WB Archive Collection: Discs On Demand!

[Ben]

But this isn't remastered, Eric, if you'd care to read again.

And they want to letterbox (or smilebox) The WWOTBGrimm, not de-letterbox it! That's the point!

[EricJ]

But this isn't remastered, Eric, if you'd care to read again.

Didn't say it was--Just saying that technically "Remastering" /= "Restoring", much though we've learned to associate the two.

(And yes, I'd hope fora Smilebox Grimm too, but it'd be more realistic to hope that we just get the TV/VHS one-projector print without black bars.)

[Ben]

I've never assumed a remaster was a restoration, that's why we have the two distinct words. I think with The Power, they couldn't even be bothered to remaster it properly, which would have meant a new print transfer at the very least. This is just the regular TV print, with all the scratches. Real shame...

Grimm's "black bars"? You mean the three-image "blends"? I didn't know there was a one-projector version - even the pan-and-scan copy I have off-air is clearly a three-image version. I thought all prints were like that, with only How The West Was Won and WWOTBG being the ONLY two films that NEVER had one-image versions, hence it takes so much money to "fix" 'em. Frankly, I think they would have had more success doing WWOTBG than HTWWW, since as a family title they had a bit more of the "classic" angle about it to promote.

Everyone knows HTWWW was a well made film, but it was also "worthy" and boring as anything!

[droosan]

I guess this should be filed under 'rumor' .. but there's a possibility that the Warner Bros 'censored 11' cartoons could be coming to Warner Archive, sometime next year.

[Randall]

Mark Evanier mentioned it on his blog today, too, though he didn't mention his source. Here are his thoughts on it:

http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2010 ... tml#019614

The Warner Archive program shows its worth again.

[EricJ]

Grimm's "black bars"? You mean the three-image "blends"? I didn't know there was a one-projector version - even the pan-and-scan copy I have off-air is clearly a three-image version. I thought all prints were like that, with only How The West Was Won and WWOTBG being the ONLY two films that NEVER had one-image versions, hence it takes so much money to "fix" 'em. Frankly, I think they would have had more success doing WWOTBG than HTWWW, since as a family title they had a bit more of the "classic" angle about it to promote.

That's the one, and unfortunately, the P&S "blend" version was only mastered for TCM in letterbox--meaning windowbox--and any attempt to update it for anamorphic would involve said money....At least that's what I heard last time it was asked at the HTF Chat.
(I remember seeing a "regular" print when MGM started reissuing their kiddie-matinees in the 70's, and always assumed that's the one that went to TV.)

And there's a sort of an unofficial hierarchy about which Cinerama classics rank first, and HTW3 was ahead of Ice Station Zebra and This Is, before getting to Grimm. Then the whole argument about Smilebox came out, and they'd gotten a bit stuck since then, with no updated word about This yet.

Mark Evanier mentioned it on his blog today, too, though he didn't mention his source. Here are his thoughts on it:
http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2010 ... tml#019614

That SOUNDS wishful enough to be urban fan legend (ie. a natural mutation of "SOTS as Disney Treasures"), but wouldn't mind being surprised.
Granted, I'd agree with Mark that "Coal Black" and "Tin Pan Alley" were the only funny ones in the C11 (unless they've since added "Which is Witch", "Horse Hare" and "Aviation Vacation"), but at least it'll keep down the requests.

[Ben]

The Censored 11 rumor would make sense, saying as WB did say they were "exploring ways the Censored 11 could make their way out there", or words to the effect at one of the last two HTF chats.

At least it'll be better than the bootlegs going around, even if it's still DVD-R!

[Randall]

Not so fast, says Warner Archive:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/10/12/cen ... s-not-yet/

[droosan]

That's why I'd figured it should be filed under 'rumor' .. an offhand comment from a booth staffer at NYCC is hardly equivalent to a press release.

But it does still sound as though such a compilation could happen, someday.

[GeorgeC]

Supposedly pristine private copies of "Coal Black" exist.

One of these was used for a nice transfer to VHS years ago.

I saw that copy in an Animation History class 12 years ago.

Rumor has it that "Coal Black" WAS restored preserved by Turner or WB in the off chance that people would stop being stupid about the film and let it get released again in public in a nice presentation. Not-a-rumor is a report that John K donated a personal 16mm copy the Hollywood-ASIFA Archive. (As if anybody has time to look at it there...)

Yes, it has some caricaturing in it but I've seen far worse in my lifetime... Heck, there are Black cartoonists who draw Blacks that way, too! I can remember the raking over the coals that Kyle Baker got for his drawing style in the Captain America story, "Truth." It. Was. Ridiculous.

People have to study history and understand the context in which things are made. We're oversensitized to the point that a good chunk of us are afraid to crack jokes OR completely lack humor... Current case in point: the furor over the trailer for the next Vince Vaughn movie. It's really, really stupid!

Maybe one day more people will understand after they actually see the film that the caricatures in "Coal Black" AND animation are so extreme that the film should not be judged solely on its model sheets. The vocal cast of the film was definitely in on the joke.

And so have most people who have actually seen the film.

[Ben]

Interesting to see that the You Tube link that the article links to has had more half the shorts taken down for "copyright claim by Warner Bros".

These cartoons coming to DVD is something that's definitely in the works...but WB just wants to do it right. I know that a documentary has been talked about to accompany the release, to provide context and historical info on the cartoons, and if that is still happening it could be too much for the budget if it's just for the Archives. So, it's tricky, but it will be done...somehow.

[GeorgeC]

Digital Bits today --

"Here's a cool bit of release news from the fine ToonZone website that our own Todd Doogan (and a couple other readers) sent over: At New York Comic-Con this past weekend, Warner had a booth on hand to promote their Warner Archive line. The studio revealed that they're FINALLY going to be releasing "The Censored Eleven" on DVD via the Archive sometime in 2011. For those of you in the know, The Censored Eleven are a batch of vintage Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated shorts that haven't been seen since the late 1960s due to "offensive" content (including racist imagery and stereotypes, etc). They include Hittin' the Trail for Hallelujah Land, Sunday Go to Meetin' Time, Clean Pastures, Uncle Tom's Bungalow, Jungle Jitters, The Isle of Pingo Pongo, All This and Rabbit Stew, Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, Tin Pan Alley Cats, Angel Puss and Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears. That's certainly good news for fans of rare and vintage animation. We always hate it when a studio tries to sweep its past warts under the rug. In our opinion, it's best to just air them out and address them head on. Make it a learning moment, or what have you. "



*******

I've seen over half of these.

All of them can be found on the Net if you know where to look --

(I was a bad boy and found out where to find them!)

The only one that's worth a darn is "Coal Black" because it's a genuinely great animated short. It's one of the best made during World War II and AAA Bob Clampett.

"All This and Rabbit Stew" is just not good Bugs Bunny, young Black hunter or not. I hesitate to call it wretched because the animation is not bad but it's full of mean stereotypes and just isn't good Bugs. "Coal Black" has fun with stereotypes and isn't mean-spirited. "Rabbit Stew" has been available on VHS releases and a DVD here and there for some time now. Circulated copies of this are in generally better shape than "Coal Black."

[droosan]

I received the Night Court: season 4 DVD set from the Warner Archive today.

Unfortunately, the audio on the first episode is 'out-of-sync' with the video. It's actually slightly amusing, since a group of ventriloquists is on trial.

Luckily, the rest of the disc doesn't exhibit this problem.

[droosan]

♫ Josie's on a rock-et ride .. launching on Warner Ar-chive! ♪

[Randall]

Yep, starting to love Warner Archive...