DVD/Blu-Ray January Releases

[CliffordWeimer]

The Calendar is up at http://inthebalcony.com/" target="_blank. Terrific month for great movies on Blu-ray.

[didi-5]

Oh fabulous - Wings! Have never seen this so a definite 'must-buy' for me.

[sc1957]

Now, there's a website page design that sets the wayback machine to about 1995. Yuck.

[Christopher Jacobs]

2011 was a great year for classics coming to Blu-ray, a number of which had never even made it to DVD (my top ten list of 2011 releases can be found at http://hpr1.com/film" target="_blank" target="_blank ), and 2012 looks like it will likely be even better, with the Paramount centennial (WINGS will be a real treat on Blu-ray), the Universal centennial, a steady stream from Criterion and Kino, and many more licensed Paramount, Columbia, and Fox titles from small companies with limited (and also more expensive) runs, notably some impressive releases from Twilight Time, whose 3000-copy run of the cult favorite original version of FRIGHT NIGHT completely sold out in five weeks (a good interview with the company founder was recently published on the Home Theatre Forum). There are also starting to be a few more public domain titles getting to Blu-ray (I'm really looking forward to Kino's A STAR IS BORN and SCARLET STREET, as their A FAREWELL TO ARMS and NOTHING SACRED both look great), although with the non-Kino or Criterion companies, the quality may or may not be Blu-ray worthy (we'll have to wait and see). One of these days I'll get a few more Blu-ray reviews posted to the "Old Movies in HD" thread in "Talking about Talkies" -- especially the amazing pair of 1960s Seijun Suzuki yakuza-genre-film-as-popart titles TOKYO DRIFTER and BRANDED TO KILL, just out from Criterion!

I've added a few recently announced classic and other older titles for Blu-ray to my ongoing list of pre-1980 films in the format ( at http://www.und.nodak.edu/instruct/cjaco ... BluRay.htm" target="_blank" target="_blank ) including (title/date/production studio/Blu-ray release/Blu-ray distributor):

Lady for a Day (1933) Columbia (3/20/12) Inception Media Group

"Lost Keaton: 16 Comedy Shorts" (1934-37) Educational (3/20/12) Kino

Red House (1947) United Artists (4/24/12) Film Chest
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) Paramount (5/29/12) Film Chest

Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) 20th Cent Fox (3/8/12) Twilight Time
Bite the Bullet (1975) Columbia (3/8/12) Twilight Time
Pal Joey (1957) Columbia (mid-2012) Twilight Time
Bell, Book and Candle (1958) Columbia (mid-2012) Twilight Time
Major Dundee (1965) Columbia (mid-2012) Twilight Time
Big Heat, The (1953) Columbia (mid-2012) Twilight Time

[drednm]

That web site is full of typos...

Whatever happend to the Dorothy Mackaill films from Warners?

[Paul Penna]

[quote="Christopher Jacobs"]I've added a few recently announced classic and other older titles for Blu-ray to my ongoing list of pre-1980 films in the format ( at http://www.und.nodak.edu/instruct/cjaco ... BluRay.htm" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank ) including (title/date/production studio/Blu-ray release/Blu-ray distributor)

That list is very useful, thanks!

[R Michael Pyle]

Whatever happend to the Dorothy Mackaill films from Warners?

They were released nearly a month ago. I've already got them!

[drednm]

Thanks for info... I just ordered. I had, for some reason, bought the Mackaill DVD at Amazon, where it's still listed as a pre-order...

[Changsham]

Thanks for info... I just ordered. I had, for some reason, bought the Mackaill DVD at Amazon, where it's still listed as a pre-order...

I pre ordered mine from Movies Unlimited about a month ago. Got an email a few days ago saying something like the film is currently unavaliable but will make every effort to get it soon.

[CliffordWeimer]

Of COURSE the site is full of typos; it's a labor of love for me, done in between paying gigs and stuff. My only criteria for maintaining the site is (a) I can't make money on it, and (b) it has to be full of charming typos. Gives the site its unique character.

As for the wiseacre who said it looks 1995, it actually looks 1988. I think it was created on a Tandy computer from Radio Shack, you know.

http://inthebalcony.com/spotlight/" target="_blank this week looks at the recent Kino Blu-ray Selznick releases.

By the way, while I have your attention: the Sacramento Main Library has started a new program of showing classic films on the first Tuesday of the month. Last night, they showed WINGS, and despite the fact that it was barely advertised, 38 people showed up and 36 were still there 2 hours and 18 min. later when it ended. I was quite pleased.

[Jim Reid]

I really like your site (but I'm from 1956).

