Upcoming Releases

[filmlover]

 

I mentioned back on July 19th that MGM was releasing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in a combo DVD/Blu set. The official date is now Nov. 2nd and will contain these extras:

 

Toot Sweet Symphony melody maker ? the Toot Sweet Toots Musical Maestro (new)

Chitty's Bang Bang Driving Game (new)

Remembering Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with Dick Van Dyke

Featurette: A Fantasmagorical Motorcar

Sherman Brothers' rare demos of the film's most popular songs

Vintage featurettes:

The Ditchling Tinkerer

Dick Van Dyke Press Interview

The Potts Children

Photo Gallery

Vintage Advertising Gallery including English and French versions of the theatrical trailer and several television spots

Sing-a-long version of the film

Music Machine

[filmlover]

It's a slow news week...

 

Criterion has only two releases for December, both on Dec. 7th, and they are quite disappointing. *Cronos* (on DVD and Blu-ray) and Videodrome (on Blu-ray). (A side note: they will also issue *America Lost and Found: The BSS Story* on DVD on Dec. 14th, which will, as previously mentioned here, be out on Blu-ray on November 23.)

[filmlover]

This could turn out to be great or a total bust...but VCI is going to be releasing *Meet John Doe (70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition)* DVD on Nov. 30th.

 

There have been so many prints over the year that were mediocre - and it is in the public domain - I am not sure yet how this will turn out...but here is the news from VCI:

 

For more than 50 years, Meet John Doe has been dogged by a lack of proper attention to its original film elements. In December of 1945 the film?s original producers ? Frank Capra and Robert Riskin ? sold all rights in the film to New York distributor, Sherman Krellberg?s Goodwill Pictures.

 

While in Goodwill?s possession the camera negative eventually deteriorated due to poor storage conditions and was junked. In the years that followed most existing prints fell into generally poor condition. But in the mid-1970s, the American Film Institute launched a partial restoration of this important film combining Krellberg?s surviving 35 mm nitrate prints with the Warner Brothers? studio print. It was these elements that formed the basis for a duplicate negative, which is now held in the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.

 

This DVD is derived from one of the surviving European prints. The general image was only fair; it was faded, scratched and carried various forms of age-related damage. But after transfer to Digi-Beta , the picture underwent substantial digital restoration, image processing and noise reduction eventually yielding a fully watchable picture.

 

BONUS FEATURES:

Audio Commentary (with optional English subtitles) by Laureate?s Ken Barnes with ?archival

contributions? from Frank Capra

 

Three Featurettes:

?Meet Mr. Cooper?

?Meet Miss Stanwyck?

?Meet Mr. Capra?

 

Extensive Cast and Crew Profiles

Production Background

A before and after comparision of the digital restoration of ?Meet John Doe?

Vintage ?Lux Theater? radio productions

"Sorry Wrong Number ? starring Barbara Stanwyck & Burt Lancaster

?For Whom The Bell Tolls? starring Gary Cooper & Ingrid Bergman

 

I would love for this to be great but that bit about "yielding a fully watchable picture" doesn't strike me that it is going to very good. "Fully watchable", whoa, what a recommendation.

[CelluloidKid]

*Shout Factory has announced an October 19th release date for _The Lemon Drop Kid_.*

 

 

The Bob Hope Christmas comedy was previously released by Brentwood Home Video, but has long been out of print. Bonus features are not expected.

 

 

 

 

 

[CelluloidKid]

On November 23, 2010, Time Life ? the home of such classic TV as GET SMART, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E and THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR ? will debut a DVD collector?s set of one of the most eagerly-anticipated, previously unreleased TV classics with THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION. Beginning September 14, this definitive set from one of the iconic pop culture smashes of the ?70s will be available for pre-order exclusively online at 6MDM.com and will feature all five action-packed seasons never before available in the U.S. on any format, as well as a stunning collection of all-new extras certain to thrill fans both old and new.

