Universal Cinema Classics

Discuss North American DVDs and Blu-rays or other DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
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Lino
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#51 Post by Lino » Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:25 pm

They could have done a Mae West Screen Goddess Volume 2 but noooooo........ greedy bastards!

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solaris72
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#52 Post by solaris72 » Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:24 pm


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What A Disgrace
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#53 Post by What A Disgrace » Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:48 pm


rwaits
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#54 Post by rwaits » Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:57 pm

You ain't kidding...that is some nasty cover art!

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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

#55 Post by HerrSchreck » Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:05 am

solaris72 wrote:Grrrrrrrrrrrr......
Fucking GRRR indeed. Even over the missing (but surely to come) Shanghai Express, Lost SOuls is my Beef Numero Uno w NBC Univ w their home video schpountzing.

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tryavna
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#56 Post by tryavna » Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:30 pm

solaris72 wrote:Grrrrrrrrrrrr......
When/If they ever release Island of Lost Souls, it will probably be around October to coincide with Halloween. That'd be my guess, anyway.

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Cinephrenic
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#57 Post by Cinephrenic » Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:33 pm

Somebody ask Criterion if they plan to release this.

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HerrSchreck
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#58 Post by HerrSchreck » Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:58 pm

tryavna wrote:
solaris72 wrote:Grrrrrrrrrrrr......
When/If they ever release Island of Lost Souls, it will probably be around October to coincide with Halloween. That'd be my guess, anyway.
HAH! So what happened last halloween?

This isn't some vault scraper like the Inner Sanctums (which I have and love, don't get me wrong), or the Sam Katzmans from Sony (ditto)... this is a primary cinema classic that should have been first out of the gate.. at least along with relative monster rally smut (which I also cherish) like House of Dracula or the glop on the Classic SciFi 2 or Horror Box (w Horror Island and the-- cough-- other Black Cat w Bela) both from Best Buy. Those are "vault crap" Because We've Run Out Of Good Stuff Type Releases.

Island of Lost Souls is pure Paramount pre-code/horror/genuine-cinema-masterpieceville heaven (and probably Erle Kenton's best film), and, like it's release on the vhs line way back when (which I thank god bought when it came out eleven years ago) should have been an early no brainer release.

We're practically ten years into the dvd cycle, furchrissakes. There has been no IOLS anywhere at anytime. That's typical NBCUniversal ARDVARK URINE!

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tryavna
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#59 Post by tryavna » Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:18 pm

I totally agree with you, Schreck. I don't have any explanation for why Island isn't already out on DVD. As you point out, it should have been for years now.

I was merely responding to the original "Grrrrr" of dismay that this cycle of releases does not include Island. Like it or not, most classic "horror" films (broadly defined) get released near Halloween -- for obvious marketing reasons. That was certainly the case with the Lewtons when Warner released them, and they're masterpieces of the same caliber as Island.

So basically, all I was saying is that there's little chance of this movie being released in the first or second quarter of any given year.

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Lino
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#60 Post by Lino » Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:08 pm

HerrSchreck wrote:There has been no IOLS anywhere at anytime.
There was a UK release a few years back but it's now long OOP. Link

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Tommaso
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 10:09 am

#61 Post by Tommaso » Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:29 pm

And even if you can track it down somewhere, this customer review at amazon is most discouraging:

"Sadly, the source material of "Dr Moreau" is so worn out it is pain to watch. Even more sadly - the same fate has befallen "Wax Museum". The copy is a tired one, not so bad you can't watch it, but not as good as to be enjoyed."

And the guy wrote that back in 2001...

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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

#62 Post by HerrSchreck » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:11 pm

Lino wrote:
HerrSchreck wrote:There has been no IOLS anywhere at anytime.
There was a UK release a few years back but it's now long OOP. Link
I've known about that pd nonsense for awhile, and I think this (techically) boot came and went in about five minutes due to violation. It dudnt count.

Jameson281
Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 1:53 am

#63 Post by Jameson281 » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:55 am

Author Tom Weaver has said that Universal found past sales figures for ISLAND OF LOST SOULS to be very disappointing. Also, there are some reports that the film element used for the laserdisc transfer has deteriorated somewhat. So a combination of low sales and poor elements may be responsible for the lack of a DVD.

