DVD from Warner Archives 5/27/14
Men of the Fighting Lady was released by Warner Archives on May 27, 2014. Retail price is $18.74. Finally on DVD!
shareThis was a very good movie. I've caught it twice now on TCM channel, most recently this past weekend when it was part of their annual Memorial Day tribute. I'm glad to see that it is now available on DVD. Perhaps more people will get a chance to see it.
Yes, it's not bad. A lot of stars in what was little more than a B film.
shareDo these Warner Archives DVDs include much in the way of Special Features?
No, none. It's the film itself, period. Personally I don't have a problem with this. I don't usually get into most DVD extras anyway, and in any case the one important thing is just to get the movie in a good print, complete, intact, uncut and as it was made.
Warner Archives (WA) began the practice of major movie studios making high-quality DVDs of their films available via new and improved MOD technology. It's still the leader in the process, though in the past year they've diverted a lot of their effort toward dopey TV movies and cartoon shows instead of actual film classics. WA has even begun issuing a few films on Blu-ray. But the major benefit of the series is that it's provided films that otherwise wouldn't ever have come out on DVD. Their quality is generally excellent. They add new titles every week and hopefully they'll move back to a heavier schedule of releases of genuine classics before too long.
Columbia on its Sony Choice Collection and Fox via Fox Cinema Archives have followed the same route. Inexplicably, FCA has refused to issue most widescreen films in their proper aspect ratio, but instead in poor pan & scan prints, but lately this seems to be changing.
It sounds like you've never gotten a WA DVD. They have something around 1400 or so titles now in print. I highly recommend them. Go to WBshop.com and click on the link to Warner Archives to see a list of everything's that's available. I'm sure you'll find some good stuff.
Sorry if I'm telling you things you already knew!
Sorry if I'm telling you things you already knew!
Not to worry. That's all good information to know - for me or anybody else stopping by.
As far as special features, I can live with them, or without. I have seen some good DVD extras here and there in the past, but have seen utterly useless (or not very interesting) ones as well... I do like the 'deleted scenes' extras, as they are sometimes helpful to flesh out parts of a movie's plot or back-story that dummies like me couldn't quite figure out without seeing those extra scenes.
One trend, which I commented on earlier today, is that DVD rental outfits, like Netflix or Blockbuster, have been disabling the special features on rented DVDs, thus putting the burden on the renter to go and actually buy the DVD if he/she wants the full extra features experience. Also, I think a lot of studios (such as the Warner Archives you've mentioned) are deciding not to put the extra time and effort (and cost) into the extra features element of a DVD, as there isn't huge viewer interest in them in the first place. So I guess in the near future, DVD special features may be more of a rarity.
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Interesting about what rental outfits are doing, though not really surprising. You're right, a lot of standard DVDs have been released without any extras at all, sometimes without even scene selection, which is pretty basic. (On the WA and other MOD discs, there is no scene selection as such, but by pressing the arrow on your remote you can jump forward or back at ten-minute intervals.) Although recently I think there's been a bit of a return to having at least some extras on many discs.
Some of the commentary I've heard is so awful -- not to mention inaccurate -- that unless it's a film I really like I don't even bother listening to it. But sometimes "making of" featurettes, behind the scenes stuff and as you pointed out deleted scenes can be not only fun to watch but informative. Still, as long as I get the movie, everything else is, well, just an extra.
...that dummies like me couldn't quite figure out without seeing those extra scenes.
Hey, Zolotoy, you and I have crossed paths many times before, and if there's one thing you very definitely are not, it's a dummy. I've learned a lot from reading your posts and your opinions are always well-informed, interesting and fun to read. More than that, you've always been a great person with whom to exchange views and information, respectful and knowledgeable. If I helped out here with any useful info, it was my pleasure. share
I know what you mean about commentary tracks. I generally find them a bit annoying. However, it's been my experience that people sometimes come to these boards to rave (or rant!) about a commentary track on such-and-such a DVD, which can be useful in helping me decide if maybe I should bother with turning it on. I probably wouldn't, unless I've noticed that somebody here gave it a good recommendation and it sounded like it was legitimately worth listening to.
Anyway, thanks for the positive words, hobnob.
Regards,
Z
Yes, you're right, seeing IMDb comments about DVD commentary has often been a guide to whether it's worth listening to. Sometimes it might be worth hearing because it sounds so bad!
Per the very last word in your post above....
Z. Now that's another film whose commentary I haven't listened to!