Acid_Bath2

Is there a list out ther of which Universal titles have gone OOP? Because I missed some really good titles that I did not know were going OOP.

Just to list a few
Gleaming the Cube- $250.00
They Live- $80.00
Prince of Darkness- $50.00
DragonHeart- $40.00

And some of these movies you have to pay out the nose just to get them now....are any of these being re-released?

Looking for R1 titles only

adamblast

Universal seems to let all their stuff go OOP too easily... I don't get it... They're just too dumb to make money?? It's not like Disney, where their "moratoriums" are publicized gimmicks...

Besides their Universal Monster Collection, *all* of their old Monster double features seem to have gone OOP recently, when I wasn't looking...

Ghost of Frankenstein/Son of Frankenstein
Dracula's Daughter/Son of Dracula
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man/House of Frankenstein

etc -- about a dozen more...

As for your question, I'd love to say that they have specific plans for bringing out all their popular OOP titles again, but there's no evidence of that at all... It's ebay or nothing, unless you hear specific information about a given title...

ernestrp

The universal Monster titles and the double features went OOP about 1 year ago, I think.

dmichels

I can't seem to find it back right now, but I have read that "They Live" is going to be rerelease later this year.

cultshock

The Universal Monster titles will probably have a big re-release when their Van Helsing film is released next year (good thing, because I'm still missing a bunch)

Maryang Palad

Here's a list that I gathered. Note, this does not include Universal releases via Image (i.e. Prince of Darkness, They Live, etc.)


8 1/2 Women
Affliction
American Psycho (Universal/ R-Rated Version)
American Psycho (Universal/ Unrated Version)
Andrew Lloyd Webber Spotlight Performance Box Set
Apostle (Special Edition)
Babe (DTS)
Babe: Pig In The City
Battlestar Galactica
Beethoven's 2nd
Big Kahuna
Blood, Guts, Bullets And Octane
Buffalo '66
But I'm A Cheerleader
Cats
Classic Monsters Collection (Special Edition)
Classic Monsters: The Definitive Collection 3-Pack (Special Edition)
Creature From The Black Lagoon (Special Edition)
Dinner Game
Dracula (1931/ Special Edition)
Dracula's Daughter / Son Of Dracula
Dragonheart (Movie-Only Edition/ DTS)
Dragonheart (Special Edition/ Dolby Digital)
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial (Limited Special Edition/ Pan & Scan)
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial (Limited Special Edition/ Widescreen)
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial: Ultimate Gift Set (Limited Special Edition)
Eyes Of Tammy Faye
Frankenstein (Special Edition)
Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man / House Of Frankenstein
Friends And Lovers
Gods And Monsters (Special Edition/ Universal)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000/ 1-Disc Special Edition/ Pan & Scan)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000/ 1-Disc Special Edition/ Widescreen)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000/ Limited 1-Disc Special Edition)
I Married A Strange Person
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Rossini: Teatro Alla Scala
Invisible Man (Special Edition)
Jesus' Son
Last Night
Love And Death On Long Island
Madama Butterfly: Puccini: Herbert Von Karajan
Meet Joe Black
Metroland
Mr. Death: The Rise And Fall Of Fred A. Leuchter Jr.
Mummy (1932/ Special Edition)
Mummy (1999/ Special Edition/ Pan & Scan)
Mummy (Special Edition/ Widescreen/ 1999)
Mummy's Ghost / The Mummy's Curse
Mummy's Hand / The Mummy's Tomb
National Lampoon's Animal House
National Lampoon's Animal House (Collector's Edition)
NBA Finals: 2002 Official Championship
Notting Hill (Collector's Edition)
Phantom Of The Opera (1943/ Special Edition)
Playboy Asian Exotica
Playboy Best Of College Girls
Playboy Best Of Jenny McCarthy
Playboy Best Of Pamela Anderson
Playboy Freshman Class
Playboy Girlfriends #1
Playboy Girlfriends #2
Playboy Girls Next Door: Naughty And Nice
Red Violin
Scarface (Collector's Edition)
Shadow Of The Vampire (Special Edition/ Universal)
Shattered Image
Simple Wish
Son Of Frankenstein / Ghost Of Frankenstein
Stardom
Thursday (Special Edition/ Universal)
Tic Code
Two Family House
Ultimate Jordan
Werewolf Of London / She-Wolf Of London
Wolf Man (Special Edition)
X-Men: Phoenix Saga
X-Men: Reunion/ Out Of The Past/ No Mutant Is An Island
X-Men: Sanctuary/ Proteus/ Weapon X, Lies And Videotape

bboisvert

The reason that so many Universal titles are OOP is that you're dealing with 2 separate issues.

1. Universal was slow to realize the impact that DVD would have. Before jumping into the format, they licensed out about 60 of their titles to Image Entertainment. (They Live, This Island Earth, MS3K: The Movie, Flash Gordon, 16 Candles, Marx Brothers, etc.) When Image's license ended, those titles went OOP, and Universal has been fairly slow to re-release them... although they have been getting new editions of these titles out there. Fahrenheit 451, Silent Running, Andromeda Strain, and Midnight Run... to name a few.

2. Universal seems to have no issues with making their own titles OOP (classic monster films, Dragonheart, etc.) at the drop of a hat. Apparently, they plan some sort of major re-release of the monster titles, but that doesn't explain the random nature of the OOP-ness of them... nor the multi-year delay in a re-release. Especially for the later releases (like the lesser, double-feature titles).

3. Of course, all will be forgiven if they'll announce Special Edition releases of Babe and This Island Earth.

DiscGuy

DragonHeart special edition is still available from Columbia House Video (selection #2035301) for those who use their services.

sherm42

Isn't Animal House OOP?

myrdh

yes, covered on Maryang Palad's post under National Lampoon's Animal House.

markdclark43016

I have friends who have worked with MCA/Universal on some of their previous DVD releases (specifically, the Monsters Classics series). As a result, I hear different stories (some turn out to be true, others don't) through the grapevine.

The latest rumor I've heard is that MCA/Universal is considering selling or perhaps actively shopping its classic film library. This supposedly explains why the studio has allowed so many titles to go oop and is dragging its feet about reissuing them/issuing more library titles; they're leaving that to the discretion of the potential new owner.

If this is true, this might actually be good news for classic film fans. So far execs at Universal have shown little knowledge of, or interest in, their library titles. The new owners would have a vested interest in actively releasing and promoting films that Universal has been happy to let gather dust.

adamblast

markd -- If true, that would make an awful lot of sense. Not a happy answer for the short term, but it does seem a plausible explanation for their lack of product.

And yes, for the long term, I'd love to see their catalog in the hands of someone who actually cares about classic movies enough to give them prestige releases...

Not that it would ever happen, but imagine what cult marketers like Rhino or Anchor Bay could do with the Universal monsters...

cultshock

The way that Vivendi-Universal is hemorrhaging cash right now, I wouldn't be surprised if they are looking at selling some films to make some money. But I can't see them selling off the monsters (that would be like Toho selling Godzilla). They still make some money through their licensing of them.

markdclark43016

>>But I can't see them selling off the monsters (that would be like Toho selling Godzilla). They still make some money through their licensing of them.

Dutin

It would be nice to have a printable OOP list to have with me when I am searching a store.