Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
03-17-10 | 09:57 AM
#1
Thread Starter
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Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
Posted March 17, 2010 08:44 AM by Juan Calonge
Image Entertainment, Inc. announced today the licensing of the Handmade Films library, featuring over 30 titles including such classics as Time Bandits, The Long Good Friday, the Oscar-nominated Mona Lisa, A Private Function, Withnail and I and How To Get Ahead In Advertising. The announcement was made by Ted Green, Image Chairman and CEO. No Blu-ray release schedule for the library was given at this time.
"The Handmade Films library contains some of the greatest and most influential films of the past thirty years," remarked Green. "We look forward to making these classics available for the first time on Blu-ray and digital download for a new generation of fans."
"We're thrilled about our new partnership with Image Entertainment," said Antony Fraser, CEO Handmade plc. "Their legendary expertise with home entertainment is the perfect match for our picture collection."
Handmade Films was created in 1978 by ex-Beatle George Harrison and producer Denis O'Brien. The label's first theatrical release was Terry Gilliam's seminal 1981 fantasy Time Bandits. Throughout the 1980s, Handmade Films released an amazing string of commercial and critical hits including 1982's gritty gangster drama The Long Good Friday starring Oscar-nominee Bob Hoskins and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren; Oscar-winner Neil Jordan's lyrical, Oscar-nominated 1986 film noir Mona Lisa; the black comedies Withnail and I from 1987 and How To Get Ahead In Advertising released in 1989, both starring Richard Grant; as well as farces like A Private Function with Monty Python alum Michael Palin and Maggie Smith and Water with Oscar-winner Michael Caine and Valerie Perrine.
Posted March 17, 2010 08:44 AM by Juan Calonge
Image Entertainment, Inc. announced today the licensing of the Handmade Films library, featuring over 30 titles including such classics as Time Bandits, The Long Good Friday, the Oscar-nominated Mona Lisa, A Private Function, Withnail and I and How To Get Ahead In Advertising. The announcement was made by Ted Green, Image Chairman and CEO. No Blu-ray release schedule for the library was given at this time.
"The Handmade Films library contains some of the greatest and most influential films of the past thirty years," remarked Green. "We look forward to making these classics available for the first time on Blu-ray and digital download for a new generation of fans."
"We're thrilled about our new partnership with Image Entertainment," said Antony Fraser, CEO Handmade plc. "Their legendary expertise with home entertainment is the perfect match for our picture collection."
Handmade Films was created in 1978 by ex-Beatle George Harrison and producer Denis O'Brien. The label's first theatrical release was Terry Gilliam's seminal 1981 fantasy Time Bandits. Throughout the 1980s, Handmade Films released an amazing string of commercial and critical hits including 1982's gritty gangster drama The Long Good Friday starring Oscar-nominee Bob Hoskins and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren; Oscar-winner Neil Jordan's lyrical, Oscar-nominated 1986 film noir Mona Lisa; the black comedies Withnail and I from 1987 and How To Get Ahead In Advertising released in 1989, both starring Richard Grant; as well as farces like A Private Function with Monty Python alum Michael Palin and Maggie Smith and Water with Oscar-winner Michael Caine and Valerie Perrine.
03-17-10 | 10:03 AM
#3
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
Time Bandits is one of my all-time favorites- I have several video releases of it already, including both the Paramount and Criterion widescreen laserdiscs. Since I just got a 16x9 TV recently and heard the Anchor Bay DVD was going out of print, I grabbed one of the last ones at Fry's, so of course now they announce it for Blu-Ray which I'll also have to buy, so you can thank me for this. 
Just hope Image can pull themselves out of their current financial problems- I always thought they should go back to releasing classic porn movies which was what they started out doing (before they were considered classics!), though I just watched one of their old laserdiscs and found a scene was cut out of the movie just so they could have side 2 in CAV, which really pissed me off!
Just hope Image can pull themselves out of their current financial problems- I always thought they should go back to releasing classic porn movies which was what they started out doing (before they were considered classics!), though I just watched one of their old laserdiscs and found a scene was cut out of the movie just so they could have side 2 in CAV, which really pissed me off!
03-17-10 | 10:45 AM
#5
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From: Greenville, South Cackalack
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
They did some reshuffling that apparently helped in the short term: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Image-....html?x=0&.v=1
Media companies don't veer away from bankruptcy by not releasing stuff. I doubt this agreement involved any massive sums of money changing hands anyway. They were eyeing the possibility of chapter 11, which isn't the "shut your doors" bankruptcy.
Media companies don't veer away from bankruptcy by not releasing stuff. I doubt this agreement involved any massive sums of money changing hands anyway. They were eyeing the possibility of chapter 11, which isn't the "shut your doors" bankruptcy.
03-17-10 | 12:04 PM
#6
Banned
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
I wouldn't be surprised to see Image release these films through Criterion, given that they already have extras in their vaults.
