With the explosive advent of the DVD home entertainment format -- this year, both sales and rentals have finally overtaken those of the video cassette market -- it's not unreasonable to assume that most of cinema's big titles have long been available for consumers to enjoy. But that's hardly been the case, as several highly requested titles took years to finally debut -- or, in some cases, have yet to debut.
Fans had been loudly clamoring for the Back to the Future trilogy, and they were finally blessed with a nice DVD package last December. Even more in demand were Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones titles, which finally hit shelves this past October in another spiffy box set. As for Lucas' space opera, easily the most requested movies for DVD integration, Lucas had previously annoyed the faithful by announcing that he won't release the three original flicks until after the final installment of the new trilogy hits DVD following its Summer 2005 theatrical run. Current internet rumors say Lucas is now leaning toward releasing the films next year, but nobody from his camp has officially confirmed this.
In the meantime, other great films are waiting to be released on DVD. Here are 20 of them. Keep in mind, though, that their status might change in a heartbeat: The Grapes of Wrath, Ed Wood and The Accidental Tourist were originally going to be included in this article, yet all three were announced for 2004 release between this story's initial conception and its creation.
(Note: Some of the following titles might be available on foreign issues of DVDs, usually from the UK or Japan; this article refers only to films not released stateside on disc.)
The Freshman (1925). Safety Last may include his most famous scene (hanging from the clock), but this comedy about a college nerd who triumphs on the football field has endured as silent comedian Harold Lloyd's most popular picture.
Suggested Extra Features: None of this comic genius' silent gems are available on DVD (his daughter claims she's still searching for a suitable company to handle his works; has she not heard of Criterion?), but if the go-ahead is ever given, look for some nifty box sets. The 1962 compilation film Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy would be a nice introduction for newcomers, and it's almost a given that Turner Classic Movies' recent documentary on Lloyd would be included.
Wings (1927). The very first Oscar winner for Best Picture, a drama about World War I pilots, has never been released on DVD, yet it's hardly alone among early Oscar flicks: Of the first 10 Best Picture victors, eight are presently not available in this format (although two of them, Mutiny On the Bounty and The Great Ziegfeld, have recently been announced for 2004 release).
Suggested Extra Features: The alternate, restored version (with color tintings and additional sound effects) that was unveiled two years ago. A documentary on the creation of the Academy Awards, revealing how the first ceremony was basically a private dinner party during which all awards were handed out in a five-minute(!) span.
Public Enemy (1931). Just as Warner Bros.'s 1930 Little Caesar made an instant star of Edward G. Robinson, this equally popular film did likewise for James Cagney -- and between the pair, the gangster flick was off and running.
Suggested Extra Features: The film clocks in at 84 minutes, yet upon its original release, it ran 96 minutes; if Warner Bros. still has the missing footage in its vaults, now would be the time to set it free. Hey, come to think of it, Little Caesar isn't available on DVD, either; how about a nifty double feature in one package?
King Kong (1933). Of all the titles on this list, this landmark motion picture about an agitated great ape is the movie I'm most anxious to see on DVD -- even its crummy 1976 remake is already available.
Suggested Extra Features: Audio commentary by film scholar Danny Peary, who offers an excellent analysis of the movie in his books Cult Movies and Alternate Oscars. The inclusion of Turner's 1990 making-of documentary King Kong: Beauty and the Beast. And how about a nice featurette on star Fay Wray, whose presence in several 30s horror flicks earned her the title "scream queen" and who, incidentally, is still alive at the age of 96?
Top Hat (1935). Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made 10 musicals together, yet oddly, not one of them is available on DVD. Half their fans cite Swing Time as their pinnacle of perfection, but for the other half (including me), nothing matches this exquisite gem, with its fabulous Art Deco design and a superb Irving Berlin score.
Suggested Extra Features: Nine of their 10 pictures together were made at RKO, so a pair of box sets wouldn't be out of the question. Rhino Records, which released the two-CD set Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers at RKO, could certainly help with the procurement of musical outtakes and previously unreleased recording sessions. Finally, there's no shortage of Astaire TV specials -- how about NBC's rare 1958 An Evening With Fred Astaire, or PBS's 1980 Fred Astaire: Puttin' On His Top Hat?
Bringing Up Baby (1938). One of the most famous of all screwball comedies finds both Katharine Hepburn and a leopard (Baby) making life miserable for uptight Cary Grant.
Suggested Extra Features: Director Howard Hawks clearly belongs in the same class as John Ford, Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock, yet despite his ability to hop genres with the greatest of ease (and creating a handful of classics along the way), he's never achieved their level of fame outside of film buff circles. So with approximately half-a-dozen documentaries already having been made about him, I say throw the whole lot of them on here -- and create a new one just for the hell of it. This new piece should include video bites of current directors -- many of whom (Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, for starters) readily acknowledge him as an influence -- extolling his output.
