Blu-ray Review Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice Vol. 1 Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Timothy E]

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[Adam Lenhardt]

Thank you for the detailed review. I'm glad that (with the possible exception of "Daffy Doodles") this release has been spared the treatment that the Max Fleischer Superman cartoons received.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Even the Looney Tunes Golden Collections from years back made at least a minimal effort in this direction.

I still have those DVD sets, and they even had audio commentaries with animation and film historians that were often interesting.

 

[John Sparks]

Boy, I remember when they put out Vol.1 on LD and they left off Bugs Bunny Nips the NIps. Luckily i was able to get the original pressing...I was a completist with over 1000 lDs...with also with the unedited RESCUERS Kind of like I am now with 3Ders...571 and counting.

 

[Timothy E]

I can't answer for sure about the out-of-focus ten seconds on Beanstalk Bunny. It could be actual element damage, it could be how the film was shot. I'm leaning towards the latter as I just pulled my old IB Tech and that shift is there, albeit not as pronounced as a scan off of a SEN. The detail of these transfers is so astonishing that in this cartoon in particular you can see how much the glass was smudging (particularly in the first minutes).

I can answer that what you see in Daffy Doodles is exactly how the film was made: it's like that in every previous home video release, every 35mm or 16mm print. Bad digital clean-up has rightfully put all of us on edge, but this is a case of the platter cracking the cel paint or a sloppy ink job day one. (Jerky Turkey on the last Avery blu-ray similarly sparked complaints because the Durante turkey's hair kept disappearing, but checking the old copies and film prints showed that too was a day one issue.)

Thank you for confirming that the appearance of Daffy Doodles is correct to how the film was made. I am updating my review to reflect this information.

 

[Traveling Matt]

Glad to know I'm not the only one exasperated by the lack of a complete collection of this entire catalog. Still. In 2023. Too often it seems folks have simply given up on it ever happening. I haven't. And I continue to weigh this omission every time Warner tries to extract dollars for something pretending to be an adequate substitute, such as this release.

 

[bobclampett]

Nice to see Arthur Davis included. Arthur Davis inherited Robert Clampett’s crew when he left Warner Bros.. Wish Warner Archive stuck with the Director themed releases of the very popular Tex Avery series. Not a fan of these scatter-shot collections, Thanks for your review.

 

[ChrisOC]

Regarding the issue with Daffy Doodles:
I tracked down the frame you posted above from Daffy Doodles on one of the old laserdiscs (I forget which one offhand) and while the colors are a little different, the lack of outlines on Porky are the same, so it's not an issue with the Blu-ray production.

 

[Bill Street]

I've bought the Platinum Collection Blurays and also several sets of the Golden collection DVDs. Are all these releases that aren't repeated on what I've already got?

(BTW, put me down as someone who would love to buy a chronological full set of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies!)

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Regarding the issue with Daffy Doodles:
I tracked down the frame you posted above from Daffy Doodles on one of the old laserdiscs (I forget which one offhand) and while the colors are a little different, the lack of outlines on Porky are the same, so it's not an issue with the Blu-ray production.

Here is a capture from the previous digital video appearance as a bonus feature on the DVD of Barbara Stanwyck's "My Reputation". Not really adding to the evidence as the source was probably the same 480i master used for the Golden Age of Looney Tunes laserdisc, but as you said, the fact that the artifacts are exactly the same from a completely different master suggests it could be ink and paint related.

 

[Malcolm R]

Currently $12.99 at Amazon.

Figures since I bought it for $17.99 two weeks ago.

 

[RobertMG]

Currently $12.99 at Amazon.

Figures since I bought it for $17.99 two weeks ago.

Also check this out

Best of WB 100th: The Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (V1-3) (DVD)​

Charles M. Jones (Director), Michael Maltese (Director, Writer), & 2 more Rated:
NR
Format: DVD
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 33 ratings


Amazon'sChoicefor "looney tunes dvd"


100+ bought in past week

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-31% $20.63$20.63
List Price: $29.98$29.98

 

[benbess]

Like some of you, I watched Looney Tunes after school for several years. Wasn't sure if cartoons that made me laugh in 1973 would still work fifty years later in 2023—but they did! I laughed a lot while watching this collection. About half of the cartoons were familiar from watching in the 70s and/or from when I was buying collections on vhs in the 1990s, but about half seemed like they might be new to me. Picture quality for almost all of it seemed amazing. Anyway, I'm hoping for a volume 2, but I did like the suggestion of the reviewer for chronologically arranged collections. But however they arrange them, I'd get vol. 2 if they make one.

