Actually, due to the 20 year extension on all copyrights that Congress granted in 1998, it will be 2018 before anything else slips into the Public Domain (...and that's only if Congress doesn't extend it yet again).

Here here! I'm desperately waiting for a decent release of this favorite!


May I also suggest Fox's Damnation Alley (1977, George Peppard/Jan Michael Vincent/Paul Winfield)?

Anchor Bay can only buy the license to so many films each year. What you mistake are the small distributors who WILL take a chance on these small films vs. the studios that own them. But they are limited to how many titles they can put out. I know one distributor pretty well, and they often pick films based on rental sales...so you'll get a lot more things with blood in the title than not.

Also, some of these old titles are tied up by studios who might want to do a remake, TV series, or possible future release. But unless they see the numbers right now it's put on the backburner. Not licensing a film is lost payments, but not a lot considering what some of them go for. And it doesn't cost them anything to sit on it for a while.

Oh...right, the DISNEY law. I did forget about that Bone Law. Funny how they are using stories like Treasure Island and others when they become PD, but then turn around and push the copyright extention for Mickey and others. That's true, though a few of these films still could fall into PD. They are in Russia...maybe a new wave of Russian DVD imports?

Well...then it looks like the studios will most likely sit on these unless someone licenses them. (Did you know that Anchor Bay...and others have in the past listened to emails and put titles on their list ?) To me, putting out a $4mil film and making $10mil is a huge profit...but try telling that to the studios. I'd like to see all the films you guys listed released on a nice DVD...but I don't see it happening. If I win the lottery I'll buy a few and put them out on my website. Best chance I think some of them have for a bit.

Sci-fi just doesn't have the size customer base as genres such as horror. If companies thought they could make money on sci-fi they would be releasing them in droves.

My fave cheesy sci-fi.
The current release stinks. This one needs the "Them" treatment.

The thing is, horror doesn't have a larger customer base. Take a look at the top 20 grossing movies of all time, and how many are horror? 1, if you count Pirates of the Caribbean. How many science fiction? 9, counting the spider-man films and discounting fantasy films(it's 15 if you count fantasy). http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm


I find theV's contention that it's easier for smaller companies to get their hands on horror properties, which more often were made outside the studio system as probably being the real cause of this.

Well, todays My Two Cents at thedigitalbits.com had this interesting nugget:

Bit early yet, but movement is movement.

Maybe when the Spielberg/Cruise War of the Worlds comes out next year they'll do a decent edition DVD of the original to promote it.
Exactly like they did with the Universal Monsters Legends DVD sets before Van Helsing came out.

It'd be nice if they took the opportunity to do a few of their unreleased titles at the same time.

Whaddya mean? Robot Monster has been out on DVD for years now.

Is there any news for:
Forbidden Planet
The Thing From Another World
This Island Earth
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
The Monolith Monsters
The Creature From the Haunted Sea
Tarantula
It Came from Outer Space
The Crawling Eye
X the Unknown
The Mole People
Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Err, if being on dvd for a number of years in decent editions counts as movement, yes. The Thing From Another World, The Crawling Eye, The Creature From the Haunted Sea, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, It Came from Outer Space, and X the Unknown are all on dvd. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...811903-6295125
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...s=dvd&n=507846
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...v=glance&s=dvd http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...811903-6295125
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...811903-6295125
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...v=glance&s=dvd

as is Invasion of the body snatchers


this picture has been up at the bits for a while



should be out by end of the year...a whole thread dedicated to this can be found

Forbidden Planet SE 12/31/2005???

Might also check this thread from time to time
What Warner Brothers Sci Fi do you want to see on dvd?

We just need them "ANAMORPHIC!"

Anything extra is just icing on the cake.