 

 

 

THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

Release Date: November 23, 2010

 

FEATURES:

? 40 DVDs in a collectible packaging featuring a special audio chip and 3-D lenticular artwork

? All 100 original, unedited episodes (1974-1978)

? All three pilot TV Movies: ?The Six Million Dollar Man?, ?Wine, Women and War?, ?Solid Gold Kidnapping?, digitally remastered from original source materials

? All three made-for-TV reunion movies: ?The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman?, ?Bionic Showdown? and ?Bionic Ever After??), digitally remastered from original source materials

? 17 Featurettes:

- Real Bionics: How Science Fiction Is Becoming Science Fact

- An Iconic Opening: The Six Million Dollar Man Show Open Never Disappointed

- The Bionic Sound Effects

- The Search For Bigfoot

- The Six Million Dollar Fans: So Loyal, So Bionic!

- The Six Million Dollar Man?s Best Villains, Best Fights

- TV Goes Bionic: The Untold Story Of The Six Million Dollar Man, Part I, II

- Top Secret: The OSI, NASA and Bionics

- The Pop Culture Effect

- The Reunion Films: Life After The Series

- Bionic Action?Figures!!!

- The Stunts Of The Bionic Age: Pushing The Envelope

- And more?

 

? 6 Audio Commentaries: Writer Kenneth Johnson on ?The Bionic Woman?, ?The Bionic Woman, Part II?, ?The Secret of Bigfoot?, ?The Secret of Bigfoot, Part II? and Director Cliff Bole on ?The Blue Flash? and ?Vulture of the Andes?

? Mini-biographies of the actors and their characters: Getting to Know: ?Steve Austin?, ?Jaime Sommers?, ?Oscar Goldman?, ?Rudy Wells?

? OSI Mission Debriefings featuring all-new extensive interviews with Lee Majors, Richard Anderson, Martin E. Brooks, Executive Producer Harve Bennett and writer/producer Kenneth Johnson

? Season 1-5 VIPs: A Celebration of The Six Million Dollar Man Guest Stars

? Interactive Bonus Feature: ?Bionic Breakdown?

 

 

http://popculturezoo.com/archives/6941

[edgeciff]

On December 7 Shout Factory is releasing:

 

*THE BOB HOPE COLLECTION*..which includes the aforementioned The Lemon Drop Kid plus *Road to Bali / Road to Rio / My Favorite Brunette / The Seven Little* *Foys.* All of these titles are expected to be remastered.

 

Edited by: Edgecliff on Sep 18, 2010 6:54 PM

[filmlover]

From classicflix.com, more VCI news:

 

Here's the cover art for Meet John Doe mentioned a little while ago:

 

 

Plus VCI will be releasing three sets on Nov. 30th:

 

 

 

 

http://www.classicflix.com/british-cinema-releases-november-a-822.html

[coffeedan]

> {quote:title=filmlover wrote:}{quote}

> This could turn out to be great or a total bust...but VCI is going to be releasing *Meet John Doe (70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition)* DVD on Nov. 30th.

>

> There have been so many prints over the year that were mediocre - and it is in the public domain - I am not sure yet how this will turn out.

>

> I would love for this to be great but that bit about "yielding a fully watchable picture" doesn't strike me that it is going to very good. "Fully watchable", whoa, what a recommendation.

 

Filmlover, don't worry. I have the original 2001 UK release of this version of MEET JOHN DOE, and it is the very best digital restoration I have ever seen. Razor-sharp with hardly a murky frame anywhere -- you will not believe that the movie could look this good. It's been OOP for the last few years, and I'm glad VCI is making it available in this country. In their hands, it might look even better.

 

Granted, production values are lacking on the extras -- not quite up to the level of a WHV or Fox release -- but they're entertaining and informative. Ken Barnes' audio commentary is top-notch, but the UK version doesn't have Frank Capra's "archival comments" -- this should be interesting.

[filmlover]

coffeedan, you could be right. I always have hope. I just got the Blu-ray release of "March of the Wooden Soldiers (Babes in Toyland)" starring L&H from Legend films and from what I have seen of it so far, it looks pretty good.. It has the original b&w version, plus a colorization version (but, of course, the colorization softens the details).

[filmlover]

And speaking of restoring films, digitalbits.com ran a lengthy interview today about the Blu restoration of Apocalyse Now, with lots of illos:

 

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/apocalypse/interview01.html

[filmlover]

Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time in America is coming to Blu on Jan. 11th.

[filmlover]

blu-ray.com has given an incredible recommendation to the new Blu version of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast": http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Blu-ray/759/#Review

 

I am so looking forward to this!