[CliffordWeimer]

Thank you! I love your picture.

The most fun thing I do all year for that crazy Balcony site... Compiling a list of my favorite DVD/BDs of the year. Enjoy, Nitratians. http://inthebalcony.com/" target="_blank

[CliffordWeimer]

This week's spotlight is Stars and Stripes Forever. http://inthebalcony.com/spotlight" target="_blank

[Christopher Jacobs]

Entertaining review! I've got the new STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER Blu-ray but haven't watched it yet. I'll probably wait until Presidents Day weekend. It was indeed a surprise for this releative obscurity to get a sudden Blu-ray release from Fox. I'd have expected it would be more likely one of the Twilight Time projects (at almost double the cost). Maybe I should wait instead for Feb. 10 or August 19 star birthdays to double-feature it with the PRINCE VALIANT Blu-ray, another Robert Wagner-Debra Paget picture from a couple years later.

Next week will be a banner Blu-ray week from MGM-Fox alone with three 40s Hitchcocks, two 70s Woody Allens, plus THE APARTMENT!

[Christopher Jacobs]

Well today (January 24) is the new-release day for movie buffs who collect on Blu-ray!

WINGS (1927) - Best Picture WInner
REBECCA (1940) - Best Pictre Winner
SPELLBOUND (1945) - Best Picture Nominee
NOTORIOUS ( 1946) - Best Screenplay Nominee
GOJIRA (1954) - so it's no GATE OF HELL, but it's the Japanese monster movie that started them all
THE APARTMENT (1960) - Best Picture Winner
ANNIE HALL (1977) - Best Picture Winner
MANHATTAN (1979) - Best Screenplay Nominee

This is the most classic titles appearing on Blu-ray at the same time that I can recall, with eight that I was hoping to buy today, but not a single local video supplier, from Walmart to Target to the so-called "Best Buy," had a single one of these titles in stock. "Best Buy" finally has a copy of the silly but fun silent-movie homage THREE AMIGOS! (1986), which came out last November, but has it priced at $37.95!!! (Its suggested list price is actually $14.99, and Amazon has it for $10.99.) While that may be an acceptable price for a limited release of a niche-appeal title, I'm surprised they can stay in business when they try to pass off a mass-market title that way. They do, in their favor, carry several Criterion classics at $29.95 instead of 34.95, but that's still about $5 higher per title than Amazon. For a while they actually had Kino's restored METROPOLIS for several dollars less than Kino's price, but it's since been raised back up. Now and then they have true bargains, but rarely advertise any films made before 1990 or non-mainstream films made at any period, so you've pretty much got to check every week to find a genuine "best buy."

Anyway, it's definitely time for my monthly Amazon order, which will likely be a bit larger than usual once I add some of next week's new releases (like TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD) and check out what happens to be recently reduced or on sale this week. March will likely be the next heavy order with Criterion's David Lean/Noel Coward box set and a number of other releases coming out, plus any late February release of interest. It's a good thing for the checking account that they don't release these all at once!

[CliffordWeimer]

Local outlet Dimple Records had Blu-rays for Notorious ($16.99), Wings ($19.99) and Godzilla ($28.99). I don't even bother with Best Buy anymore. I got Three Amigos at Dimple about three weeks ago; $9.99. Most Criterion Blu-rays are $28.99 at Dimple (some are less) , and as a frequent customer I get a 50% off coupon about every six weeks.

[s.w.a.c.]

Could the covers for those Hitchcock blu-rays look any worse? They do want people to actually notice these things on the shelf and want to buy them, don't they?

I know, you don't buy movies for the cover art, but even sticking the original poster artwork on the cover would be an improvement, and it would actually take less effort. Warner Bros. seems to be the only company that realizes the value of original advertising artwork. At least Criterion did something new and appealing when it put them out.

[Banned User]

Could the covers for those Hitchcock blu-rays look any worse? They do want people to actually notice these things on the shelf and want to buy them, don't they?

I'm usually not one to complain, but these covers have to be the worst covers I have ever seen. Generic and Ugly.

[CliffordWeimer]

HA! Well, I have to agree with you. What an ugly font and layout. They could've used the Hitchcock silhouette, make it an actual (much smaller, though) theatre marquee other than the faux sorta-marquee, and art from the poster. Something, anything, I dunno. The back of Notorious has two small images from the film, quotes from a couple of critics, and a brief description of the film and bonus features.

[Mike Gebert]

Though I was at a Wal-Mart today and they jumped right out. Maybe that was the idea...

[Kevin2]

Costco had the three Hitchcock blu-rays out early, priced at $9.99 each.