Will "ALL" Movies Eventually See DVD?

[Czar]

Here is one to ponder..

Since there are only so many new movies released in the theaters every year but the number of DVD releases are now approaching (if not exceeded) 100 per week, I wonder if Every title will eventially see DVD? Or are there some that just won't and why?

I have been waiting for a release of the Camp Classic Elvira, Mistress of the Dark movie which was distributed by a small studio yet a no show anywhere even though these small studio releases usually are the first to hit DVD format? There are TONS of other movies I keep an eye out for but nothing so far and wondered if they will show up in the next year or so?

[roger thornhill]

Define all movies. Lots of movies will never see the light of day again, they've been destroyed through neglect. Most of what's gotten to vhs will probably get to dvd one day, but a lot of that is crappy versions of movies (try finding a good Metropolis). And lots of world cinema, etc. will probably never make it to region 1.

In short, by almost no definition have all movies made it to vhs, so I suspect dvd will give way to something else long before all movies have made it to dvd.

------------------
dds #070

[Dr. Evil]

Czar:

I have some good news for you - Elvira, Mistress of the Dark is slated for DVD in February, 2001. Check this link for more information on this and other releases.

RD

[This message has been edited by Dr. Evil (edited 07-27-2000).]

[Czar]

Thanks Dr. Evil for the link! I see a few on my want list there including another camp clissic.. Lust in the Dust.

Any leads out there on two that I must have but haven't seen anywhere. One is a 1983 made for TV movie and was distributed by ABC Circle and call The Day After. It received 4 stars on the All Movie Guide site! It starred Jason Robards, John Lithgow, Steve Guttenberg, JoBeth Williams, among others and was about what would happen if a nuclear attack occured in the US. After the broadcast they offered an 800# for counceling!

Another was it's 1985 British sister called Threads, also rated 4 stars, and was distributed by BBC / Nine Network / Western-Wodd TV. It was shown in the US on Ted Turner's networks.

Any chance these seeing the light of DVD?

Czar

[siggis]

Most of the titles will eventually come out in digital format I guess. Though the problem would rather be that the release rate is too slow for DVD. In 4 - 5 years we will see HD-DVD which will take over the marked. Then all titles has to be released over again, pluss the new titles, this will probably go on and on and on and all titles will never be on one format as it's with VHS.

/SIGGIS

[Hendrik]

Q: Will "ALL" Movies Eventually See DVD?

A: Not very likely - at least from the standpoint of an avid film collector...

Although I am surprised - and pleased - by the very large number of titles that have been released in R1 since the - relatively recent - introduction of DVD, it doesn't look as if many old (I mean really old: 1950s, 1940s, 1930s) films will make it to DVD any time soon - if at all...

Item: on LD, over the years I have assembled a very nice, eclectic selection of films including - e.g. - two collections of movies starring Greta Garbo, a Jean Harlow Collection, a Gable and Crawford collection, a Joan Crawford collection, a Clark Gable collection, a Judy Garland collection, a Mae West collection; all the Val Lewton-produced horror movies; all Thin Man films; a number of Japanese movies (e.g. The Burmese Harp, Fires On The Plain, Kwaidan); several cheerful 1940s Technicolor Fox musicals starring Betty Grable; such epic MGM 'prestige productions' as The Great Ziegfeld, The Good Earth, Marie Antoinette, Pride And Prejudice; epic Fox productions like Captain From Castile, The Razor's Edge; a couple of films pairing John Wayne and Marlene Dietrich; not forgetting the several Looney Tunes collections and all Roadrunner & Wile E. Coyote cartoons...

Oh, well...

! !

[This message has been edited by Hendrik (edited 07-28-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Hendrik (edited 07-28-2000).]

[BathTub]

The Thin Man (et al) is on laser disc? cool might see it on dvd then, I really like that series of films

[Czar]

I too would like to see some of the classics from the 1930's - 1950's come to DVD format but looks like they will be last on the table.

Maybe it is because of the film quality being so poor for that time frame and not coming across very well in DVD format that they are holding off until people get a good taste of better condition films before trying to market the older ones? Try looking at War of the Worlds on DVD. For a 1953 film the quality is great but as an Acadamy Award winner for special effects, you have to question "why" since the cables holding up the UFO's are very obvious throughout the movie because it has been enhanced by DVD. Even movies as late as the 1970's don't come across very well on DVD because of film grain, poor color saturation, inferior film stock with lots of flaws, specks, etc.. that was not noticed back then. Kind of like listening to an old 45rpm record again on a turntable after adapting to CD's for the past 20 years

Maybe it is because of an earlier mention that the movies themselves have "rotted" away in the cans and may need restored before they can be worked with (hence the AMC preservation attempts)?

In any event, I understand the limitations and would still like to purchase the classics on DVD.

BTW... I am waiting on FOX to release all the Marilyn Monroe movies they have marketed on VHS for years. I have them ALL but would still like them on DVD!




[This message has been edited by Czar (edited 07-28-2000).]

[roger thornhill]

There is a very cool box set of all 6 Thin Man movies on ld Whether you can still get it, I don't know, I'm not parting with mine.

------------------
dds #070

[BathTub]

I don't have a laser disc player so I will have to wait