warner archive news

We get the "new releases" news every week via email, etc., and usually there is always something that goes onto my wish list. This time there is a significant release that will be good news to many classic film fans that I know. Warner Archives is releasing the Four Daughters series of films, and for the first time, all four will be available on DVD.

From the Press release:
"Four Daughters Collection (1938-41) Never before available on home video as a complete movie series collection, the beloved and celebrated Four Daughters series of films finally finds its way to DVD. A rarity for its era – an A-list film sequence of sequels – these widely successful films boast a sparkling array of diverse talents in front and behind the screen. Long sought after, the remaining three films finally join the original, which is also returning in a new, remastered edition. Note: Titles included in the Four Daughters Collection are also individually available.

FOUR DAUGHTERS Meet professor Adam Lemp’s four daughters -- and the men who love them. This sentimental and romantic favorite launched the series and John Garfield’s career.

DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS Should a daughter marry a footloose charmer who’s a lot like Dad? Director Michael Curtiz of Four Daughters reunites with Garfield, Claude Rains, the Lane sisters (Priscilla, Rosemary, Lola) and Gale Page in a follow-up tale of a family a lot like the Lemps.

FOUR WIVES The original filmmaker and cast again return – and the Lemp sisterhood finds new bonds in marriage and motherhood.

FOUR MOTHERS Will the Lemps lose the family home? Hard times give way to jubilant triumph in the endearing film that teams the Lane sisters and Gale Page for a fourth and final sister act."

There is a collection set available that Warner Archives is currently offering during a special sale, but all titles are also availble as stand alone DVDs. I've never seen the films myself, but know many people who love them and would be very happy to know that all four are now available. Just your humble servant passing along the good word...



I wouldn't win first prize if I were the only entry in the contest.

tcm watch...and more

A couple of 5-star worthy TCM news items to bring across the bow of the Shelf, and more from around the Shelf neighborhood:

You may already know that Turner Classic Movies is hosting their first annual TCM Classic Film Festival April of 2010 in Hollywood, CA. They will be presenting more than 50 classic films, and hosted by Robert Osborne- with many talks and special guests such as Leonard Maltin, Peter Bogdanovich, and Douglas Trumbull. News comes today that there will be several specials screenings. From the news release:
"spectacular events will include the world premiere of a newly restored edition of George Cukor’s music-filled 1954 drama A Star is Born; the North American premiere of a restored version of Fritz Lang’s 1927 science-fiction silent masterpiece Metropolis; and a 50th anniversary screening of the influential French classic Breathless, the film that launched Jean-Luc Godard’s career."
Especially note worthy is the first North American screening of the restored version of Lang's Metropolis. Last year a a 16mm negative was discovered in Buenos Aires that included an additional 30 minutes of footage that hasn't been seen since the films 1927 premiere in Berlin. A live orchestra will providing the music for the silent film classic. Hopefully news and details of a DVD release won't be too far behind.
Information on tickets, passes and the Festival, for anyone lucky enough to be out there, can be found at the Festival website.

For those of you who have been keeping up with the Universal library on made to order DVD through TCM archives collection, you may know that a film fans have been eagerly hoping will make it to DVD will debut on the TCM/Universal collection starting Friday Nov. 20th. Remember the Night, starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck is the story of a prosecutor (MacMurray) who finds himself falling in love with a shoplifter (Stanwyck) during a court recess at Christmas time. The rarely seen Christmas film will not only soon be available to fans on DVD, but it also is one of the headliners for TCM's Christmas movies throughout the month of December. Thursdays in December (including Christmas Eve, natch) will feature lineups of beloved holiday classics. Here is a listing of the Christmas film line-up that winds up with a special Sherlock Holmes marathon on Christmas Day (what TCM is unashamedly calling Holmes for the Holidays)
(a complete month schedule can be found on TCM.com)

The following is a complete lineup of TCM’s Thursday primetime and Christmas Day schedule:

Thursday, Dec. 3
8 p.m. – A Christmas Carol (1938), starring Reginald Owen and Gene Lockhart.
9:15 p.m. – Little Women (1949), starring June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh and Margaret O’Brien.
11:30 p.m. – Tenth Avenue Angel (1948), starring Margaret O’Brien and Angela Lansbury.
1 a.m. – 3 Godfathers (1948), starring John Wayne, Pedro Armindáriz, Harry Carey Jr. and Ward Bond.
3 a.m. – Hell’s Heroes (1930), starring Charles Bickford and Raymond Hatton.
4:30 a.m. – Bush Christmas (1947), starring John Fernside and Chips Rafferty.

