filmlover

Personally, I enjoy tributes. And I like running several titles of a series together. So, with TCM devoting all their daytime programming to different series throughout November, I am in sheer heaven.

No date has been set yet, but it has been announced that Bob Hope's "Son of Paleface" is to be released in high-definition from BCI.

I?d have liked a few more special WB sets because I?m greedy, but I don?t think they have to redeem themselves after a year in which they?ve released: the Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland set the Shakespeare Collection William Powell & Myrna Loy Collection Popeye the Sailor Film Noir vol. 4 Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory vol. 2 Lucille Ball Collection James Cagney Signature Collection Errol Flynn vol. 2 the remasters of Jailhouse Rock and Viva Las Vegas World War II Collection vol. 2 John Wayne Esther Williams Literary Classics Collection Doris Day Vol. 2 the remastered Rio Bravo The Robert Mitchum Signature Collection And coming up: Jazz Singer Looney Tunes vol. 5 Barbara Stanwyck Burt Lancaster the That?s Entertainment Trilogy in Blu-ray, Blade Runner I?m a happy man.

Tomorrow, Saturday (Oct.6th), has two more Lone Wolf films, one of which is a TCM Premiere, The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date. LW films will continue showing (2 each time) on Saturday morning for the rest of the month.

Let's see, what do these things items have in common? Bewitched Andy Williams Donny & Marie I Married Wyatt Earp with Marie Osmond Donny's other flicks Every other Osmond film with Donny & Marie Anything with the other Osmonds It's funny, I feel it is staring me in the face but I can't seem to recall.

Bewitched, Donny & Marie, and now Andy Williams. What is about Turner CLASSIC MOVIES you don't quite comprehend?

Much as I love the old monster movies, I think The Haunting is perfect for Hallowe'en. If you ever want to scare the bejeebers out of someone on Hallowe'en night, that's the film. I still find it terrifying after these decades. I saw it on TV in the Sixties as a young tyke, staying up very late at night when I wasn't supposed to be, sitting two feet away from the TV so the sound wouldn't wake my father, and stupidly being in the dark at the time. When Julie Harris' character's name is written on the wall, or when she is in bed and the bedroom door is being pushed inward....shudder, I think I slept with the light on for several days after that.

For the full set, at the price it is at, I am certain it will be a limited pressing. It could end up being like the Hitchcock "Dangerous Women etc." set from Criterion and rise in value. Speaking of Criterion, I think the price will stay pretty high like it has with their Janus salute package.

On November 15th, there is a daytime showing of eleven Bowery Boys/East Side Kids/ Dead End Kids/etc. films on TCM.

Actually, no, I don't plan on getting the UNCLE series. I figure I will get my fix of it in November on TCM. Of course, as I said, if it was under my tree, I wouldn't complain. I don't know what the story is with the Ford at Fox set. I wonder if they will make the Christmas deadline. They seem to be doing a lot of work on it. This link shows some of the nice cover art for the single releases: http://www.foxclassics.com/fordatfox.php Since the DVDs are in a binder for the set, it looks like we see that artwork. Too bad.

Since TCM is running several Man from UNCLE feature compilations on November 6th, I thought I would mention an item at DigitalBits about a 41-DVD release of the the complete Man from Uncle TV series, including the feature One Spy Too Many (airing November 6th on TCM) and lots of extras: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa143.html#uncle It's due to ship November 27th, just in time to be a fun thing to have under the tree this year. Add on The Ford at Fox massive collection, the Blade Runner Blu-ray edition coming out (at only $27.95 from Amazon for a 5-disc BR set!), the Jazz Singer set, the Looney Tunes Golden Collection vol. 5, and The Three Stooges Collection vol. 1, and I think I will be a pretty happy camper.

Then you need to be watching November 14. There is going to be a daytime showing of 7 Lone Wolfs in a row.

I got mine today, too. I am planning to do a review in the Box Sets thread. Why don't you contribute the same? By the way, did your first DVD in the set, Babes in Arms, have low audio? I had to crank the sound up to 70 (out of 100) in order to get it normal sounding.

