So many Best Pictures lack Blu-Ray releases....

[Beck38]

So it's 'awards' time of year again, and as pre-awards shows drone on, I'm still amazed, here at some 6+ years (or is it 7+?) into the bluray 'era', that so many award winning (in particular, as befits the title of this thread) 'best' picture winners, many of them in what would be considered the 'modern' ear (say 1970 or even 1960 or maybe even anything that is in 'scope/widescreen) lack bluray releases.

I think it's a scandal! These movies have been out on SD/DVD for forever. They were produced on modern film stock, in virtually every case have been put on the national historical list of 'great' films, yet again, here we are getting closer and closer to a DECADE of hidef home video...!

Here are two in particular that really stand out:

Ordinary People - best pic, best actor, best director, best screenplay

On Golden Pond - best actor, best actress, best screenplay

Really, you gotta be kidding me. I'm sure I could probably come up with at least a dozen other examples, but these kinda leap out at me.

Reasons?

No big explosions

No gunplay of any kind

No foreign/non-American bad guys

no excessive car chases

no drug use (legal or illegal at the time or state/country in which it occurred)

Anyone have any other ideas?

[piercerseth]

Maybe the original negatives or interpositives were lost or are too beat up? Where it wouldn't be cost effective for the studio? So we're stuck with LD masters from 25 years ago. I've been waiting for an anamorphic director's cut of The Abyss for ages.

All things considered I'd say we've got it pretty good. How the West Was Won Cinerama BD, Metropolis Complete Ed, the 270 min cut of Once Upon A Time in America that we'll hopefully see this year. These are films I didn't think companies save for Criterion would've ever bothered giving proper treatment. But here we are.

[stan]

We are 19 years into the DVD era yet many movies have still not made the transfer from VHS to DVD

[IdolEyes787]

The glaring irony is you seemingly are determining what equates to being art while wholly failing to understand what that encompasses.
If in determining what is art, photo-realism mattered to anybody other than cretins,children and tools and no I am not calling you a child, Scott Jacobs would probably be mentioned in the same breathe as Vincent van Gogh.Which thank God,he ain't.

As for your technological "scandal," I would say that since it's called "show business" then there is simply not enough shekels seen to be made to as the cool buffoon gotta have the latest,greatest or it isn't worth shit market is sadly still a fairly small one.:(
If you have any other possible reason why a Blu-ray version as opposed to a DVD version would add anything to these films,Mr Turner,then please do say.

Lastly,while I have a good rant on,unless you are one of the couch potatoes similarly inclined to believe that salary discussion is the gist of any good sports show,then again what the fucking fuck does this have to do with movies?

[Beck38]

'The Abyss' is a pic that is right up there at the top of wacky 'why hasn't this' list. It did, however, only win one 'top' award (effects), but was donw by mr. titanic however, I haven't seen anything on contractual disputes which is usually the reason why things don't get done.

I've never seen a HD widescreen presentation of this film on any channel ever. Period. It obviously exists on film, but has never been telecined by anyone to my knowledge. Always just 3x4.

I just don't believe that there is a larger market for such drivel as 'car and racer 18' or 'exorcist 2019' or whatever. And yes, Criterion has done great things in both the past and present, but a good (recent) example is the job they did on 1981's 'Thief', which is a classic. I've got it in all my 'que's awaiting some price reduction at some point. Another great flick along the same lines is '52 Pick-Up' although another great Roy Scheider flick, 'Sorcerer' is about to (or already is) released. But this are all non-winners just about. Certainly not in the same 'league' as, say, Ordinary People.

Twilight Time/Screen Archives has done some fair work along these lines, probably not quite as 'deep' as Criterion in cleaning things up, and doing so with 'limited' release (usually 3000 copies). I have a couple of things they have done, nothing 'special' ala Criterion, but otherwise not available.

Of course, one never knows; got to keep the 'search fingers' going on some stuff, it appears that the new Criterion 'Thief' is available on Netflix, so... at least one has popped up out of nowhere.

[IdolEyes787]

In total,hand on the Bible,seriousness.You sir,are a tool.

The secret to life is not about whining when you fail to get front row center tickets to the concert.The secret is being able to still enjoy the concert when sitting in 50th row semi-obstructed view.

Btw I don't expect you to agree with anything I write as it took me many years to come to certain realizations and Lord knows I'm smarter than you.

[Rart]

https://xkcd.com/1314/