Looney Tunes

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dx23
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:52 pm
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Re: Looney Tunes

#201 Post by dx23 » Wed Aug 16, 2017 10:36 am

Werewolf by Night wrote:This is how they should have done these releases YEARS ago. I expect this will probably be on pressed DVDs for the initial run.
Either this way or chronologically. WB really screwed up releasing the Looney Tunes catalog during the prime of the DVD era.

FlickeringWindow
Joined: Fri Nov 15, 2013 12:27 pm

Re: Looney Tunes

#202 Post by FlickeringWindow » Thu Sep 21, 2017 2:56 pm

I put up an Imgur album of screencaps. Mostly the cartoons exclusive to this set, but a few of the previously released ones for comparison.
https://imgur.com/a/JqocI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd compare this to the Walt Disney Treasures sets Mickey Mouse in B&W Vol. 2 or More Silly Symphonies. No extensive restoration on the new-to-disc cartoons, but they're high quality transfers . Some seem to have the opening titles lifted from an older video master, with the body taken from a new transfer.

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Looney Tunes

#203 Post by knives » Sun Sep 24, 2017 7:49 pm

The set is indeed DVDR for the curious.

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Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Re: Looney Tunes

#204 Post by Ribs » Sun Sep 24, 2017 8:55 pm

Er, are you sure/did you or someone you know not get pressed discs? Everyone on Blu-ray's forums who ordered it from WB thus far seem to still be getting pressed discs.

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Looney Tunes

#205 Post by knives » Sun Sep 24, 2017 9:15 pm

I ordered from Amazon which might be the cause of the difference.

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Donald Brown
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:21 pm
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Re: Looney Tunes

#206 Post by Donald Brown » Sun Sep 24, 2017 9:32 pm

I had read elsewhere that pre-orders from Amazon would be fulfilled with pressed discs. I pre-ordered and got DVD-Rs. Not happy.

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Max von Mayerling
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 6:02 pm
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Re: Looney Tunes

#207 Post by Max von Mayerling » Sun Sep 24, 2017 11:12 pm

I ordered from WB & received pressed dvds.

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Feego
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:30 pm
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Re: Looney Tunes

#208 Post by Feego » Mon Sep 25, 2017 9:14 am

If you want pressed DVDs, the best way to ensure that is to either order from WB or Deep Discount, who apparently fulfills orders for WB. In the past, I don't believe Amazon has ever gotten pressed DVD editions of Warner Archive releases.

Marwood
Joined: Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:05 am

Re: Looney Tunes

#209 Post by Marwood » Mon Sep 25, 2017 9:27 am

Feego wrote:I don't believe Amazon has ever gotten pressed DVD editions of Warner Archive releases.
I ordered the James Whale Show Boat from amazon.com and received a pressed version about six months ago.

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dustybooks
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:52 am
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Re: Looney Tunes

#210 Post by dustybooks » Mon Sep 25, 2017 9:29 am

Got mine from WBShop and the discs are definitely pressed. That was the only reason I used them honestly.

I've only just cracked open the set but I absolutely love seeing these chronologically.

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domino harvey
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Re: Looney Tunes

#211 Post by domino harvey » Mon Sep 25, 2017 10:24 pm

Amazon burns their own versions of Warner Archive releases, so if it's initially pressed, you won't be getting that copy unless you order from literally any other retailer

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dustybooks
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Re: Looney Tunes

#212 Post by dustybooks » Tue Sep 26, 2017 11:19 am

"Fish Tales" is one bizarre, disturbing cartoon, with the dream sequence of the grinning fish preparing to cook and eat Porky. Surprising to me that it was directed by Jack King; I like a lot of his Disney work but none of it approaches the weirdness here, which is kind of Clampett-ish but without the breakneck pacing so it just seems... grim. Fascinating though.

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J Wilson
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Re: Looney Tunes

#213 Post by J Wilson » Tue Sep 26, 2017 1:06 pm

I might return my Amazon copy then, if other places have pressed versions. I should add that the first disc made my family room blu-ray player, a cheapo Seiki model, completely lock up to the point that I had to unplug the player to get the disc out.

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feckless boy
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:38 pm
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Re: Looney Tunes

#214 Post by feckless boy » Mon Oct 09, 2017 9:09 am

Feego wrote:If you want pressed DVDs, the best way to ensure that is to either order from WB or Deep Discount, who apparently fulfills orders for WB.
Got pressed Porky Pig DVDs from DDs sibling-storefront DVDPacific. Thank you for the heads-up!

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The Elegant Dandy Fop
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:25 am
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Re: Looney Tunes

#215 Post by The Elegant Dandy Fop » Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:18 pm

This set is a real treasure so far. I bought all those Looney Tunes collections in the early-2000s and assumed that we'd never get more. It's also a real treat to see them contextualized chronologically instead of a theme as you see how Porky Pig led the evolution of the Warner style. Half-way through the first disc, you begin to see how antiquated the Jack King cartoons are with their rubbery, bouncing characters with pie-eyes when compared to Frank Tashlin's Porky in the North Woods, with its endless energy and quick shots or the modernist gags of Tex Avery's The Village Smithy that remind you that the lunacy of his MGM shorts were there from the start. The addition of Carl Stalling makes a considerable difference. The early scores sound rather generic, but suddenly when Carl Stalling starts throwing cue after cue from the Warner music catalog that matches the increasing strangeness of the cartoons, it makes an astronomical difference. I'm barely a little over a disc in and I can't be any happier with this purchase. I'm willing to live with Betacam, 16mm or beat-up dupe quality prints on some of these cartoons if it means we're just able to see them at all.

