DVD & Blu-Ray Purchases Thread - (DVD's! Do you buy them New or Used?...) [Archive]

DjfunkmasterG

27-Jun-2006, 12:51 PM

Or are you just a leech?

I ask because with the huge selection of films on DVD I wonder if people tend to leech more, buy them new or used.

I myself buy based on my like for a title, or interest in the film. FOr something I really enjoyed I am at the store on release day plopping down $20 to grab the newest release.

For older films, and hard to find films I usually go to game stop and buy off the used rack. The staff knows me pretty well and let's me check disc quality before walking out the door or deciding on a purchase. Lately I have been plopping down the cash for used DVD's. $100 usually nets me around 15 discs in decent condition. My last venture I left with 10 discs for $81.50 including tax.

Leeching... yes I do that too. Mostly for films I had no interest in seeing or owning for that matter. A film like the Movie version of the Dukes of Hazzard was a download for me, whereas the TV episodes where a purchase.

So what do you do when you buy DVD's? Stick to new, go used, or all of the above?

WE NEED A POLL FOR THIS!

*Why can't we have a simple button to add polls to a post?

LouCipherr

27-Jun-2006, 01:06 PM

Hmm, well, I do my share of both. If I like a movie, I will pay for the DVD, but since there's hardly been anything likeable coming out of hollywood the past few years, i've been leeching more than in the past.

As far as new/used, I don't care which they are as long as they're fairly inexpensive (under $20 for a single-disc movie) and they aren't scratched to hell. I own quite a few Bl*ckbuster previously owned movies, as well as many new in the box movies. As long as they're playable..

bassman

27-Jun-2006, 01:12 PM

Bunker65

27-Jun-2006, 01:12 PM

99% of the time I go the "new" route. Every once in a while I'll get a "Previously Viewed" disc of a movie I didn't feel like paying full price for. The most recent being "Vampires: The Turning". I've also gotten some really good deals on new & unopened older DVD's on eBay.

DjfunkmasterG

27-Jun-2006, 01:16 PM

Vampires: The Turning, Thats the second sequel to John Carpenter's Vampires correct?

MinionZombie

27-Jun-2006, 01:24 PM

I buy them new, I don't think I've ever bought a used DVD, maybe once I did, but that's it. I always buy them new, I used to buy some used videos (ex rental), but with DVD once they're scratched they're f*cked and most people renting DVDs are still getting used to their opposable thumbs and have the fingering skills of The Thing in Fantastic Four, so I don't really fancy dropping cash on used DVDs.

The closest I get to it these days is joining those DVD rental trials and copying the DVDs I rent on the free trial, haha, what a cheapskate (but I can't afford to buy a lot, or even a little, these days).

As for which DVDs I buy brand new, I go for films which are dead certs in my book, something I know is worth it and that I know for a fact I already love or will love once I get it. Back at uni, with the loans coming in every semester, I'd buy a lot of "I'll try this out", which fortunately had a 70% hit ratio, but sometimes I just stand there at my shelves-o-DVDs and think "why oh why did I buy that?" when I could have just downloaded it instead.

LouCipherr

27-Jun-2006, 01:33 PM

Usually new.

True, most of the recent stuff isn't any good but they still release older(good) films on DVD. There's something good being released at least once or twice a month. There are some webistes that fill me in on this...

True, there are some good older TV shows and things I like to have on DVD, which i will gladly pick up when they come out (c'mon Briscoe County Jr. & The Tick animated series! :D).

Movies are another animal though. If it was made pre-2002, it might just be worth getting. ;)

LC

Bunker65

27-Jun-2006, 01:33 PM

Vampires: The Turning, Thats the second sequel to John Carpenter's Vampires correct?

No, that was "Vampires: Los Muertos". "Vampires: The Turning":

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398378/

http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/2368/98m8ol.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Tagline: For 100 years a war has raged between good and evil. It will end tonight.

Plot Outline: An American muay-thai fighter in Thailand must join forces with a group of vampire hunters to track down and kill a vampire lord who has kidnapped his gilfriend.

DjfunkmasterG

27-Jun-2006, 01:38 PM

Bunker65

27-Jun-2006, 01:43 PM

Well it would be the second sequel. The first sequel to Vampires would be Vampires 2 (Los Whateveroso) so this would be the second sequel.

Original: Vampires
Sequel # 1: Vampires 2
Sequel # 2: Vampires 3

:D

Whoops !! Sorry, it's early & I misread your original post :D. Yeah, I guess it would be the "second" sequel to Vampires :).

No matter what it is I bought the "previously viewed" copy from Blockbuster because the movie wasn't half bad & also because Stephanie Chao & Meredith Monroe are smokin' hot :).

MaximusIncredulous

27-Jun-2006, 01:44 PM

DjfunkmasterG

27-Jun-2006, 01:48 PM

I always buy DVDs new. Just about every used DVD I've ever seen is always scratched to hell as if the last owner used it as a frisbee with his dog.

As for leeching, considering how hard it is to make a buck these days and the lack of respect Hollywood is showing for this issue by deficating their templated movies on us, I leech whenever I can and never regret it for a second. Not that I leech that much anyway since the majority of titles released these days are barely worth the download time. Of course if the movie is really good, which is like never, I would buy it on DVD.

Ya know... I bought Walk the Line when it came out on DVD and Conderella Man, and to be honest those were the last decent films I have seen in a long time. However, cars was the most recent good flick i have caught. Everything else is garbage.

I watched a preview for a new Keenan Ivory Wayans film and I was like WTF are they thinking. The preview was crappy, the premise looked stupid yet the audience found it to be hilarious. I sat there counting in my head 2 minutes until it went away.

The movie is about a midget who acts like a baby to find some missing diamond or something. Anyway, Films like this keep getting made while decent stuff rots in development hell.... WHY WHY WHY?

Eyebiter

27-Jun-2006, 01:49 PM

I buy new dvd's, but only when they are 10 dollars or less. Will usually check the bargain bin at walmart or wait until best buy runs a 3 for $20 deal on older movies.

Some of the DVD box sets are great deals. 50 or more old black and white movies for $20 - lot of entertainment for the money.

