MGM Catalog Titles on Blu

[domino harvey]

So the Wal-Mart exclusive The Big Country is, unsurprisingly at this point, an unrestored grainfest, although with a lot more scratches and blemishes at times in the source print than other MGM Blus. However, I'm certain the DVD of this cost me more than this affordable Blu, and otherwise the pic quality is often quite stunning if you can look past the print speckles and flickers

[Cold Bishop]

Has anyone seen Walter Hill's The Long Riders (I loved The Driver), and is it any good? I ask because it's part of MGM's June line-up.

I'm still not convinced about the film, but even so, I think it's a no-brainer, that's how high in esteem I hold that period Walter Hill. The Northfield robbery is one of the greatest pieces of "pure cinema" you're likely to see, and Blu can't hurt. And I don't see "self-importance" in it... in fact, I don't see enough of anything else, which is my problem: it's too indebted to myth (pretty much completely) to be a true "revisionist Western"; yet, it's far too solemn and bloody to be considered a "classic Western". Often, it just feels like Hill is going through the motions, visiting each station of the Passion of the Jones-Younger gang, without inscribing much personal voice to it all. But at least Hill knows how to make those motions move.Much like Milius's Dillinger and the gangster genre, it tries to occupy an area between truth and myth, between studio classicism and New Hollywood naturalism, but just ends up muddled.

[Props55]

Wow Cold Bishop, I'm truly impressed! You've managed to nail the strengths and weaknesses of LONG RIDERS with accuracy and precision. That's just about the way I felt about it when I first saw it back in 1980. My ambivalence was compounded by the fact that it was the first film I ever worked on (I was a production assistant) and my friend Greg Nicoll and I got the gig by writing Hill and sending photos from an award winning student western that he made at the University of Georgia in 1979. We were very familiar with Hill's patented terse screenwriting style but the shooting script we were given was flat and dead on the page. Of course the original script was by producers Stacy and Jim Keach (with rewrite by Bill Bryden) and final punch-up by Hill. The shooting was very eye-opening with regard to how this so-so script was realized (at one point during the stagecoach robbery Greg ran up to me and enthused, "Akira Kurosawa has made a western!") but the final edit was rife with elipsis that seemed to be made more for visual sweep than narrative clarity.*

* (Note the funeral of the pig farmer with Zee and the James family in black sitting in the anteroom adjacent to the casket. Why? This is traditionally the seating area for immediate family? The Answer: this scene was shot as Jesse's funeral and made into the farmers last rites via posting. But why such emphasis on the funeral of a friend of the brothers yet not for Jesse? The answer is to mythologize Jesse via the finale as presented in the final cut.

The Northfield Raid is indeed a high point but utimately pales next to the opening robbery from THE WILD BUNCH which was the template by Hill's admission. It's too close a homage. The siege at the pig farmers is great as well but Peckinpah proved that less is more with a similar scene in PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID. I think the first three Hills are more consistant but only THE WARRIORS has a comparable color palete. Whatever happened to Ric Waite? His coral filters and the deeply saturated color made the look of the film as much as Hill's direction and Dave Holden's editing. I could go on but you've hit the essentials more concisely than I. It's a no brainer. Get the Blu! Gary's caps make it look as good as when I first saw it in dailies!

[Finch]

The Blus for everyone store has Taking of Pelham 123 for sale. Best Buy can sod off.

[domino harvey]

West Side Story in October! Finally!

[Feego]

Dressed to Kill on Blu-ray in September. It looks to be a basic upgrade from the old DVD, with all of the same supplements and no new features.

Fox and MGM will also release Dressed to Kill on Blu-ray Disc on 9/6 (SRP $24.99). You'll get the uncut version of the film, along with The Making of Dressed to Kill documentary, 3 featurettes (Unrated, R-Rated and TV-Rated Comparison, Slashing Dressed to Kill and An Appreciation by Keith Gordon), an animated photo gallery and the theatrical trailer.

[domino harvey]

Chariots of Fire and 9 1/2 Weeks in October

[eerik]

West Side Story in October! Finally!

American release date is November 15th and it is a really nice set

LOS ANGELES, CA. – Five decades after its historic debut, a timeless classic returns to dazzle audiences young and old. Based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name, the iconic film WEST SIDE STORY returns in brilliant Blu-ray form November 15, 2011 from Twentieth Century Home Entertainment. With a record-breaking ten Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Original Score, the film took home more awards than any other movie-musical in the history of cinema. This monumental production not only featured the timeless lyrics from master American composer Stephen Sondheim, but a brilliant score from Leonard Bernstein, and beautiful direction from Robert Wise. WEST SIDE STORY: 50th Anniversary Edition boasts hundreds of hours of restoration, new 7.1 digital audio, and a collection of bonus features spotlighting the harmonious songs and elaborate dances of the original film.

The Blu-ray will be available in a Limited Edition 4-Disc Boxed Set featuring 2 disc Blu-ray, newly-restored DVD, Tribute CD and collectible memorabilia, as well as a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. Prebook is September 7.

