Film nerds of the world, rejoice! Earlier this week Warner Bros. announced that it would open up its vaults and make more than 150 of its back-catalog movies available on DVD by special order for $19.95 a pop (plus shipping; they can also be downloaded for $14.95 each). It’s actually a surprisingly clever move considering that DVD sales are down across the board and the studios are now scrambling to find new revenue streams to fill the gap. But is there anything worth coughing up 20 bones for?
Well, since the announcement, we’ve had some time to peruse the dusty on-demand offerings. And while there’s no doubt plenty of junk, there’s also more than a few interesting curios and lesser-known vintage titles with big stars that should get TCM addicts and Hollywood junkies drooling (to see the list for yourself, go to www.WarnerArchive.com).
After the jump, a few of our highlights…
All Fall Down — An early Warren Beatty film (pictured) directed by JohnFrankenheimer and costarring Eva Marie Saint from 1962, right after hisstar-making turn in Splendor in the Grass. Beatty’s 1966 jet-setting comic caper Kaleidoscope is also on the list.
Clark Cable — At my count, there are a dozen Gable films on thelist, with costars who could give it as well as they took it, such asLana Turner, Joan Crawford (including the stand-out, 1931’s Possessed), Norma Shearer, and Myrna Loy.
Mr. Lucky — One of a handful of Cary Grant films beingpulled out of the mothballs, this one from 1943 (other titles starringMr. Smooth include Crisis, Dream Wife, Once Upon a Honeymoon with Ginger Rogers, and Room For One More.
Lost gems (and semi-gems) — 1971’s L.A. drug saga Dusty and Sweets McGee, a pre-Godfather Francis Coppola flick, The Rain People, Noel Coward’s 1931 wit-fest Private Lives with Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery, Budd Boetticher’s 1959 Randolph Scott oater Westbound(which features the tagline: "Hellbound for vengeance for the flamingredhead who betrayed him!"), and four Greta Garbo titles.
And finally there’s some genre treats for trash lovers like Jim Brown and Lee Van Cleef’s 1970 Mexican western El Condor, Robert Altman’s 1968 NASA dud Countdown starring a young James Caan and Robert Duvall, Burt Reynolds’ underrated 1973 western The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing from cult director Richard C. Sarafian (Vanishing Point), 1975’s cult pulp adventure Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, Robby Benson’s 1977 coming-of-age basketball flick One on One(with an easy-on-the-eyes Annette O’Toole and a killer performance fromG.D. Spradlin as a sadistic coach), and Rob Lowe’s fish-out-of-waterrowing epic (yes, epic!) Oxford Blues, costarring Ally Sheedy.
Come on, that last one’s worth 20 bucks easy.
Are there any Warners Archives titles you’re planning on buying?
Beyond the Forest (w/Bette DAvis)
Night School (1981)
Deadly Eyes (1983)
I’ve got to say that’s a terrible site. Unless I’m blind, there’s no search function and the only way you can see what movies they have is by scrolling through dvd covers? Lame and inconvenient.
I had no problems navigating the site-select ‘view all’ and the 150 titles are displayed. Also, a great feature lets you check the video quality of the film. Warners are to be congratulated for this ground-breaking move, and hopefully the other studios will follow suit. Waiting impatiently for Elizabeth Taylor’s films from the 50s: Beau Brummell, Raintree County, Rhapsody, The Girl Who Had Everything, and an official transfer of The Last Time I Saw Paris – thanks, Warners!!
I only recognized five titles. However, I would think that it would be advantageous if user comments could help sway cinephiles towards the truly undiscovered treasures.
Here’s hoping Christmas faves _Remember the Night_ and _The Cheaters_ are WB titles.
The other problem is when I purchased a on line movie, although the prompt said my payment did not go thru and to try again, when I checked my account it debited me twice. I called and e-mailed Warner’s help line. No response from the e-mail, and the help line said “sorry, but we’re working on it.
I wonder if TCM will try to get those movies.
I purchased “One Trick Pony”, starring Paul Simon. Was looking for that one, and it was nowhere to be found.
Agree about the site — I had the same problem in terms of being told the payment never went through, even though I received an email confirmation. Very poor technical start. Otherwise, love this service…
Hurray! Been waiting for Robby Benson’s WB basketball classic ONE ON ONE to be re-released on DVD for years. Just in time for March Madness! Robby Benson was one of the very few real athlete actors and plays great — he wrote the screenplay, too. ONE ON ONE was the first film to to take on mega buck college sports and how they mishandle athletes… and the young Annette O’Toole is a knock out as his tutor! Warners finally got it together — just hope the quality of Warners Archives disc’s are good and they do need to improve their site or they are wasting their treasures and our time!
C’mon Warner Brothers… If you plan on releasing goodies from the vault, where the hell is FREEBIE AND THE BEAN? This is James Caan and Alan Arkin at their comic best, a price less Buddy-Cop comedy from the 70′s! Get on with it!!!
Still waiting for “You’re a Big Boy Now”
What do they mean by 16×9 Full Frame? Black bars on the side? I fear these may look like garbage on my 52 inch flat screen.
I think what they are doing is cool, but disappointed that some movies (Little Drummer Girl for example) are not in their original aspect ratio.
If they get “Westward the Women” I would order it in a heartbeat!
“Under the Rainbow” – the 1981 film with Chevy Chase and Carrie Fisher that was about all the little people who were staying at a hotel while filming “The Wizard of Oz”…so un-PC but also hilarious!
hey, spring is cooming! good post there, tnx for popwatch.ew.com
Movie I really really want a never on dvd is!!!
#1 Curtains 1983
#2 The Mutilator/Fall Break 1985
#3 Night School/Terror Eyes 1981