MaximusIncredulous

27-Jun-2006, 01:52 PM

Ya know... I bought Walk the Line when it came out on DVD and Conderella Man, and to be honest those were the last decent films I have seen in a long time. However, cars was the most recent good flick i have caught. Everything else is garbage.

I watched a preview for a new Keenan Ivory Wayans film and I was like WTF are they thinking. The preview was crappy, the premise looked stupid yet the audience found it to be hilarious. I sat there counting in my head 2 minutes until it went away.

The movie is about a midget who acts like a baby to find some missing diamond or something. Anyway, Films like this keep getting made while decent stuff rots in development hell.... WHY WHY WHY?

Isn't that Wayans film a Bugs Bunny cartoon? I bet those filmmakers are acting like they had an original idea or something.

Ahh, this is what they ripped off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvP-fhfd-fI

LouCipherr

27-Jun-2006, 01:59 PM

dmbfanintn

27-Jun-2006, 03:26 PM

Used baby!!!!! Same product for a less expensive price!!!!! The place where I buy my used DVD and VHS will let you look at the disc before you purchase it and if it doesn't work when you get it home, you can return it!

USED!!!!!!

DjfunkmasterG

27-Jun-2006, 03:36 PM

<ahem>TDR<ahem>

:p

The Devil's Rejects was November 2005. I remember cause you bought the DVD for me and I picked it up from you. :D I bought WTL and Cinder Man in December 05 January 06...

LouCipherr

27-Jun-2006, 03:45 PM

Ya know... I bought Walk the Line when it came out on DVD and Conderella Man, and to be honest those were the last decent films I have seen in a long time. However, cars was the most recent good flick i have caught. Everything else is garbage.

The Devil's Rejects was November 2005. I remember cause you bought the DVD for me and I picked it up from you. :D I bought WTL and Cinder Man in December 05 January 06...

Oh, so that 2 months makes that big of a difference? You never said anything about the year, you said "last decent films I have seen in a long time"

November of 2005 is less than a year. It ain't been a long time my friend. :p

DjfunkmasterG

27-Jun-2006, 04:14 PM

Oh, so that 2 months makes that big of a difference? You never said anything about the year, you said "last decent films I have seen in a long time"

November of 2005 is less than a year. It ain't been a long time my friend. :p

Ok, I stand corrected. The last round of decent films I have watched are:

Cinderella Man
Cars
Walk The Line
The Devils Rejects

:D :D :D :D :D :D

Tullaryx

27-Jun-2006, 05:57 PM

Almost all the dvds in my collection have been bought new except for a few which have been OOP for years thus I'm relegated to buying it used or at least repackaged.

LouCipherr

27-Jun-2006, 05:59 PM

Ok, I stand corrected. The last round of decent films I have watched are:

Cinderella Man
Cars
Walk The Line
The Devils Rejects

:D :D :D :D :D :D

:lol: :p

DjfunkmasterG

27-Jun-2006, 06:11 PM

Almost all the dvds in my collection have been bought new except for a few which have been OOP for years thus I'm relegated to buying it used or at least repackaged.

I admit I buy more used that new, and I do tons of leeching... Praise Netflix/Blockbuster Online!

Although I also have 5 different versions of one film, DAWN 1978 and Army of Darkness. I wish I could ow every DVD ever made, but Damn there is just so many of them fockers!

bassman

16-May-2018, 07:27 PM

Bringing this thread back from the dead! I was nearly certain that we had a “Recent DVD/Blu Ray Purchases” thread, but this one is as close as I could find. Maybe a mod could be so kind as to move it to media and make the title more fitting?

I wanted to find the thread because I’ve been splurging on Blu Rays lately, and I know there are quite a few other members that do the same and like myself, still prefer physical media over digital downloads.. This could help give heads’ up to members about upcoming releases, reviews, etc.

As I said, the past few nights I’ve stayed up combing Amazon for good releases and ended up with the following:

“Rod Serling’s Night Gallery”: The Complete Series. Only available on standard DVD and I’ve only begun to go through it all, but as “Twilight Zone” is my favorite show of all time, I HAD to get this and I’m enjoying it this far. It’s really cheap on Amazon for the complete series in one nice box. I friggin love Rod Serling. :p

“Halloween: The Complete Collection”: as the title suggests, it’s Blu Ray with every entry starting with Carpenter’s original and even includes the Rob Zombie remakes. It’s absolutely packed with enjoyable documentaries, commentaries, etc. for being such an inclusive set, it’s also really cheap. I think I paid 30 bucks for that many films.

“The Burbs”: Shout Favtory recently released this collectors edition Blu ray of Joe Dante’s underrated classic with commentary, feature-length documentary, excellent picture quality, and newly commissioned artwork for the cover. Highly recommended purchase!!!

“Universal Monsters: The Essential Blu Ray Collection”: Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy, Invisible Man, Wolfman, Bride of Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera, and Creature From the Black Lagoon, all in one nice neat case. Fantastic features and the restorations are phenomenal when you consider the age of the product they’re working with. To my knowledge, this is the only set that includes Bride and Creature, for whatever reasons. It’s actually an Ireland release, but is universally compatible with all players. WELL worth the purchase.

I’m still shopping Amazon for more and was hoping someone here might be able to answer this for me....so the US R1 release of Creepshow is an absolute crap barebones release. Could anyone tell me if the other region SE is region unlocked? There’s also the option to by the barebones BR of the film and then separately purchase the “Just Desserts”. That doc BR has quite a bit of other features in and of itself, are those on the SE of “Creepshow”, as well?

