Paramount 100th Anniversary

[jpanimation]

So what titles do you think they have planned for release?

To note, The Godfather, American Beauty, Braveheart, Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, and Forrest Gump were already released as part of their Sapphire Series and they just released Beverly Hills Cop, The Ten Commandments, Once Upon a Time in the West, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Airplane! and My Fair Lady in anticipation.

So far they've announced Wings (the first Best Picture Oscar winner) and Hitchcock's To Catch a Theif.

Will we see Stalag 17, Double Indemnity, Sunset Blvd., The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Shane, War of the Worlds, Chinatown, Rosmary's Baby, Roman Holiday (pretty please) or Titanic (3D)?

Raiders of the Lost Arc is also celebrating it's 30th. Will we see that?

How about It's a Wonderful Life, The Warriors (which was only released in the altered director's cut) and The African Queen, will they get new releases with some decent supplemental material this time? John Hughes films could use a little more love.

[Lazario]

The Blu-Rays of Friday the 13th Parts IV-VIII would be nice.

(I'm contractually obligated to say that. I think the whole of horrordvds.com would kick me off the site if I didn't.)

[Mickeyfan1990]

We could see the first 3 Indiana Jones films this year. From what I heard, the transfers are finished.

And if you're wondering if Paramount will release the cartoons they still own (TerryToons don't count. I'm talking about the theatrical cartoons they released under their banner like Famous Studio cartoons), don't hold you breath because Jerry Beck said on Stu's Show that there are no plans for that which is a damn shame.

However, Thunderbean is planning to release a 2-Disc of brilliantly restored Noveltoons sometime soon (the Noveltoons shorts that are in the PD I mean)!

[dvdjunkie]

I own The Warriors Director's Cut on Blu-ray and found it to be a lot better than the original theatrical version which I own on VHS and first-time DVD. The blu-ray has a lot of extras, and I don't really care if they don't release another version of this film.

Also Paramount has also released 48 Hours on Blu-ray and the sequel Another 48 Hours will be released in spring of 2012.

I am looking forward to Wings and plan on purchasing this the day it is released. From everything I have read about it, they have really gone through a lot of work restoring this silent film classic.

[UmbrellaFish]

I'm really gunning for Sunset Boulevard. I'll be upset if we don't see it by year's end.

[PixarFan2006]

I want a Blu-Ray release of Raiders of the Lost Ark and the other two Indiana Jones films, each with a disc of hours of bonus features to boot. That would be a good start.

The Odd Couple on Blu-Ray would also be a good idea.

[yamiiguy]

It would be fantastic to see some Wilder on Blu. Of course, the masterpiece that is Sunset Boulevard would be my first choice but I'd also love to see Ace in the Hole through Criterion.

Paramount have already confirmed Chinatown is getting a Blu release in 2012 but I'm hoping for Rosemary's Baby to join it at Halloween time.

Personally, I'd love for the fantastic Harold and Maude to get a good release.

[Mickeyfan1990]

You know, never got to say this, but I like Race For Life, Charlie Brown and Bon Voyage Charlie Brown (And Don't Come Back)! to be released on DVD and Blu-Ray and re-release Big Top Pee-Wee and Bebe's Kids on DVD (not for me, for the fans).

[yamiiguy]

Chinatown - April 3rd

[my chicken is infected]

Already pre-ordered my Wings DVD. I realize it won't show off the restoration quite like the Blu-Ray will, and I'm miffed that the restoration documentary/featurette is Blu-Ray only, as us DVD buyers would like to see the details of that as well, but I'm happy to finally have a beautifully restored official video release of this film, which is actually quite good. Many of the early Best Picture-winners don't hold up as well as some films from their respective years that weren't even nominated, but Wings definitely does.

[jpanimation]

I’m actually surprised by just how good Wings looks

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Wings-Blu ... creenshots
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm

Then again, I consider Paramount’s restoration efforts second only to Warner (well, unless you count Disney but they haven’t really done much live action for comparison). Paramount’s main problem is just how slowly they release their catalog titles but when they do, they usually look great (e.g. The Godfather, The Ten Commandments, The African Queen, Breakfast at Tiffany's, My Fair Lady, White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, The Warriors, etc. and if the DVD’s of The War of the Worlds and To Catch a Thief are any indication, then their Blus will look fantastic too).

