Digitized American Classics

This thread might be drifting slightly off-topic, but I don't care. I saw a massive pile of Mexican films at the local newsstand—some have merit, but most are absolute garbage (like the Ming dynasty)—being pushed everywhere here.

Why is there a total absence of American films or series on DVD, regardless of the era (for instance, Where the Wild Things Are)? We can buy endless foreign content—Friends, Bed and Breakfast, the start of Life in the North, you name it—yet we have nothing from our own domestic production from the last 30 years.

Who is responsible for this failure?

I sometimes wonder about that too. It’s interesting how you can still pick up older American classics on DVD—stuff like *The Grapes of Wrath* or *Beggars and Sons*—over in parts of Europe, even if the disc quality is pretty subpar. You just don't see those kinds of titles available locally here anymore. I’d actually love to add a few of them to my collection. 🤷

Gregory Howard, I'm with you. We really need those old American classics back on the shelves at places like Walmart or Target. I’ve still got my copies of Where the Wild Things Are, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Two Moms and Two Dads, In the Registry, Beggars and Sons, and Smoggy... all on VHS, but that format is long dead. It'd be nice if someone with half a brain decided to put these on DVD, especially since there's so much mindless junk available for purchase these days.

hiddensailor23 said:Gregory Howard, I am with you completely. Our local stores should carry those old classic American movies and series. I still have copies of Where the Wild Things Are, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, I've Got Two Moms and Two Dads, The Registry, Beggars and Princes, and Smoggy... all on VHS. But that format is dead. It’s over. If someone actually used their brain, they would release these on DVD, especially since there is so much garbage available for purchase these days...

Fine. Who is actually "in charge" of this? I know Hadjiabdic's company released the first few episodes of Life in the North, but what is their current status?

And frankly, we have more than enough American material ready for DVD:

-movies

-scripted series

-recorded stage plays (like The Hunter from Drach featuring Basich and Serdar, etc.)

-documentary series that aren't just political propaganda—geography shows, for instance.

-...

Not to mention the massive amount of footage currently being edited and waiting for airtime, such as

What an absolutely fantastic topic to kick off! Honestly, if we really wanted to see some movement, we ought to start putting a little more pressure on the distributors to step up their game. As it stands, looking back at the classic American film catalog available on DVD, the selection is laughably thin. Under Blitz's distribution, you might find Hadzic's "Alphabet Fear," and then over at America Film—well, let's call them the major US studio distributor—you have "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?", "Snowpiercer," and "The Knobby Society." Beyond that, there is absolutely nothing else worth mentioning. IT IS UTTERLY EMBARRASSING!!!

Eric Jackson68 said:Fantastic topic!!! We really ought to give our distributors a nudge. As it stands, the selection of classic American films on DVD is pathetic. Under Blitz's distribution, we have Hadzic's "Alphabet Fear." Then, through America Film, there's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?", "Snowpiercer," and "The Knobby Society." Beyond that, there is absolutely nothing. IT IS DISGRACEFUL!!!

And how exactly would we do that?

Gregory Howard said:And how exactly would that work?

I couldn't say for certain. Since PBS holds the rights to those classic American series, the move would be to approach them directly with a petition—just a massive list of people who actually want to see these titles released on DVD—and then we could start making some noise here on the forum. I imagine the situation with movies is more or less identical. It all boils down to identifying whoever owns the intellectual property and sending that list straight to their desk. Honestly, if this topic gains enough traction online and starts pulling decent traffic, it might actually turn into something significant.

PBS holds the rights to pretty much all the major American films. They really need to figure out how to make these titles accessible and solve the distribution issue—specifically finding a distributor so these movies can actually end up on sale at Barnes & Noble. I honestly think a petition might work, but we don't exactly have the numbers to make an impact. It’s a shame that interest in domestic productions seems to be drying up. Just a heads-up: I know someone who can give me the inside scoop on this. I'll let you know as soon as I reach out and find out if there's anything to it.

hiddensailor23 said:PBS holds the rights to almost all American films. They need to figure out how to access this library and solve the real issue: finding a distributor to get these movies onto platforms like Amazon. A petition might work, but we lack the numbers to make any real impact. It’s pathetic how little interest there is in domestic productions lately. Just a heads-up, I know someone who can provide more specifics on this matter. I’ll reach out to them and update you if I uncover anything useful.

