WB Archive Collection: Discs On Demand!

[EricJ]

Not too many snappers left in the ol' Collection.

Only one left in mine, from 1990, and you'd THINK it'd get a decent Blu-ray by now.

(But I get all my Amazon shopping out of the way at the beginning of the month. I've waited thirty years for a WWOBG disc, I can wait another day or two.)

[Randall]

Well, I might as well be the one... There were no DVD snapper cases in 1990, as DVDs were not marketed until 1996, as you likely know. Perhaps you're referring to VHS clamshells?

I seem have 17 snappers left. For those who were not collecting in the late 90s, DVD snapper cases were used by Warner Bros. Home Video and Image Entertainment, and just about no one else. They were made of cardboard, but with a plastic tray that snapped the cases shut. Not a bad design, but they seemed less durable, and were phased out as the keepcase (Amaray or otherwise) became the standard.

(For the record, my remaining snappers: the soon-to-be-sold Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde double feature, Flash Gordon serials box set (3 snappers), Beany and Cecil, Smallville pilot, Presenting Felix the Cat, Batman: Mystery of Batwoman, Justice League: Starcrossed The Movie, Uncensored Bosko Vol. 1 & 2, tom thumb, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, Hanna-Barbera Popeye cartons, Hagar the horrible/Beetle Bailey/Betty Boop, Quest for Camelot, and an unopened copy of Tarzan and The Lost City!)

[Ben]

I would guess he means the movie is from 1990.

I never got the hate for snappers. Sure, they could sometimes be a tough little nut to crack open, but they were no different, really, to a digibook or slipcase cover's feel. The weird size of them does make them a little odd now, though, of course, but I never minded them much in the old days (yes, late 1996 onwards until the mid-2000s at least).

See…I told you it was worth waiting for that Jekyll And Hyde double feature to come to Blu…it was always going to happen. Shame it’s still not a double feature, but then it’s still just nice to have them, and I’d have probably kept my old snapper if I had it, as I have done with most of my old snapper discs. I may wait on this, as pretty sure they’ll combine them soon into a twofer edition.

I have too many to list here (including at least five of Randall's), but of the ones mentioned, I’d still love Cats Don't Dance on Blu-ray! They could do a double bill with Quest For Camelot. Yeah, I know, but it had a couple of nice moments, and it would make for a good value disc (or set).

[EricJ]

Well, I might as well be the one...

(Not you freakin' TOO, Randall... )

I would guess he means the movie is from 1990.

....YyyyyyYAH.

I never got the hate for snappers. Sure, they could sometimes be a tough little nut to crack open, but they were no different, really, to a digibook or slipcase cover's feel.

Except for the fact that cardboard was crushable, if you had a large vertical stack of them.

[EricJ]

(For the record, my remaining snappers: the soon-to-be-sold Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde double feature, Flash Gordon serials box set (3 snappers), Beany and Cecil, Smallville pilot, Presenting Felix the Cat, Batman: Mystery of Batwoman, Justice League: Starcrossed The Movie, Uncensored Bosko Vol. 1 & 2, tom thumb, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, Hanna-Barbera Popeye cartons, Hagar the horrible/Beetle Bailey/Betty Boop, Quest for Camelot, and an unopened copy of Tarzan and The Lost City!)

Oh, thanks ...Forgot about that one Uncensored Bosko Complete Private Snafu disc, from back when I only had half a dozen titles to my shelf.

Okay, two snappers--Snafu, and the Mel Gibson Hamlet, which you'd think the Archive would have given just ONE stinking little Blu upgrade. Maybe it's hiding in one of those cheap 3, 4, or 6-title Warner "Favorites" collections.

Oh, and a year or two ago, I got rid one of my last early-EARLY-days-of-DVD titles, that was still in CD jewel-case. Now I only have one left.

[Randall]

Sorry, Eric. I didn't catch your meaning there re: 1990. My apologies.

Though, I'm not sure now if you caught my "Uncensored Bosko" meaning. I got rid of the Snafu disc a while ago. But I still have the two volumes of the Looney Tunes Bosko shorts from, yes, Bosko Video and Image. Or maybe you understood, and it just reminded you of Snafu.

(Ah, good ol' Bosko Video! Those were the days, eh? I had their VHS tapes of Superman and their three volumes of Van Beurens (Tom & Jerry, Cubby, and The Little King). And I was blown away by their Flip the Frog trailers that began those tapes. Memories!)

[Ben]

Except for the fact that cardboard was crushable, if you had a large vertical stack of them.

Yeah…just like digipacks, digibooks and slipcovers: there’s no plastic case to protect what’s inside. (I still have my two copies of the Snafu disc, which had a nice double foldout if I remember rightly. My two copies differ in print quality: one is a "standard" edition, regular matt print and card, and the other is heavier stock with a glossy finish. I don’t know why or what the difference is, or why I have ended up with two copies, but I kept both for those differences.)

And how else do you store discs if not vertically? Do you mean horizontally? Even then the plastic edges on snappers, if lined up neatly, would protect against crushing. But who in their right mind would stack discs horizonta… Oh…

[Daniel]

September titles:

King Kong (1933)
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Rachel, Rachel

Ooh, Rachel, Rachel! Nothing for me really.

[Ben]

Kong? Really? Disappointing when this got a massive mainstream release already. And why not wait until the 90th next year!? Guess this is just a standard case redo rather than a new scan, though we can pretty much rule out a 4K next year since the original elements are long gone.

But, yeah…disappointing month, despite being good for my wallet when I’m looking at picking up three Masters Of Cinema titles (two of which I kind of technically already have!).

[Randall]

Yeah, we were all excited to hear on the next WA titles, after a skip month, and... this. Yep, easy on the wallet, at least. That's okay. I'm also eyeing those Eureka (UK) releases, which are much more exciting.

Looks like WA is still ramping up again after all the changes. At least we know we have Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde to look forward to soon.

[Ben]

Well, which one is it? Dr Jekyll or Mister Hyde!?

[Daniel]

October titles:

Mark of the Vampire (1935)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
Sweet Tooth: The Complete First Season (2021)

Nice vintage horror. Love them both.

[Randall]

Not sure I need the Mark upgrade, but I am certainly in for J&H.

[Ben]

Still waiting for the inevitable double feature, dammit!

[EricJ]

If it's the same disk (and with the Archive, it usually is), it's probably the previous double-feature, only listed as the '31 version for title space.