Warner Brothers Archive Collection (DVDs only)

[domino harvey]

I just got the new Esther Williams box set, and adding insult to injury, what's inside but a reminder of just how rare a Warners star-based box is: a flyer advertising Warner Archives. If you like good quality releases like this, you'll love our DVD-R crap!

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

But yes, the Warner Archive is dumping so many films worthy of legit releases that it's just jaw dropping. I just saw The Rain People by Francis Ford Coppola, which I thought was astounding and imtimate, a near masterpiece even, and by the time it ended I just couldn't believe Warner didn't put the time in to properly restore it with Coppola (the DVD comes from an LD/TCM quality print, which looks fine but surely isn't as good as the film could look), have him record a commentary and license George Lucas' documentary on its making, Filmmaker. Hell, I'm sure Coppola himself would've helped produce the restoration and the bonus features had they approached him and put the slightest bit of additional interest in it. I mean, for God's sake it's Coppola! But instead it got dumped. I'm sure Coppola's other Warner film, You're a Big Boy Now, will have a similar fate.

Speaking of remastered Rain People, I spoke to someone the other day who restores films for Technicolor. He said two years ago, Warner Bros. commissioned them to fix up the print for this film, which they did. This person was very upset at the fact they didn't use this new remaster.

It still looks decent and it is anamorphic. One of Coppola's finest films, but looking and James Caan's sweater pixalize heavily gets very distracting. What a shame.

[Dylan]

Speaking of remastered Rain People, I spoke to someone the other day who restores films for Technicolor. He said two years ago, Warner Bros. commissioned them to fix up the print for this film, which they did. This person was very upset at the fact they didn't use this new remaster.

This makes me think that there are plans somewhere down the line to give it an official release of some sort, in some region. I would love to see this new print.

[justeleblanc]

Speaking of remastered Rain People, I spoke to someone the other day who restores films for Technicolor. He said two years ago, Warner Bros. commissioned them to fix up the print for this film, which they did. This person was very upset at the fact they didn't use this new remaster.

This makes me think that there are plans somewhere down the line to give it an official release of some sort, in some region. I would love to see this new print.

For all we know the restoration messed up. Maybe it destroyed Murch's intention so they scrapped it.

[nsps]

Speaking of remastered Rain People, I spoke to someone the other day who restores films for Technicolor. He said two years ago, Warner Bros. commissioned them to fix up the print for this film, which they did. This person was very upset at the fact they didn't use this new remaster.

This makes me think that there are plans somewhere down the line to give it an official release of some sort, in some region. I would love to see this new print.

For all we know the restoration messed up. Maybe it destroyed Murch's intention so they scrapped it.

Is this a joke? It sounds like it was just a transfer and clean-up, not a change-the-aspect-ratio-and-color-timing job.

The only logical explanation for Ambersons being missing for so long is that they've got the lost Rio print. Right? RIGHT?

[George Kaplan]

The only logical explanation for Ambersons being missing for so long is that they've got the lost Rio print. Right? RIGHT?

Which scenario is more disturbing: the feeling that this cannot possibly be true, or if true; that WB has been able to keep such an important cultural discovery secret? Especially since their recent business practices have called into serious question their suitability for being so entrusted.

[GringoTex]

Have any of these archive collection films wound up on Netflix?

[domino harvey]

Netflix doesn't offer burned DVD-Rs

[nsps]

Netflix doesn't offer burned DVD-Rs

Coincidentally, that's the same reason you can't rent my three-hour epic masterpiece "Hot Little Mammas in the Big City."

Regarding Ambersons, I was mostly kidding about the lost footage. Even if Warners wanted to keep it a secret, that would probably be fairly difficult (even with NDAs). I think the rumors mainly got started to answer the perplexing question of why on earth the film hasn't come out on DVD yet. Because seriously, what other excuse could they have? At this point they must just be hoping that the footage will turn up so they can say, "See! We told you it'd be worth the wait!"

[Matt]

Have any of these archive collection films wound up on Netflix?

You can rent them through ClassicFlix.

