Columbia Classics

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Ashirg
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Columbia Classics

#1 Post by Ashirg » Sat May 16, 2009 10:10 am

I think it needs it's own forum now. Just look at what's in the pipeline. Titles can be found at Amazon and Deep Discount DVD.

06/09/2009 - The Jack Lemmon Film Collection
06/16/2009 - The Three Stooges Collection, Vol. 6
06/16/2009 - The Strange One
07/14/2009 - Film Noir Classics: The Collector's Choice (maybe a re-package of previous releases)
08/04/2009 - Icons of Screwball Comedy, Vol. 1 (If You Could Only Cook, Too Many Husbands, My Sister Eileen (1942), She Wouldn't Say Yes)
08/04/2009 - Icons of Screwball Comedy, Vol. 2 (Theodora Goes Wild, The Doctor Takes a Wife, A Night to Remember (1943), Together Again)
08/18/2009 - Toho Collection: Icons of Sci-Fi (Mothra, The H-Man, Battle in Outer Space) - Vote for the cover here!
08/18/2009 - Husbands
09/15/2009 - The New Hollywood Box Set
09/29/2009 - The Sam Fuller Film Collection (The Crimson Kimono, Underworld USA and Scandal Sheet)
10/20/2009 - Night Of The Creeps
10/20/2009 - The William Castle Film Collection
11/03/2009 - The Film Noir Collection V.01
11/03/2009 - The Film Noir Collection V.02
11/03/2009 - The Rita Hayworth Film Collection
11/10/2009 - A Study in Terror
Last edited by Ashirg on Tue May 19, 2009 8:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Antoine Doinel
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#2 Post by Antoine Doinel » Sat May 16, 2009 10:29 am

Each of those three Toho covers are awful and look like something you would pick up in a WalMart bargain bin.

Tolmides
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#3 Post by Tolmides » Sat May 16, 2009 10:50 am

What's going to be in this Rita collection? Do Sony have the rights to Strawberry Blonde and Tales of Manhattan?

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oldsheperd
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#4 Post by oldsheperd » Sat May 16, 2009 12:47 pm

Any clue as to what is going to be in that William Castle Box?

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What A Disgrace
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#5 Post by What A Disgrace » Sat May 16, 2009 1:01 pm

Tolmides wrote:What's going to be in this Rita collection? Do Sony have the rights to Strawberry Blonde and Tales of Manhattan?
Being produced by Warner Bros. pretty much eliminates the beautiful possibilities of Strawberry Blonde getting a non-DVD-R release.

It'll most likely have Only Angels Have Wings, Angels Over Broadway, Cover Girl, Gilda and The Lady From Shanghai.

Tolmides
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#6 Post by Tolmides » Sat May 16, 2009 4:46 pm

So what's a WB release doing in a Sony DVD lineup?

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What A Disgrace
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#7 Post by What A Disgrace » Sat May 16, 2009 6:16 pm

...I believe the point I was trying to make is that Strawberry Blonde is probably *not* going to be released in that set, since this is a Sony release and it is a Warner film.

Of course, if it is, I won't complain.

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What A Disgrace
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#8 Post by What A Disgrace » Sat May 16, 2009 8:29 pm

You know, I wonder, is it at all possible that Sony could try to collect the silent films of Frank Capra somewhere down the line? That Certain Thing, The Matinee Idol and Submarine are pretty enticing.

AfterTheRain
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#9 Post by AfterTheRain » Sat May 16, 2009 9:16 pm

God, I hope that Salome is in the upcoming Rita Hayworth set. That movie desperately needs a DVD release badly.

zombeaner
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#10 Post by zombeaner » Sat May 16, 2009 9:39 pm

oldsheperd wrote:Any clue as to what is going to be in that William Castle Box?
I wish I knew, but at $73, let's hope it is a bunch!

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oldsheperd
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#11 Post by oldsheperd » Sat May 16, 2009 11:41 pm

I'm just going off the top of my head but I would gather that Mr. Sardonicus, Homicidal and Straight Jacket might be part of the Castle set?
There was one great Castle film I saw a long time ago with the guy who plays The Professor from Gilligan's Island. I forgot the name.

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solaris72
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#12 Post by solaris72 » Sun May 17, 2009 1:18 am

Saw a terrific documentary on Castle at last year's Maryland Film Festival, hope that's in the box.

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domino harvey
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#13 Post by domino harvey » Sun May 17, 2009 1:29 am

TCM just, as in fifteen minutes ago, aired a very crisp looking print of Castle's noir-ish the Houston Story, a Columbia title that was followed by a new Sony logo. So I imagine it pops up somewhere in this lineup... not that it's worth crossing fingers for or anything but still

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knives
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#14 Post by knives » Sun May 17, 2009 1:33 am

I hope the set comes with an extra explaining the gimmicks that went with each release and some sort of simulation of it. Being able to mostly reproduce The Tingler experience is one of my favorite things about it.

