Warner Brothers Archive Collection (DVDs only)

[Matt]

That's good news. The previous answer was always about looking for elements. If they're "at the lab," that means they either found what they were looking for or gave up and are using what they have.

[skuhn8]

or responder is just indicating: 'I'm kind of busy right now putting finger prints on an inter-positive (at the lab)...don't have time to chat just now"

[Roger Ryan]

We know they're releasing KANE on Blu-ray next year, so I suspect AMBERSONS will finally see the light in 2012 (70th Anniversary).

[beamish13]

Q: Will the Archive eventually get around to Bill Gunn's famously buried movie STOP (1970)? It hasn't screened in 35mm in more than 20 years and it was one of the very first studio films made by an African-American filmmaker.

A:Warner Archive Collection Yes, indeed! "STOP" will join the WAC roster early next year.

\:D/

[Arthur Bannister]

Q: With all the Noirs being released, is there any plan for essential Fritz Lang Noirs BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT and WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS?
A: We've been working on these for several months.......Long overdue for remastering....!

That they would dump these into the Archive just makes me sick. Time to start looking at options in other regions I guess.

[jsteffe]

Q: With all the Noirs being released, is there any plan for essential Fritz Lang Noirs BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT and WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS?
A: We've been working on these for several months.......Long overdue for remastering....!

That they would dump these into the Archive just makes me sick. Time to start looking at options in other regions I guess.

I dunno... in this imperfect world, given the choice between remastered Archive DVD-Rs of these films and non-remastered standard DVDs from other countries, I'd take the remastered Archive versions.

[Gregory]

I dunno... in this imperfect world, given the choice between remastered Archive DVD-Rs of these films and non-remastered standard DVDs from other countries, I'd take the remastered Archive versions.

Exposure Cinema has done a new transfer of While the City Sleeps from original 35mm elements (which, judging from the caps, look to be in good shape). They're supposed to be following this up with Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, hopefully with similar care. I'd much rather pay £7 or £8 next week for the Exposure WTCS, and support a company with a commitment to releasing pressed DVDs, than wait around to pay $20 - $25 for whatever Warner Archive comes up with.

[jsteffe]

Exposure Cinema has done a new transfer of While the City Sleeps from original 35mm elements (which, judging from the caps, look to be in good shape). They're supposed to be following this up with Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, hopefully with similar care. I'd much rather pay £7 or £8 next week for the Exposure WTCS, and support a company with a commitment to releasing pressed DVDs, than wait around to pay $20 - $25 for whatever Warner Archive comes up with.

I hadn't seen those caps--thanks! Yes, that does indeed look promising, and it's a great price.

[Matt]

I got a $5 off coupon I'm not going to use. It's single-use, so congrats to the quick:

FFUG-IS3X-GS65-WWCQ

[stereo]

Danke.

[Cinephrenic]

Does anyone know an approximate number of titles still left for Warner to release?

[Matt]

Do you mean films that they own the rights to that they haven't released yet? I'm sure it's several thousand. I doubt even Warner Bros. know exactly how many films they own.

[Cinephrenic]

lol

[movielocke]

their library is iirc, around 5000 titles deep. I think the stated hope when the archives was announced was to make everything available within ten years or so. They may have slowed the pace down due to the demand for new telecines rather than reusing BSP and 1" transfers done in the 70s.

[TechNoir]

Not sure if anyone cares about this, but I just got an email from the Brothers that says the first 400 people who order Pretty Maids All in a Row will receive an Angie Dickinson autographed copy. Never seen this but it sounds interesting.

[fdm]

And for only $24.95! Think I'll wait for the blu-ray.

[TechNoir]

Here is another $5 off coupon if anyone wants it. Expires on the 4th.
B5CR-TBBV-DSKM-TSGQ

[fdm]

Here is another $5 off coupon if anyone wants it. Expires on the 4th.
B5CR-TBBV-DSKM-TSGQ

This one expires on the 6th:

Your exclusive coupon code is: KEDU-VUKZ-BNKM-AU9K

[Gregory]

Neither is working for me, so I guess they've both been used.

[Ashirg]

SCIFI25 should give you 25% off. The coupon expires on November 30.

[Minkin]

Great review of From Hell it Came by James Rolfe, plus he ends by bashing the Warner Archive.

[Jonathan S]

Horror expert Tom Weaver has reported that Fangoria magazine carries a Warner ad for some of the long-awaited Chaney silents (He Who Gets Slapped, Mockery, Mr Wu, The Monster, The Unholy Three - the last not yet confirmed as the silent version). Of course it's not the pressed retail set with commentaries, etc. that was once planned as a sequel to the 2003 Chaney Collection. I already have these on DVDR from TCM or laser, so I'm not interested in burnt media releases. If a landmark film like Seastrom's He Who Gets Slapped (MGM's first production) can get dumped in the Archive, then I guess anything not yet released can.

[rollotomassi]

Warner will dump anything our on archive now. Red Dust got released in Spain recently in a fairly mediocre print (this seems to be their back door release of choice after The Devils fiasco) - so much for the Jean Harlow 100th anniversary set. He Who Gets Slapped has just been released in France as part of an extensive series of Chaneys and it seems with original English titles and French subs. Only 10 Euros on amazon.fr.

The problem is has anyone noticed how the majority of the major stuff still not released is from MGM's Archives that Warners owns, not WBs own. Name a Warners star who didn't get boxsets straight away? Yet Harlow still languishes, ditto Chaney's best films, ditto the great silents of Vidor, Von Stroheim and Ingram (aside from three unceremoniously dropped on WA), ditto (though I'm no major fan) some of Greer Garsons and Garbos. It's criminal really. They're proud of their heritage, so long as it's strictly their own.

[Saturnome]

Is it really saying that the Lon Chaney set is getting dumped on the archives? Wow ?!
I only really want He Who Gets Slapped, if this is the case I'll go with the French release. I wasn't aware of it. Thanks.
And I really, really hope The Wind isn't going this direction, it should be released with The Scarlet Letter and the surviving bits and pieces of Sjöström's USA career. Ugh... That will never happen.

[Haggai]

The problem is has anyone noticed how the majority of the major stuff still not released is from MGM's Archives that Warners owns, not WBs own. Name a Warners star who didn't get boxsets straight away? Yet Harlow still languishes, ditto Chaney's best films, ditto the great silents of Vidor, Von Stroheim and Ingram (aside from three unceremoniously dropped on WA), ditto (though I'm no major fan) some of Greer Garsons and Garbos. It's criminal really. They're proud of their heritage, so long as it's strictly their own.

I don't see any pattern like that in Warners' DVD release history. They've done plenty of great box sets for non-Warners movies and stars: tons of good to great MGM musical releases, Astaire/Rogers (RKO), several noir box sets with almost all RKO/MGM titles, Val Lewton (RKO), lots of Gable and Powell/Loy (MGM), etc. On the Warners side, many of their big stars did get box sets, though John Garfield has been a notable exception.

It's more accurate to say that Warners Home Entertainment went from treating just about all of their currently-held heritage extremely well on DVD to treating almost none of it well.