Watching the overly complex and absurd technology fail for Wile E. Coyote again and again didn't just make me laugh, it also made me momentarily concerned about the hair trigger nuclear launch systems of several nations—but then I just forgot about that and laughed again.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Glad to know I'm not the only one exasperated by the lack of a complete collection of this entire catalog. Still. In 2023. Too often it seems folks have simply given up on it ever happening. I haven't. And I continue to weigh this omission every time Warner tries to extract dollars for something pretending to be an adequate substitute, such as this release.

I don't think fans realize that a complete box set would require something the scale of Criterion's Olympics and Ingmar Bergman sets that would probably retail for at least $300. All while it seems like a lot of fans are dragging their feet on getting 20 restored shorts for $12-15. I'm one of the fans who would happily buy a theoretical box set like that, but I think releasing 20-50 shorts at a time until they're all out might be more practical in the long run.

 

[Traveling Matt]

I don't think fans realize that a complete box set would require something the scale of Criterion's Olympics and Ingmar Bergman sets that would probably retail for at least $300. All while it seems like a lot of fans are dragging their feet on getting 20 restored shorts for $12-15. I'm one of the fans who would happily buy a theoretical box set like that, but I think releasing 20-50 shorts at a time until they're all out might be more practical in the long run.

My supposition for the last 15 years has been that enthusiasm for a complete box set would be of a different scale than individual releases, and that diminished enthusiasm for individual releases is tied to their piecemeal nature. Marketing them to general audiences doesn't help either.

Even in today's market I think consumers would jump for a complete box, and it should be in the context of asset management, digital sales and streaming delivery as well as home video revenue. It might also be cheaper in the long run. But even the pre-Zaslav Warners didn't think this way, so I stopped holding my breath around 2008 or so. My expectations as a consumer haven't changed however. I do hope this Volume 1 is selling well.

 

[BobO'Link]

I don't think fans realize that a complete box set would require something the scale of Criterion's Olympics and Ingmar Bergman sets that would probably retail for at least $300. All while it seems like a lot of fans are dragging their feet on getting 20 restored shorts for $12-15. I'm one of the fans who would happily buy a theoretical box set like that, but I think releasing 20-50 shorts at a time until they're all out might be more practical in the long run.

It would be far more expensive than $300. Warner Brothers released 1,000 animated shorts under the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies banners from the 1930s through the 1960s (https://looneytunes.fandom.com/wiki/Looney_Tunes_and_Merrie_Melodies_filmography).

In sets of 20 shorts at a $15 price/set you'd be looking at ~$750 for individual releases. If WB were to release a complete set I'd guess the MSRP would be $750-$1000 with it retailing in the $500 range. Very few people are going to spring for such a set.

 

[RobertMG]

Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice Volume 1​

​

Chuck Jones (Director), Mel Blanc (Actor), Martha Wentworth (Actor) Format: Blu-ray
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 78 ratings


Amazon'sChoicefor "looney tunes blu ray"

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-41% $12.99$12.99
List Price: $21.99$21.99

 

[benbess]

A good way to go might well be individual blu-rays as we had for vol. 1. Vol. 1 had a nice variety, and I'd be happy if they made a a series of blu-rays with similar variety. Chronological collections would be good from my pov, but perhaps that's not practical for various reasons.

My guess is that maybe only about 10% of the Looney Tunes made in the 1930s would be popular today? Here's a big list of all that were made in that decade. Porky Pig starts in 1935, and Daffy Duck in 1937. One of my favorite early ones is The Daffy Doc from 1938.

Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies filmography (1929–1939) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[breeezer]

I've been doing my best to collect copies of all the Warner Bros./Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons from YouTube, VHS, laserdiscs, DVDs, blu rays, and streaming, and from my last count, I'm still short 104. Not all of them are in great condition, but I substitute improved versions as available. (I wish I could get the 4 shorts from the Censored Eleven I don't have, as well as the 3-D Bugs Bunny, but I can dream...)

 

[Todd Erwin]

Down to $11.99 at Amazon.

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