Tolmides
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#15 Post by Tolmides » Sun May 17, 2009 2:16 am

What A Disgrace wrote:...I believe the point I was trying to make is that Strawberry Blonde is probably *not* going to be released in that set, since this is a Sony release and it is a Warner film.

Of course, if it is, I won't complain.
Oh sorry, my mistake. I misread you as saying the Rita box was coming from WB.

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Ashirg
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#16 Post by Ashirg » Tue May 19, 2009 8:54 pm

Updated with Icons of Screwball Comedy Vols 1 and 2 coming on August 4th
Icons Of Screwball Comedy, Vol. 1
Frustrated over his loveless engagement and a board of directors that ignores him, a wealthy auto magnate (Herbert Marshall) agrees to pose as the husband of an unemployed chef (Jean Arthur) so they can apply as a married butler-and-cook duo for a mobster (Leo Carrillo). Marshall gets tips from his own butler but trouble arises when he learns that Arthur is a disaster in the kitchen, in If You Could Only Cook (1935). Then, Arthur has Too Many Husbands (1940), starring as a young woman who finds herself the object of affection of two men:her current hubby (Melvyn Douglas) and the man (Fred MacMurray) she believed was dead. Rosalind Russell and Janet Blair star as sisters who move from Ohio to New York City to succeed as a writer and stage actress, respectively, coming across a succession of wacky characters in the process, in My Sister Eileen (1942). Brian Aherne co-stars. And, Russell stars in She Wouldn't Say Yes (1945), a delightful comedy about a fiercely independent psychiatrist who insists she has no need for romance until she's charmed by one of her patients (Lee Bowman), a shell-shocked combat artist. Standard; Soundtrack: English; bonus short Ain't Love Cuckoo (1946). Two-disc set.
Icons Of Screwball Comedy, Vol. 2
First, Theodora Goes Wild (1936) is a classic screwball comedy with Irene Dunne as the writer of a steamy best-seller who uses a pen name so she doesn't rile the residents of her small town. Sophisticated Manhattan artist Melvyn Douglas takes a liking to her, joining her at home, where he poses as a gardener, then in the Big Apple, where he must face his politician father and estranged wife. Next, thrown together by chance, medical school teacher Ray Milland and would-be novelist Loretta Young play at being married, only to discover they'd like to try it for real, in the frothy comedy The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940). Brian Aherne and Young star in the comedic whodunit A Night to Remember (1943) about a mystery writer who tries his hand at romance novels, but gets the sleuthing bug once again when a corpse turns up in his backyard. Finally, Together Again (1944) stars Dunne as the mayor of a small Vermont town whose burgeoning romance with a big-city sculptor (Charles Boyer) is threatened by everything from local gossip to Dunne's daughter (Mona Freeman) who believes Boyer is interested in her. Standard; Soundtrack: English; bonus short Screen Snapshot, Vol. 18, #10 (1938). Two-disc set.

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domino harvey
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#17 Post by domino harvey » Tue May 19, 2009 9:01 pm

Looks good and let's be clear what's happening: Even freaking SONY is outpacing Warners this year!

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Jeff
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#18 Post by Jeff » Tue May 19, 2009 9:19 pm

domino harvey wrote:Even freaking SONY is outpacing Warners this year!
Sony is outpacing EVERYONE (except maybe Criterion) this year.

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Dr Amicus
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#19 Post by Dr Amicus » Wed May 20, 2009 4:17 am

A Study in Terror!! Far from a great film (from what I remember - although I have read recently a few very positive reviews) but I'll be buying it for my Mum because it has Barry Jones in - he was her cousin.

Not the usual reason to hunt down a DVD, but still.

Oh - and she loves murder mysteries as well

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Ashirg
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#20 Post by Ashirg » Fri May 22, 2009 1:04 am

The rest of the titles announced.
The Film Noir Collection, Vol. 1
A San Francisco detective traces a series of seemingly random killings to a sharp-eyed loner who uses his rifle as a means to exact deadly revenge on the women who have rejected him, in The Sniper (1952). Adolphe Menjou, Arthur Franz, Gerald Mohr star. Four college pals plot to rob a casino in Reno just to prove it can be done, in 5 Against the House (1955), but their plan to return the money is threatened when one of them intends to keep it for himself. Brian Keith, Guy Madison, Alvy Moore, Kim Novak star. Then, when a mother and her young daughter unknowingly destroy a stash of heroin, a pair of hit men must keep them alive long enough to explain it to their boss, in The Lineup (1958). With Eli Wallach, Robert Keith. Finally, Murder by Contract (1958) is a gritty, atmospheric drama starring Vince Edwards as a professional hit man hired to kill a woman who is about to turn in evidence against the seedy mobster he works for. Caprice Toriel, Phillip Pine, and Herschel Bernardi co-star. Also includes The Big Heat (1953).