I bet if Paramount still owned their Hitchcock movies, we’d have them already and they’d look better then what Universal will give us.

[Barbossa]

I’m actually surprised by just how good Wings looks

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Wings-Blu ... creenshots
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm

I'm really looking forward to obtaining this one. I'm a sucker for aviation movies and I can finally get the movie that won the very first Oscar for best picture. I'm also collecting the best picture Oscar winning movies so this is a no-brainer purchase for me.

[DisneyJedi]

Then again, I consider Paramount’s restoration efforts second only to Warner (well, unless you count Disney but they haven’t really done much live action for comparison).

What about 20th Century Fox? I've seen a few of their Blu-ray releases and their restorations look pretty awesome. I mean, look at Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's Blu-ray transfer and compare that to its 2003 Special Edition DVD transfer. Not to mention the transfers of the Alien movies, the Star Wars saga, The Sound of Music...

I don't exactly know any other 20th Century Fox classics that were already transferred besides those four.

[jpanimation]

[...]I can finally get the movie that won the very first Oscar for best picture.

I find the other Best Picture winner of 1927/1928, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, to be a MUCH better film. Studio heads also felt this way and pushed for there to just be a single Best Picture category so that the prestige of it's award wouldn't be diluted (as opposed to two Best Picture categories, titled Most Outstanding Prodution and Most Unique and Artistic Production, much like the way the Golden Globes still does it). Unfortunately, I don't trust FOX will invest much money in the Blu-ray for Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans.

I'm also collecting the best picture Oscar winning movies so this is a no-brainer purchase for me.

I wouldn't do that, as a great many of them won through internal politics and aren't very good films. Then again, I collect all the DACs, even though I only consider about 10 of them worth owning lol

What about 20th Century Fox? I've seen a few of their Blu-ray releases and their restorations look pretty awesome.

Most of the FOX classics released so far are 65mm films from the 60s, so they're going to look great and not THAT much restoration is needed. Not to knock their fine work but lets see what they can do with badly damaged 35mm films from the 30s or 40s. Paramount, like Warner, has tackled some VERY BADLY DAMAGED older films and has really impressed me (Paramount's restorations efforts for The Godfather and The African Queen are legendary and are some of the most expensive ever). FOX just reused the ancient The Day the Earth Stood Still transfer from their first DVD for the Blu-ray and while it didn't look too bad, I'm still a little miffed about it (one of my favorite movies and one of their oldest catalogue Blu-ray releases, simply put it should've gotten the works). Though they seem to be getting better with this, as All About Eve got some treatment.

the Star Wars saga,

That's all Lucasfilm Limited, FOX doesn't touch that.

Personally, I have a bone to pick with FOX. Not just because they've DNR'ed the shit out of Patton and The Longest Day and Predator (among others, although they haven't done this lately) but because they have the rights to distribute MGM titles and consistently do a VERY POOR JOB at it. The FOX distributed MGM titles - with a few exceptions - are some of the poorest out there (the equivalent of Disney repackaging their neglected films on barebones discs with the same crappy transfer).

[my chicken is infected]

Unfortunately, I don't trust FOX will invest much money in the Blu-ray for Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans.

Let Criterion handle it. Criterion's been handling most non-prestige Fox catalogue releases as of late anyway, haven't they? I think someone in R2 already has released a Blu-Ray - could be Masters Of Cinema.

[yamiiguy]

Masters of Cinema released a terrific Blu-Ray of Sunrise and it's region-free! They've also released City Girl. It's currently only £10.99/$16.98 direct and (I think) there's free international shipping.

[jpanimation]

I'd love for Criterion to handle it. As a matter of fact, I'd love for them to get their hands on those MGM owned Hitchcock films again (Rebecca, Spellbound, Notorious, etc.) but I'm not holding my breath.

[yamiiguy]

Criterion haven't got a big silent output but we got the exquisite People on Sunday last year and this year will hopefully see Lonesome

[Little Red Henski]

Can Blu-ray really make an old silent film like Wings look any better?

[yamiiguy]

If a proper restoration is done then old/black and white/silent films will demonstrate just as dramatic an improvement as a modern film on Blu-Ray.

A review of Wings with comparison screenshots
Sunrise
Metropolis

I think due to some terrible presentations over the years, people forget that those films were actually filmed on the same material that is still used today. It's only because of bad treatment that they look as bad as some of the DVDs have.