These are the extra features on “Just Desserts”:

Audio Commentary with Director & Editor Michael Felsher
Audio Commentary featuring interviews with Actor John Amplas, Property Master Bruce Alan Miller, and Make-Up Effects Assistant Darryl Ferrucci
Creepshow Days An interview with Director of Photography, Director Michael Gornick
Extended Interview Segments with George A. Romero, Tom Savini, and Bernie Wrightson
Behind The Screams A compilation of on-set video footage from Tom Savini
Horror's Hallowed Grounds with Sean Clark
Scream Greats Volume One: Tom Savini, Master of Horror Effects with Optional Audio Commentary with Tom Savini
Vintage 1982 Evening Magazine Segment shot on the set of the film, featuring rare cast & crew interviews
Behind-The-Scenes of CREEPSHOW Photo Gallery

**EDIT**
So after further research, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Region 2 SE of the first film is out of print, virtually impossible to find, and if you do find it, they’re price gouging like crazy. So if anyone is in the same boat as me, go to Amazon and find the barebones Blu ray, then you’ll see at the bottom that you can get that bare release with Just Desserts, as well as the special edition of Creepshow 2. All three for 50 bucks. Not bad. I would’ve really loved to have had Romero’s commentary for the first film, but it looks like that’s just not an option anymore. Not until the make another pressing, but I read that is highly unlikely.

JDP

17-May-2018, 01:30 AM

“Rod Serling’s Night Gallery”: The Complete Series. Only available on standard DVD and I’ve only begun to go through it all, but as “Twilight Zone” is my favorite show of all time, I HAD to get this and I’m enjoying it this far. It’s really cheap on Amazon for the complete series in one nice box. I friggin love Rod Serling.

Those paintings and sculptures during the intro sequences for each episode must be highly sought after by collectors. They were specifically made for the show, one-of-a-kind pieces.

EvilNed

17-May-2018, 09:49 AM

I collect cult films on Blu-Ray as a broad interest, with a specialization in italian genre film.
Here's a link to my BR collection;

http://www.blu-ray.com/community/collection.php?u=434962

MinionZombie

17-May-2018, 11:09 AM

Thread moved and re-titled for more fitting placement as requested. :)

I've had a bit of a splurge recently, too. I've got well beyond 700 DVDs in my collection and well over 200 Blu-Rays now. Picked up ten new Blu-Rays in a sale:

1) Don't Torture A Duckling (the Arrow Video release - excellent as always from those guys)
2) Blood Simple (the Director's Cut - hadn't seen it before, but now I have - includes the Coen's 'fake trailer', which is a must-watch for Evil Dead fans to spot familiar shots, sound effects, and a certain someone)
3) The Last American Virgin (Arrow Video - did a review of it, posted about it in my MZ Movie Review thread)
4) Zombie Creeping Flesh (aka Hell of the Living Dead - 88 Films' release)
5) From Beyond (Second Sight)
6) Coffy (Arrow Video - excellent extras, looks fantastic)
7) Deranged (Arrow Video - the one where the old snow shovel guy from Home Alone plays a version of Ed Gein, effects by Tom Savini, and there's a good commentary with Savini, too)
8) The Mutilator (Arrow Video - uncut and stuffed with extras)
9) The House On Sorority Row (88 Films)
10) Black Sunday (Arrow Video)

I've also got Arrow Video's upcoming limited edition of Last House On The Left pre-ordered. New extras, new restoration (uncut), fancy packaging (kind of like they did for The Thing - I got the limited edition release of that, too, which went OOP way before the release date!). :)

EvilNed

17-May-2018, 11:45 AM

I recently picked up Black Sunday too, in the latest Arrow sale.

As for other british companies, I keep an eye on Screenbound pictures, 88 Films, Shameless.

American companies I usually buy Mondo Macabro, Code Red, Scorpion, Severin, Scream Factory and Raro.

Might have missed some. I know some people like Kino Lorber, I haven't picked up any of theirs yet.

EDIT: There's also a small american company named Dorado which releases reeeaaal obscure stuff.

bassman

21-May-2018, 07:19 PM

Picked up quite a few releases recently...

Night of the Living Dead(Criterion Edition): Wow, I’m kinda mad at myself for waiting so long to get this. AMAZING release! Without a doubt the definitive edition for Nignt, an absolute must for fans to pick up!

Creepshow 2(Arrow release): This is my first time seeing Creepshow 2. Surprisingly I’d somehow avoided it over the years even though I love the original. As I’m sure others would agree, it doesn’t hold up quite as well as the original, but is still a fun genre flick. This release comes with a large selection of features that were very enjoyable. Including a commentary with Gornick, that’s moderated very well by Perry Martin, who also did the Dawn Ultimate Edition.

Return of the Living Dead(Shout Factory Collectors Edition): Some of you may remember that I used to be quite harsh on this film in the past, but eventually I came around to embrace it for the tongue in cheek 80’s goofiness of it all. This release has TONS of features, including multiple commentaries and a feature length documentary, which I’m a big fan of. If you like this flick, this is likely the best release there will ever be and I highly suggest everyone picking it up.

Re-Animator(Arrow Special Edition): Just as I’d said about Return, this is a fantastic released packed with very entertaining features and will likely be the definitive final release. Very happy with this purchase and I highly recommend it! Considering picking up its two sequels, as I’ve never seen them at all. Any thoughts on those?

Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow(Special Edition): I missed out on getting the Arrow release of Creepshow when it was released, so getting this documentary separately was my best option at this point. It also comes with a large number of special features, which is a nice bonus. Extended interviews, a very informative commentary track about its creation, and Fangoria’s “Scream Greats: Tom Savini”, which was filmed shortly after the release of Day and covers Savini’s career to that point. I LOVE this release and any Region 1 folks that missed out on the previous special edition should definitely get it. I’d even say it’s worth a double dip for folks that DO have the previous release. Worth every penny.

All of these were purchased through Amazon and were all under $20. I’m still going through some of the features and commentaries and loving every second of it!

EvilNed

22-May-2018, 07:03 AM

Have you picked up Arrow's release of The Crazies?

MinionZombie

22-May-2018, 10:56 AM

Re-Animator(Arrow Special Edition): Just as I’d said about Return, this is a fantastic released packed with very entertaining features and will likely be the definitive final release. Very happy with this purchase and I highly recommend it! Considering picking up its two sequels, as I’ve never seen them at all. Any thoughts on those?

Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow(Special Edition): I missed out on getting the Arrow release of Creepshow when it was released, so getting this documentary separately was my best option at this point. It also comes with a large number of special features, which is a nice bonus. Extended interviews, a very informative commentary track about its creation, and Fangoria’s “Scream Greats: Tom Savini”, which was filmed shortly after the release of Day and covers Savini’s career to that point. I LOVE this release and any Region 1 folks that missed out on the previous special edition should definitely get it. I’d even say it’s worth a double dip for folks that DO have the previous release. Worth every penny.

Arrow's release of "Bride of Re-Animator" is excellent. Crammed full with features and has the theatrical and uncut versions of the film. Highly recommended.

Ah yes, that Creepshow making of was on the 2-disc UK DVD from several years ago. A rare occasion of the UK getting a superior release to America. :D

Agreed on the Criterion release of Night - it's superb. I got it when it came out. Excellent release, the only downside for me was the packaging felt a bit flimsy for such a landmark of cinema (Arrow has done a few limited edition releases of titles such as The Bird With The Crystal Plumage or The Thing etc, which have thick card outer boxes and a traditional plastic case for the movie itself), whereas Criterion's packaging was a bit naff (especially the irritating way the discs are held). Aside from that, though, the release was great.

EvilNed

22-May-2018, 12:25 PM

I just don't see the point in including the Night of Anubis workprint tho. It's just the exact same film but with another titlecard and a few zombie stocks switched around.

MinionZombie

22-May-2018, 12:44 PM

I just don't see the point in including the Night of Anubis workprint tho. It's just the exact same film but with another titlecard and a few zombie stocks switched around.

Yeah, it's a damn shame that rumoured missing footage didn't come to pass. The "Night of Anubis" workprint ... yeah ... not much difference, I'd have preferred a little comparison featurette instead (there's an excellent comparison doc between two versions of Mario Bava's "Black Sabbath" on the Arrow Video blu-ray of that, btw). But if you want to watch a scruffy old print of Night, then I suppose there's that. :p

bassman

22-May-2018, 04:15 PM

Have you picked up Arrow's release of The Crazies?

I have not, though I've been tempted on several occasions. Torn between the single release or the "Between Night and Dawn" release.

I just don't see the point in including the Night of Anubis workprint tho. It's just the exact same film but with another titlecard and a few zombie stocks switched around.

Agreed, as MZ says, with such minor changes, they could've created a small doc with better results. It's not like Alien 3, where the workprint/assembly is drastically different.

Arrow's release of "Bride of Re-Animator" is excellent. Crammed full with features and has the theatrical and uncut versions of the film. Highly recommended.

Ah yes, that Creepshow making of was on the 2-disc UK DVD from several years ago. A rare occasion of the UK getting a superior release to America. :D

I'll keep an eye out for "Bride". Much appreciated!

Yeah, the creator of Just Desserts goes into detail on why it is that there was never a R1 release.

The short of it is that Warner Brothers were the distributors of Creepshow in the US, while some off shoot of Universal distributed across the pond. He'd worked on the great Anchor Bay releases of Dawn/Day, as well as Arrow, and was on-set of both Land and Diary, so he'd formed a good reputation with Romero and crew. He formed his own production company and set out to make Just Desserts. He sent a nice proposal to WB how he could produce the features and special edition, but they came back with a blunt "not interested". He'd heard that perhaps they were working on a R2 release, so he sent the same proposal to that division of Universal and got an immediate positive response. They were actually far along on the R2 release, even started printing some of the discs, but they cancelled it all to wait for his doc.

Years and years later, WB still doesn't wish to license his COMPLETED doc, so he released it on his own. It all comes down to WB's lack of faith in Creepshow, which they also showed during the film's release.

MinionZombie

22-May-2018, 05:14 PM

Yeah, the creator of Just Desserts goes into detail on why it is that there was never a R1 release.

The short of it is that Warner Brothers were the distributors of Creepshow in the US, while some off shoot of Universal distributed across the pond. He'd worked on the great Anchor Bay releases of Dawn/Day, as well as Arrow, and was on-set of both Land and Diary, so he'd formed a good reputation with Romero and crew. He formed his own production company and set out to make Just Desserts. He sent a nice proposal to WB how he could produce the features and special edition, but they came back with a blunt "not interested". He'd heard that perhaps they were working on a R2 release, so he sent the same proposal to that division of Universal and got an immediate positive response. They were actually far along on the R2 release, even started printing some of the discs, but they cancelled it all to wait for his doc.

Years and years later, WB still doesn't wish to license his COMPLETED doc, so he released it on his own. It all comes down to WB's lack of faith in Creepshow, which they also showed during the film's release.

Interesting! Weird, too, because I thought "Creepshow" was a bit of a hit in theatres, wasn't it?

Good on the R2 distributor to snap up a good opportunity. I must re-watch that doc as I've only seen it once, and that was back when I got the R2 DVD - when it released - so it's been quite a long time now, but I do recall it being absolutely excellent.

Oh yeah, you mentioned the ROTLD documentary - I've got the standalone DVD release of it and, naturally, the Blu-Ray of the first film (with the doc + the doc's extras on the package!!! :mad: ), but that doc is proper good. IIRC it's from the same people who did those definitive docs for the Friday the 13th and Nightmare On Elm Street franchises.

bassman

22-May-2018, 05:52 PM

From what they say in the special features, Warner Brothers could have done a better job promoting the film. It was number one at the box office on its first weekend(the ONLY film of Romero’s to ever make that achievement), but kinda trailed off after that initial weekend. The film turned a profit, but not one considered large enough for Warner Brothers’ standards. That’s why Creepshow 2 was produced by New World Pictures, because WB sold off their rights. So basically they dropped any interest in the Creepshow franchise after only one weekend in theaters.

I believe you’re right about the producers of the Return documentary. I have the Friday the 13th box collection, but sadly Crystal Lake Memories isn’t included. Been very tempted to purchase it on it’s own release, because both Docs for Return and Nightmare are top notch.

EvilNed

22-May-2018, 10:24 PM

Package arriving from Diabolik soon,

with Enigma Rosso, Violent Professionals, A Quiet Place in the Country and Threads. Great to see a proper bluray release of Threads, although I hear the picture quality is so, so.

shootemindehead

23-May-2018, 05:57 AM

It's as good as you can really expect Neddy.

