The Warner Archive has really ramped up the releases of it's impressive stockpile. Every new batch of releases is full of fan favorites and includes an eclectic grouping of revered films and cult classics. Each announcement confirms just how diverse its library is, and how the the powerhouse studio has developed with the tastes of the public. And these new release maintain that tradition.
TEX AVERY SCREWBALL CLASSICS: VOLUME 1 (1943-51) is a new HD Master From 4K Scans of Archival Elements. The manic master of madcap animation gets his long overdue home entertainment upgrade (from the LaserDisc days, no less) on this simply sumptuous, eye-popping animation anthology lovingly crafted from the very best available sources. Already an acknowledged master of the craft to the point where his name was enough to market his shorts, Tex was always more concerned with finding ways to push the envelope of animated theatrical shorts in search of ever bigger grins and guffaws, than building himself as a name brand like that other guy. From the groundbreaking Red Hot Riding Hood through the verbal/visual virtuosities of Symphony in Slang to everyone's favorite deadpan canine, Droopy, these animated classics look better than ever and await a chance to amuse and astound animation adorers. The collection includes: Red Hot Riding Hood; Who Killed Who?; What's Buzzin Buzzard?; Batty Baseball; The Hick Chick; Bad Luck Blackie; Garden Gopher; The Peachy Cobbler; Symphony in Slang; Screwball Squirrel; The Screwy Truant; Big Heel-Watha; Lonesome Lenny; Hound Hunters; Red Hot Rangers; Dumb Hounded; Wags To Riches; The Chump Champ; and Daredevil Droopy. But be warned, the Tex Avery Screwball Classics is intended for the adult collector and may not be suitable for children. Although, I do remember catching some of these cartoons when. I was young and TV was still very lenient in its content.
A LITTLE ROMANCE (1979)
Director George Roy Hill and the then newly formed Orion Pictures surprised and delighted 70s cinema-goers when they served up this sleeper hit about first love, drenched in surefooted charm and sweetness. Diane Lane (in her film debut) and Thelonious Bernard play a pair of 13-year olds who fall under the spell of Paris, and a sweet little old man played by the legendary Laurence Olivier. He tells the tween couple that a kiss shared under Venice's Bridge of Sighs at sunset creates an unbreakable bond, which inspires them to go on a European odyssey in search of the great prize of enduring love. Location, mise-en-scene and cinematography all conspire under Hill's direction to place you in this film's spell. I personally was unable to appreciate the premiss until I was well beyond being a tween.
VICTORY (1981)
John Huston directs a worldwide line-up of superstars in a rousing variation on the prison film - or even sports film for that matter. Huston raises the stakes considerably, placing the action inside the confines of a WWII POW camp. Max von Sydow plays the Nazi commander who commissions an Axis versus Allies soccer match. Michael Caine leads the Allied team as captain, with Sylvester Stallone as the requisite American. Joining them on the field are some of the greatest footballers the globe has ever seen, including Bobby Moore, Osvaldo Ardiles, Kazimierz Deyna, Paul Van Himst, Mike Summerbee, Hallvar Thoresen, Werner Roth and the greatest of them all, Pelé. I remember seeing this in grade school and loving it!
GUYS AND DOLLS (1955) Back on Blu-ray!
Hollywood legends Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons and Frank Sinatra are simply dazzling in this Frank Loesser (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) masterpiece. Featuring hits like "Luck Be a Lady" and "A Woman in Love," this smash film version of one of Broadway's most popular musicals is guaranteed entertainment even for the most discerning cinephile. Who couldn't use a little old fashioned entertainment once in awhile?
So, break open your wallet, access your PayPal, or charge up that credit card, because the Warner Archive has a group of new releases you'll want to add to your collection right away.