Warner Brothers Archive Collection (DVDs only)

[HarryLong]

Didn't Warners, only about two years back do a 2-disc Special Edition of THE JAZZ SINGER. IS that film any less racially insesitive. For that matter (I'm no expert on this) are there any of Jolson's films that don't have at least one blackface number?

Why are there taglines of the new Archives covers? I mean, think about it for a second

Yeah, it's not like they need to encourage you to pick these up when you run across them at Walmart...

[Matt]

Didn't Warners, only about two years back do a 2-disc Special Edition of THE JAZZ SINGER. Is that film any less racially insensitive?

It was, in fact, a 3-disc special edition. Chock full of historical context, too, except that it was all about the transition to sound and nothing about blackface, minstrelsy, or even biographical material on Jolson. Actually, for fans of early sound films, it's a gold mine (except for the feature itself--another "important" film that's not actually a "good" film). I must buy it one day when it finally drops to a reasonable price.

[domino harvey]

Flashes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman in the Savages after his screening of the Jazz Singer bombs for the all-black staff of the hospital: "I thought they would appreciate its context!"

[hudakj]

One Jolson film that has no blackface is Hallelujah, I'm a Bum!

Though I have not seen it, Mammy seems to be more centered on his blackface performances. The Jazz Singer uses it solely for the climax of the film. Also, the title of the former is probably what keeps it off the shelves of traditional stores.

I do agree that its a bit silly to say that it is unreleasable in traditional venues--a proper disclaimer and featurette would be appropriate, and I doubt there would be that much, if any backlash against an 80 year old film, especially one as rarely showcased as this one. Its not the type of film that would find its way in Wal-Mart stores.

[colinr0380]

I agree with Matt. It's annoying to have this Warner Archive label anyway, but if that's all we're going to get now they've given up on pressed DVDs I suppose we'll have to live with it. However to casually spin a mercenary, money saving, featureless DVD-R line into an example of just how fearless they are in being able to take risky choices is absolutely absurd.

Glenn Kenny on the film

[whaleallright]

Does anyone have a contact phone number for Warner Archive customer service?

I purchased a few discs, and one of them (THE LAST FLIGHT) is simply blank! There's no information on it! But oddly enough, the order I placed does not appear in my "Order History" on the site! And naturally I've lost my emails regarding the purchase. Thankfully I still have my credit card statement. I contacted customer service on their website but got no response. Argh.

[fdm]

Not sure if these are correct as of today, but a while back when I used [email protected] the email had 1-866-373-4389. (I'm about to try to replace one that was just a teeny bit scratched up when it arrived, but apparently enough to cause it to hiccup here and there, from an oldish order.)

Edit: I got a response today (April 16):

I do apologize, we do have a thirty day return policy. This dvd was ordered in October
therefor it is too late to return.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

So, looks like you're SOL if you haven't checked them all out within 30 days. Guess I'm done with the Warner Brothers Archive Collection.

[Cash Flagg]

Beaver has a few more archive reviews up - Saint Joan, The Verdict, Deep Valley, Crisis and The Bribe.

[captveg]

Not sure if these are correct as of today, but a while back when I used [email protected] the email had 1-866-373-4389. (I'm about to try to replace one that was just a teeny bit scratched up when it arrived, but apparently enough to cause it to hiccup here and there, from an oldish order.)

Edit: I got a response today (April 16):

I do apologize, we do have a thirty day return policy. This dvd was ordered in October
therefor it is too late to return.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

So, looks like you're SOL if you haven't checked them all out within 30 days. Guess I'm done with the Warner Brothers Archive Collection.

I would press the issue until they replace it.

[fdm]

I would press the issue until they replace it.

Thinking about it. Normally I'm pretty stubborn about such things, but I've also since noticed that from my recently placed order, the first 4 I tried have also had problems playing, very similar in nature. I've switched to another player, and so far 2 of those 4 have played okay on it (2 to go). So, I might just chalk it up to my preferred player not dealing very well with these DVD-Rs any more and leave it at that. But I still need to check out the problematic disc that I wrote them about to be sure; if it plays okay on the other player... heck with it (if not, then I'll press them (they've apparently ignored my somewhat irate followup email)).

But, want to point out that I've had only one other DVD-R from the Archive fail to play up to this point (out of about 15), so something seems to be different with this new batch that makes them of lesser quality. My preferred player's been acting just fine otherwise. Also have a couple of other older ones to go through yet too.

[Ashirg]

List of titles that are being released on April 20:
Tarzan Goes to India (1962)
Tarzan's Three Challenges (1963)
Tarzan and the River of Gold (1965)
Tarzan and the Great River (1967)
Tarzan and the Jungle Boy (1968)
Island of Love (1963)
In the Mood (1987)
Being Human (1993)
Bert Rigby, You're a Fool (1989)
Second Sight (1989)
Seven Minutes in Heaven (1985)
Feds (1988)
Trojan War (1997)

[Zumpano]

I haven't thought about "Feds" in 20 years...HBO nostalgia coming on hard...

[colinr0380]

I remember Feds as well - the female-centric version of Police Academy-style material with a pre-Hand That Rocks The Cradle Rebecca De Mornay! I remember liking it the last time I saw it, but then I was only 11 or so at the time. I guess Silence of the Lambs a few years later made all of the 'look at all the cute, ditzy, girly FBI agents!' skits seem dated much sooner than the filmmakers would have imagined.