Still worth picking up. One of the all time greatest TV dramas I have ever seen. Still fucks me up when I watch it. Partly because it's set in Sheffield, which is hardly the go to place for TV and Movie drama locations. But, it makes it all the more real because of it.

Kid me was allowed to stay up and watch this in 1984. Couldn't sleep for a week, and that was after a steady diet of horror movies.

MinionZombie

23-May-2018, 10:37 AM

I believe you’re right about the producers of the Return documentary. I have the Friday the 13th box collection, but sadly Crystal Lake Memories isn’t included. Been very tempted to purchase it on it’s own release, because both Docs for Return and Nightmare are top notch.

Crystal Lake Memories is well worth a purchase. I've got the Blu-Ray (the doc is spread across two discs) and it's well worth checking out. If you've read the book of the same name it's less revealing as it covers much of the same ground, but if you've not read the book then you're in for a treat. :)

EvilNed

26-May-2018, 09:42 AM

MinionZombie

26-May-2018, 11:24 AM

Arrow announced What have they done to your daughters? on Blu Ray yesterday.
Looking forward to that one. It's a neat giallo with a hectic carchase as the centerpiece. The ending is somewhat of a letdown and like all Cop / Giallo hybrids the antagonist is an anonymous ring of corrupt people in power rather than some form of psychosexual serial killer.

Aye, I saw the announcement, although it's a US release only (Shameless have the rights to it in the UK).

It's a good flick and one of the earlier films in the Italian 70s exploitation era that I watched when getting into this whole thing several years ago (although I had seen several Argento movies long before that). Great music, too (one piece is briefly heard in "Death Proof" when the the ladies' Challenger emerges above Stuntman Mike's Charger). One of my favourites and from the same director as "What Have You Done To Solange?", which was a superb giallo (also available via Arrow Video).

bassman

04-Jun-2018, 09:05 PM

Scream Factory, the horror division of Shout Factory, will be having a “Summer of Fear” sale on their catalogue of genre Blu Rays, June 4th to June 18th.

The current page will change on June 11th, and will then feature a whole new set of titles for sale. Dawn04 and Land Collector’s Edtions are among the current titles.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/sale/summer-of-fear

EvilNed

04-Jun-2018, 09:07 PM

Scream Factory, the horror division of Shout Factory, will be having a “Summer of Fear” sale on their catalogue of genre Blu Rays, starting today until June 18th.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/sale/summer-of-fear

Might pick up the Paul Naschy collection.

In other news I got two BluRays late last week; Django and Strip Nude for your Killer. Both from Blue Underground. They had a sale at WowHD and I picked them up.

bassman

05-Jun-2018, 08:31 PM

Shout has announced they’ll be releasing a Collectors Edition of the fourth Texas Chainsaw, The Next Generation later this year. No features listed as of yet, but they did announce that they’re currently working on obtaining the best negatives of the extended cut, which I hear is an improvement and quite rare.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/texas-chainsaw-massacre-the-next-generation-collector-s-edition?product_id=6834

I seem to remember a few people discussing this entry in the Chainsaw threads, maybe MZ(?), so just passing it along.

- - - Updated - - -

They’ve also announced a Collectors Edition of City Slickers. It may be a bit “mainstream” for some members, but I’ve always really liked this comedy and will be happy to add it to my collection!

https://www.shoutfactory.com/s3_images/images/7034cf8d-4f65-e811-a981-0edcbcd33718/CitySlickers.BR.PS.72dpi.png

MinionZombie

06-Jun-2018, 10:47 AM

haha, yeah, TCM: The Next Generation ... in many ways it's so utterly awful that it's an insult to the TCM franchise ("the real sequel" my arse! :lol: ), but in other ways it's so preposterously over-the-top and absurd and bad that it's actually quite fun (the kitchen scene, for instance).

Now, would I bother importing it? Nah, but if it came to UK shores with that alternate version of the movie and the extras included? Yeah, I'd hop on that.

bassman

06-Jun-2018, 04:29 PM

Speaking of imports.....I’m curious if you guys have to actually pay extra importing fees with every purchase, or if your version of Amazon has R1 movies already in your country? For example, all of the foreign releases I’ve picked up, I’ve been able to order them through the American Amazon site with no extra fees and had them delivered in two days. They’d already had the titles brought into the country.

- - - Updated - - -

Shout is just pumping out the titles this month! They’ve just announced:

https://www.shoutfactory.com/s3_images/images/dcefa3aa-5961-e811-a981-0edcbcd33718/Exorcist2.BR.Cover.72dpi.png

**NEW TITLE ANNOUNCEMENT**

EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC - one of the most infamous horror sequels in history (and that’s an understatement) – will be given the chance to be properly reevaluated in the form of a serious upgrade on Blu-ray this Fall! Here are the early details we have at present time:

• This will be branded as a 2-Disc “Collector’s Edition” that will come with a slipcover (guaranteed for three months after its original release date). U.S. and Canada territories (Region A).

• Extras and specs are still in progress and will be announced later in August. However, we can confirm today that we will have a new high-definition transfer of two cuts of the film! (This 117 min version that has been on Blu-ray and DVD before and a shorter, alternate version that was created after the film’s initial release in 1977.) You’ll also be happy to know that we have a brand-new interview with ‘Regan’ herself, actress Linda Blair!

MinionZombie

06-Jun-2018, 05:44 PM

Speaking of imports.....I’m curious if you guys have to actually pay extra importing fees with every purchase, or if your version of Amazon has R1 movies already in your country? For example, all of the foreign releases I’ve picked up, I’ve been able to order them through the American Amazon site with no extra fees and had them delivered in two days. They’d already had the titles brought into the country.

We have an import duty line in the sand. Anything under £15 including shipping costs (it used to be £18 until a few years ago) can pass through fine, but with the slump in the £ versus the $, importing isn't the bargain it used to be (I used to import multiple titles at a time back in the early to mid 2000s). If the cost of the package goes over that £15 limit you'll find yourself slapped with a hefty set of import fees plus added fees (and 2 or 3 weeks delay) from the Royal Mail for the related bureaucracy. :mad: It's a piss take, so I hardly ever import now as the prices as simply too high.