[Haggai]

I finally got my copy of the complete Joe McDoakes collection, ordered at a discount price when it was randomly posted for a few hours more than a month ago, long before release date. It includes all 63 shorts of this '40s/'50s comedy series on a total of 6 discs. I only had time to watch a few of them so far. They look OK, pretty much the same quality as the ones that have turned up on TCM or as extras on previously released regular Warner DVDs of classic films from that time period. My understanding is that quite a few of these shorts haven't been seen or broadcast anywhere in a long time, so it's a great set to own for fans of the ones that have been circulated.

Warners has been dumping way too much quality stuff into this archives line, but this is one collection that surely wouldn't have seen the light of day on a regular release even in the best of DVD buying times, so I'm very glad to have it.

[domino harvey]

Yeah, my copy's waiting for me at my post office box. Certainly a shock when it finally got fulfilled!

[domino harvey]

Just barely cracked the massive Joe McDoakes set and already I'm comfortable calling it one of the year's most important releases. Though the first couple shorts find the filmmakers still sorting out their concept, from the third and fourth short the leap in quality is astonishing. So You Want to Play the Horses might be the funniest film I've seen all year, with the high points including a brilliant Lost Weekend parody and absurd color commentary on a thrilling horse race (where a horse wins "by an arabesque"). I can't recommend this set more (especially to fans of the Simpsons and its ilk), even without getting in on the previous good deal-- it's already worth three times what I paid for it and I'm still only on the first disc.

[Ashirg]

Are you able to annotate any of the shorts from this that have turned up on earlier DVDs as a featurette? I can remember at least three but I'm damned if I can remember what disc they're on.

From Home Theater Forum:

So You Want to Be a Detective (1948)-- The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (Warner Legends Collection)
So You Think You're Not Guilty (1950) -- White Heat (Warner Gangsters Vol. 1)
So You Think You're a Nervous Wreck (1946) -- A Night in Casablanca (Marx Brothers)
So You Think You Need Glasses (1942) -- The Man Who Came to Dinner (Bette Davis Vol. 2)
So You Want to Be in Pictures (1947) -- The Hasty Heart (Ronald Reagan Signature Collection)
So Your Wife Wants to Work (1956) -- The Spirit of St. Louis (James Stewart Signature Collection)
So You Want to Give Up Smoking (1942) -- All Through the Night (Humphrey Bogart Vol. 2)
So You Want to Be on the Radio (1948) -- Adventures of Don Juan (Errol Flynn Vol. 2)
So You Want to Be an Actor (1949) -- My Dream is Yours (Doris Day Vol. 2)
So You Want to Learn to Dance (1953) -- By the Light of the Silvery Moon (Doris Day Vol. 2)
So You Want a Television Set (1953) -- By the Light of the Silvery Moon (Doris Day Vol. 2)
So You Want to Enjoy Life (1952) -- Big Jim McLain (John Wayne Film Collection)
So You Think You Can't Sleep (1953) -- Trouble Along the Way (John Wayne Film Collection)
So You're Going to Have an Operation (1950) -- The Flame and the Arrow (Burt Lancaster Signature Collection)
So You Want to be a Paper Hanger (1951) -- Jim Thorpe: All American (Burt Lancaster Signature Collection)
So You Want to Be an Heir (1953) -- South Sea Woman (Burt Lancaster Signature Collection)
So You Want to Know Your Relatives (1954) -- His Majesty O'Keefe (Burt Lancaster Signature Collection)
So You Want a Raise (1950) -- Montana (Errol Flynn Westerns)
So You Want to Move (1950) -- Rocky Mountain (Errol Flynn Westerns)
So You Want To Hold Your Husband (1950) - Tea for Two (Doris Day Spotlight Collection)
So You Want To Be A Bachelor (1951) - Starlift (Doris Day Spotlight Collection)
So You Want To Wear The Pants (1952) - April in Paris (Doris Day Spotlight Collection)

[Cold Bishop]

I know that there aren't many people on here from the Portland area, but I have noticed that Movie Madness seems to have begun carrying a large selection of the Archive for rental. A good deal for those not willing to drop $15 for a dvd-r.