Thursday, Dec. 10
8 p.m. – It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), starring Don DeFore, Ann Harding and Gale Storm. 10 p.m. – Fitzwilly (1967), starring Dick Van Dyke, Barbara Feldon and Edith Evans.
Midnight – Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), starring Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland and Lewis Stone.
2 a.m. – Susan Slept Here (1954), staring Dick Powell, Debbie Reynolds and Anne Francis.
4 a.m. – Little Women (1933), starring Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Paul Lukas and Frances Dee.

Thursday, Dec. 17
8 p.m. – Christmas in Connecticut (1945), starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan and Sydney Greenstreet.
10 p.m. – Holiday Affair (1950), starring Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh.
11:30 p.m. – Never Say Goodbye (1946), starring Errol Flynn and Eleanor Parker.
1:30 a.m. – Period of Adjustment (1962), starring Tony Franciosa, Jane Fonda and Jim Hutton.
3:30 a.m. – Beyond Tomorrow (1940), starring Harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith and Maria Ouspenskaya.

Thursday, Dec. 24 – Robert Osborne’s Christmas Picks
8 p.m. – Remember the Night (1940), starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray.
9:45 p.m. – Christmas in July (1940), starring Dick Powell and Ellen Drew.
11 p.m. – Chicken Every Sunday (1948), starring Dan Dailey and Celeste Holme.
1 a.m. – Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), starring Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Lucille Bremer and Mary Astor.
3 a.m. – In the Good Old Summertime (1949), starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson.
5 a.m. – The Shop Around the Corner (1940), starring Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart and Frank Morgan.

Friday, Dec. 25
7 a.m. – Little Women (1933), starring Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Paul Lukas and Frances Dee.
9 a.m. – A Christmas Carol (1938), starring Reginald Owen and Gene Lockhart.
10:15 a.m. – The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), starring Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan and Monty Woolley.
12:15 p.m. – Christmas in Connecticut (1945), starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan and Sydney Greenstreet.
2:15 p.m. – Little Women (1949), starring June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh and Margaret O’Brien.
4:30 p.m. – Holiday Affair (1950), starring Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh.
6 p.m. – Susan Slept Here (1954), starring Dick Powell, Debbie Reynolds and Anne Francis.

Friday, Dec. 25 – Holmes for the Holidays
8 p.m. – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Richard Greene and Wendy Barrie.
9:30 p.m. – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce and Ida Lupino.
11 p.m. – The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), starring Robert Stephens, Colin Blakely and Genevieve Page.
1:15 a.m. – Sherlock Holmes’ Fatal Hour (1931), starring Arthur Wontner, Ian Fleming and Jane Welsh.
2:30 a.m. – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Andre Morell and Maria Landi.
4 a.m. – A Study in Terror (1965), starring John Neville, Donald Houston, Georgia Brown and Anthony Quayle.

You can stay tuned to the Shelf for a upcoming review of the first wave of the Universal/TCM Archives set: Horror Cult Classics, and of Remember the Night!

From some of our blogging neighbors:

Laura, our friend of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings fame, reports on a recent interview with Warner Home Video's George Feltenstein and the state of the Warner Archives program. Feltenstein offers that Warners will be making improvements to the DVD on demand library and program, perhaps, as Laura Mused, because of the newly created Universal/TCM Archives DVD on demand program. If so, that is a great thing- and may lead to other studios presenting their own form of DVD on Demand (Fox- I keep staring at you!) And if one were to compare- the Universal/TCM effort hands down is leading out of the gate in terms of print quality, extras an everything fans have come to expect from DVDs. Warners has the vast selection and titles- we just want you to up the game a bit. And George, you are a Classic Film Fan's hero- keep bringing your skill and knowledge to bear on the WB Archives and up the quality. Please read Laura's post - it's very informative and makes some dead-on observations - and has a link to the interview.

