# What are some of the bigger name films still not available on DVD? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 27, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-bigger-name-films-still-not-available-on-dvd/374361 "2006-09-27T14:40:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-bigger-name-films-still-not-available-on-dvd/374361/41 "2006-09-28T23:30:00Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] According to an eBay article from deege1953, here is a list: 1. Anna To The Infinite Power (1983) Dina Merrill 2. Back Street (1961) Susan Hayward, John Gavin 3. Boys In The Band (1970) Kenneth Nelson, Peter White… \ [/QUOTE] Interesting. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some of those on commercial VHS years ago, so it seems like clearances aren’t the only reason those are being held up. Maybe they made so little moolah on VHS that the owners don’t think it’s worthwhile to release on DVD? RE: Smothers Brothers And at least some parts of the Smothers Brothers’ shows are available on [_Smothered._](http://imdb.com/title/tt0348056/) ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-bigger-name-films-still-not-available-on-dvd/374361/42 "2006-09-29T18:57:58Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] Interesting. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some of those on commercial VHS years ago, so it seems like clearances aren’t the only reason those are being held up. Maybe they made so little moolah on VHS that the owners don’t think it’s worthwhile to release on DVD. [/QUOTE] That would probably be the case with _Hamburger: the Movie_. I’ve seen this turkey, and while it is mildly amusing in a cheesy _Porky’s 2_ kinda way, there’s no way this could make back any kind of money in distribution. I doubt it would even be worth putting up for free download somewhere on the Internet; I’d find it hard to justify the server space. OTOH, I seem to recall that _ **The Illustrated Man** _, based on the Ray Bradbury short story collection, was commercially available on VHS for some time (I _know_ it was, having spotted the box in a video store about 15 years ago), but is impossible to find on a commercially available DVD. I doubt you can find _ **Warriors of the Wind** _ on DVD, either, but since I have the Disney release of _Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind_ on DVD (and an ancient copy of _Warriors_ on VHS), that really doesn’t matter. New World pictures probably no longer has the rights to distribute their cut of the film, and deserve to be chastised for delaying the arrival of all the other Studio Ghibli films by butchering one of Miyazaki’s best - even if I must forgive them for allowing me to see _Warriors_ so long ago. … but Patrick Stewart makes a better Lord Yupa anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-bigger-name-films-still-not-available-on-dvd/374361/43 "2006-09-29T20:19:42Z")
Most of the DVDs I’ve been waiting for have already been mentioned (the Branaugh _Hamlet_ was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread), but there are a few others I’m keeping an eye out for: _The Heiress_. Olivia deHavilland won an Oscar for her performance here. _My Cousin Rachel_. Another Olivia deHavilland movie, “Introducing” Richard Burton. _The Univited_. A classic 1940s ghost story starring Ray Milland. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-bigger-name-films-still-not-available-on-dvd/374361/44 "2006-09-29T20:43:21Z")
If you can get R0 DVDs of \*\*Hard-Boiled \*\* and \*\*The Killer \*\* from Hong Kong for about $5 each, does that make them “unavailable” in the U.S.? And no, I’m not talking about bootlegs. > [@](#): > > “Most players don’t care any more”? I don’t know about that, my friend. Maybe in your neck of the woods. Some players can be modded, sure, but here in the States, it seems to be getting harder than ever to go multi-region without either buying special standalone hardware or making sketchy modifications to PC-based software DVD players. There are many options for all-region capable players out there, from $60 versions at Wal-Mart or Best Buy, to more expensive models. Most with a simple remote-code hack. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-bigger-name-films-still-not-available-on-dvd/374361/45 "2006-09-29T20:51:33Z")
Using search engines, I find copies of Robinson Crusoe on Mars on Ebay, but they don’t look right. The studio claims it hasn’t been released. I suspect these of being boootleg. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-bigger-name-films-still-not-available-on-dvd/374361/46 "2006-09-29T20:56:19Z")
Not that this one matters to anyone except me, but I really want the move \*\*Monster Squad \*\* to come out on DVD. It was my favorite movie when I was a kid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-of-the-bigger-name-films-still-not-available-on-dvd/374361.md?page=2)