[filmlover]

Don't forget, King Kong due on Blu tomorrow.

[filmlover]

Before CelluloidKid starts plastering another news article thread on it, The Wall Street Journal has a piece about a possible DVD release of Stanley Kubrick's Fear and Desire.

 

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/09/20/stanley-kubricks-fear-and-desire-to-finally-be-released-on-dvd/

[filmlover]

one more bit of news this afternoon, trailers on the new Beauty and the Beast release from Disney state that 2011 will have Lion King, Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, AND Dumbo on Blu-ray.

[filmlover]

The Color Purple and Malcolm X have been announced by WB for Blu release on Jan. 25th and both will be digibooks.

[filmlover]

from digitalbits.com:

 

In announcement news this afternoon, Warner has set A Streeetcar Named Desire: *The Original Director's Version* for DVD only release on 11/9 (SRP $14.96). This is the original uncensored version, prior to the 1951 Legion of Decency cuts, featuring some 3 minutes of previously unseen footage. The Legion of Decency... that sounds like something from a bad spy or superhero movie.

[filmlover]

from digitalbits.com:

 

In announcement news this afternoon, Warner has set *A Streeetcar Named Desire: The Original Director's Version* for DVD only release on 11/9 (SRP $14.96). This is the original uncensored version, prior to the 1951 Legion of Decency cuts, featuring some 3 minutes of previously unseen footage.

[filmlover]

Make Way for Tomorrow, the Leo McCarey film that got a release recently from Criterion (but only on DVD), is getting the Blu-ray high def treatment...but from Eureka in the UK and it will be region locked. Release date is Oct. 25.

[CelluloidKid]

Steven Spielberg's _The Color Purple_ and Spike Lee's _Malcolm X_ will both be released on Blu-ray on January 25, 2011. Both BD sets will be released in the DigiBook formats with both titles priced at $34.99 SRP.

 

http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEqODTs17PbCtz

[filmlover]

Celluloid..._LOOK DOWN five posts!_ I reported this several days ago. For years, we have asked you to check to see if there is a posting on something before you do likewise, and for years you just keep on duplicating what is already here. How many times does the WebAdmin have to keep shutting down your threads or erasing your posts before you begin to get the picture? Why don't you do us all a favor and quit posting here?

[filmlover]

> {quote:title=CelluloidKid wrote:}{quote}

> Steven Spielberg's _The Color Purple_ and Spike Lee's _Malcolm X_ will both be released on Blu-ray on January 25, 2011. Both BD sets will be released in the DigiBook formats with both titles priced at $34.99 SRP.

>

> http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEqODTs17PbCtz

 

I have already listed this information a few days ago.

[filmlover]

One of the wonderful Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.'s swashbucklers, The Black Pirate (1926), is coming to Blu-ray from Kino on Dec. 14th!

 

from classicflix.com:

 

This beautiful edition available exclusively on Blu-ray has been remastered in High Definition from the 35mm restoration negative. Contains the original 1926 score.

 

BONUS FEATURES:

 

Audio commentary by Rudy Behlmer

19 Minutes of Outtakes with commentary by Rudy Behlmer

 

And it looks like these are exclusive to Blu-ray:

Lee Erwin organ score

B&W "Talkie" Adaptation

30 Minutes of previously unreleased outtakes

Photo gallery

 

http://www.classicflix.com/black-pirate-bluray-deluxe-edition-p-10412.html

 

One thing to keep in mind, this was a two-strip Techniclor, one of the earliest films to be done in color, so do not expect gorgeous Technicolor of later films.

[mateo107]

whew! i'm glad I didn't pick up The Black Pirate in the recent deepdiscount sale. but with my luck, Kino is probably going to release all their silent movies on Blu-ray anyway (which isn't exactly a bad thing)

[edgeciff]

*NEW FACES* will be issued by VCI on DVD on *November 30* as a widescreen edition.

 

The 1954 film version of Broadway revue starred Ronny Graham, Eartha Kitt, Robert Clary, Paul Lynde, Alice Ghostly and Carol Lawrence.

 

Although this film has had several releases on video, all the prints issued so far have been quite lousy. I purchased a widescreen edition of this film from Critics Choice some years ago and the color print was horrendous. Here's hoping for a remastered edition from VCI.