The inimitable Ivan at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear takes a look at those childhood heroes of mine, Rocky and Bullwinkle, who turn 50 years young today!

Shelf favorite, and constant object of adoration, the Self-Styled Siren as demonstrated why we admire her so much- she has been able to achieve every classic film fan's dream and programmed a film series for Turner Classic Movies. In January of 2010, TCM will present Shadows of Russia: a month long look at the many images of Russia and Communism through the lens of Hollywood. How it all came about is up on her site (and reading her recent take on rewatching The Bicycle Thief is well worth your time as well. )

Finally- several bloggers have noted and posted on the 100th anniversary of wonderful actor Robert Ryan, and deservedly so- in addition to being fantastic in so many noirs, his subtle ability to make any character breathe life hard is evident in so many other roles. Some of the best tributes read came from another Shelf favorite and regular read, The Classic Maiden and the bloggers over at TCM's Movie Morlocks.

That's all for today Shelfers- please stay tuned for more news and reviews and of course, more Thanksgiving 2009 celebration!



Oh my, yes. My life is just one long round of whoopee.

more treasure at treasure island

Good news for those of you watching the news about Warner Archives that we've discussed ad nausem here. The next wave has been released, with about 15 new titles, including several Randolph Scott westerns and some older Katherine Hepburn titles. The title I am most excited about is the release of The Mad Miss Manton with Henry Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck (prior to their Lady Eve pairing) and Sam Levene. That one definitely shot up on the Shelf "must have" list. All but one of the titles are pre-1960s and our pal Laura has listed all of the new releases over at her Miscellaneous Musings.

Now the extra good news is that Cinema Retro is reporting that there is currently a special offer that the kind folks at WB Archives are running, where if you click on the banner (available at Cinema Retro) and buy 2 titles, you can receive a third title free, using the promo code Spitfire. To be honest, I don't know if the code alone will suffice or not, but to be safe go over to Cinema Retro and enter the WBShop by clicking the promo banner there at this link: Cinema Retro: WB Promo.

Happy Classic Viewing and stay tuned to the Shelf, we have a special TCM tribute coming up and a DVD review of the recent special edition release of The Robe.



Miss Manton, I don't know what your game is but I know this - either your education or your spankin's been neglected. Now I can't do anything about spankin' ya, or can I?

happy 85th warner brothers!

This year marks 85 years of movie making for Warner Brothers Studios. They've come a long way from small beginnings with 4 brothers to the special effects blockbusters of today. They were one of several innovators and investors in sound technology, helping to push Hollywood towards sound features. Recently, WB announced they were going strictly Blu-Ray, turning another page in the ongoing changes in technology in entertainment. While the future may hold something different for us in how we watch movies, I'm fairly certain they will include great films and animation made by the many stars, animators, directors and producers of Warner Brothers.
To celebrate Warner Brothers has announced their plans for 2008, which include some re-releases and new to DVD titles and box sets. Each quarter is themed in a way, and will see the release of certain titles. Here is how the quarters will break down:

Q1 - Oscars and Warner Gangsters
Special Editions, Ultimate Collector's Editions:
Bonnie and Clyde UCE, Special Edition
GoodFellas: Special Edition
Heat: Special Edition*
Once Upon a Time in America: Special Edition
True Romance: Special Edition
Re-released box sets:
Film Noir Classics Collection: Volume 1
Film Noir Classics Collection: Volume 2
Film Noir Classics Collection: Volume 3
Film Noir Classics Collection: Volume 4
Warner Bros. Gangsters Collection Vol.1
Warner Bros. Gangsters Collection Vol.2 (formerly tough guys)
New sets:
Bette Davis Collection Vol.3
Joan Crawford Vol. 2
Warner Brothers Gangster Collection Vol. 3

