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Posted: |
May 22, 2014 - 2:26 AM
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By: |
manderley
(Member)
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Nobody seems to have commented on this yet, so I must:
Warners has done a really nice job on the Blu-rays of GYPSY and BILLY ROSE'S JUMBO, and I hear the HIT THE DECK transfer is beautiful too, so I'm really looking forward to this one.
Certainly not the greatest of the Minnelli/MGM musicals, but the cast is excellent, the performance of the songs beautiful, and the art direction, costumes and photography quite colorful and exotic.
It should be spectacular on Blu-ray and is a wonderful, unexpected surprise for those of us who still love these kinds of films. (The 1944 MGM KISMET, though with only a few, relatively undistinguished songs, is also an entertaining film of its sort, and the production, in 3-strip Technicolor is also quite spectacular. It would have been nice for WB to put both films on one Blu-ray, but I feel certain they haven't done that. Too bad.)
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And the great Jack Cole choreographed both MGM versions, plus the Broadway stage musical.
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Well, I added it to my Amazon shopping cart, and will finalize it when I can think of something else to add to wipe out the shipping. Haven't thought about "Kismet" in ages. (Added the soundtrack for "The Martian Chronicles" and finalized it.)
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What was truly RIGHT and RIGHTEOUS about "Kismet" is the resoundingly glorious music treatment provided by the MGM Music Department under the baton of Maestro Andre Previn. The score is sublime and the performances by the MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus are among the best I have ever heard.
My favorite orchestrations from any MGM musical, with the possible exception of THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN.
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Posted: |
May 22, 2014 - 9:36 PM
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By: |
philiperic
(Member)
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Nobody seems to have commented on this yet, so I must:
Warners has done a really nice job on the Blu-rays of GYPSY and BILLY ROSE'S JUMBO, and I hear the HIT THE DECK transfer is beautiful too, so I'm really looking forward to this one.
Certainly not the greatest of the Minnelli/MGM musicals, but the cast is excellent, the performance of the songs beautiful, and the art direction, costumes and photography quite colorful and exotic.
It should be spectacular on Blu-ray and is a wonderful, unexpected surprise for those of us who still love these kinds of films. (The 1944 MGM KISMET, though with only a few, relatively undistinguished songs, is also an entertaining film of its sort, and the production, in 3-strip Technicolor is also quite spectacular. It would have been nice for WB to put both films on one Blu-ray, but I feel certain they haven't done that. Too bad.)
I am with you, manderley -- this is a great choice for Blu-ray - and the '44 version would definitely be a great "bonus" -- hopefully next sale at WB Archives, I will order HIT THE DECK + KISMET.
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Posted: |
May 22, 2014 - 11:27 PM
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By: |
manderley
(Member)
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Nobody seems to have commented on this yet, so I must:
Warners has done a really nice job on the Blu-rays of GYPSY and BILLY ROSE'S JUMBO, and I hear the HIT THE DECK transfer is beautiful too, so I'm really looking forward to this one.
Certainly not the greatest of the Minnelli/MGM musicals, but the cast is excellent, the performance of the songs beautiful, and the art direction, costumes and photography quite colorful and exotic.
It should be spectacular on Blu-ray and is a wonderful, unexpected surprise for those of us who still love these kinds of films. (The 1944 MGM KISMET, though with only a few, relatively undistinguished songs, is also an entertaining film of its sort, and the production, in 3-strip Technicolor is also quite spectacular. It would have been nice for WB to put both films on one Blu-ray, but I feel certain they haven't done that. Too bad.)
I with you, manderley -- this is a great choice for Blu-ray - and the '44 version would definitely be a great "bonus" -- hopefully next sale at WB Archives, I will order HIT THE DECK + KISMET.
On various internet sites, a number of people have commented on the fact that BILLY ROSE'S JUMBO, HIT THE DECK, and now KISMET, are not the tip-top musicals MGM is known for, even though the production quality of the films (and the Warners Blu-ray transfers) is of the highest order.
But for me, having some of these "lesser-famed" musicals in Blu-ray transfers is a delightful and unexpected gift.
The famous and iconic musicals have already, or will be inevitably, released on Blu-ray, so it's especially nice to have these kinds of 2nd tier films in our hands before the Blu-ray era ends.
Others from MGM that I'd love to have on Blu-ray, and which don't have the iconic status of classics, include LES GIRLS, YOLANDA AND THE THIEF (particularly glorious in Technicolor), DEEP IN MY HEART, THE STUDENT PRINCE, ROSE MARIE, the 1952 MERRY WIDOW (also a Technicolor wallow), JUPITER'S DARLING, LOVELY TO LOOK AT, and THE TOAST OF NEW ORLEANS, among many others.
There are, of course, so many "possibles" in this group of vault films, that it will be interesting to see what reaches us, if the releasing process continues. I'm sure, however, that much will depend on how successful the sales figures are for films falling into these categories. So, if you love them, you'll have to support them like I'll be doing.
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My Amazon pre-order has been in since last week. Looking forward to it.
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Posted: |
May 27, 2014 - 12:58 PM
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By: |
Ron Pulliam
(Member)
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There are, of course, so many "possibles" in this group of vault films, that it will be interesting to see what reaches us, if the releasing process continues. I'm sure, however, that much will depend on how successful the sales figures are for films falling into these categories. So, if you love them, you'll have to support them like I'll be doing.
It was my understanding, although I may be mistaken, that these Warner Archive Blu ray issues are made on demand. So, if that's true, sales won't really be an issue as they'll only press what they need to fill orders.