The Film Noir Collection, Vol. 2
First, Pushover (1954) stars Fred MacMurray as a detective who gets mixed up with the hot-to-trot girlfriend (Kim Novak) of a suspected bank robber, leading to a world of deception and double-crosses. Phil Carey, Dorothy Malone, E.G. Marshall co-star. A man falsely accused of robbery and murder goes on the run, persuading the woman he loves and an insurance investigator to help find the real culprits and clear his name, in Nightfall (1957). Aldo Ray, Brian Keith, Anne Bancroft star. The Brothers Rico (1957) finds a former Mafia accountant pulled back into the dangerous world of organized crime when he learns that the Mob and the cops are looking for his brother. With Richard Conte, Dianne Foster. And, an escaped convict comes into possession of a deadly radioactive substance, in City of Fear (1959). Can the authorities track him down before it either kills him or destroys all of Los Angeles? With Vince Edwards, Lyle Talbot, John Archer. Also includes In a Lonely Place.

The Rita Hayworth Film Collection
A British theatrical troupe continues to perform during the London blitz, in Tonight and Every Night (1945), a sprightly, song-filled drama that features Rita Hayworth as an American singer who falls for an RAF pilot. With Leslie Brooks, Janet Blair; songs include the title tune, "The Boy I Left Behind," "Cry and You Cry Alone." Next, Salome (1953) is a revisionist retelling of the Biblical story, starring Hayworth as the princess who performs the seductive Dance of the Seven Veils in an effort to save the life of John the Baptist. With Judith Anderson, Stewart Granger, and Charles Laughton as Herod. And, Hayworth stars as a bawdy playgirl on a Pacific island after WWII whose encounters with a hypocritical minister (Jose Ferrer) lead to violence, in Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), a musical vers ion of a short story by Somerset Maugham. Songs include "The Heat Is On," "Hear No Evil, Seek No Evil," "Blue Pacific Blues." Also includes Cover Girl and Gilda.

The William Castle Film Collection
Gimmick king William Castle added a "Fear Break" before the climax of Homicidal (1961), a gender-bending horror tale about a woman who pays a hotel bellhop to marry her, then murders the justice of the peace before fleeing to a sinister mansion where she plots to gain a family inheritance. Jean Arless (aka actress Joan Marshall), Glenn Corbett star. Next, Mr. Sardonicus (1961) tells of a greedy 19th-century count whose face froze in a grotesque grimace after he defiled his father's grave to retrieve a winning lottery ticket. Guy Rolfe, Audrey Dalton, Ronald Lewis star. A mild-mannered college professor finds an ancient amulet that can make people move in slow motion, and when enemy spies learn about it, a hilarious chase ensues, in Zotz! (1962). Tom Poston, Julia Meade, Jim Backus, Margaret Dumont star. And, The Old Dark House (1963), Castle's spin on the J.B. Priestley novel, follows an American car salesman to a spooky old Welsh estate where the members of an eccentric family begin to get picked off one by one. Poston, Robert Morley, Janette Scott star. Also includes The Tingler, 13 Ghosts (1960), 13 Frightened Girls!, and Strait-Jacket (1964).

mogwai
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#21 Post by mogwai » Fri May 22, 2009 1:15 am

Wow! All these great releases, plus the licensing of films to Criterion! Sony is on a roll this year.

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Cold Bishop
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#22 Post by Cold Bishop » Fri May 22, 2009 1:19 am

Never seen 5 Against the House, but vol. 1 looks amazing.

Nightfall and Lonely Place are essential, of course. City in Fear is a nice minor film, but not nearly as great as its premise should be (Speaking of which, wouldn't Sony own Most Dangerous Man Alive?). Don't know the other two.

Jonathan S
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#23 Post by Jonathan S » Fri May 22, 2009 2:52 am

Cold Bishop wrote:Never seen 5 Against the House, but vol. 1 looks amazing.
I saw 5 Against the House again recently, and it was even weaker than I recalled - it barely qualifies as noir at all, let alone a good one (it's very slackly directed, with mostly "flat" camerawork). The first two-thirds are mainly college boy comedy and romance, then it goes into routine heist thriller mode. One of the main characters is definitely in the noir tradition, and it determines the plot development, but that's about it.

I agree all the other titles are worthwhile, and some are excellent of course, though I'd rather not have the double-dips (even if the transfers are further improved) at this price - $60 before discount for five films (including a double-dip in each). The Screwball Comedy collections at $25 per four-film set are much better value!

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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#24 Post by HarryLong » Fri May 22, 2009 9:44 am

I'll certainly be picking up the William Castle collection if only to get a chance to watch THE OLD DARK HOUSE again -- and in color! Haven't seen this puppy since it was released in theaters. I keep hearing how awful it is, but I'd like a chance to judge for myself & it hasn't made an abundance of TV showings over the years ...

Any idea why the press releases reduce the big titles in each collection to also-ran status(Also includes THE BIG HEAT ... Also includes GILDA ... etc.)?

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Matt
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Re: Sony classic lineup for the rest of the year

#25 Post by Matt » Fri May 22, 2009 10:45 am

HarryLong wrote:Any idea why the press releases reduce the big titles in each collection to also-ran status(Also includes THE BIG HEAT ... Also includes GILDA ... etc.)?
Because anyone who wanted those movies already has the existing discs that came out 8-9 years ago.

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