Q-2 Sinatra and Dirty Harry
Special Editions, Ultimate Collector's Editions
All of the Dirty Harry films in an Ultimate Collector’s Edition set
Dirty Harry 2-Disc Special Edition (1971)
Magnum Force Deluxe Edition (1973)
The Enforcer Deluxe Edition (1976)
Sudden Impact Deluxe Edition (1983)
Dead Pool Deluxe Edition (1988)
also a bonus Disc: Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
Rat Pack Ultimate Collector’s Edition
(Ocean’s Eleven, 4 for Texas, Robin and the 7 Hoods and Sergeants 3 with with an exclusive music CD and rare collectibles)
Repackaged or Re-released sets:
Frank Sinatra & Gene Kelly Collection:
(Take Me Out to the Ball Game, On the Town and
Anchor’s Aweigh)
New Sets
2 Frank Sinatra Box Sets:
Frank Sinatra:The Golden Years & The Early Years
(Containing the films: The Man with Golden Arm, None But the Brave
Some Came Running, The Tender Trap, Marriage on the Rocks
Double Dynamite, Step Lively, It Happened In Brooklyn and
The Kissing Bandit)

Q3 – Superheroes, Musicals, Westerns
Special Editions, Ultimate Collector's Editions:
Batman Begins Limited Edition Gift Set
Batman Anthology BD
How The West Was Won UCE, Special Edition
An American in Paris SE
Gigi SE
New Box sets:
Errol Flynn Westerns
Western Classics Collection
Classic Musicals From The Dream Factory Volume 3
(Including: Hit The Deck, Kismet,Deep in My Heart, Broadway Melody of 1936, Broadway Melody of 1938, Born to Dance, Lady Be Good, Nancy Goes To Rio and Two Weeks With Love)

Q4 - Horror/Sci-Fi and Holiday
Special Editions, Ultimate Collector's Editions:
A Christmas Story Ultimate Collector’s Edition
New Box sets:
Classic Horror collection with Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre
A New Warner Bros Holiday Collection

Warners also announced that there will be 50 new to DVD titles to come out this year including: All This And Heaven, Too, The Beast With Five Fingers, Black Legion, Brother Orchid, Deception, Flamingo Road, Gold Diggers Of 1937, Inside Daisy Clover, Kid Galahad, Lady Killer, The Mayor Of Hell, Night Nurse, None But The Brave, Pete Kelly’s Blues, San Antonio, Thank Your Lucky Stars, Three On A Match, Virginia City and Watch On The Rhine.

There will also be additional titles released from other film catalogs that Warners owns such as films from RKO and MGM.

To top it all off, Warner, in partnership with the American Masters series on PBS is presenting a new six hour documentary about the 85 years of Warners entitiled: You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story produced, written and directed by Richard Schickel and narrated by Clint Eastwood. You Must Remember This will first be presented on American Masters in September, 2008. The documentary will be released on DVD in September 2008 alongside a 550-page full-color companion book written by Schickel and George Perry, with an introduction by Eastwood.

Although this press release comes from Warner Brothers, and I've confirmed the contents of some of the sets with them, that doesn't necessarily mean that there can't be surprises along the way. As always, we'll keep you informed. So plan accordingly and stay tuned!



Thank God for film. It can capture a performance and hold it right there forever. And if anyone says to you, "Who was he?" or, "Who was she?" or, "What made them so good?" I think a piece of film answers that question better than any words I know of.

dvd review: shakespeare collection

I'm going to probably bring some of you down "school memory lane" with this one. Did your teacher bring out some of the classic films while you studied Shakespeare in English class? Mine did. And I took to it, like a duck takes to water. I've told you before I have a theater background and brief film/commercials background, so Shakespeare is something I love and enjoy. But even I have to admit I'd rather watch it than read for class. I've been in several Shakespeare productions, and I have to tell the language is tough and it requires discipline and talent to really pull it off. And when it comes together just right it is something special.

Wait a minute- maybe you didn't watch Shakespeare or even read his stuff in class. I hope you did, but I'm hearing from some high school graduates, now college students, who tell me their teachers never even so much as suggested they read Shakespeare. Pitiful. The difficulty of the language is a lame excuse, read some plays- get some guidance (after all isn't that what English teachers are for?) and once you read the first few, you'll start to get the hang of it.