Cat People (1942). This excellent chiller, once described by Martin Scorsese as being as influential in its own right as Citizen Kane, stars erotic Simone Simon as a woman who turns into a panther whenever her passions are aroused.
Suggested Extra Features: Given Scorsese's enthusiasm, he could team with frequent collaborator Paul Schrader (who helmed a so-so Cat People remake in 1982) for what would doubtless be a scintillating audio commentary. A photo gallery of the film's striking poster designs over the years. Documentaries on producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur, who created many of the best fantasy flicks of the 40s and 50s.
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). Orson Welles' follow-up to Citizen Kane, a lavish adaptation of the Booth Tarkington novel, was taken out of its creator's hands, reshot and recut, and released at 88 minutes (down from Welles' 132 minutes). Yet even this truncated version has long been considered a classic.
Suggested Extra Features: Welles' missing footage was immediately destroyed by RKO, so there's no chance of a restored version. However, Robert Carringer's book The Magnificent Ambersons: A Reconstruction contains the original script, storyboards and photos, all of which could be included here on the side. Welles' official biographer, filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich, would be only too happy to provide an audio commentary track to accompany the movie.
Meet Me In St. Louis (1944). Judy Garland and family are devastated to learn they're moving away from St. Louis in this beloved musical that includes the timeless classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
Suggested Extra Features: An audio track for "Boys and Girls Like You and Me," a number that was cut from the finished product but that can be heard on Rhino's soundtrack CD. Since the 1903 World's Fair figures prominently in the plot, a feature on the history of this fair. Plus, live footage of Judy performing the Christmas classic in concert.
Song of the South (1946). Long before Who Framed Roger Rabbit, this Disney feature deftly mixed live-action and animation, as Uncle Remus (James Baskett) spins classic yarns relating the exploits of Brer Rabbit. Baskett won a special Oscar for his performance (as did the song "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah"), yet because it wallows in pre-civil rights movement African-American stereotypes, Disney refuses to release the film stateside, either on video or DVD.
Suggested Extra Features: Despite their non-PC implications, both Birth of a Nation and Gone With the Wind are available on DVD, so why not release this film and make it a starting point for healthy debates? A documentary (perhaps hosted by Spike Lee, or the co-stars of The Defiant Ones, Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis) on the controversy would be interesting, alongside an alternate kid-friendly version (hosted by Reading Rainbow's LeVar Burton) that explains the evils of racism.
The African Queen (1951). Humphrey Bogart won his only Oscar as a drunken riverboat captain verbally sparring with fussy Katharine Hepburn during World War I.
Suggested Extra Features: The stories from this set are well-documented (Hepburn even wrote an entire book about her experiences), so a lengthy documentary is a no-brainer; interviewees could include Lauren Bacall, who was at Bogart's side during filming, and Clint Eastwood, who offered a fictionalized take on the shoot in his 1990 film White Hunter, Black Heart.
The High and the Mighty (1954). This drama about a crippled airplane in peril features a strong cast headed by John Wayne, was a huge box office hit in its day, and earned six Oscar nominations (winning for Dimitri Tiomkin's score). Yet after a few TV airings and a very limited home video release (both over 20 years ago), the film has never resurfaced, kept under wraps by Wayne's estate. Reportedly, it's currently tied up because Warner Bros. and the estate can't agree on who should foot the restoration costs (what's wrong with splitting them down the middle?).
Suggested Extra Features: How about a feature on how the public often misses out on many great works because of ceaseless red tape? OK, that's not likely, but certainly a documentary on director William "Wild Bill" Wellman, who had already led a robust life (Foreign Legion, barnstormer) before becoming the accomplished director of (among others) Wings, Public Enemy and The Ox-Bow Incident. Also include one on Tiomkin, who didn't earn a deserved 23 Oscar nominations (and four wins) for having a tin ear.
Lust For Life (1956). Perhaps Kirk Douglas' finest hour, delivering an impassioned performance as tortured artist Vincent Van Gogh (Anthony Quinn earned a supporting actor Oscar as fellow painter Paul Gauguin).
Suggested Extra Features: The 1956 short film Van Gogh: Darkness Into Light, used to promote the release of Lust for Life. A PBS or A&E documentary on the man. A look at other screen Van Goghs, including Tim Roth in Vincent & Theo and Martin Scorsese in Akira Kurosawa's Dreams. A photo gallery allowing viewers to click through many of the artist's paintings.
Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965). Who says only good movies deserve to be on DVD? This all-time turkey, also known under the title Mars Invades Puerto Rico, finds an android astronaut named Frank taking on invaders from Mars.
