Warner Brothers Archive Collection (DVDs only)

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Ashirg
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:10 am
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1626 Post by Ashirg » Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:44 pm

Forbidden Hollywood Vol. 10 in April
Remember to knock five times, as the Cinema Speakeasy is open again with a quintet of controversial pre-Code classics. Lionel Barrymore stars as a DA who commits the perfect crime in W.S. Van Dyke's Guilty Hands, costarring Kay Francis. Next Warren William is crowned the pre-Code King with his breakout performance in James Flood & Elliott Nugent's The Mouthpiece. Then Edward Sutherland spills the Secrets of the French Police as a Surete inspector (Frank Morgan) and a thief (John Warburton) scour the underworld for a waif (Gwili Andre), who may be the Princess Anastasia. Warren William follows with Howard Bretherton & William Keighley's acclaimed biopic The Match King, with Glenda Farrell on hand to deliver the glam. Finally, Babyface Barbara Stanwyck sizzles as a spouse torn between love (Otto Kruger) and country in Archie Mayo's Ever in My Heart, with Ralph Bellamy as the other guy (naturally!).
Last edited by Ashirg on Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Ashirg
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1627 Post by Ashirg » Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:45 pm

Also Warner Archive is having 4 titles for $44 sale (including some blu-rays). Not as good as 5 for $50, but their last sale like that was long time ago...
Last edited by Ashirg on Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Lowry_Sam
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1628 Post by Lowry_Sam » Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:45 pm

So the Warner Archive store is having a sale: 4 for $44. I might jump because it seems like I've been holding out for well over a year since the last 10 for $100 sale. Did one ever happen in 2015? It seems like they used to do it around Xmas, but the past one I never saw anything, did I simply miss it?

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Black Hat
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 5:34 pm
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1629 Post by Black Hat » Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:32 am

I've been slow to pick up Volume 8 & 9 of Forbidden Hollywood and trying to figure out what is and what isn't pressed from the website appears to be a fool's errand. Volume 8 appears to be available as pressed still, but when you click on it there's the made to order sign. Has anybody made heads or tail of this or remember from experience what's what?

Volume 10 which hasn't been released yet is already labeled MOD. Is that possible?

DD and DVDPlanet also already have volume 10 labeled as MOD.

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Ashirg
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1630 Post by Ashirg » Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:49 am

I think they are always marked MOD even when pressed just because it's coming from Warner Archive, even at Warner's own web site. Some sites even label their blu-ray releases as BD-R just because it's from Warner Archive even though we know it's not true.

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Black Hat
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1631 Post by Black Hat » Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:03 am

No knock on you, but it says a lot about what a mess Warner's made of this that I read your reply three times and I'm still not sure if I understand what you said.

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1632 Post by domino harvey » Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:25 am

Simple version: even their pressed titles say MOD, means nothing . Don't order from Amazon, Archive DVD releases are always burned direct from them. DD/DVDP are the fulfillment warehouse for WBShop, so you get the same thing ordering from any of them. It's unlikely that the first printing of those sets has sold out and are no longer pressed, but you never know. You will be taking a gamble when you don't order these things as soon as they're announced

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Drucker
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1633 Post by Drucker » Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:41 am

I only own one Warner Archive title. The FH sets are new-ish, but what about older catalogue releases? Are films like Run of the Arrow or Merry Widow most likely only available as burned copies at this point?

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1634 Post by domino harvey » Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:43 am

Okay, more clarification is needed: Virtually all Warner Archive DVD releases have only ever been and will only ever be MOD DVD-Rs. They started manufacturing some of their box/multi-disc sets, mostly TV series, as pressed in the initial run because it was cheaper for them to do so. All Forbidden Hollywood sets have been initially pressed and there's no reason to expect the tradition to be bucked with the forthcoming volume. Some scant few single releases have been blessed with pressed releases: the initial run of Paramount licenses, Show Boat, and the Lusty Men are all I can remember, but there might be a few more

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fdm
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:25 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1635 Post by fdm » Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:58 am

I can tell you later today whether Forbidden Hollywood v8 is still shipping pressed from Deep Discount.

Seems I forgot I returned my earlier purchase of v8 (well over a year ago... it had one or more scratched/scraped up discs), until I got v9 a couple months ago (just one not so scratched up disc this time, but it played). I do wish WB would get their shit together with their scratched up discs (among other things).

Kauno
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1636 Post by Kauno » Fri Apr 08, 2016 1:16 pm

Is it easy to see whether the disc is pressed or not?

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fdm
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1637 Post by fdm » Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:58 pm

Kauno wrote:Is it easy to see whether the disc is pressed or not?
Typically silver if it's pressed, purplish otherwise.

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fdm
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:25 pm

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1638 Post by fdm » Sat Apr 09, 2016 2:38 am

Not really surprised, but Forbidden Hollywood v8 is still pressed. (Just a few hopefully minor scratches on a couple of the discs; best they can do any more apparently, at least with dvds (pressed or otherwise).)

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1639 Post by domino harvey » Fri Apr 22, 2016 3:48 pm

Just got the latest volume of Forbidden Hollywood in from DD and can confirm, as expected, it is pressed

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L.A.
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1640 Post by L.A. » Fri Apr 22, 2016 3:52 pm

Are those Forbidden Hollywood collections also sold at physical stores?