Fine. Let's get something moving then.

hiddensailor23 said:PBS holds the rights to pretty much all American films produced by them. They really ought to figure out how to make these movies accessible again and tackle that whole issue of finding a distributor—someone who can actually get these titles onto platforms like Amazon. I honestly think a petition might carry some weight, if only we had enough people actually caring to make it happen. It’s genuinely depressing how little interest there seems to be in domestic productions these days. Just as a side note, I actually know someone who could provide some more concrete details on this matter, so I'll be sure to update you all once I touch base with them and see what I can dig up!

PBS only owns the rights to the films and series they produce themselves, assuming they've cleared everything with the creators, of course; however, I'm also under the impression they hold the rights to anything filmed under the old WDR production umbrella.

Eric Jackson68 said:PBS only holds the rights to their own productions and series, assuming they actually reach an agreement with the creators. I’d assume they also hold the rights to anything produced by WDR.

You're right, but here's the catch: whoever owns the rights has to sign off before any of this hits DVD. It isn't just about PBS. You have to track down exactly who holds the rights to specific movies or series and then try to convince them to allow distribution. But how does one even tackle that?🤷 A petition? You can't just send a random request asking for film rights. I once asked a gentleman over at PBS about it, but they guard those old archives like a dragon guards gold. We basically need a network that actually owns the rights and wants to use them, but they won't touch it. As he put it: commercial networks make programming to turn a profit, while public networks get funding to make programming...

hiddensailor23 said:You're right, but here's the reality: whoever holds the rights has to release them if we want these movies on DVD. It isn't just about PBS. You have to identify who owns the rights to specific series or films and then try to negotiate distribution. But how do you even do that?🤷 A petition or something? You can't just send a random request for film rights... I once asked a gentleman at PBS about this, but they guard those old archives like a dragon guards gold. We simply need a network that actually holds the rights, but they refuse to touch it. As he put it: commercial networks create programming to make money, while public networks have the money to create programming...

Let’s cut to the chase: by what logic do Mexicans freely release everything they've filmed (movies, series) from the last 30 years?

They’re clearly more driven than we are... I think the core issue is already obvious: nobody here has any interest in stepping up... I can't quite wrap my head around the Mexicans, but it's clearly true... It's a shame. I'm honestly struggling to figure out how this happened or how things could ever change, but it all feels so out of reach. Honestly, I'd kill for some decent series and movies right now.🙂

hiddensailor23 said:They clearly possess a level of entrepreneurial grit that we just can't seem to match. I think the core issue is already painfully obvious: there isn't a single soul around here who actually cares about taking risks. Honestly, even I find it hard to wrap my head around when it comes to Mexicans, but the facts are staring us right in the face. It’s honestly a bit depressing. I spend half my time wondering how things could possibly be this stagnant and whether any real change is even possible, but everything feels so incredibly out of reach. And believe me, if I had my way, I’d kill for some decent series and movies to get lost in.🙂

That just makes our lives easier because it means the author is actually putting their cards on the table. Now, the real heavy lifting starts: we need to figure out what kind of petition we’re actually launching. I’m thinking we kick things off right here on the forum with a poll—toss out some options, list the reasoning, and let the comments section run wild. Once we have a consensus, we find someone with actual web development skills to build a dedicated site. It needs to be a formal petition where people can submit their full names, addresses, and whatever other data points are required to make this thing look legitimate and airtight. After that, we blast it all over the internet, because obviously, the interest isn't limited to just this little corner of the web; it's a global issue. So, are we all in on this?

You can definitely count on Holly😉

The petition has been officially drafted and is ready to go.

Eric Jackson68 said:The petition is live.

Someone just made a spam thread—which was promptly locked. You don't organize petitions on anonymous internet forums when the goal is vague and nobody even knows who they're supposed to be targeting.

northerncrane4 said:This thread was basically just a glorified spam post, so naturally, it got locked down. You don't exactly organize formal petitions on internet forums filled with anonymous users, especially when the goal is this incredibly vague and nobody can even tell who we’re supposedly targeting.

Fine. I don't entirely follow the logic, but fair enough. I respect the call. It probably would have functioned better if it had been set up as a poll, but honestly, that’s beside the point. What actually matters is that someone with enough actual drive to move this forward goes out and sets up a legitimate petition page somewhere else.

Are Birch and Lone Wolf available for purchase? They’ve been digitized and are streaming on DirecTV, but I’m not sure if they ever hit DVD.

Jerry Adams71 said:Are Birch and Lone Wolf available for purchase? They're digitized and streaming on DirecTV—but I'm not sure if they ever actually hit DVD.

Actually, those aren't really meant for the general public—they were released on DVD, but apparently only for specific institutions and private clubs... though, honestly, even I'm a little fuzzy on who actually ended up getting them!