MGM Limited Edition Collection (Burn-On-Demand)

[Ovader]

I have been wanting to see Le streghe/The Witches for quite some time now in spite of the spotty history of such portmanteau films.

[mteller]

99 River Street is pretty good, I'll buy that one.

[oldsheperd]

Wow! Surprising that Rolling Thunder is not getting a SE release.

[Jameson281]

I'd probably go for "Rolling Thunder" and Robert Benton's "Still of the Night"... but if they're non-anamorphic like the previous batch, forget it.

Both will be coming from HD transfers, so they should be 16 x 9 and look pretty good.

[Perkins Cobb]

I used to be pretty good at following this stuff, but I confess I'm confused about why some MGM titles are coming out as burn-on-demand and others are turning up in Netflix streaming via the "Epix deal." Aren't they all coming from the same pool of MGM-HD (the TV channel) transfers? What's the logic here?

[Jameson281]

I used to be pretty good at following this stuff, but I confess I'm confused about why some MGM titles are coming out as burn-on-demand and others are turning up in Netflix streaming via the "Epix deal." Aren't they all coming from the same pool of MGM-HD (the TV channel) transfers? What's the logic here?

Burn-on-demand are considered separate markets; there is no conflict. Movie studios sell their movies to many different markets: free TV; pay-per-view; Blu-Ray; DVD; made-on-demand disc; streaming online; etc. It's all just different ways of making money off the library.

[Perkins Cobb]

Burn-on-demand are considered separate markets; there is no conflict. Movie studios sell their movies to many different markets: free TV; pay-per-view; Blu-Ray; DVD; made-on-demand disc; streaming online; etc. It's all just different ways of making money off the library.

Right, but why are certain movies going into streaming and others into MOD? How do they decide that Fearless Frank ends up on Netflix Instant and Rolling Thunder is a DVD-r? Why not do both, since the transfers are already done?

[Jameson281]

Burn-on-demand are considered separate markets; there is no conflict. Movie studios sell their movies to many different markets: free TV; pay-per-view; Blu-Ray; DVD; made-on-demand disc; streaming online; etc. It's all just different ways of making money off the library.

Right, but why are certain movies going into streaming and others into MOD? How do they decide that Fearless Frank ends up on Netflix Instant and Rolling Thunder is a DVD-r? Why not do both, since the transfers are already done?

Again, these decisions are being made indpendently by totally separate departments. Heck, they're not even located in the same building. So nobody is sitting around saying, "Oh, send this title to Netflix and this one to the MOD program." As time goes by, I'm sure you will see some duplication.

[Perkins Cobb]

Well, that makes sense. At least, within the context of the nightmarish world that is the post-DVD era.

[solaris72]

Right, but why are certain movies going into streaming and others into MOD? How do they decide that Fearless Frank ends up on Netflix Instant and Rolling Thunder is a DVD-r? Why not do both, since the transfers are already done?

FWIW Rolling Thunder is up on Hulu.

[justeleblanc]

Where will these DVDs be sold? Amazon, along with the other MGM titles?

[MoonlitKnight]

So far I've only seen them at TCM and Movies Unlimited. They also announce they're releasing the first wave of titles on that day again as well. Anamorphic this time, maybe?

[Feego]

The new titles, as well as the old ones, are now listed at Screen Archives. As for the older ones, such as The Green Room, it appears that they are the same non-anamorphic editions.

By the way, does anyone know exactly which titles are anamorphic and which are not. Some people have suggested that all of the widescreen titles are non-anamorphic, but I know for a fact that Dreamchild is anamorphic.


Edit: It also appears that the new titles are not going to be available from Amazon, which is a pity. Unless they appear sometime later.

[Ashirg]

oldies.com is also listing them here

[MoonlitKnight]

Well, I took a gamble and RE-purchased "The Landlord" from Movies Unlimited, and, lo and behold, this time it was anamorphic! \:D/

[Feego]

New titles being released this month:

How I Won the War (1967)
Billy Two Hats (1974)
Fort Massacre (1958)
Man from Del Rio (1956)
The Black Sleep (1958)
Daughters of Satan (1972)
Queen of Blood (1966)
The Ambulance (1990)
Body Slam (1986)
The Caller (1987)
Cohen & Tate (1988)
Cop Hater (1958)
Buried Alive (1990)
The Captive City (1952)
A Cold Wind in August (1961)
The Explosive Generation (1961)
The Murder of Mary Phagan (1988)
Not As a Stranger (1955)
Return from the Ashes (1965)
Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday (1976)
Queen of Hearts (1989)

[justeleblanc]

Hrm. There was a rumor circulating that HOW I WON THE WAR was a title Criterion had licensed from MGM. Glad to hear its been bumped.

