Universal 100th Anniversary

Discussion of non-Disney DVD and Blu-ray.
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Jules
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Post by Jules »

Hey I can see Malta in the new Universal logo! Doesn't light up though. They didn't give us a darn bulb. :( :P
Avaitor
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Post by Avaitor »

Tomorrow we're getting our next centennial collectible- Buck Privates. Can't wait!
Lazario
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Post by Lazario »

Same here, Pap.
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jpanimation
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Post by jpanimation »

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is the only movie of their's I've ever seen and it didn't really impress me. Kind of like Laurel & Hardy and The Three Stooges, just never really that funny (if it wasn't for a couple of their movies, I'd say the same about The Marx Brothers). Outside that, I've seen the Who's on first? sketch, which I thought was pretty clever.

Basically I'm asking, is Buck Privates worth a watch? My library just got All Quiet on the Western Front and A Night to Remember on Blu (which I've never seen but plan to now), a Criterion release, so I'm assuming they'll be getting this one soon too.
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dvdjunkie
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Post by dvdjunkie »

Picked up Abbott & Costello in Buck Privates in the special 100th Anniversary Blu-ray digi-book. Lots of great pictures of the two funniest men to grace the silver screen. The Blu-ray brings depth to everything they do in this movie, and the Andrews Sisters look great while they are singing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", one of their best known hits.

The Extras on this Blu-ray are mind-boggling. There is a feature length documentary about how they are restoring the films to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Universal. There are several 'new' featurettes, and a promise, in so many words, that more of Abbott & Costello would be coming.

I had a $10 Reward Zone gift certificate that I used, so I only had to pay $19.99 for the great package!
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Avaitor
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Post by Avaitor »

jpanimation wrote: Basically I'm asking, is Buck Privates worth a watch?
Why don't you watch here for yourself? :)

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8qdkimPORrY" frameborder="0"></iframe>
yamiiguy
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Post by yamiiguy »

Universal have been putting out some terrific packages this year but they need to lay off the DNR. It's the only problem with their releases.

I haven't seen it posted here but here's a list that was leaked back in December:

Feb.
M.O.D.: Marlene Dietrich double feature
Standard blu:
2/14 - Johnny English
2/21 - Honey

March
Blu combo (all 3/6): The Deer Hunter, Harvey, The Nutty Professor, Parenthood, Out of Africa
DVD (all 3/6): Charade, The Egg and I, Francis the Talking Mule, The Last Temptation of Christ, My Man Godfrey, Sullivan's Travels, Three Smart Girls
repackaged blu combo & dvd (3/6): The Blues Brothers, Despicable Me, Meet the Parents
Repackaged dvd (3/6): Car Wash, The Deer Hunter*, Destry Rides Again, Duck Soup, Harvey, The Jerk, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, The Nutty Professor, Parenthood
Standard blu:
3/6 - Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat, Dragonheart, The Quest (all bd)
3/20 - American Pie, American Pie 2, American Wedding (all bd combo)

April
Blu combo (4/17): Buck Privates
M.O.D.: Joel Mccrea westerns
Standard blu:
4/3 - Evan Almighty, Life, Nutty Professor II (all bd)
4/10 - Definitely Maybe, Meet Joe Black (int'l. bd)

May: 5/1
Blu combo: Pillow Talk
Standard blu: About a Boy, Mystery Men, Sea of Love (all bd)

June
M.O.D.: 1950's melodrama
Blu combo (6/5): Back to the Future, Erin Brockovich, Sixteen Candles, Smokey and the Bandit, The Sting
Repackaged blu combo & dvd (6/5): American Pie, The Big Lebowski, Casino, The Fast and the Furious, King Kong, The Mummy '99, Animal House, Spartacus, United 93
Repackaged dvd (6/5): Back to the Future, Earthquake, Erin Brockovich, High Plains Drifter, Sixteen Candles, Smokey and the Bandit, The Sting, Winchester '73
Standard blu (6/5): Blues Brothers 2000 (int'l), Liar Liar (bd), Scent of a Woman (bd/dvd)

July
Blu combo (7/3): Born on the Fourth of July
Repackaged dvd (7/3): Born on the Fourth of July

Aug.
Blu combo & dvd (8/14): Jaws
M.O.D.: Universal rarities
Standard blu (8/7): Andromeda Strain, Jaws 3 3d (both bd)

Sept.
Blu combo (9/4): Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, Airport (also dvd), Double Indemnity, Jurassic Park (also dvd)
Repackaged blu combo + dvd (9/4): Atonement, Bridesmaids, Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Out of Africa, Scarface '83
Repackaged dvd (9/4): The Birds*, Double Indemnity*, The Incredible Shrinking Man, It Came From Outer Space, Psycho*, Scarface '32, Vertigo*
Blu-ray Alfred Hitchcock set (9/4): Not certain, but thinking this will contain The Birds, Psycho, and Vertigo
Standard blu (9/4): Rumble Fish, Slap Shot, Streets of Fire (all bd)

