RRRGGHH!! When Will Columbia release their new video list?!

[Larry T]

Wow- Columbia House was supposed to have their five new Looney Tunes tapes available in mid-May. But normally they release the contents to precede the actual videos..... we're past the last delayed release date, and still do not know what's on the next five in the series!! Come on Columbia, hurry up!!! this series was supposed to be one of your best sellers of all time, what's the hold-up!

(unless of course, the series is getting postponed for a possible release on DVD as well as video....:) :D :) :D :) :D ;)

[Patrick McCart]

I think WB is doing a massive restoration of the cartoons...ALL of them!

The 2-CD Rhino set seems like an odd choice since all of the cartoons were released in mono sound.

Rhino has released film scores to other recent restored films on DVD (North By Northwest, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, Ben-Hur...etc)

Usually, when WB remixes sound for their movies, they'll release a CD with the score or music from it.

If the music is of really good quality...it may be a sign that they're being restored.

Also, Disney is releasing 2 26-cartoon DVD sets of Mickey and Silly Symphony shorts (for only 29.99 each :eek: )
Oppurtunity knocks....

WB, nor Disney will be the first company to release a cartoon compilation, though. MGM has that title by releasing that Pink Panther disc a while back. No, I am not counting Fox Lorber's *wonderful* Cartoon Crazys series.

One word of caution, though. There's rumors that some cartoons will be censored on the DVD's...but that's just a rumor...

I personally would buy any LT/MM DVD from WB...there's a low chance of any colorized versions being on the discs since they are of a lower resolution than DVD provides. A good starting DVD (or set) would be a disc with all the Oscar winners and nominees released by WB along with all of their Greatest 50 list-makers (Yes, even Coal Black.)

[Larry T]

....because there has never been a more important time to restore these old cartoons than now. With the advent of much more durable media like DVD, these 50+ year old cartoons aren't going to last forever. As a matter of fact, with every passing day one more films rots in the dank recesses of a studio's film vault, possibly never to be viewed again. It's becoming more and more necessary to put the societal politics aside and SAVE THE CARTOONS!! before it's too late!

The strange thing is how even the worst movies make it to DVD, no matter how old they are. But everybody knows Warner Brothers cartoons- and the audience that grew up with them will someday no longer a marketable ploy (ummm- maybe because they won't exist anymore?)....

Patrick, do you know where I can get a listing of this "Cartoon Crazys" series, and what the cartoons are on the disks? I just may look into it-

Thanks!!

[Jon Cooke]

I think (I hope!!) Patrick was just being sarcastic when he called the Cartoon Crazys series "wonderful". Larry, I'd avoid these DVDs. They are pretty much garbage. All the cartoons on them have "enhanced soundtracks"... they have been mixed in phony stereo surround sound and have had added sound effects. Plus, all the opening / closing titles have been chopped off. I found a few really cheap at Sam Goody awhile back... I'm glad I didn't pay more than $3.99 each for them. The most interesting of the batch is CARTOON CRAZYS GOES TO WAR, mostly because it features Chuck Jones' "Hell-Bent For the Election".

There was an interview with John K. (of Spumco) published in a magazine (can't remember which, I'll try to dig up the title ), but I saved this quote about his feelings of the CC DVDs --- I think it sums up the series quite nicely :D :


John is not a fan of Winstar's Cartoon Crazys series of classic cartoons on DVD. "Those are hideous. They proudly say on the back, 'Not only did we remaster these, we added sound effects and ambience'‚ Oh, thanks! So now I'm watching these Popeye cartoons and there's all this traffic and sh*t going on in the background. Honk! Honk! Honk! People fighting, and fire engines. I can't hear Popeye anymore! Like I want to hear some idiot from today and their 'creativity.' Famous Studios, Fleischer, Warner Brothers, they're not good enough for me, I need his two-cents worth. Make your own f**kin‚ cartoon and put all the noise in it you want!"


Also, unfortunately, there is currently no word from Columbia House about those new LT tapes. Jerry Beck told me that there was nothing new to report. :(


-Jon

[Patrick McCart]

What? I LOVE hearing all that new sound they put back into the cartoon! :D

Actually, the only animated release by WinStar that seems to be good is their DVD of Gulliver's Travels.

I was going to get one DVD (The one with the computer colorized Impatient Patient). but it cost 26 dollars!

If I wanted crap THAT bad, I'd go to a fertilizer salesman. :p



I'd like to mention there's one DVD extra that would be really neat...lobby cards! For each volume, they could put the lobby cards for each cartoon on the disk.

[Jack]

I'd like to mention there's one DVD extra that would be really neat...lobby cards! For each volume, they could put the lobby cards for each cartoon on the disk.


I like that idea, it sort of goes with an idea I brought up before (but not here) of reprinting lobby cards and selling them in sets for a given year. You would get two per cartoon, and they would be cheap, since it's only black and white printing.



Jack:D