[Matt]

Help us Improve Warner Archive and get 10% off!

[nsps]

Apparently I can only own one of the following: Blu-ray player, DVD player, Wii/XBox/etc, Laserdisc Player.

Either I'm only the second person to take that survey or the coupon code isn't unique to the survey taker. But it's probably fair to give them the input they want anyhow.

The survey centers around the idea of a subscription service that requires a 6-month commitment but doesn't give particularly impressive options. So you could get a movie (selected from a list, so possibly not the whole catalogue) for $17.99, but you'd have to commit to buying one every month for six months (they do roll over if you don't get one, but you've still bought the six movies).

I like the idea of the subscription service, but I don't feel like I'd get much out of it as it's described in the survey.

[Ashirg]

You can suggest your own idea of a subscription service in one of the question. I kind of like the idea of current value pack pricing (5 for $49.99) where you can pick any title they have (plus use coupons and free shipping!)

[oldsheperd]

The price on that Joe McDoakes set is pretty fair too.

[Wittsdream]

You can suggest your own idea of a subscription service in one of the question. I kind of like the idea of current value pack pricing (5 for $49.99) where you can pick any title they have (plus use coupons and free shipping!)

Not according to their website! They only give you a pool of 16 films from which to bundle 5, and most are not worth the HTML they're printed on! ](*,)

[buskeat]

You can suggest your own idea of a subscription service in one of the question. I kind of like the idea of current value pack pricing (5 for $49.99) where you can pick any title they have (plus use coupons and free shipping!)

Not according to their website! They only give you a pool of 16 films from which to bundle 5, and most are not worth the HTML they're printed on! ](*,)

I think he's talking about a hypothetical idea, not something that Warner Bros. is actually doing.

[so lightly here]

I took the poll not because of the deal they were trying to get people interested in but so I could bitch about the discs being DVDR's at every possible moment. I have bought a few, well three, and one wouldn't play. I buy hundreds of DVD's and now BR's and they always play. I hate the DVD-R idea from the get go and told 'em multiple times. I also said the cover art was a mess (but I really don't care about that if I can just get a readable copy of a film). Can't they cover DVDR's with something to protect them.

Basically I told WB they went from being the best big company making DVD's to the worse. I don't really think they give a rip about the whole DVDR thing though, I think they are just trying to promote their buying program.

[Wittsdream]

You can suggest your own idea of a subscription service in one of the question. I kind of like the idea of current value pack pricing (5 for $49.99) where you can pick any title they have (plus use coupons and free shipping!)

Not according to their website! They only give you a pool of 16 films from which to bundle 5, and most are not worth the HTML they're printed on! ](*,)

I think he's talking about a hypothetical idea, not something that Warner Bros. is actually doing.

Indeed, you're right...........was having my little Ox-Bow Incident moment going after WB! #-o

[HypnoHelioStaticStasis]

Some new additions:

Gilda Live (1980)
Holiday in Mexico (1946)
I Dood It (1943)
Made in Heaven (1987)
Mail Order Bride (1964)
See You in the Morning (1989)
Slither (1973)
Small Town Girl (1953)
So Fine (1981)
Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957)
Tarzan and the Trappers (1958)
Tarzan the Magnificent (1960)
Tarzan's Fight For Life (1958)
Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (1959)
Tarzan's Hidden Jungle (1955)
Under the Rainbow (1981)

[Wittsdream]

Deep Discount apparently has picked up rights to distribute the entire Warner Bros. Archive Collection through its website. The only catch is that they have listed a MSRP of $29.95, with the discounted price of $23.88!! [-X

Even with an upcoming 25% off sale taken into account, it only drops the price down to $17.91, the same amount you can get them for directly from the WB site.

At this point, the only advantage in buying these titles at DD would be during their semi-annual sales, and placing a bulk order to take advantage of their free shipping policy vs. WB's more expensive alternative, but that's about it!