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1641 Post by domino harvey » Fri Apr 22, 2016 3:55 pm

I don't think any Archive releases, DVD or Blu-Ray, are (unless some boutique store orders them online specifically to have in-store)

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L.A.
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1642 Post by L.A. » Fri Apr 22, 2016 3:58 pm

Gotcha, and thanks.

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domino harvey
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1643 Post by domino harvey » Tue Apr 26, 2016 1:13 pm

Bad news: Warners just announced in the newsletter that Volume 10 will be the last Forbidden Hollywood set

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Black Hat
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1644 Post by Black Hat » Fri May 06, 2016 7:30 pm

Just received volumes 8 & 9 of Forbidden Hollywood from Deep Discount and both were pressed. For some reason I thought I'd take a chance on picking up 4 the only one of these I had skipped and it was not pressed. The difference in quality between pressed and non pressed discs is stark. Amazing they charge you the same price for such an inferior product.

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Dirk
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1645 Post by Dirk » Fri May 06, 2016 10:29 pm

Black Hat wrote:Just received volumes 8 & 9 of Forbidden Hollywood from Deep Discount and both were pressed. For some reason I thought I'd take a chance on picking up 4 the only one of these I had skipped and it was not pressed. The difference in quality between pressed and non pressed discs is stark. Amazing they charge you the same price for such an inferior product.
When did you place your order for 8? When it was confirmed earlier on this page that 8 was still pressed from Deep Discount, their listing for 8 said it was on backorder. When it was available again, its price had risen to the same rate as 4-7 (and it's still currently there), which makes me wonder. I realize this must sound silly since I'm sure you just ordered it a few days ago but, well, it doesn't hurt to double check.

I just got 9 in as well today and while the discs were pressed, each disc featured a lighter, discolored blob area around the center. I'm sure they'll still play just fine but I'll find out soon enough.

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Black Hat
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1646 Post by Black Hat » Sat May 07, 2016 6:55 am

Placed the order last weekend.

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Dirk
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1647 Post by Dirk » Sat May 07, 2016 8:12 am

Black Hat wrote:Placed the order last weekend.
Awesome. Thanks.

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Ashirg
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1648 Post by Ashirg » Thu May 12, 2016 10:47 pm

Class Act (1992) is going from MOD release to pressed DVD from Warner in June. I think this is the first stand-alone title to get such treatment... Wish the choice was better...

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Minkin
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Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1649 Post by Minkin » Fri Sep 09, 2016 9:58 pm

Well thanks to this forum for not letting me know sooner that WB has finally released Traveltalks on DVD....R. I have finally ended my self-imposed ban on all DVD-R products, as this is something I could never pass up. Volume 1 came out in May and Volume 2 came out a couple weeks ago (there's enough shorts to fill four volumes, so I really hope they do all four, and not just kill the series like WB is so apt to do... Looney Tunes blurays).

Each volume has three discs and 60 shorts. Although it looks like Glimpses of Australia is repeated on both sets by mistake, that's a rather amusing short - as Fitzpatrick (the narrator / etc) really hammers in that Australia is some kind of "white man's paradise".

For any of you who haven't seen any Traveltalks (they play as filler on TCM between films) - they are astounding travelogues made between 1930 through the mid 50s. Seeing a Pre-WW2 world in technicolor is certainly a highlight. Its also incredible how much modernization has taken place in such a short span. The Netherlands films are one strange example - as it seems like everyone was still stuck in the 1600s there: even in 1950 (wearing traditional clothes, living off the sea, etc - and its not just some tourist act).

Of course Fitzpatrick can be terribly overly sentimental and very belittling of his subjects ("those native have no concept of a higher being like God"), but its part of the charm. He always ends the short "with reluctance we leave" and typically a shot of a sunset. He also really loves Niagara Falls for some reason.

A few highlights:

Romantic Nevada - A trip to Reno, which instead focuses entirely on the whole divorce culture that has arisen there.
Paris of Parade - a visit to the world's fair with some impressive architecture created by the various nations
Land of the Quintuplets - Some Canadian family gave birth to quintuplets which became a huge tourist attraction, its like a baby zoo.
Any of the National Parks shorts are fantastic as well.

So I can't recommend these shorts enough. It helps that I love travelogues, but there's enough charm and historical intrigue in these for anybody. I just don't know why it took WB so long to release them (other than a Kino VHS, or one added as a bonus feature here and there). Hell, they even released the Dogville shorts several years before this! Now if only we could get a Pete Smith collection.

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

Re: Warner Brothers Archive Collection

#1650 Post by Gregory » Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:23 pm

Thanks for the tip, as I'd overlooked these releases as well.
Minkin wrote:Well thanks to this forum for not letting me know sooner that WB has finally released Traveltalks on DVD....R. I have finally ended my self-imposed ban on all DVD-R products, as this is something I could never pass up.
If you avoid ordering them from Amazon, the initial runs of each set should be on pressed discs, like other WAC multi-disc sets, right?

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