Or better yet watch some of the great Shakespeare films. Like the ones in the Warner Brothers Shakespeare Collection that came out August 14th. Is the set good? Is it worth your hard earned money? Will Shakespeare (ha!) lovers like it, or even more important, will those new to the bard like it and find a new interest. Read The Shelf's review of the Shakespeare Collection and find out!

The Hard Facts:
Shakespeare Collection
Four Discs in individual keepcases
Studio: Warner Home Video
Black & White (some extras in color)
Full-frame
Original Studio: WB, MGM, National Theatre (UK)
Release Date: Aug. 14, 2007
Rated: PG-13 for Hamlet, NR for rest
Stars: various



Backgound:
Disclaimer: WB was not able to send us a review copy of one of the films in the set, Hamlet. Therefore the review will be based on the other three films.
Over the years film makers have gone back to Shakespeare's plays not only for inspiration, but even to adopt as source material. Silents like King Lear in 1916 were only the beginning. Type in any handful of plays and you are likely to get dozens of different adaptations per title. It's easy to understand why; Shakespeare's stories are not only universal but the themes transcend time. Human frailties, fears, passions and trails are found in all of them. Film makers all the world over have made films from Shakespeare's plays. Hollywood has made many a good one and included in this set are a couple of adaptions of perhaps Shakespeare's better known plays.

The Films:
I'm not going into the full synopsis of each of the plots into the reviews, most Shakespeare fans will know them already and those new to the plays and films really need to watch.

Included in this set is Kenneth Branagh's 1996 version of Hamlet (which we did not review), Max Reinhardt's famous 1935 production of A Midsummer's Night Dream, the 1936 production of Romeo and Juliet and Lawrence Olivier's 1965 production of Othello.

A Midsummer's Night Dream (1935):
Director: Max Reinhardt
Stars: James Cagney, Olivia De Havilland, Joe E. Brown, Dick Powell, Jean Muir and Mickey Rooney

Max Reinhardt put on a legendary production of A Midsummer's Night Dream at the Hollywood Bowl in 1934. All of Hollywood's who's who came to see the film, including Jack Warner. Warner convinced Reinhardt to come to Warner Brothers to commit his production to film. He came and brought at least two of the original stars to reprise their roles: Mickey Rooney and Olivia De Havilland, in only her third film. The production was different for Warner Brothers, who's biggest draws have been gangster films up until now. But this film would add a touch of class and professionalism to the studio that Jack Warner felt it needed. Even if it didn't make money (which it did), securing Reinhardt was a coup for the studio and for Jack Warner in particular. The film won two Academy Awards: Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing.

Mickey Rooney as Puck could be a bit annoying at times, but put in a fine performance nonetheless. Dick Powell was miscast as Lysander, but most everyone else does a great job in the film. Standout performances include Olivia De Havilland as Hermia, Victor Jory as Oberon and Jean Muir as Helena. Although the choice of James Cangey was criticized, he proved to be quite good when allowed to show off his comedic talents. Warner Brothers actually pulled off a win with Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh and Hugh Herbert rounding out the rest of the "good players" who put on the riotous play Pyramus and Thisby for Theseus. All in all, a wonderful film, and an excellent introduction to the play. The print was also outstanding. The last VHS print I saw was terribly dark. Being able to see this restored print, enables you to see all of Reinhardt great touches for the film.

Extras include: Commentary by film historian Scott MacQueen, Screen test for Olivia de Havilland, Original short made for the premiere: A Dream Comes True, gallery of 6 teaser trailers showcasing cast members, Warner Bros. Studio Café teaser trailer, musical short Shake Mr. Shakespeare and the theatrical trailer.