I think that WB will continue to issue great sets, especially when they have tie-ins to TCM because of the built-in audience for it already. I also just came across a review from Hi-Def Digest of the newly released Viva Las Vegas hi-def version and it's great to know WB is carrying their mastery of DVD into that field, too: "...'Viva Las Vegas' yet another catalog master Warner can really be proud of. As far as I'm concerned, the studio is -- title-for-title -- currently at the top of the pack when it comes to cranking out absolutely lovely, and usually stunning vintage re-issues on high-def. Bravo!"

Reminder: tonight's the concluding night of more Teddington films.

I think the whole month is great, but the one I am most excited about is Up the River. It's Humphrey Bogart's first feature film. And his only film with his buddy, Spencer Tracy. (I think it might have been Tracy's first feature film, too.) I believe this will be a TCM Premiere.

MONSTERS HD is a movie channel that advertises itself as "TV's first horror channel uncut in Hi-Definition". http://www.monstershd.com/ Hmm, looking at their website, I see it says they are only available on Interactive Optimum and DISH Network.

I've got HDNet, too, on DISH. One thing I have found, though, is that the 1080i (or 720p) that HD shows in is not as sharp as 1080p from high-def DVDs (1080p has twice the clarity of 720p). Also, I am seeing a lot of motion blur on TV Channels. By the way, do you get MONSTER? A few days ago, it ran several 60s/70s Hitchcock films in HD, and then this week AMC is running Hitchcock films in very good clarity. I wonder if they are working from the same prints?

There is a fourth: 4. TotalHD could be adopted. Warner Bros. has put plans on hold at this time, but it would have both HD-DVD and Blu-ray on the same disc:

Hi, sugarpuss. Actually, Blu-ray is Hi-Def. I think your mixup is the names of each system. One is called "Blu-ray." The other is called "HD-DVD." Blu-ray uses a blue ray laser to read the disc, HD-DVD uses a red one. Both formats are Hi-Def, but have different technology. And you can only play HD-DVDs on HD-DVD systems, and Blu-rays only on Blu-ray systems. I should properly say "High Definition," not Hi-Def, so there is no confusion. I don't blame you for being confused by the names. Just as VHS and Beta fought a war for reign of the market, so too they two systems are fighting, with very faithful followers, some almost obsessed, in each camp. Both pictures are believed to be the same quality, but generally Blu-ray seems to be winning the battle thus far by selling more than HD-DVD. (It's my choice.) It will likely be the victor, and deservedly so. The trouble is that while some studios are doing discs in both formats, there have been some that are exclusive to one format. For example, Disney only backs Blu-ray, Paramount only backs HD-DVD. So, at this time, you have to forego some titles if you support only one system.

Edgecliff, I knew it was the same set as the standard DVD but since it is now in HD and people are starting to get into HD, I would post it. I realize you won't be interested until the format war is settled but others might who are getting/or have gotten Blu-ray or HD-DVD players. With over a million Blu-ray disc sales by April of 2007, plus about 100,000 people with HD-DVD players, somebody out there in TCM land just might be interested. Standard DVDs are still 99.99% of my collection, but once you have experienced one of the Hi-Def formats on films like The Searchers, you may find it hard going back to regular DVD. I will posting other Hi-Def items when it is classic related. I think we can broaden this thread's scope (and this forum) a bit without hurting it.

Here's the link to the Amazon new boxed set sale: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_5511862_5/104-2749804-9953506?ie=UTF8&docId=1000134671&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_r=041CH35HBMNM70DE9NKF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=309861001&pf_rd_i=501230

Amazon has a small sale of boxed sets. Not much classic-wise, but they do have good prices on The Cary Grant Box Set (the Columbia films), a couple of Ray Harryhausen sets and the like. I am trying to find the link back and will post it when I do.

Warner Bros will be releasing That's Entertainment: The Complete Collection on November 13th in Blu-ray and HD-DVD, with all three TE films in 1080p. Price is expected to be $79.98 as a 3-disc set on 11/13 (SRP $79.98 each). There will also be 5 hours worth of bonus material, including 3 documentaries, premiere night coverage, salutes to the behind-the-camera talents, TV specials, making-of featurettes, an extensive video jukebox of rare musical outtakes from classic films and more. These should look quite amazing in hi-def.

I don't know the 33 that survived, but the book, The Warner Bros. Story, has sevral pages devoted to most, if not all, of the original titles and casts that were filmed at Teddington.