I've been really keen on getting the recent Severin 2-disc Blu-Ray release of "Dr Butcher M.D." (https://www.amazon.co.uk/DR-BUTCHER-MD-ZOMBIE/dp/B01GGPI1R6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528303271&sr=8-1&keywords=doctor+butcher+md), but it's simply too expensive to import. You can import it via Amazon UK, but with the additional fees slapped on it's basically £30 (about $41) and I ain't paying all that (that's as much as double your usual price for a Blu-Ray).

I have had a few R1 purchases through Amazon, but they've all been shipped inside the UK - so import fees don't apply.

EvilNed

06-Jun-2018, 05:53 PM

We have an import duty line in the sand. Anything under £15 including shipping costs (it used to be £18 until a few years ago) can pass through fine, but with the slump in the £ versus the $, importing isn't the bargain it used to be (I used to import multiple titles at a time back in the early to mid 2000s). If the cost of the package goes over that £15 limit you'll find yourself slapped with a hefty set of import fees plus added fees (and 2 or 3 weeks delay) from the Royal Mail for the related bureaucracy. :mad: It's a piss take, so I hardly ever import now as the prices as simply too high.

I've been really keen on getting the recent Severin 2-disc Blu-Ray release of "Dr Butcher M.D." (https://www.amazon.co.uk/DR-BUTCHER-MD-ZOMBIE/dp/B01GGPI1R6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528303271&sr=8-1&keywords=doctor+butcher+md), but it's simply too expensive to import. You can import it via Amazon UK, but with the additional fees slapped on it's basically £30 (about $41) and I ain't paying all that (that's as much as double your usual price for a Blu-Ray).

I have had a few R1 purchases through Amazon, but they've all been shipped inside the UK - so import fees don't apply.

Order it from WowHD and thank me later. Free shipping too. Perfect for single disc shipments. Customer service sucks balls tho.
They often note their package as being shipped from the UK.

Sweden just instated an import tax, but none of the WowHD shipments seem to be unaffected.

MinionZombie

06-Jun-2018, 06:38 PM

Order it from WowHD and thank me later. Free shipping too. Perfect for single disc shipments. Customer service sucks balls tho.
They often note their package as being shipped from the UK.

Thanks for the tip. Solid price on there. I've taken a punt just for that particular disc. :thumbsup:

bassman

06-Jun-2018, 06:50 PM

MinionZombie

06-Jun-2018, 06:59 PM

Hrmm that’s strange, I thought Amazon UK would’ve already had a good collection of imports like the US Amazon does. For the most part, Amazon US or one of its affiliated retailers has just about every imported special edition release for Arrow and the like already in country. So when I purchase a Blu ray produced in a different region, it only costs as much as a regular R1 release and is deliverered on Prime’s free two day shipping.

They probably don't do that in the UK as the market would be relatively small, so it's not really worth it for Amazon to do that. Maybe some slightly different rules regarding these things over here compared to there, too maybe?

I've ordered that disc up, so fingers crossed it makes it here in good time and such.

bassman

06-Jun-2018, 09:59 PM

Not the typical type of releases we discuss, but I felt like they were big ones that deserve a mention. I know tthat I’ll definitely be picking them up:

Batman: The Animated Series - Complete Blu Ray Collection

https://nerdist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/tumblr_nyhsrqT4U91tslewgo1_500.gif

No release date other than “Late 2018”, but Warner Brothers have announced that they’ve gone back to the original camera negatives in order to remaster the complete series for high definition. Considering that they’ve put so much effort into remastering the series, we can also likely expect commentaries and good features.

Batman TAS is a seminal moment in The Dark Knight’s history and is considered by many(myself included) to be the most definitive depiction of the character outside of the comics. The show began after the success of Tim Burton’s film, but quickly carved it’s own place in history with high praise from critics and fans alike. It’s one of my all-time favorite shows of any genre and I’ll be happily picking it up on day one!

George Carlin Commemorative Blu Ray/DVD Collection:

https://shop.pbs.org/ccstore/v1/images/?source=/file/v1139092230326408608/products/GCCC400.0.jpg&height=300&width=300

Encompassing over five decades of George Carlin’s hilarious and groundbreaking career, the GEORGE CARLIN COMMEMORATIVE COLLECTION brings together for the first time all of the legendary comedian’s HBO® specials plus hours of bonus material, including Carlin’s posthumous audio release, I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die. Featuring never-before-released material from the 1960’s all the way through to the 2000’s, including the oft-requested 40 Years of Comedy special hosted by Jon Stewart, the GEORGE CARLIN COMMEMORATIVE COLLECTION is a must for fans of this icon of American comedy and represents the most complete collection of Carlin performances to date.

EvilNed

07-Jun-2018, 09:06 AM

Hrmm that’s strange, I thought Amazon UK would’ve already had a good collection of imports like the US Amazon does. For the most part, Amazon US or one of its affiliated retailers has just about every imported special edition release for Arrow and the like already in country. So when I purchase a Blu ray produced in a different region, it only costs as much as a regular R1 release and is deliverered on Prime’s free two day shipping.

You can order US imports from british amazon, but American amazon is the distributor. In this instance British amazon is just a channel through which the order is placed.

bassman

09-Jun-2018, 08:18 PM

Universal Pictures will be releasing their 30-disc complete monsters collection on August 28th of this year. Featuring all of their “Universal Monsters” films with each of their individual sequels. Also includes the “Abbott and Costello Meet....” films.

https://videoeta.com/items/163900-classic-monsters:-complete-30-film-collection

Figures that this would be announced after I just recently purchased the box set with only the first films from each of the franchises....

MinionZombie

10-Jun-2018, 11:18 AM

Figures that this would be announced after I just recently purchased the box set with only the first films from each of the franchises....