Romeo and Juliet (1936):
Director: George Cukor
Stars: Morma Shearer, Leslie Howard, John Barrymore, Edna May Oliver, and Basil Rathbone

In the wake of Warner's success with Midsummer, MGM's Irving Thalberg pulled a different Shakespeare stage success to adapt for the screen. Romeo and Juliet is, along with Hamlet, perhaps the most famous of Shakespeare's plays. MGM had no shortage of stars, but they stuck with tried and true screen icons for this one. Leslie Howard played Romeo. George Cukor was brought in to direct and it perhaps surprised no one that Thalberg's wife, Norma Shearer played Juliet. At the time the film premiered MGM's screen teen lovers has a real life combined age of 75 years old. In fact the whole film was cast that way. Most of the actors are really old for their parts, but the acting is still first rate. John Barrymore plays a wonderful Mercutio (whom he had played before), C. Aubrey Smith portrays Capulet, Juliet's father. Basil Rathbone turns in a particularly hard edged performance as Tybalt and Edna May Oliver is a raucous Nurse to Juliet. The movie was excellent and the actors present a fuller understanding of the language, but at time it's difficult to suspend the fact that the actors portraying the teenage lovers are really too old for their parts. Aside from that, the acting is first rate, especially with standouts Barrymore and Edna May Oliver, whose portrayal of the Nurse is one of the best in the film. New comers to Shakespeare and to classic films may find the film a bit stale and the overall direction of the drama too straight forward and stilted. Classic film fans will enjoy the cast and the performance, and lovers of Shakespeare will appreciate one of the better performances of the language- they might even turn on the audio only and sit back and enjoy the actor's wonderful handling of the script. One sad side note: this was the last film the Irving Thalberg personally produced. He died the same year it was released.

Extras Include: Vintage short Master Will Shakespeare, Classic MGM cartoon Little Cheeser and the the theatrical trailer.


Othello (1965):
Director: Stuart Burge
Stars: Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Frank Finlay and Derek Jacobi.

This film may be the most difficult for some audiences. It is one of Shakespeare's most powerful films, with themes of jealousy, betrayal, rage, love and deceit that are all too human. It has been one of the most filmed of all of Shakespeare's plays, and yet perhaps one of the hardest to truly capture on film in the way it deserves. One of favorite adaptations is Orson Welles' 1952 version which always divides critics.

Olivier, one the 20th centuries most renowned actors, tackled Shakespeare on film many times. In the 1960s, he and the National Theatre had a critically acclaimed production of Othello in the UK. When the opportunity to film it came, Olivier wanted to make it seem like an actual stage production as much as possible. Most of the play was included for the film. So what comes across is one of the more traditional theatrical performances of Shakespeare to be captured on screen. The cast is terrific: Maggie Smith as Desdemona, Frank Finlay as a particularly vicious Iago, Derek Jacobi as Cassio, Robert Lang as Roderigo, and Olivier as Othello. What may difficult for some audiences to get past is Olivier in fairly realistic black makeup as Othello (and one of the last actors to do this onscreen). It may be offensive to some, but no one can question Olivier's talent.

Extras Include: Vintage featurette Olivier Talks About Othello and the theatrical trailer.

Audio/Video:
The restoration of A Midsummer's Night Dream is a wonderful piece of work. It's great to see this film done right after languishing on VHS with an inferior print. Othello and Romeo and Juliet are excellent as well; crisp color for Othello and black and white for Romeo and Juliet. The audio is well done as well, and that's important when you are dealing with something like Shakespeare.


The Bottom Line:

Overall this is nice set for any fan of Shakespeare, although I would have like to have seen some more of the film adaptions that are out there to round out the set. While Hamlet is being marketed as the centerpiece of the set, I can't say much about the new two disc edition of that film (which I have seen before). That being said, for me the true revelation in the set is A Midsummer's Night Dream. A fine introduction to Shakespeare- black and white, dreamy, mystical, lyrical, and delightfully funny. If you don't care for Shakespeare, obviously this set probably won't make it to your shelf, but I think that everyone should at least give it a whirl. If you are a classic film fan I give it a hearty recommendation. Film is one of the best ways to introduce someone to Shakespeare, especially if it's done right. It allows someone to be able to see the action and hear the language. And as they hopefully read the plays, they will have an easier time visualizing the play and developing an ear for the language. See your English teacher knew a thing or two after all.