05-26-10 | 11:31 AM
#7
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DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
WITHNAIL AND I, MONA LISA, TIME BANDITS and LONG GOOD FRIDAY are all available for pre-order @ amazon for $12.49...i'd link directly to them but i'm too lazy.
Last edited by riotinmyskull; 05-27-10 at 07:11 AM.
05-26-10 | 03:52 PM
#8
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From: NJ, the place where smiles go to die
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
12.49 for Mona Lisa & the Long Good Friday? That is insane! I hope these aren't going to be half-assed releases with transfers barely better than the already underwhelming criterion releases.
05-26-10 | 04:14 PM
#9
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
yea thats why i only pre-ordered WITHNAIL...hopefully some reviews will show up before they ship.
05-27-10 | 07:00 AM
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
I'm hoping they include subtitles, especially Withnail & I as I still have a problem understanding all the dialogue to the film.
06-07-10 | 09:29 PM
#12
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
Ugh. The only extras for any of them is an interview and intro with Gilliam on Time Bandits.
Last edited by tylergfoster; 06-07-10 at 09:35 PM.
08-13-10 | 05:57 PM
#13
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
dvdbeaver reviews:
time bandits
mona lisa
withnail and i
long good friday
beware: time bandits is 1080i
time bandits
mona lisa
withnail and i
long good friday
beware: time bandits is 1080i
Last edited by riotinmyskull; 08-13-10 at 05:59 PM.
too bad CC couldn't have gotten them
08-13-10 | 06:33 PM
#15
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
I know it's BS that extras aren't included, but if you have the old DVD editions with features just buy some new 2 or 3 disc Blu-ray cases on eBay and stick the discs in the same case. That takes up less space and is more appealing to me than feeling like I own multiple copies of a movie. That's just my own opinion, but I think some of you may want to consider the same. I just recently started doing this on a few films. I know this makes these more expensive to own, but if you buy cheap used DVD copies I can't imagine it coming out to as much as these would have been with the features left intact. Just a personal observation of mine, but I could be wrong...
Anyway, at least the prices are low... Withnail and I sounds like a good purchase overall to me considering it is now going to look decent on 16:9 displays (considering the Criterion was non-anamorphic), but Time Bandits -- not much of an upgrade. Looks terrible, really... the UK release looked better too. The other two would be worth purchasing to me, potentially, if they lower a few more bucks in price. I've never seen Mona Lisa or The Long Good Friday.
Anyway, at least the prices are low... Withnail and I sounds like a good purchase overall to me considering it is now going to look decent on 16:9 displays (considering the Criterion was non-anamorphic), but Time Bandits -- not much of an upgrade. Looks terrible, really... the UK release looked better too. The other two would be worth purchasing to me, potentially, if they lower a few more bucks in price. I've never seen Mona Lisa or The Long Good Friday.
Last edited by GenPion; 08-13-10 at 06:36 PM.
08-13-10 | 06:53 PM
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From: NJ, the place where smiles go to die
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
I absolutely love LGF, so many people don't realize what a heavy film presence and bad-ass Hopkins is, most just know him sadly from Roger Rabbit.
08-13-10 | 08:56 PM
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From: Durham, NC USA
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
I researched Image waay back in 1997 and really didn't agree with their approach. The head of production felt a bare bones release with minimal PQ work was all the public wanted. Remember the very first terminator release on DVD? with the red blotches? They were aware of that and felt that was okay.
I limited my Image purchases to silents which - for some reason- they really seemed to care for. Sound and modern films? To me, those releases always seemed lacking.
It seems that philosophy still is in force with their BD releases.
Will definitely read any reviews of Image BD before buying them.
I limited my Image purchases to silents which - for some reason- they really seemed to care for. Sound and modern films? To me, those releases always seemed lacking.
It seems that philosophy still is in force with their BD releases.
Will definitely read any reviews of Image BD before buying them.
08-13-10 | 09:00 PM
#18
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
I'll definitely have to check it out. I love Bob Hoskin's in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but your absolutely right - I'm not too familiar with his overall filmography. This sounds like a good place to continue. I'll bite when the Blu-ray hits $10 or less.
08-13-10 | 09:05 PM
#19
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
you won't be disappointed with LGF...if i didn't already own the anchor bay dvd i would pre-order the blu for the $13 price tag but for now i'll hold off.
08-13-10 | 09:41 PM
#21
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
I love LGF, but I'm not loving this:
This 1.78 US release appears to be cropped on the left edge and the rendering is single-layered with a modest bitrate and no real extras aside from a trailer. It offers a decent lossless 5.1 audio at 2000 Kbps but the video rarely goes dramatically in advancement of the previous DVDs....
08-13-10 | 10:56 PM
#23
08-14-10 | 11:01 AM
#24
Banned
Re: Image Acquires Handmade Library for Blu-ray
I would have expected that Image would benefit from their relationship/acquisition of Criterion years ago and gave them films like these, which are already in their DVD catalog. Image is such a stupid company, no wonder why they are almost bankrupt.
