Comments on: The Warner Archive: First Impressions

By: TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

TCM’s Classic Movie Blog — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:02:17 +0000

[...] (1944) and Anthony Mann’s The Tall Target (1951). After my first purchase, documented here, I’ve tried to stay away from the service, what with its un-restored prints and overpriced [...]

By: Kurt

Kurt — Sun, 17 May 2009 05:01:52 +0000

Just read that TCM and Movies Unlimited are going to be selling the Warner Archive titles. Does anyone know if these will be the same “burned” DVD-R transfers or will they be professionally stamped discs?

By: Kurt

Kurt — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:50:55 +0000

I am ecstatic over the new Warner Archive. What a brillaint concept. So far I’ve purchased four titles (Interrupted Melody, So This Is Love, Honky Tonk and This Woman Is Dangerous) and I’m anxiously looking forward to the next list of 20. My one disappointment is that the discs will not play on a machine that is a player/recorder. I feel that at $20 a pop they should play on all equipment. I understand that distributors are afraid of piracy but there are already sites on line where many of these titles are available for less having been burned from copies made off TCM. Folks willing to cough up $20 are true collectors and not terribly interested in making a killing in the mailorder DVD market. Oh well, at least I’m able to play them on another machine in what I now call my “Theatre East”

By: R. Emmet Sweeney

R. Emmet Sweeney — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:02:28 +0000

Thanks for all the info, everyone.

And Joe, I didn’t see the broadcast myself, but from talking to someone who has, it appears that “Lovers and Lollipops” was squished in 4×3. I think they aired an anamorphic master without unsqueezing it for 4×3. So probably just a mistake and not an indication of future 16×9 screenings. I have not spoken with anyone from TCM about this, but this is my understanding of what happened.

And if you are the Joe Dante who directed the wonderful “Matinee”, among so many others, then many thanks for stopping by! I’m a great admirer of your work. And if not, thanks for reading anyway!

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:43:48 +0000

I watched PRIVATE LIVES earlier this week and was quite pleased with the quality, considering its 1931 vintage. There were a couple minor visual glitches, and yes, restoration probably would have sharpened up the images some, but on the whole I thought it was a very good print. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

There are definitely pros and cons to the program but on the whole, I join Raquelle in being an optimist about the Archives. The ultimate ability to own any desired film in their library is a dizzying thought…

Best wishes,
Laura

By: Joe Dante

Joe Dante — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:24:01 +0000

Is it just my tv, or are we watching, on April 8, the first TCM broadcast of an anamorphically squeezed movie (LOVERS AND LOLLIPOPS) that can be unsqueezed on 16×9 tv screens?!
Is this intentional, and does it look squeezed on regular 4×3 monitors?
In any case it looks pretty darn good on my 16×9 Sony, and might be the answer to TCM’s reluctance to broadcast in HD (since so much of the library has yet to be upconverted).

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:45:09 +0000

Have a feeling that Warners will be getting a lot of feedback soon, since initial orders from the “Archives” are starting to arrive in mailboxes. Like you, I went for a triple dip: Scaramouche (1923), The Big House and Wichita. Of the two early titles, Scaramouche looks fine (sounds fine too, with the rich TCM-sponsored music score), but The Big House was problematic, looking pretty fuzzy, like an old VHS. Closeups were okay, but group and long shots simply don’t have the quality you expect from DVD … and the prison riot scenes really NEED that clarity! Of course I’m comparing with other Warner DVDs (vintage MGMs from their Forbidden Hollywood and TCM Archives series, etc.), always a treat to see pristine quality prints (I have a video projector, so like to replicate a “theater experience”!). But apparently, some of the titles being offered in the Warner Archive are simply dusted from old video masters (replete with a long-abandoned Turner logo). Scaramouche was never issued on video before, so I guess it comes from a fresher source, and as you indicate, Wichita looks fine in anamorphic widescreen. There’s a review over at DVDTalk.com for Private Lives (1931), which appears to have the same issues as The Big House. Also notice that the Warner website has posted a disclaimer on all the Archive titles, noting that these films have “NOT been remastered or restored”, so I guess they’re aware of the issue. Of course I’m grateful that these titles are available, but feel that the price tag will probably deter me and many DVD collectors from spending too freely for titles which simply don’t have at least the quality standards that we’re used to. At any rate, my next order will probably avoid early 30’s titles until I hear more feedback (Bhowani Junction sounds like a good bet in widescreen!). P.S. Once Upon a Honeymoon was released as a Region 2 DVD in the U.K., and the quality looks about as good as the screen grabs you provided.

By: R. Emmet Sweeney

R. Emmet Sweeney — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:37:31 +0000

Thanks for the info, Al. I think I might dip into the Walshes.

And s.w.a.c., I think Warner is working on international shipping. In a chat with the Home Theater Forum, a Warner rep said it should be happening “soon”. Whatever that may mean…

Chris, I agree. Blu-Ray is going to be far worse that Standard Def in the scope of their releases, because films without flawless mastering material will be much tougher to sell. Hopefully downloads will be the solution down the line…

Raquelle, I’m not as hopeful as you are, but I’d be happy to be wrong. ClassicFlix.com claims that they’ll have 115 of the Archive series available to rent. For some reason they cut off films made after ’69.

By: Raquelle

Raquelle — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:05:29 +0000

I think the Warner Bros. Archive is going to revolutionize the DVD business and really going to expand the canon of films accessible to classic film fans like myself. Although, I wish they would be available on Netflix. I like to watch a film before I buy it.

By: Chris in Vegas

Chris in Vegas — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:18:53 +0000

What I still find both depressing and unbelievable is that there are films starring the likes of Cary Grant that aren’t available today. When a popular actor like him isn’t fully represented, what chance does an actor or director or studio who isn’t as well followed have?

I guess this is why I still have a VHS player, and a tape player, and… you get the point. By the time a lot of these show up on dvd, the next big technology will level the playing field again.