I hate it when that happens. The number of times I've been scuppered after purchasing a DVD version of a film only for a fancy HD restoration packed with extras gets announced. :rolleyes:

bassman

11-Jun-2018, 07:25 PM

Scream Factory added more titles to their “Summer of Fear” sale. There are quite a few in there that I think some of you guys would enjoy.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/sale/summer-of-fear

bassman

14-Jun-2018, 04:28 AM

MinionZombie

14-Jun-2018, 11:05 AM

It’s just been revealed that an all new 4K remaster of Zombie(1979) is in the works from Blue Underground:

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=306721

I’ve never been a big fan of the film, but I know it’s highly regarded by quite a few members around here. I hear the current Arrow release already has impressive picture quality, so it’s yet to be seen just how much of an improvement this new 4K edition might be.

Aye, I've got the Arrow Video release, so I don't think I'd want to double dip ... actually, triple dip come to think of it (I also own the 25th Anniversary R1 DVD edition from Shriek Show) ... although whether that new restoration would make it over here is another thing entirely.

I recently re-watched the film with the audio commentary on the Arrow release. The annoying thing about it was the sound mix - the film's audio was way too friggin' loud --- I hate it when that happens --- how hard is it to make sure the background audio is quiet?! The purpose of a commentary is to be able to hear the commentary! :rolleyes:

EvilNed

14-Jun-2018, 01:35 PM

It’s just been revealed that an all new 4K remaster of Zombie(1979) is in the works from Blue Underground:

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=306721

I’ve never been a big fan of the film, but I know it’s highly regarded by quite a few members around here. I hear the current Arrow release already has impressive picture quality, so it’s yet to be seen just how much of an improvement this new 4K edition might be.

I have the Arrow Steelbook. I don't think I'd double dip on this, but I'm glad the film is seeing some love.
I'm a big fan of it. I don't like everything Fulci released. City of the Living Dead and The Beyond are good for nostalgic reasons. House by the Cemetary I find dull. I haven't even bothered with Manhattan Baby which I hear is a bit a let down.
I prefer his giallo. The Psychic is really good. Don't Torture a Duckling is perhaps better.

bassman

14-Jun-2018, 02:05 PM

EvilNed

14-Jun-2018, 02:42 PM

shootemindehead

14-Jun-2018, 03:53 PM

Would you guys say Zombie is probably his best or the most widely appreciated? Being that I’ve seemed to lighten up on films in recent years, I was thinking of giving it another try to see if I’m more accepting of it now. For example, I used to dislike both Return and Dawn04, but have come around to being able to enjoy them for what they are. So Zombie is worth a shot, I suppose. Unless you fellas think I should start with another Fulci film first?

If you're going to watch one Fulci film, make it 'Zombie Flesh Eaters'. If you want to try two, then look at 'The Beyond' as well. The rest, I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to track down or spend money on.

But, be advised that they are not great films, in any respect, and suffer from a lot of issues. 'The Beyond' is utterly ridiculous and makes no sense whatsoever, but is one of those films that just sort of fascinates. 'Zombie Flesh Eaters' is an entertaining spaghetti horror, complete with all the trappings of that Italian cannibal/zombie genre of the early 80's. Bear in mind that these films were largely sought after, because of their gory content in a time when such extremities were an outlier in more mainstream horror movies. But, today, that draw has diminished deeply and they are more just interesting curios than anything else. There was little else to attract the viewer.

Plus, in 4k, a lot of the make up deficiencies will become all the more noticable and the effect will be greatly reduced. I was a little disappointed when I watched the Arrow Blu. It's 1080p "2k" image gave away a lot that would have passed me by in the old video nasty days. You kind of have to watch it, keeping in mind the period it was made in, I suppose.

JDP

14-Jun-2018, 05:05 PM

MinionZombie

14-Jun-2018, 05:35 PM

Bassman - "Zombie Flesh Eaters" (or "Zombie" aka "Zombi 2" is the best place to start with Fulci as a horror fan. It's probably his most recognised and easily accessible work. If you dig it, I'd then recommend The Beyond. If you're still digging it, then complete the 'Gates of Hell' trilogy on either side with "City of the Living Dead" (aka Gates of Hell) and "The House By The Cemetery" (the middle of the loose trilogy of films was "The Beyond").

Then, if you find yourself branching further out into Fulci's filmography, "Don't Torture A Duckling" is a supreme example of the giallo genre - although you might want to ease into giallo with some other films first (such as those by Dario Argento, Sergio Martino, and Mario Bava) - and it's a very different type of film to Fulci's latter day career where gore reigned king in the wake of ZFE's success.

For total and utter sleazy grottiness, where giallo meets slasher, there's "The New York Ripper", a very grubby grindhouse type movie.

I've found with Italian exploitation movies that I've sort of radiated outwards in spiraling motions, hopping aboard the works of different writers, directors, and actors from one different film to the next - so I started recognising and revering the work of names like Ernesto Gastaldi (writer), Sergio Martino and Mario Bava (directors), and the likes of Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Ivan Rassimov, Anita Strindberg, and Rosalba Neri (actors). You kind of get into this wonderful little rabbit hole of digging out more films by these people, and in-so-doing you get more and more into the style of Italian/European exploitation movies.

Jumping in at the deep end without warming up probably won't work, but getting into it gradually - through certain 'access point' movies (some mentioned above for Fulci specifically) - has proven to be a really fun journey of cinematic discovery for me. :)

bassman

14-Jun-2018, 05:44 PM

Plus, in 4k, a lot of the make up deficiencies will become all the more noticable and the effect will be greatly reduced. I was a little disappointed when I watched the Arrow Blu. It's 1080p "2k" image gave away a lot that would have passed me by in the old video nasty days. You kind of have to watch it, keeping in mind the period it was made in, I suppose.

Thanks for the heads up, but that shouldn’t be a problem as it’s become quite common with older films when remastered in high definition. For example, my favorite TV series of all time is Rod Serling’s original “Twilight Zone”, something that I watch repeatedly, and ever since the episodes were remastered in 1080p, there are quite a few effects throughout the series that don’t hold up under that scrutiny. The transfers are absolutely gorgeous, but it’s obvious to the viewer that certain things that worked well when the show first aired nearly sixty years ago are now revealed through such clarity.