WEST SIDE STORY 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Special Features:

• ALL-NEW: Pow! The Dances of West Side Story - cast members, contemporary filmmakers, dancers and choreographers analyze and illuminate the film’s famous dance sequences.
  • Prologue
  • Dance At the Gym
  • Tony and Maria’s Cha Cha
  • America
  • The Rumble
  • Maria’s Roof Dance
  • Cool
• ALL-NEW: A Place for Us: West Side Story’s Legacy – a look back at the iconic film and the impact it has had all over the world
  • Creation and Innovation
  • A Timeless Vision
• Song Specific Commentary by Lyricist Stephen Sondheim
  • Prologue
  • The Jet Song
  • Something’s Coming
  • Dance At the Gym
  • Maria
  • America
  • Tonight
  • Gee, Officer Krupke
  • I Feel Pretty
  • One Hand, One Heart
  • Quintet
  • Somewhere
  • Cool
  • A Boy Like That / I Have A Love
• Music Machine –allows viewers to go straight to their favorite musical numbers
• West Side Memories
• Storyboard to Film Comparison Montage
• Trailers
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • Original Issue Trailer
  • Reissue Trailer
  • Animated Trailer

Pre-orders aren't up yet, but according to Variety the pricing is $50 for the big set and $20 for the simple 2-disc release. That's surprisingly cheap in my opinion.

[domino harvey]

I still have my brick SD set (easily the heaviest single-film standard definition release, if there's such a distinction), so ~$13 around release date for the Blu-ray will be a sweet deal indeed.

[eerik]

I'm planning to get the big set as it does not include any useless prop replicas, etc. and only has things I like in a set (books, postcards). I paid about 30 euros (shipping included) for the limited (Target exclusive) digibook of The Sound of Music but this might be even cheaper.

[hearthesilence]

Nice to see Sondheim's participation - I saw him at a lecture recently, and it was very amusing to hear him criticize the film in brutal yet polite, articulate fashion.

[ianungstad]

It looks like Image Entertainment has licensed a bunch of MGM films. Most of the titles are junk but it looks like Image is re-releasing at least a portion of the MGM Midnite Movies line. They have a couple of different options for the Vincent Price/Corman Poe films which are pretty good. A few like Comedy of Terrors still seem to be MIA.

[eerik]

Pre-orders for West Side Story are now up at Amazon. Prices in Variety were not the MSRP prices, which are actually $69.99 and $29.99.

But I still want the big set.

[eerik]

Straw Dogs

Not surprising.

[Finch]

The Miller's Crossing Blu arrived today from Hongkong and looks exactly the same as the US cover, i.e. both front and back are entirely in English. The disc is region-free, and I was pleased with the look of the few scenes I've managed to sample so far.

[mfunk9786]

Straw Dogs

Not surprising.

What a great birthday gift!

[dx23]

Anyone know if the new BD release of The Magnificent Seven includes all the extras from the two-disc collector's edition? By the way, apparently this is a Target exclusive in retail stores (they have it for $7.99 this week) although every other online store like Amazon and Best Buy.com has it for sale.

[Jeff]

Anyone know if the new BD release of The Magnificent Seven includes all the extras from the two-disc collector's edition? By the way, apparently this is a Target exclusive in retail stores (they have it for $7.99 this week) although every other online store like Amazon and Best Buy.com has it for sale.

It had been a Target exclusive since January, but their exclusivity ended yesterday, and you should be able to find it everywhere now. The supplements are listed below. Not sure how they stack up to the two disc.

* Commentary by Producer Walter Mirisch, Assistant Director Robert Relyea, and Actors James Coburn and Eli Wallach
* Guns for Hire: The Making of The Magnificent Seven featurette
* The Linen Book: Lost Images from The Magnificent Seven
* Elmer Bernstein and the Magnificent Seven featurette
* Two trailers
* Stills gallery

[matrixschmatrix]

The two-disc set has an absolutely indispensable commentary from Christopher Frayling, which it looks like got dropped.

[dx23]

Anyone know if the new BD release of The Magnificent Seven includes all the extras from the two-disc collector's edition? By the way, apparently this is a Target exclusive in retail stores (they have it for $7.99 this week) although every other online store like Amazon and Best Buy.com has it for sale.

It had been a Target exclusive since January, but their exclusivity ended yesterday, and you should be able to find it everywhere now. The supplements are listed below. Not sure how they stack up to the two disc.

* Commentary by Producer Walter Mirisch, Assistant Director Robert Relyea, and Actors James Coburn and Eli Wallach
* Guns for Hire: The Making of The Magnificent Seven featurette
* The Linen Book: Lost Images from The Magnificent Seven
* Elmer Bernstein and the Magnificent Seven featurette
* Two trailers
* Stills gallery

Thanks for the info. Still, it appears as Target is the only one that is selling in-store right now. None of the other retailers (Best Buy, Wal-Mart, FYE, B&N) have it available in-store although they are selling it online along with Amazon and every other retailer.

The two-disc set has an absolutely indispensable commentary from Christopher Frayling, which it looks like got dropped.

Yes, it appears they dropped everything Mr.Frayling was involved in, including the commentary on the film and the one about the featurette.

[andyli]

About the domestic release of Straw Dogs, both run time listing on Amazon and cover art on DVDEmpire seem to suggest it's the longer version.

[Jameson281]

Fox/MGM has just announced BLUE VELVET for November 8. Extras:

**Over 50 Minutes of Never-Before-Seen Lost Footage
**Mysteries of Love Documentary
**Original Siskel & Ebert Review
**Vignettes
**Trailer/TV Spots
**A Few Outtakes

[mfunk9786]

Fuck. Yes.

[swo17]

Is that the best Frank booth impression you can manage?

[knives]

FUCK no, it better fucking not be neighbor. If that's the best you can do, FUCK, I'll giving you a fucking love letter. Do you know what a love letter is neighbor? It's a bullet from a fucking gun straight to your heart, FUCKER.