Posted on Blu-Ray.com

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=359839 

Should be the start of a big year for classic cartoons from Warner (we hope).

Hopefully, the prints won't be messed up like the restored one's that Warners released on DVD over fifteen years ago.

NOT an Archive release. It’ll be nice to see these in HD, but it’s more than likely the same masters we’ve seen before with the audio issues. Bonuses seem different too, based on the cover

It appears a press release  is out now. If I'm reading it right, they were re-remastered into 4K instead of 2K like the earlier copies

That's interesting to note. However, I have to ask: Will they restored new prints or the same prints with the weird edits?

Going by the press release it seems to be a new master made for this release. Not mentioned is anything related to sound materials. So on that front i'm expecting the worst for that.
However I'm intrigued if they did use the original negs since we might be able to see the missing 3 or so seconds of animation from all currently circulating copies of The Bulleteers.

Personally, I'm crossing my fingers on this release, although, I won't be surprised if the release does end up imperfect.

I'm hoping that this release will restore the original end cues for all of the cartoons, including The Mummy Strikes, which was the one cartoon on Image/Bosko's Superman DVD that didn't have its original end cue.

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This is a compehensive list of the audio errors in the previous Warner DVD. For use to compare with the Blu-Ray.

All:
Incorrect end cues for all. Superman end cue cut and pasted in all of them

Superman*:
Entire short has poor audio quality and skips frequently
"True Justice" instead of "Truth and Justice"
"Mad-ist" instead of "Mad scientist"

Mechanical Monsters:
Untouched aside from end cue

Billion Dollar Limited:
Uses Superman opening cue (in low pitch)
Train noise in title card not heard
"Faster than a speeding bullet" sequence sourced from Superman (with "Truth and Justice" intact oddly enough)

The Arctic Giant:
Fully untouched

The Bulleteers:
Uses The Arctic Giant opening cue (cut after the first go of the main melody)
Uses FTASB sequence from The Arctic Giant

The Magnetic Telescope:
Uses Superman opening cue
Buzzing noise in title card not heard
FTASB sequence sourced from The Arctic Giant
Opening shot cue cut by a second or two

Electric Earthquake:
Fully untouched

Volcano:
Uses The Arctic Giant opening cue (specifically the cut version used in The Bulleteers)
Correct revised FTASB sequence

Terror on the Midway:
Uses The Arctic Giant opening cue (same cut Bulleteers version)
Correct FTASB sequence
"Peanuts!" shortened to just "-nuts!"

Japateurs:
Uses Electric Earthquake opening cue
Correct FTASB sequence

Showdown:
Uses Superman opening cue
Incorrect new FTASOL sequence (Showdown has a different lightning animation and faster timing on the narrating) ("This amazing stranger" onwards is lifted from The Arctic Giant, so this whole sequence is a weird frankenstein job)

Eleventh Hour:
Uses Superman opening cue
Opening Sequence from Superman tacked in
FTASB sequence after neither from Superman or Eleventh Hour, but again from The Arctic Giant

Destruction Inc:
Uses Superman opening cue
correct FTASOL but ending portion is taken from The Arctic Giant

The Mummy Strikes:
Uses Superman opening cue
Same as previous FTASOL sequence

Jungle Drums:
Uses Superman Opening cue
Opening sequence from Superman tacked in wholesale (with "True Justice")

The Underground World:
Uses Superman opening cue
same incorrect FTASOL sequence

Secret Agent:
Uses Superman Opening cue
same incorrect FTASOL sequence

*Audio errors are exactly the same as the one found in the heavily spliced prints used in PD tapes. Which leads me to believe Warner used audio from them as their source for most, if not all of them. As many of the other entries often had their openings utterly obliterated, Warner might have copy pasted the Superman opening cue in the rest of them to sync with the video. This causes a whole different issue when the "Director" credit stops having its own card after The Bulleteers, and the Famous entries are plagued with abrupt fade outs before the theme even ends.

Not really related to the release but is there any sort of documentation on the animators for each short? I have noted the styles of some animators but can't put names on them. The only ones I can have any confidence in guessing is Steve Muffatti doing the "How's that for a story Ms Lane" scene from the first cartoon and the Olsen pre-expy scene in Showdown (Don't Forget, it's fooormal").

There's another audio glitch: "Assume disguise" instead of "Assumed the disguise".



Actually, those two cartoons have their original end cues completely intact.

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A warning that this report is saying that the job was botched.  Not that I don't entirely disbelieve the idea, but I think it's best to await actual photos before saying such

Yes I figured out my mistake soon after. I shall edit them accordingly.


Sounds about right honestly considering WHV's track record for animation as of late, but as usual the sound aspect is glossed over like it was nothing. I'm not cancelling my preorder just so I can fully dig into this myself.

I can easily believe it, but I want to actually see images of the cartoons. I didn't pre-order this set due to the heavier price compared to Collector's Choice, and let's face it, key Warner Cartoons go even above Superman

Jerry Beck's been mentioning in FB comments that the audio issues were not fixed, seems the warnings are true. My impression is that the colors are a little juiced with grain being mostly removed. Tis a Shame, I was hoping that the set would be worth a purchase, but it doesn't sound like such. Jerry has also been commented (seen here) . Hopefully, Collector's Choice, which IS WAC, is much better with the presentation

Tex Avery #2 (and to a lesser extent #3) said Warner Archive. So did Porky Pig 101. Not being a set he was involved in just means he last no incentive to bootlick and browbeat critics and be an apologist.

If most of the Collector's Choice shorts aren't the HBO Max restorations with the titles fixed (IF THAT), that will be the biggest surprise of the year.

We’ll have to see, Craig Phillips

Snark if you want, but it's true. WAC just means "The problems are beyond our control, but we have a vested interest in going on the defensive".

If Collector's Choice does have major problems, you're not going to see Jerry be this candid. I guarantee that.

But what do I know? I'm not a moderator for the Cartoon Research FB group.

Leviathan, you promised not to get heated or personal with other members again. I've just been told in PMs about the spat on the Cartoon Research group you've gotten yourself into thanks to ban-evading. I've had enough. Indefinite ban.

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Another review out. This time with screenshots.
http://mcbastardsmausoleum.blogspot.com/2023/05/max-fleischerssuperman-1941-1943wbhe.html?m=1 
Yes, unfortunately it looks pretty degrained. Most of the rampant cel dirt in Showdown seems to be scrubbed off too (based on the screenshots). Though the colors are much more vibrant than the DVD (the red spectrum seems boosted to me), which I can't tell if it's because it's from the neg or some restoration tomfoolery. The Japateurs title card in particular looks off, too dark.
The true-justice glitch remains also, which doesn't bode well for the rest, because this suggests Warners simply reused the audio from the DVD (a Warner staple).