Suggested Extra Features: What a potential treasure trove of nifty extras! How about resurrecting the original Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew (read: Joel, not Mike) to offer their inimitable commentary on the grade-Z proceedings? Or the disc's creators could include a feature on all the truly awful movies based on Mary Shelley's creation, including Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter and Dr. Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks. And before he became a raving rightwing idiot, Michael Medved (with brother Harry) penned a pair of amusing Golden Turkey Awards books (yes, this movie's in them), making him a good choice for an audio commentary.
The Fearless Vampire Killers, Or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are In My Neck (1967). In the wake of his Oscar win for The Pianist, several of Roman Polanski's other films have been released on DVD for the first time (The Tenant, Knife in the Water, etc.), so the time is right for this cult favorite that takes a comic approach to bloodsuckers.
Suggested Extra Features: How about extra scenes? This was shown in the US at running times of both 98 and 107 minutes, but reportedly even more footage was included in its European airings. A piece on Sharon Tate, the movie's co-star, Polanski's wife (they met on this set), and the most prominent of Charles Manson's victims on that fateful night in 1969. If MGM/UA is feeling really ambitious, they could also include a look at Dance of the Vampires, the 2002 Broadway adaptation starring Michael Crawford that opened to wretched reviews and closed in less than three months.
Reds (1981). Warren Beatty's awesome, Oscar-winning (and unjustly forgotten, it seems) epic about American journalist and communist John Reed, set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution and largely focusing on his relationship with Louise Bryant (a superb Diane Keaton), has been mentioned in past years as an upcoming DVD release, but nothing so far.
Suggested Extra Features: All-star audio commentary with Beatty, Keaton and Jack Nicholson (who portrays playwright Eugene O'Neill). A comprehensive making-of documentary. Plus, there are enough available documentaries about these characters and events that a two-disc DVD set would be almost a requisite.
The Thin Blue Line (1988). Errol Morris' extraordinary documentary, centering on a man who went to prison for a murder he likely didn't commit, was so convincing that the case was reopened and the accused was set free.
Suggested Extra Features: A follow-up piece detailing what has happened during the ensuing years to its principal players, particularly Randall Adams (the wrongly imprisoned man) and David Harris (the likely killer, who ended up on Death Row for a subsequent murder). A couple of sample episodes from Morris' Bravo series First Person. And as one of the first films to bring attention to the Academy's bad habit (throughout the late 80s and most of the 90s) of ignoring the year's best documentaries, here would be the place to post a list of all these notable no-shows (Roger & Me, Hoop Dreams, Crumb, etc.).
Schindler's List (1993). It's a no-brainer that Spielberg's multi-Oscar winner will eventually surface on DVD; I guess it's just a matter of when he'll find time in his busy schedule to oversee its transfer.
Suggested Extra Features: Spielberg refuses to do audio commentaries for his film's DVDs (arguing, perhaps correctly, that what you need to know is already up there on the screen), but scripter Steven Zaillian and stars Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley might be willing participants. A behind-the-scenes look at the Shoah Foundation, the video museum created by Spielberg in the wake of Schindler's List to record and preserve the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and witnesses. The inclusion of the 1982 documentary Schindler, as well as 1998's Oscar-winning The Last Days, a documentary produced by Spielberg through his Shoah Foundation.
The Crucible (1996). The movie that proved the power of The Thumbs -- despite uniformly strong reviews, Fox threw this away after Siskel and Ebert dissed it on their show -- this mesmerizing adaptation of Arthur Miller's play about the Salem witch trials (with a script by Mr. Miller himself) benefits from an exceptional cast fronted by Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Joan Allen and Paul Scofield.
Suggested Extra Features: An audio commentary with the principal cast, director Nicholas Hytner and the 88-year-old Miller is a must. A documentary on the play's impact when it first debuted in the 50s as a critique of the McCarthy Communist witch hunts. And, as an added bonus, the little-seen 1957 French version (scripted by Jean-Paul Sartre) starring Yves Montand and Simone Signoret.
Secrets & Lies (1996). Mike Leigh's raw look at a family of anguished working-class Brits has the dubious distinction of being the most recent Best Picture Oscar nominee not yet available on DVD (it is, however, available as a Japanese import).
Suggested Extra Features: Before gaining prominence stateside in the late 80s, Leigh made a number of short films and TV series for the BBC, some of which featured early appearances by the likes of Ben Kingsley, Gary Oldman and Tim Roth; including a couple of these little-seen programs here would be a boon for Leigh cultists. And given that Leigh's movies are largely improvised, a Secrets & Lies blooper/gag reel sounds irresistible.
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