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solaris72
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#64 Post by solaris72 » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:37 pm

Jameson281 wrote:Author Tom Weaver has said that Universal found past sales figures for ISLAND OF LOST SOULS to be very disappointing. Also, there are some reports that the film element used for the laserdisc transfer has deteriorated somewhat. So a combination of low sales and poor elements may be responsible for the lack of a DVD.
I'd heard that, but I still find it hard to believe that it sold worse on VHS and laser than all of the films they put into the Best Buy exclusive horror collection.

Jameson281
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#65 Post by Jameson281 » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:27 am

In other Universal horror news, this news was posted on the Classic Horror Film Board:

"Got some truly exciting news that I think everyone here will be rejoicing over. My daughter was talking to one of her old coworkers at the Library of Congress this morning. Apparently after the negative press about the recent DVD of DRACULA, he decided to conduct a further search for better film elements last summer. He was rewarded for his efforts by discovering a complete nitrate lavender fine grain composite from 1930 that no one, including Universal knew about. He said it's in pristine condition and is absolutely gorgeous. The capper to this is that it DOES contain the complete epilogue. It's now in the hands of Universal. Hopefully they'll be making this available in some form soon."

mogwai
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#66 Post by mogwai » Fri Jan 18, 2008 2:49 am

125100 didn't post that thread, did he?

Seriously, if true, that's exciting news.

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Danny Burk
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#67 Post by Danny Burk » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:36 pm

Not to poop on the parade, but well-known film historian Bob Birchard posted the following at Nitrateville.com and asks that this information be passed along:

"This very "discovery" was being discussed today at a screening I attended. The studio in question has not been informed of this "discovery" by LOC nor has the lavender been sent to them."

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HerrSchreck
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#68 Post by HerrSchreck » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:31 am

All the more reason I'm thankful I held off on the tenthousandth dvd release of Drac (along w Frank) last year (the HDelicious transfer SD one). Because once NBCUni send their team of lawyers and get the rights, I predict at least more 3 SD DVDs before an worthy release rolls around on that one. First the movie, then the movie w a little of This... then a little of That plus the movie... then maybe, four releases down... a SD Complete This And That Dracula SD Edition... which will come out right when SD is Officially Dead.

Then the Blu disc will come out, w just the movie... then the movie w a little of...

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alandau
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#69 Post by alandau » Sat Jan 19, 2008 8:22 am

When will someone release Bolero 1934. Here is a snippet.

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Lino
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#70 Post by Lino » Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:35 am


OliverB
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#71 Post by OliverB » Sun May 04, 2008 6:07 am

The only criticism I have of these discs are the fact that there aren't any chapter selections on the menu screen! Really frustrating!

PS - Does anyone know where I can find replacement keep cases used on these Universal discs with the security tabs on the side?

Thanks!

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bjeggert82
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#72 Post by bjeggert82 » Sun May 04, 2008 11:13 am

OliverB wrote:PS - Does anyone know where I can find replacement keep cases used on these Universal discs with the security tabs on the side?
CDrom2go.com has what you're looking for. I've ordered from there myself for that very reason.

OliverB
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#73 Post by OliverB » Mon May 05, 2008 6:39 am

bjeggert82 wrote:
OliverB wrote:PS - Does anyone know where I can find replacement keep cases used on these Universal discs with the security tabs on the side?
CDrom2go.com has what you're looking for. I've ordered from there myself for that very reason.
Thanks!

Are you sure these have those security tabs on the side though?
The picture linked to above in the item description doesn't appear to. It just looks like a regular amaray to me.

The company also only sells in bulk orders of (min.) 100... I only need four or five replacements.

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bjeggert82
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#74 Post by bjeggert82 » Tue May 06, 2008 1:08 am

OliverB wrote:Are you sure these have those security tabs on the side though?
The picture linked to above in the item description doesn't appear to. It just looks like a regular amaray to me.

The company also only sells in bulk orders of (min.) 100... I only need four or five replacements.
I've ordered them before. There are no tabs on the side. Sleeve City also has the same kind of cases. You can order them in lesser quantities however...

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bjeggert82
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#75 Post by bjeggert82 » Tue May 06, 2008 1:12 am

Watched "Major and the Minor" for the first time. A clever little comedy, particularly in its depiction of teens, which rarely show up in Golden Age cinema. Even though it gets a little awkward when Milland is coming on to what he thinks is a child, the laughs are still very smart--what we'd expect from light Wilder fare.

Gotta love Robert Osborne's intro too...

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