Oct.
Blu combo & dvd (10/23): E.T. 30th
Blu & dvd classic monsters set (10/23): Not sure, but think this will have Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy '32, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Creature From The Black Lagoon and possibly The Hunchback of Notre Dame '23 and The Phantom of the Opera '25 & '43
M.O.D.: Billy Wilder collection
Standard blu (10/2): The Bone Collector, Bride of Chucky, Fear, Holiday Inn 70th anniversary (all bd)

Nov.
Blu & dvd 100th anniversary set (11/6)

Dec.
M.O.D.: film noir
Avaitor
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Post by Avaitor »

yamiiguy wrote: Blu combo (6/5): The Sting
Blu combo & dvd (8/14): Jaws


Blu combo (9/4): Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein,Double Indemnity

Blu & dvd classic monsters set (10/23):
M.O.D.: Billy Wilder collection

Blu & dvd 100th anniversary set (11/6)
Ooh, these I'm totally interested in. :D
yamiiguy
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Post by yamiiguy »

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September 25th

I've lost count of how many Hitchcock titles have hit Blu-Ray this year. It's over 20 at least!
Mickeyfan1990
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Post by Mickeyfan1990 »

Close. 22 according to DVDaf.
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jpanimation
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Post by jpanimation »

It's weird that Warner would loan Universal North by Northwest for this set but not Strangers on a Train and Dial M for Murder. If they waited a month, we could've had a more complete set. At least Universal is using the classic artwork for this set, unlike Warner.

Anyways, the fact that Warner is releasing Dial M for Murder in 3D has my hopes up that we'll get A Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D when it's eventually released, hopefully as part of Universal's upcoming Monsters box set.
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Avaitor
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Post by Avaitor »

This isn't the first time Warner lent Universal NBN. They also did for a five-movie DVD "best of" set of his work last year.
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jpanimation
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Post by jpanimation »

Speaking of Warner and Universal, the last time I saw Dial M for Murder in 3D was at Universal Studios Florida, where they showed a clip of it in polarized 3D during the pre-show to the Hitchcock exhibit / attraction (it used to be where the crappy Shrek show is now).
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jpanimation
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Post by jpanimation »

Oh my glob, Universal MIGHT just be my favorite company this year:

Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection Blu-ray
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=9036

In the fall, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring the Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection to Blu-ray. This eight-disc, limited-edition box set compiles nine films (listed in Universal's press release as only eight) from the studio's venerated horror movie catalog, all of which make their respective U.S. Blu-ray debuts through this package.

The films include:

Dracula (1931)
Drácula [Spanish-language version] (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Mummy (1932)
The Invisible Man (1933)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The Wolf Man (1941)
Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (3-D, 1954)

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Kind of pissed that they're including the 40s Phantom of the Opera instead of the classic silent version with Lon Chaney.

Creature from the Black Lagoon being only one disc kind of concerns me. I always thought that 3D movies required 2 discs if you're doing proper 3D (you know, not that Anaglyph crap). Also hoping these aren't DNRed to death and that at least some effort it put into the image galleries on this set (my Psycho Blu-ray literally just uses a low res video off the laser disc, instead of making individual HD scans, and tries to pass it off as an image gallery). Please universal, for once put some effort into the supplements.

Only problem is that the Universal Hitchcock and Monsters box-sets come just a week apart. Don't know where I'm gonna get the money.
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Barbossa
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Post by Barbossa »

^Don't like that the Universal Monster set does not include the sequels. I really like Invisible Agent. Gonna hold onto my Legacy DVDs.
PixarFan2006
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Post by PixarFan2006 »

Still. this is a pretty amazing year for Universal Blu-Rays. With films like E.T. Jaws, The Hitchcock set., and now this (Yeah they are all rehashes but still).

I have most of the films in the Universal Monster Blu-Ray set on DVD (Except Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Invisible Man). I wonder how they will do the 3-D for the CFTBL.
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Post by yamiiguy »

You most certainly don't need more than one disc for 3D. The Chaney Phantom is already out on Blu, I believe.
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jpanimation
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Post by jpanimation »

^So when they put the 3D version of a movie and the 2D version on separate discs, it's nothing more then a marketing scam (like including DVDs and digital copies)? I always thought the 3D version took up too much space to include both. As for the Lon Chaney Phantom of the Opera already being out, I know but I just don't understand why Universal would let it fall into public domain. I just don't care for the 40s version, which is included in this set, and to me it devalues the set. I'd much rather have the classic version. I certainly won't pay the price they're currently asking for this set, same goes for the Hitchock set (which also includes some movies I could care less about).
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Post by Flanger-Hanger »

What would have been nice is a disc with both the '25('29?) and '43 Phantoms and another with the '23 and '39 Hunchbacks.

But I'm still gonna get it.
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yamiiguy
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Post by yamiiguy »

jpanimation wrote:^So when they put the 3D version of a movie and the 2D version on separate discs, it's nothing more then a marketing scam (like including DVDs and digital copies)? I always thought the 3D version took up too much space to include both.
I'm not entirely sure on the technicalities but the 3DBD spec certainly allows for the 3D film to play back in 2D in the absence of a 3DTV. There is an argument for putting them on separate discs - modern 3D films use a process called 'floating windows' where the aspect ratio slightly changes throughout the film to allow for more comfortable 3D viewing. When both are on the same disc, this also occurs on the 2D version. However, I have no idea if it will be an issue here.
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