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dustybooks
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:52 am
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Re: Looney Tunes

#216 Post by dustybooks » Mon Oct 09, 2017 6:24 pm

The Elegant Dandy Fop wrote:when compared to Frank Tashlin's Porky in the North Woods, with its endless energy and quick shots or the modernist gags of Tex Avery's The Village Smithy that remind you that the lunacy of his MGM shorts were there from the start.
Completely agree with all of your post. The addition of Tash and Avery made such a visible difference, and it's been fascinating so far to watch the progression chronologically. One of the biggest laughs in my house so far came surprisingly early, though, at the impeccable punchline of "Gold Diggers of '49."

More Looney Tunes sets like this -- and a definitive Tex Avery at MGM compilation -- would be wonderful.

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Looney Tunes

#217 Post by knives » Mon Oct 09, 2017 6:30 pm

I don't think he's covered much in this set, but it is also interesting to watch Friz Freleng's evolution. He started off as a Disney animator and was one of the first animators turned director at Termite Terrace after the exodus of Harman and Ising. At first he stayed fairly within the lines of what they set up, but always matched pace with the new talent. Avery, Tashlin, and others ascendance really caused him a work out that is wonderful to see.

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hearthesilence
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Re: Looney Tunes

#218 Post by hearthesilence » Sat Mar 20, 2021 6:57 pm

I guess the Blu-rays for the Platinum Collection are falling out-of-print. Maybe even the DVDs, which are listed as "backorder" in a lot of places, but at least they still list them. Vol. 3 can still be found on BD, so if you were thinking of getting it, I'd get it soon.

I already got Vol. 1 & 3 but I ended up ordering from Grooves in Germany for Vol. 2 - it was the ONLY retailer I can find who stocked it. The artwork's all in German, but the contents are supposed to be identical, and the price is about $20 shipped, which is actually pretty good.

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Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Re: Looney Tunes

#219 Post by Ribs » Sat Mar 20, 2021 10:37 pm

I wouldn’t be surprised to see them reappear via the Archives range as they did with the Tom and Jerry set relatively recently (especially for the first set which was a digibook like most of their rereleases and could easily so with being collapsed down). Perfectly possible it won’t happen but WB has been pretty good about keeping the titles they’ve actually released around.

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hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
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Re: Looney Tunes

#220 Post by hearthesilence » Sat Mar 20, 2021 11:50 pm

Ribs wrote:
Sat Mar 20, 2021 10:37 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised to see them reappear via the Archives range as they did with the Tom and Jerry set relatively recently (especially for the first set which was a digibook like most of their rereleases and could easily so with being collapsed down). Perfectly possible it won’t happen but WB has been pretty good about keeping the titles they’ve actually released around.
Good point - I hope that's the case, but I'm glad I got all three now without paying more than $20 for any of them.

kidc
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2018 3:23 pm

Re: Looney Tunes

#221 Post by kidc » Wed Oct 13, 2021 6:48 pm

Does anyone know why cartoons were cut out of Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 4 when it was released in the UK?

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Matt
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm

Re: Looney Tunes

#222 Post by Matt » Sat Jan 07, 2023 11:50 pm

Gregory wrote:Without warning, Warner Discovery just removed half of the previously available 511 Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies shorts from HBO Max.
Vol. 2 of the Platinum Collection Blu-rays, which Warner released a decade ago, has been out of print for years and selling for high prices. I have all three volumes, but each contains 50 shorts in hi-def (150 total), which doesn't come close to matching even the very incomplete coverage of the 511 shorts that were available on HBO Max.
Twitterers are still screaming bloody murder about this, but all of these cartoons are still available on Boomerang, a streamer also owned by WBD, for less than $4 a month (annual), just as they were before HBO Max existed. From the reaction you’d think they were burning the negatives, but who would even have expected that an expanded HBO service would also contain hundreds of classic cartoons?

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Looney Tunes

#223 Post by Gregory » Tue Jan 10, 2023 3:10 am

I didn't see the screaming Twitterers, so I can't address that at all. Who would have expected that HBO Max would have so many classic cartoons? I did, I suppose, when I signed up. And don't get me wrong, I never assumed or felt entitled to any kind of permanence with streaming platforms like this, far from it. That's why physical media still have their place, which is why the context of my original post was about how Warner has never done right by this keystone of their company's legacy even in those formats. And I know that by talking about streaming and disc releases I'm talking about different parts of Warner Bros. and don't mean to conflate them.
According to Jerry Beck, the Platinum Collection ended (approaching a decade ago) partly because WHV didn't ensure a budget for remastering further shorts. Couldn't they at least keep what they've remastered already in print on disc? Even on DVD, as with Porky Pig 101? (At least in the past several years they've given us the predictably incomplete Tex Avery discs. That's not nothing.)
It's not that subscribing to Boomerang would be cost-prohibitive but it's more a matter of just how many streaming services one can reasonably expect to pay for at once. But won't complain further here about streaming, as this makes me feel as old as I am. This development seemed worth noting but maybe I was the only person here disappointed by another setback on this front.

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dustybooks
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:52 am
Location: Wilmington, NC

Re: Looney Tunes

#224 Post by dustybooks » Tue Jan 10, 2023 10:24 am

You're not alone at all, especially since I was very late switching to BD for various reasons and never got to pick up the Platinum Collections. I hadn't taken advantage of the streaming offerings but at least their being out there was a sign that someone at the company still cared a little bit; I should learn never to expect that when it comes to classic animation. It's still completely nuts to me that the DePatie-Freleng library is more comprehensive on Blu-ray, by far, than either the Warner or Disney catalogs.

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