This may be of some interest. Looney Tunes on DVD according to this site, Warner Brothers has 4 prototypes and have surveyed DVD owners as to their preferences.
The Golden Looney Tunes Collection. Gimmie!! The Looney Tunes Hit Reality?? Please, WB don't waste your money.
I agree. It's embarrassing to think that WB even thought about stooping to such a level that they think they need a topical title to sell these classics. They should issue them all responsibly and thoughtfully, and then later package them with titles like "Hit Reality" for the "K-mart" Shopper. Box sets should be pakaged by decade or director.
I like the idea of the tin but for practicality it would have to be the slipcase. The more discs the merrier All the best - Andrew
Awful chintzy on the cartoons, aren't they? After all, 14 seven minute cartoons are just 98 minutes. The 2-disc Goofy set has (I believe) about 46 cartoons... and extras.
I have a problem with the tins, too (don't I sound like a grump!) What's up with putting those same old crappy snappers in a collectible tin? Oy!
I just hope they are not edited. Maybe they'll do two versions - one restricted and one for the kiddies. Gimmie the originals, uncut and unedited!!!
I was thinking the same thing. Anything less than what Disney is giving us in the tin sets is gonna be a disappointment. One hopes that Warners will do a "regular" line for the kids - maybe just the more popular cartoons and few extras - and an upgraded line for collectors that includes the more obscure shorts, extras, etc. But from the "poll" that was posted, I'm starting to fear the worst...
From what I understand, the proposed "Hit Reality" disc isn't a collection of vintage shorts, but a newly-produced video parodying reality TV. One has to hope that something like that is planned in addition to titles featuring the classic stuff, not in lieu of them. Actually, it wouldn't surprise me if Warners eventually came out with a multi-pronged campaign like RDK suggests, with different packages being marketed to different audiences.
Jerry Beck's toon site is helpful concerning progress on projects like this; I emailed awhile back asking about Warner's toons, and the first ones are due very late this year - no mention of how many discs/how many toons per disc Warner's will be issuing; Jerry can't give out too many details as he's a consultant. Even better news is that Tom and Jerry/MGM material will get the upgrade treatment for release in 2004 - those 2 Tom and Jerry's out now on DVD are from extremely worn prints - I can't wait for nonscratchy T&J's! As to by the decade or director comp ideas - Warner's probably would sell a lot more single or double discs than 10-15 disc decade sets - Warners cranked out a ton of toons every year, and that adds up fast. I'm curious about how the "banned" toons like the WW2 related shorts or Coal Black will be handled...
I thought the banned stuff was being issued through the Bosko Video co., or was that just the WW2 army videos?
My WW2 reference was to the shorts like Bugs Bunny's encounters with some dated caricatures of Hitler/Hirohito/Japanese soldiers, as well as Coal Black and a few others - they're referred to as the "Banned 11" or some such name (Coal Black, Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips etc.). The SNAFU toons are most likely public domain since they were produced for the Armed Forces (with mighty dated references to military hardware) - the Bosko site listed above has a DVD with alla the SNAFU shorts from Warners lot, but alas, no Coal Black or other elusive toons... I'd like to see them because I love animation and the progression/speed up of the pacing as the years go by - I figure I'm a grown-up and can decide what I oughta watch; perhaps Warner/Time-Life could do up a DVD of those toons and only sell it via Time-Life's online site - a boy can dream...
If you look around, you can find some used VHS copies of varying quality - "The Wartime Years" I think it was called, anyway it had Leonard Maltin on it was very good. No "Coal Black", though. The LD owners here can tell you which ones made to the 12" format.
Uncut and unedited - Now here's the puzzle: WB has to decide who are they going to make more profits (in this time of depression), the nostalgic wants of an adult market or will they regard them as any other cartoons and assume they are for kids, and need to have them edited and PC. At least its a good thing Disney doesn't owner LTs, or they would be. I find it hard to believe they would release both versions, WB would get scared that kids may buy the wrong version, they might get sued by some group, etc. The only way it will get released right is some head of WB (some buckaroo) will understand the history of the LTs and insist they be released as they are, otherwise I don't see it happening. I myself will have to live with the fact that I have over 700 of them (out of over 1000) across 16 - 6 hour VHS tapes and just enjoy them like that. Unfortunately, non of the banned ones.