The Bus

Last year, I was a big fan of the "Company Credits" section on IMDB as I could see what studios had rights to which movies. I needed to do it so I could do some research for HD and how it breaks up between HD DVD and Blu-Ray.

Anyway, at the time I remember African Queen not having any home video rights, so I guessed Fox would have the rights since they last owned the VHS rights. Or Sony, since UA is an MGM subsidiary.

Well, I had forgotten who owned what and went back today and saw this:

Distributors
Paramount Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

See for yourself.

So, here's hoping...

slop101

I wonder if there's a chance that Paramount would let Criterion handle the dvd as they have with a few other older Paramount films.

MScottM

Hate the cover art. Love the movie. I so hope that it wil be released next year.

aintnosin

Please, please, please...

IanUngstad

I would not be surprised at all if it was coming out via Paramount/Criterion. Paramount has sat on the film forever and had no plans of releasing it themselves in spite of many who asked. While it is a high profile film in terms of cinephiles, I don't know if I would say it's fanbase would be any bigger than say Ace In The Hole or Days of Heaven, both of which they pawned off (thankfully) to Criterion.

Criterion also seems to be going after the unreleased John Huston films as well...with Wise Blood coming next year. In spite of the fact that Tamara at Criterion said that she doesn't think they have plans for The Dead, I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up releasing that one from Universal as well.

Even if Paramount finally bites the bullet and put the film out themselves, I'll be happy.

dvd_luver

Paramount needs to pawn this and 1492: Conquest Of Paradise off to Criterion for release, both films they would probably be highly interested in acquiring. Robinson Crusoe On Mars, Days Of Heaven and Ace In The Hole all welcome editions to the CC catalogue through Paramount. Hope to see more of them released through Paramount/Criterion.

IanUngstad

A bit off topic, but any other Paramount titles that are unreleased that people think is reasonable for Criterion to pick up? I guess we have White Dog, Face to Face and a set of silent Sternburg's in the pipeline....

I've heard many interesting suggestions that hopefully some will come to fruition:

Looking for Mr.Goodbar
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains
Welcome back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean
One-Eyed Jacks

MBoyd

Just seems like an awfully high profile title to give Criterion. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it but it just seems that there are a lot of mainstream DVD buyers that want this.

Besides maybe Paramount will give us an HD DVD

Zen Peckinpah

The Friends of Eddie Coyle would own with a Criterion. Haven't seen Fabulous Stains but plan on ASAP.

DonTHX1378

I stopped trusting the "Company Credits" page on imdb because for over a year they had this listed as Warners having the rights and that they were going to put out the dvd in 2007 or 2008.

dvd_luver

Than they should just bite the bullet and release The African Queen, 1492, Looking for Mr.Goodbar, Almost An Angel, all Paramount titles I'd love to see released. If not, just pawn off The African Queen and Ridley's 1492 to Criterion and let them go to work and give them the royal treatment. Imagine how nice of a job Criterion would do with Ridley's 1492, a fairly recent film in movie years, and a very visually stunning movie. The one thing Criterion always get's right is the spectacular video transfers from the film negatives. I'd love to see them work their magic with these titles. The Paul Hogan comedy Almost An Angel has no shot at Criterion acceptance, so that is up to Paramount. I have always thought that Ridley's epic 1492 and The African Queen would make for ideal Criterion releases. Just maybe it will happen.

Superdaddy

How true. The African Queen seems like a very popular film, so it's somewhat hard to believe that Paramount might actually think they can't turn a decent profit on a DVD release. But if they do indeed believe that, and would consider licensing it to Criterion, I'm all for it. Criterion's quality control is possibly the best in the DVD industry, and I'm sure they could put out a beautiful edition like they have done for so many other cinema classics.

PopcornTreeCt

I would think The African Queen's popularity is up there with Hitchcock's best. It's just kind of gotten lost because there's no DVD release. It's a hella lot more famous than Ace in the Hole. It was #17 on the original AFI list.

Zen Peckinpah

Perhaps Eclipse can put out a Paul Hogan: The Paramount Years 1986-1990 with Crocodile Dundee I and II, this movie, and a lot of extras. You know the man deserves to be with Kurosawa and Bergman in that collection.

IanUngstad

I think the whole point is that we are 10 years into DVD and it has not materialized or has even been rumored with the exception of vague bits of information like this IMDB update.


Anyways...if it was really that potentially profitable in their eyes it would have came out by now. People said the same thing about Ace in The Hole, posting similar threads year after year, when the Criterion deal was announced many thought that the Wilder film would be too high profile...but alas not in Paramount's eyes.

Gerry P.

I don't know how old you are, but 'The African Queen's' popularity preceeds the DVD era. It was a Best Picture winner. I've seen it. My parents have seen it. My grandparents have seen it... hell, it's my grandmother's favorite film.

Are you really comparing it to 'Salo'?

hanshotfirst1138

What's the deal with this? A stone-cold classic. Why has it taken so long to get a DVD release? Some kind of rights tangle?

dvd_luver

Same can be said for Ridley's 1492: Conquest Of Paradise. The fact that it is a Ridley Scott film alone should have greenlighted the DVD release. Paramount really is strange sometimes with what DVD's they want to bite the bullet on and release or not. Look at the Scrooged: SE. A big announcement on the net and a year later, nothing. Go figure.