When on DVD? - The Brides of Dracula (1960) Discussion

[–] Nick48 20 years ago

As far as I know, there are no immediate plans to release this movie on DVD. Foolishly, I bought this title from eBay but BEWARE! - it's a dreadful VHS to DVD copy, so don't buy it from eBay unless you want something that is worse than a worn out videotape. Hope this helps.

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[–] Thomas-Gohlke 20 years ago

Thank you, you have been very helpful!

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[–] rcarey1979 20 years ago

Nick48 seems to be pretty ignorant. Just because he was careless enough to buy a bad copy, hardly means that is the only copy, or only seller or eBay. I got a great copy with menu, mastered from laserdisc for $9.99 from a great seller who still sells them. You have to be careful on eBay and ask questions, as well as check feedback. However it's pretty stupid to think all sellers are selling sub-standard copies, and even more stupid to think that the copy he has is the only one sold on eBay! Because you purchased poorly you giving bad advice out, and that isn't helpful.

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[–] Nick48 11 years ago

When I wrote about my experiences with eBay, this film was only available from one seller. The copy I bought was the *only* one available at the time. Before I bought it, I checked the seller's feedback and also looked worldwide. Anyway, I got a good copy a couple of years later when I found a new listing from a different seller. I don't think it was bad advice at the time. If there were any other versions available in 2004, I would have said so. Anyway, it's all academic now since the film was released on Blu Ray in August 2013. And please think more carefully before calling somebody "pretty ignorant" publicly.

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[–] serviceu9la 20 years ago

I agree this is one of Hammer's BEST. Warner Bros. has the rights but they don't seem to be doing anything to release it. I have burned my own DVD from
my VHS copy, but would love to get the commercial release.

With Halloween around the corner, you would think they would wake up. I believe
HORROR OF DRACULA came out two years ago and other Hammer titles have followed but nothing on this classic.

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[–] doctorstorm1 20 years ago

In the early 60s, Hammer films were distributed for a period by Universal, who I believe still have the rights. I'm guessing this because the other films in their possession (Werewolf, Phantom and some others I can't remember) are also missing a dvd release. Although Curse of the Werewolf was available on the WB video a few years back so who knows?
It's a real shame Universal don't do somemthing with them, They're some of Hammer's best.
Interestingly, on the Universal horror trailer that opened the recent Monster Legacy set, They included clips of Hammer's 'Phantom' alongside Karloff, Lugosi and their ilk. So perhaps there's hope yet!

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[–] Orrrrrti 20 years ago

Do you think an online petition would be of any help? There was one up a couple of months ago for a DVD release of "The Golden Girls"...

Orti

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[–] exchronos 20 years ago

The 3 main companies I've found who release Hammer DVDs are Warner Brothers, Anchor Bay, & Paramount.

Anchor Bay has the biggest selection thus far, and recently rereleased a lot of them as double feature DVDs (I was lucky enough to find one with 2 rare movies I really wanted on one disc-"Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires" and "Frankenstein Created Woman").

Warner Brothers released "Horror Of Dracula", "Curse Of Frankenstein", "Revenge Of Frankenstein", and "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed". MOst of those are very hard to find now.

Paramount released "Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell" and "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter". I was lucky enough to find both DVDs in the 2 for $11 bin at Wal-Mart. They were available there for a few months, but no longer seem to be in there (unlike the movies that are always in that bin...like Godzilla 1998 and others...).

You can find cheap copies of "The Satanic Rites Of Dracula" almost anywhere. At Wal-Mart you can get copies anywhere from 88 cents to a dollar, the next up single disc cheapie is usually around six bucks, and then there's the official release. I got my first copy in a 10 movie horror set (which also had the original "House On Haunted Hill" and the original "Night Of The Living Dead"). Strangely enough, you can find single DVDs with those same 3 films on it for pretty cheap (saw one like that in the 2 for $11 bin once...I don't know why those 3 seem to go together...).

Sincerely,
Exchronos

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[–] john-852 20 years ago

Universal owns this and CURSE, they were never released through Warners. Universal also owns several other Hammer films like PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, NIGHT CREATURES, EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN, KISSOF THE VAMPIRE, NIGHTMARE and others.
Here is the latest news. Universal HD will be running BRIDES next month in June 2005 along with CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF. BRIDES had a screening last year and Universal struck new 35 mm prints and have restored a bit of gore to the staking of the baroness. No doubt this resotred print is what is being transfered to HD and with a pinch of luck, we'll see it on DVD sooner rather than later.

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[–] mike.mail 20 years ago

it is showing on Sky Movies tonite so at last i get a chance to burn a dvd copy from the tele! couldn't believe it when i saw it listed.. makes the subscription worthwhile!

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[–] 20 years ago

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[–] Orrrrrti 20 years ago

That's GRRREAT! Thanks for the info!