[agnamaracs]

Well, it may not be a Criterion disc, but it's certainly being sold at a Criterion price. $40 for a DVD-R. Seriously.

[JMULL222]

Now that "Rolling Thunder" is a confirmed UK release on BLU, I think I'll skip... all of these. Except maybe "The Landlord", no ones upgrading that genius sunnabitch.

[Perkins Cobb]

Stuart Galbraith's review of The 7th Dawn says it's edge-enhanced, compressed, and glitchy. And although he doesn't make it totally clear, it appears that his disc was manufactured after the MGM-MOD hiatus.

If anyone buys some of the newer titles, comments on whether these matters have been improved would be appreciated. Otherwise, no thanks, I'll divert my meager shekels toward the Warner and Sony MODs.

[dx23]

Never thought I would see Body Slam release on DVD. I remember watching that film over and over on HBO back in the 80's.

[MoonlitKnight]

Soo... you think Fox and/or Paramount are ever going to get in on this MOD thing? :-k

[Feego]

26 new titles this month:

The Rose Garden (Fons Rademakers)
Starring Liv Ullmann, Maximilian Schell, Peter Fonda

Assisi Underground (Alexander Ramati)
Starring Ben Cross, James Mason, Irene Papas

Laws of Gravity (Nick Gomez)
Starring Peter Greene, Adam Trese, Edie Falco

Report to the Commissioner (Milton Katselas)
Starring Richard Gere, Michael Moriarty, Susan Blakely

The Girl in Black Stockings (Howard W. Kotch)
Starring Lex Barker, Anne Bancroft, Mamie Van Doren

The Big Boodle (Richard Wilson)
Starring Rosanna Rory, Errol Flynn

Take a Giant Step (Philip Leacock)
Starring Johnny Nash, Estelle Hemsley, Ruby Dee

Keaton’s Cop (Robert Burge)
Starring Lee Majors, Abe Vigoda, Don Rickles

The Fearmakers (Jacques Tourneur)
Starring Dana Andrews, Dick Foran

Burn, Witch, Burn! (Sidney Hayers)
Starring Peter Wyngarde, Janet Blair, Margaret Johnson

Hell Bound (William J. Hole, Jr.)
Starring John Russell, June Blair, Stuart Whitman

The Nun and the Sergeant (Franklin Adreon)
Starring Robert Webber, Anna Sten, Leo Gordon

High School Hellcats (Edward Bernds)
Starring Yvonne Fedderson, Brett Halsey, Jana Lund

Blood Bath (Jack Hill, Stephanie Rothman)
Starring William Campbell, Marissa Mathes, Sandra Knight

The Ambassador (J. Lee Thompson)
Starring Robert Mitchum, Ellen Burstyn, Rock Hudson

Park Row (Samuel Fuller)
Starring Gene Evans, Mary Welch, Bela Kovacs

The Careless Years (Arthur Hiller)
Starring Dean Stockwell, Natalie Trundy, John Larch

Ghost Town (Allen H. Miner)
Starring Kent Taylor, John Smith, Marian Carr

The Brass Legend (Gerd Oswald)
Starring Hugh O’Brien, Nancy Gates, Raymond Burr

Crime Against Joe (Lee Sholem)
Starring John Bromfield, Julie London

Oklahoma Territory (Edward L. Cahn)
Starring Bill Williams, Gloria Talbott

Gun Brothers (Sidney Salkow)
Starring Buster Crabbe, Ann Robinson, Neville Brand

Mr. Wong, Detective (William Nigh)
Starring Boris Karloff, Grant Withers

The Mystery of Mr. Wong (William Nigh)
Starring Boris Karloff, Grant Withers

My Gun Is Quick (Georgia A. White)
Starring Robert Bray, Whitney Blake, Patricia Donahue

Harry in Your Pocket (Bruce Geller)
Starring James Coburn, Michael Sarrazin

[domino harvey]

Keaton’s Cop (Robert Burge)
Starring Lee Majors, Abe Vigoda, Don Rickles

This cast list looks like the punchline to a Conan O'Brien joke

[antnield]

26 new titles this month:
...

Burn, Witch, Burn! (Sidney Hayers)
Starring Peter Wyngarde, Janet Blair, Margaret Johnson

...

There's a pressed disc of this one out in the UK under its original title of Night of the Eagle.