Review Rating:
Individually grading the films, they would earn the following:
A Midsummer's Night Dream = A
Romeo and Juliet = B-
Othello = + B

Overall rating: 4 stars (Groucho Glasses)(Handicap: Hamlet not included)







Lord, what fools these mortals be!

an embarrassment of riches

Ladies and Germs, I bear great tidings. Or more accurately, the great website, TV Shows on DVD bring us great tidings. The official announcement has been given that I look forward to every year: The new Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 5, will be released October 30th. There will be four discs, as usual, each dedicated to a theme. Disc 1 is set to be Bugs and Daffy. Disc 2 will be Fairy Tales, and disc 3 will be The Best of Bob Clampett. Disc 4 will be The Early Daze. Sounds intriguing, right? Check out the link to TV Shows on DVD for a complete rundown of all 60 shorts and extra features. Among some of the shorts I'm most looking forward to (who am I kidding? I'm looking forward to all of them) are: Ali Baba Bunny, Buccaneer Bunny, Stupor Duck, Bewitched Bunny, Tweety and the Beanstalk, Bacall to Arms, Scrap Happy Daffy and more Snafu cartoons. I'm also looking forward to one of the extras in particular; the inclusion of the full length documentary, Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens. Amazon is already set up for pre-order.

It all sounds great. You may see some fans quibbling about what is or isn't there. You won't hear any from me. I'm just glad to have more great Looney Tunes on DVD. I still remember the days of VHS, where you had a better chance of finding more Looney Tunes occasionally on television, than finding a bunch of them on Video. Video was mostly the same old, same old, over and over again. Not only that, we've got great classic Disney shorts, Popeye, Woody Woodpecker, Droopy and more on DVD. That was unheard of when I was a kid- in fact, owning any of them was an impossible dream. You'll forgive me if I shed a joyful tear when I think of the oath I swore as an eight year old dreamer: "One day I'm going to have all the cartoons and show them on TV when I want." To me, all this great classic and Saturday morning animation on DVD is an embarrassment of riches. And to an eight year old, a dream coming true.



Consequences, shmonsequences, as long as I'm rich.

dvd news you can use

Shelfers, let me shout it from the rooftops! It's a great day for film fans! Let me hear you say Amen! Today we have some great DVD news from Warner Brothers and Fox!

Warner Brothers
(Hat tip to Warner Home Video and DVD Times for pix and info)
Barbara Stanwyck: Signature Collection
Street Date: October 30th, 2007 (not yet available for pre-order)
First let me just admit how ashamed I am that I neglected Barbara's 100th birthday last week. But never fear, the fabulous Siren at the Self-Styled Siren didn't forget Babs and posted a great article and her own list of favorite Barbara performance. It's a great article, so don't miss it.
Our good friend Laura scooped the low down on the new Barbara Stanwyck Signature collection yesterday- please visit her site for her great article. Meanwhile Laura is gradually coming to enjoy more of Bab's earlier work -- come over to the dark side, Laura! Yes! Feel the power of the dark side! * Ahem* Excuse me, now where were we? Oh yes, Barbara!
The films included in this set are : Annie Oakley, East Side, West Side, Executive Suite, My Reputation, To Please A Lady and Jeopardy. The extras will include a couple of commentaries, many shorts and cartoons and several radio adaptations of the films. This was rumored to be a 100th Anniversary set, similar to the Katharine Hepburn set, but instead it will be part of the signature collection series. By the way I like the new look of the signature series, one that started with this year's Errol Flynn Vol. 2. Visit DVD Times for more info.

Burt Lancaster: Signature Collection
Street Date: October 30th, 2007 (not yet available for pre-order)
I am not the world's biggest Burt Lancaster fan. I don't like some of his films, and I know this will get me tarred and feathered by some Shelfers, who I know love ol' Burt. But none of this is to say that I don't like all of his films. Some I do like very much (Vera Cruz, for example- or his performance in Field of Dreams), and there are some films that I haven't seen. With that in mind, it's good news that WHV is releasing this new Lancaster collection in October.
Titles include: Executive Action, The Flame and Arrow, His Majesty O’Keefe, South Sea Woman and Jim Thorpe - All American. Extras will include the usual bevy of shorts, cartoons and trailers. I am particularly interested to see the Jim Thorpe film- it's a title many film fans have requested. I am also interested to see The Flame and the Arrow, a lighthearted swashbuckler film also starring Virginia Mayo. Visit DVD Times for more info.