Orti

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[–] 20 years ago

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[–] BijouBob8mm 20 years ago

Fall of 2005 will find Universal releasing this and 7 other Hammer Film titles as a double-sided, double DVD set (Region 1). Other titles in the set are NIGHTMARE, NIGHT CREATURES, CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF, EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, PARANOIAC and KISS OF THE VAMPIRE.

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[–] Nick48 20 years ago

I wish the studios would just agree with each other and let us buy the Complete Series of Hammer films....everything in one package! The two Warner Bros boxsets I have are better than anything else I have subsequently bought. If you want listings for these two boxsets, I'll be happy to post them here. Trouble is, I'm not sure that they are still available.

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[–] BijouBob8mm 20 years ago

I still see the boxed sets in stores, but I think the first set has been superseded by the second one. The one studio I have a problem with is Columbia. They've released a number of classic horror titles, including Hammer's REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN (along with non-Hammer fare like CREEPING FLESH, RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE and THE DEVIL COMMANDS), as no-frills DVDs at a suggested price of $24.99. Even if you find a store carrying them for $19.99, when you consider how many high profile films, loaded with extras, can be picked up for $14.99, there is no way to justify Columbia's outrageous pricing practices. Unfortunately, Columbia holds the rights to Hammer's THE GORGON, CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB, TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL and CREATURES THE WORLD FORGOT, with no signs of a DVD release in site. And Warner still has a number of other Hammer titles not yet on DVD (MOON ZERO TWO, WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH). With the merger of MGM and Time/Warner, it's possilbe that SHE (originally released as a letterboxed VHS tape by MGM) may now be held by Warner Home Entertainment. MGM did release THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT to VHS twice...it would be nice to see a DVD of that, as well.

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[–] Nick48 20 years ago

The trouble is that I live in the UK and the releases are different!

The two Warner Brother boxets that I have are as follows:-

Hammer Horror Collection (1)
1. The Curse of Frankenstein
2. Dracula (UK Title) (US Title The Horror of Dracula)
3. The Mummy

Hammer Horror Collection (2)
1. The Devil Rides Out
2. The Horror of Frankenstein
3. Scars of Dracula
4. Lust for a Vampire
5. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb

The first boxset is probably the better of the two as it contains the first 3 titles that Hammer released (and I think are all pretty classy).

I know what you mean about Columbia though - I have a couple of Hammer movies that I got from playusa.com, but they're minor films.

I just don't see why the studios can't at least give us all the Dracula movies & all the Frankenstein ones.

I did find a Carlton boxset (Carlton is a TV company over here) but that had :-

1. Lust for a Vampire
2. Twins of Evil
3. Countess Dracula

Number 1 on the above is TERRIBLE!!

By the way, my copy of "She" is also a Warner Brothers release (but not letterbox format). I picked that up at a small store a couple of months ago.

I think it's a bit difficult to compare US releases and UK releases (often US Titles are different & so are running times) & I agree with you about the studios and prices. I object to buying a Hammer movie (with absolutely no extras) for the same price I would pay for e.g The Day After Tomorrow. I also object to Columbia's new policy of pricing and encoding.

This should be simple - just release the whole lot in a boxset at a reasonable price and give us some bonus material!

I have found that it's best to keep an eye out for bargains. I only paid £3.99 for the copy of "She" that I mentioned. That's $6.90 roughly. Personally, I think that's very cheap.

Maybe we'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, what about all the Amicus releases? Do you have any info on those?

Life is just one damned troublesome thing after another.

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[–] BijouBob8mm 20 years ago

Distribution between U.S. and U.K. on home video is quite a bit different. In the U.S., Warner put out a boxed set of (HORROR OF) DRACULA, CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and THE MUMMY. Later, a second set with those, along with FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE and the full U.K. cut of TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA came along. The second set of films you listed were released in the U.S. by Anchor Bay (individually), along with VENGEANCE OF SHE, VIKING QUEEN, PREHISTORIC WOMEN, DR. JEKYLL & SISTER HYDE, TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER, LUST FOR A VAMPIRE, QUATERMASS 2, QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN, FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE, X THE UNKNOWN, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN, DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS, SHATTER, LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES and several others. (There is also the VHS-only release of A CHALLENGE FOR ROBIN HOOD.) MGM gave us a double feature DVD of VAMPIRE LOVERS and COUNTESS DRACULA, both with commentary by Ingrid Pitt. The only Amicus films I've found on DVD over here are I MONSTER and THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD. (Oh, MONSTER CLUB is on DVD, as well.) Image had released AND NOW THE SCREAMING STARTS to DVD, but I believe it's now out of print. So far, THE SKULL, DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS, TALES FROM THE CRYPT and many of the other Amicus antology films are VHS only, and even some of those are no longer in production.

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