.

thanks for your time.

[The Digital McGuffin]

Whas is the criteria for inclusion... academy awards or popularity or availability or something else?

There doesn't seem to be any particular criteria for inclusion other than being pre 1970 Fox owned films that they think they can sell. If they are critically acclaimed (e.g. Grapes of Wrath), have a bit of star power (e.g. Desk Set), or generally popular, they're strong candidates but choices like Three Coins in the Fountain or Return to Peyton Place don't seem quite so obvious.

Are spine numbers for completionists only or do they serve another purpose (I noticed the Film Noir series has them as well)?

Purely a marketing tactic to encourage collection fetishists. If you brave the .com site, there's a thread about the MoC Collection that illustrates just how interested some people become when a company sticks a number on the spine or start using the word "collection". Quite disturbing really.

If the quality of the transfers and extras are at Criterion-level, why are they $15 and often times on sale for $10 at places like Borders?

It's a sales strategy. If they keep the prices low, they can hope to shift more units and make the collection seem more attainable. Criterion's pricing strategy is rather different as the Criterion name carries a lot of kudos amongst film fans and Criterion market the DVDs as a premium product with a premium price tag.

How does Fox justify that or profit from it and when did Fox and Criterion make any deals? I thought only Buena Vista and Universal (of the big studios) had deals.

Criterion negotiated a deal with Fox a couple of years ago now and if memory serves, the original deal was for 12 titles.

[dx23]

Are spine numbers for completionists only or do they serve another purpose (I noticed the Film Noir series has them as well)?

Like The Digital McGuffin said, spine numbers are for completist and collectors. Fox 2 disc sets (Fight Club, Independence Day, Sound of Music, Die Hard, The Abyss, etc.) were discontinued then re-released with spine numbers. Fox probably took a page from Criterion and their fans obssesion with numbers and applied them to most of their special releases for a completely marketing appeal.

[Steven H]

from dvdplanet.com:

Robert Aldrich's "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" (1964)

Henry King's "In Old Chicago" (1937)

Nunnally Johnson's "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" (1956)... not to be confused with "The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit" (1968).

All sound interesting and are reasonably priced. Anyone have any thoughts about these?

[porquenegar]

Saw Desk Set a couple of nights ago and can't believe how bad it was. This is the first Studio Classic disk to let me down. There were some funny parts but it it was mainly just boring and predictable. While not every movie that I have seen from this line (nearly 20 of them) have been spectacular, usually the included Backstories or documentaries pick up the slack.

[Gordon]

I recieved The Razor's Edge today. Great transfer of a pet favourite.

Inside the case was a little booklet lisiting the Studio Classics; on the back was this:

UPCOMING TITLES:
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)
In Old Chicago (1937)
Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte
The Rains Came (1939)
No Way Out (1950)
Two for the Road (1967)

[Michael Strangeways]

FINALLY!!! Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte AND Two for the Road...it's about time...Charlotte has the best slap scene in film history; deHaviland smacking the crap out of Davis!!

[starmanof51]

UPCOMING TITLES:
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)
In Old Chicago (1937)
Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte
The Rains Came (1939)
No Way Out (1950)
Two for the Road (1967)

A somewhat more obvious property for this line is "Jane Eyre", probably my priority for pre-60s Fox catalog stuff. It's hardly perfect, but between the literary pedigree and Welles having a good old-fashioned scenery chew, it seems to be a natural for the Sudio Classics. Is there anything weird keeping it from being released?

[Narshty]

Good news - Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte has a commentary by Glenn Erickson. Seems odd that they didnt include it in any of the publicity or retailer listings.

[DrewReiber]

A somewhat more obvious property for this line is "Jane Eyre", probably my priority for pre-60s Fox catalog stuff. It's hardly perfect, but between the literary pedigree and Welles having a good old-fashioned scenery chew, it seems to be a natural for the Sudio Classics. Is there anything weird keeping it from being released?

I've been wondering about that too, though African Queen not being out is a joke. I've become a huge fan of Welles in the last few years and have since found out how he produced Eyre. I think it's one of the last Mercury Theater films too.