Blade Runner

Street Date: December 18th, 2007 (not yet available for pre-order)
Now, if you listened to Geekerati last week (and you really should have been listening- but don't fear- there are archives), you would know how much the panel was looking forward to the Blade Runner release info that was coming from WHV at Comic-Con in San Diego. Well, we've got the lowdown from WHV, and you didn't have to fly to San Diego to get it!
Shelfers know how much I love Sir Ridley Scott's work (he is one of my favorite modern directors) and he has been working to create the ultimate release of his iconic film on DVD. Blade Runner was a great film and a very important film in the modern Sci-Fi era. It brought a new edge to the science fiction genre. The 1982 film starred Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hannah, Edward James Olmos and Sean Young, and was based on author Philip K. Dick's work, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? This new "Final Cut" version of the film will incorporate the best features and is the result of a dedication to bring the best version to DVD.

Scott himself said of the DVD: "The Final Cut is the product of a process that began in early 2000 and continued off and on through seven years of intense research and meticulous restoration, technical challenges, amazing discoveries and new possibilities. I can now wholeheartedly say that Blade Runner: The Final Cut is my definitive director's cut of the film."
There will be three versions:
A two disc Special Edition
A four disc Collector's Edition
A five disc Ultimate Collector's Edition
The two disc SE will include the Final cut version of the film plus Dangerous Days - a brand new, three-and-a-half-hour documentary, the definative look at the film, its influence and legacy. The four disc CE will include the SE discs plus 2 more discs that will feature several other versions of the film: the Theatrical Cut, the international version and the 1992 Director's cut. Also, the fourth disc will feature the Enhancement Archive, a lengthy set of special features including: featurettes that go in depth into the making of the film, promos, interviews, features on author Philip K. Dick, interviews with the author, deleted & alternate scenes, concept artwork and much more. For anyone that has the other Director's Cut or Extended Versions of Scott's films- you know that the features on these editions are informative, authoritative and extensive. The five disc UCE will include everything from the CE plus a bonus fifth disc with the rare and rarely seen workprint version of the film. It will also be packaged in a interesting way: an individually numbered limited edition replica of Rick Deckard's briefcase. It will also include: a lenticular motion film clip from the original feature, miniature origami unicorn figurine, miniature replica spinner car, collector's photographs and a signed personal letter from Sir Ridley Scott. Wow! If you can't find anything to love about these Blade Runner choices coming in December, then you aren't looking hard enough.

Fox
There are several titles forthcoming from Fox that I am excited to see. First up:
The Day the Earth Stood Still Special Edition. This 1951 classic by director Robert Wise is an inconic film that has been previously released, with a good commentary track and documentary. A new special edition is welcome news. Special features are unknown at this time, but with Fox's recent track record they should be excellent.
Also coming soon are some other special editions:
An Affair to Remember 50th Anniversary Edition
The Robe Special Edition
The Lodger
Also coming soon are some more musicals: With a Song in My Heart, Bloodhounds of Broadway, and The Girl Next Door.
Film Noir titles coming soon: Daisy Kenyon, Dangerous Crossing and Black Widow. Also it appears Boomerang! is back on track for wide release. That's good news. I was afraid that the Fox Film Noir series was off track for a while, but it looks like the train is still running.
One other item mention as coming soon at Fox is a box set: Ford at Fox. No titles have been mentioned yet. Could we see Tobacco Road, Submarine Patrol or The Prisoner of Shark Island? As always, when we know, we'll pass it on to you.

Also from MGM a box set due October 16, 2007: The MGM Holiday Classics Collection. The set includes: The Bishop's Wife, March of the Wooden Soldiers, and Pocketful of Miracles. Hopefully The Bishop's Wife will be remastered or at least transferred from a different print.

That's quite a bit of new for today. Stay tuned for more info and reviews as we get them. Coming soon will be this week's roundup, another review and a great article from Wolf. Same Shelf time, same Shelf channel.



I'm a tough old broad from Brooklyn. I intend to go on acting until I'm ninety and they won't need to paste my face with make-up.