And Being Human is the actually quite good Robin Williams reincarnation drama that helped to destroy Bill Forsyth's directing career, at least in Hollywood. It's no World According To Garp, but then its not a Patch Adams either if we're grading against other Williams films (and for me Gregory's Two Girls was the truly fatal blow to Forsyth's career, albeit one he was forced into by the total failure of this film, in its revisiting of a past career success to truly creepy self destructive effect. Let's just say it is a film only Roman Polanski could relate to) Anyway, Being Human is probably best described as being The Fountain of its era!

(Why do I get the impression that I've just spent more time advertising these particular films than Warners have? )

[fdm]

Too late to look, but whoever noticed Urgh! A Music War making it into the Collection, thanks for pointing it out. Loved it. Should have been released as a silver disc a long time ago.

(And yes it was the problem child I was trying to get exchanged a few posts ago; played okay on my other player, as have the newer ones that had also misbehaved on my preferred DVD player; just wish it hadn't come complete with the smallish scratches on it in the first place. Guess my preferred player no longer gets used for Archive DVD-Rs.)

[med]

I saw Second Sight when it was in theaters. As a big fan of both Night Court and Perfect Strangers, I insisted my mother take me to the movie that featured stars from both shows. It was pretty terrible.

[willoneill]

I also saw Second Sight when I was a kid, you know, 'cause Balki was in it. And as much as many of the films are far too good to be relegated to the Warner Archive, I'd argue that Second Sight is nowhere good enough.

[domino harvey]

Another quality report: Vincente Minnelli's I Dood It looks and sounds great, this is another transfer that I suspect was readied for a box that never materialized. The film is surprisingly entertaining and fares better than a lot of other piecemeal variety musicals. Red Skeleton keeps his annoying tendencies mostly in check, John Hodiak tries to blow up some US guns for the Nazis (!), and Eleanor Powell dances with lassos-- Lena Horne's "Jericho" number was the best though. A lot of homefront WWII jokes too, like when Red Skeleton makes an offhand mention of butter and an entire swanky nightclub stops everything and shouts "BUTTER??!" like the cowboys in the Pace picante sauce commercials.

[Ashirg]

Titles coming next week:

The Warner Archive Archive Collection will release "Classic Musical Shorts From the Dream Factory 1928-48,'' a 35-title collection of MGM short subjects, on May 18. The titles in the four-disc set (two discs are in Technicolor) highlight "big brands, classic comedians, vaudeville greats and more.''

Bobo, The (1967) - Peter Sellers!
Class Act (1992) - aka House Party 2.5
Cracking Up (1983) - Jerry Lewis!
Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu, The (1980) - Peter Sellers!
Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970) - Lynn Redgrave, RIP!
Which Way to the Front? (1970) - Jerry Lewis!

NY Post mentions 15 titles, so that's not all!

[domino harvey]

Hell yes to the two Jerry Lewis titles!

[Cash Flagg]

Can anyone comment on the quality of the various Garbo titles? They're all 30% off right now at WB shop.

EDIT: All silents are 30% off.

[dadaistnun]

Can anyone comment on the quality of the various Garbo titles? They're all 30% off right now at WB shop.

I don't actually own any of them, but it's been reported that the music track for Love is taken from a live recording with a bad (laughing) audience.

Also, you probably already know this, but The Temptress is available in the TCM Archives - Garbo Silents Collection which has been making the cut-out rounds at Big Lots and Amazon Marketplace. Five bucks or less for three films, a decent section of extras, and on real dvds to boot. Remember when WB used to make those?

[Perkins Cobb]

Can't wait for Cracking Up, and The Last of the Mobile Hot Shots is an impossible-to-find film that I've waited decades to see. I found some tantalizing stills from it at the USC Warner Bros. Archives years ago. Even if it's awful, it'll be an intriguing curio.

Incidentally, when Film Forum was planning its Sidney Lumet retro a couple of years ago, I ran into Bruce Goldstein at a party and told him he must include Hot Shots. He sort of sneered and dismissed it; that, and other rarities like the underrated That Kind of Woman, were nowhere to be seen in the series. Glad he's not running a home video division.

And props to Lou Lumenick, his binder-smacking history notwithstanding, for reliably reporting on new Warner Archive releases.

[Perkins Cobb]

Incidentally, here's the previous batch, not noted yet in this thread, and the accompanying Lumenick dispatch:

Flap (1970)
Chandler (1971)
Zeppelin (1971)
Hit Man (1972)
Our Time (1974)
Fast-Walking (1982)
Marie: A True Story (1985)
The Beniker Gang (1985)
A Return to Salem's Lot (1987)
Cookie (1989)

Eager to see the James B. Harris, the Roger Donaldson, and the Carol Reed.

[Zumpano]

Whoa..."Beniker Gang" gives off as strong nostalgia vibes to me as the previously mentioned "Feds".

[Matt]

Rufus Jones for President (which I assume is now up on the WBA Vitaphone shorts set.)

It may show up on that set, but it's also already available on the DVD of The Green Pastures. The feature leaves a lot to be desired, but the shorts (which also include "An All-Colored Vaudeville Show" featuring the Nicholas Brothers) are well worth the purchase price.