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Posted: |
May 27, 2014 - 1:37 PM
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By: |
CinemaScope
(Member)
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There are, of course, so many "possibles" in this group of vault films, that it will be interesting to see what reaches us, if the releasing process continues. I'm sure, however, that much will depend on how successful the sales figures are for films falling into these categories. So, if you love them, you'll have to support them like I'll be doing.
It was my understanding, although I may be mistaken, that these Warner Archive Blu ray issues are made on demand. So, if that's true, sales won't really be an issue as they'll only press what they need to fill orders.
I understand that the Archive Blu-rays are proper pressed discs (unlike the DVD's). I don't have any yet (but The Wind & The Lion is on its way). Kismet really isn't my thing, but it's on BBC2 tomorrow in HD so I'll have a look what it looks like. I hope Warner steps up their Archive releases, they really are sitting on a mountain of movies.
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Posted: |
May 27, 2014 - 5:07 PM
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By: |
manderley
(Member)
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There are, of course, so many "possibles" in this group of vault films, that it will be interesting to see what reaches us, if the releasing process continues. I'm sure, however, that much will depend on how successful the sales figures are for films falling into these categories. So, if you love them, you'll have to support them like I'll be doing.
It was my understanding, although I may be mistaken, that these Warner Archive Blu ray issues are made on demand. So, if that's true, sales won't really be an issue as they'll only press what they need to fill orders.
It's been said publicly that these Warners Archive BLU-RAY discs are pressed, and these 1 or 2 Archive Blu-rays a month are a great plus for the film collector market in terms of their reliability and quality.
Privately I think they feel that there are still enough bugs in the Blu-ray on-demand burning
system that they don't want to take chances on reliability. I would think the Blu-rays
are far more chancey to do as singles---even if it might work most of the time for them.
They probably don't want the issues of having to re-do the ones that don't.
Warner Archive has now fairly-well proven itself with the immediate reliability of the standard DVD-r burns so most people are happy with them and are buying them in greater numbers than when the company concept was begun 3+ years ago. (Fox, on the other hand, STILL has to learn about quality issues, screen ratios, and ancient VHS transfers to DVD. It's too, too sad, considering how much wonderful Fox film product is available in the library.)
The BIG elephant in the room for everyone (and it's not BILLY ROSE'S JUMBO), is how long the standard burned DVD-Rs will last and will still play properly.
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Posted: |
May 28, 2014 - 9:21 AM
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By: |
Ron Pulliam
(Member)
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Was the soundtrack issued on Ryko in the UK? Here, it was lavishly released on Rhino. These are the track listings:
1. Main Title(Not Since NIneveh Stranger In Paradise) - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra
2. Rhymes Have I - Howard Keel, Ann Blyth And Chorus
3. Fate - Howard Keel
4. Bazaar Of The Caravans - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra
5. Not Since Nineveh - The M-G-M Studio Chorus And Orchestra
6. Dabba (Stranger In Paradise) - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra
7. Baubles, Bangles, And Beads - The M-G-M Studio Chorus
8. I Am A Gardener - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra
9. Stranger in Paradise - Ann Blyth And Vic Damone
10. Gesticulate - Howard Keel,Dolores Gray, The M-G-M Studio Chorus
11. Bored - Dolores Gray
12. Fate - Howard Keel,Dolores Gray, The M-G-M Studio Chorus
13. Night Of My Nights - Vic Damone And The M-G-M Studio Chorus
14. The Olive Tree - Howard Keel
15. Rahadlakum - Dolores Gray, Howard Keel, Betty Wand,....
16. Marsinah Arrives At Castle/I'm In Love/Certain.... - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra
17. And This Is My Beloved - Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Vic Damone
18. Innocent Amusement (Medley: And This Is My..... - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra
19. Diwan Dances, Part One - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra
20. Diwan Dances, Part Two - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra
21. Drowning Scene/Sentence (Fate) - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra
22. Sands Of Time/End Title - Howard Keel
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Posted: |
May 28, 2014 - 11:25 AM
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By: |
philiperic
(Member)
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There are, of course, so many "possibles" in this group of vault films, that it will be interesting to see what reaches us, if the releasing process continues. I'm sure, however, that much will depend on how successful the sales figures are for films falling into these categories. So, if you love them, you'll have to support them like I'll be doing.
It was my understanding, although I may be mistaken, that these Warner Archive Blu ray issues are made on demand. So, if that's true, sales won't really be an issue as they'll only press what they need to fill orders.
It's been said publicly that these Warners Archive BLU-RAY discs are pressed, and these 1 or 2 Archive Blu-rays a month are a great plus for the film collector market in terms of their reliability and quality.
Privately I think they feel that there are still enough bugs in the Blu-ray on-demand burning
system that they don't want to take chances on reliability. I would think the Blu-rays
are far more chancey to do as singles---even if it might work most of the time for them.
They probably don't want the issues of having to re-do the ones that don't.
Warner Archive has now fairly-well proven itself with the immediate reliability of the standard DVD-r burns so most people are happy with them and are buying them in greater numbers than when the company concept was begun 3+ years ago. (Fox, on the other hand, STILL has to learn about quality issues, screen ratios, and ancient VHS transfers to DVD. It's too, too sad, considering how much wonderful Fox film product is available in the library.)
The BIG elephant in the room for everyone (and it's not BILLY ROSE'S JUMBO), is how long the standard burned DVD-Rs will last and will still play properly.
manderley
why are you concerned that these DVD-Rs will eventually not play properly ? Is there a precedent for this happening ? Warner Archive will replace defective discs - at no charge - and I imagine that this company will be around for many years.
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