One springing to mind is the classic episode “Eye of the Beholder” where you originally spent the majority of the episode not seeing the doctors’ and nurses’ faces because the crew went to great lengths to keep them hidden for the reveal at the end. The problem with it now in such well done high definition is that the scenes where the faces were once concealed by shadows and darkness, they now show quite clear and reveal the actors without their makeup effects because it’s presented in a way that the creators never could have anticipated. Not to mention other examples where effects don’t hold up as well because you can now see every prosthetic piece, or monofilament that’s suspending objects, or even the simple brush strokes on actors’ faces.

Thanks to all you guys for the input! I’m tempted to order the Arrow release of Zombie because I love special features so much, but I guess I’ll play it safe and obtain the film through “other” means first to see how I react to it now.

shootemindehead

14-Jun-2018, 05:59 PM

Yes, a "try before you buy" option would be the wisest move. ;)

beat_truck

14-Jun-2018, 08:06 PM

Bassman, I've noticed that there were a few decent looking prints of "Zombie" on Youtube. I think one was even in 720p.

As everyone else has said, "The Beyond" is very creepy and atmospheric, but makes little sense most of the time. "City of the Living Dead" is decent, and I've probably watched it more times than "The Beyond" because I had it on VHS first before the DVD came out. "House By The Cemetery" is by far my least favorite. I think I've only sat through the whole thing one time. It's just not very good, and the dubbing for Bob or whatever the little kid's name is is incredibly annoying.:barf: That seems to be the case for little kids in a lot of dubbed movies.

If you like Spaghetti Westerns, Fulci's "Four of the Apocalypse" was a pretty decent effort. I've watched it more than once now.

I even found Fulci's version of "White Fang" on Youtube. I haven't watched it yet, so I can't comment on it.

bassman

14-Jun-2018, 09:53 PM

JDP

14-Jun-2018, 10:44 PM

Nice, even easier! Much appreciated amigo

- - - Updated - - -

Soooo....silly Fulci noob question: What are the different titles for this film?? Searching for just Zombie 1979 on YouTube has brought up multiple different films and I don’t want to end up watching the wrong thing. :lol:

Fulci’s “Zombi 2” is the same, correct? This one: https://youtu.be/mE3OOoTatus

Fulci only made one zombie film in 1979, so it is kind of impossible to miss. Yes, it's the same movie in the link, except the guy who uploaded it gave it the alternative "Zombi 2" title. The more usual title is just Zombie (as seen in the opening sequence in the movie itself.)

bassman

14-Jun-2018, 10:54 PM

With YouTube ya never know. Searching for that brought up about seven different complete films in the first couple pages alone. Buncha yo-yo’s....

EvilNed

15-Jun-2018, 09:28 AM

Nice, even easier! Much appreciated amigo

- - - Updated - - -

Soooo....silly Fulci noob question: What are the different titles for this film?? Searching for just Zombie 1979 on YouTube has brought up multiple different films and I don’t want to end up watching the wrong thing. :lol:

Fulci’s “Zombi 2” is the same, correct? This one: https://youtu.be/mE3OOoTatus

Italian release; Zombi 2 (to capitalize on Dawn of the Dead, titled Zombi in italian)
British release; Zombie Flesh Eaters
American release; Zombie

Welcome to the fantastic world of Italian distribution titles. Now for our next course we'll be covering Mario Bava's Bay of Blood, aka Twitch of the Death Nerve, aka Carnage, aka Blood Bath

MinionZombie

15-Jun-2018, 10:31 AM

Ned - many thanks for the tip off about WowHD - my imported copy of Doctor Butcher M.D. (the 2-disc Severin, region free edition) has just arrived. Took about six days once posted and no problems at all with customs. I'll keep them in mind for any future importing needs. :thumbsup:

Welcome to the fantastic world of Italian distribution titles. Now for our next course we'll be covering Mario Bava's Bay of Blood, aka Twitch of the Death Nerve, aka Carnage, aka Blood Bath

:lol::lol::lol:

It's a grand old game! Indeed, Doctor Butcher M.D. is known in the UK as "Zombie Holocaust" ... to be honest, I think the American release title is the best one all things considered. It works so well in the trailer - "Doctor Butcher M.D. --- medical deviate!!!" :D

bassman

15-Jun-2018, 01:20 PM

Italian release; Zombi 2 (to capitalize on Dawn of the Dead, titled Zombi in italian)
British release; Zombie Flesh Eaters
American release; Zombie

Welcome to the fantastic world of Italian distribution titles. Now for our next course we'll be covering Mario Bava's Bay of Blood, aka Twitch of the Death Nerve, aka Carnage, aka Blood Bath

I appreciate the real and informative reply to my question. Much better than, say....one that doesn’t answer the question at all, but is only there for general douche-baggery?

https://i.gifer.com/GHpr.gif

:D :p

shootemindehead

15-Jun-2018, 01:22 PM

Soooo....silly Fulci noob question: What are the different titles for this film?? Searching for just Zombie 1979 on YouTube has brought up multiple different films and I don’t want to end up watching the wrong thing. :lol:

Fulci’s “Zombi 2” is the same, correct? This one: https://youtu.be/mE3OOoTatus

It's either 'Zombi 2', 'Zombie' or 'Zombie Flesh Eaters'. There are a couple of other titles around as well, I think.

Fulci made the film after 'Dawn of the Dead' went balistic in Italy. At the time, Italian law didn't care if movie makers ripped off other more famous titles and genres, because the industry had been making its money on that basis since the 60's. The original title was 'Zombi 2', because 'Dawn of the Dead' was released as 'Zombi' in Italy and cut by Dario Argento.

Basically, the history of the film is a chancer who saw a cheap horror movie made by some American do really well in Italy and he decided to make the "sequel". :D

*Edit: Basically, what Ned said.

JDP

15-Jun-2018, 02:18 PM

It's either 'Zombi 2', 'Zombie' or 'Zombie Flesh Eaters'. There are a couple of other titles around as well, I think.

Fulci made the film after 'Dawn of the Dead' went balistic in Italy. At the time, Italian law didn't care if movie makers ripped off other more famous titles and genres, because the industry had been making its money on that basis since the 60's. The original title was 'Zombi 2', because 'Dawn of the Dead' was released as 'Zombi' in Italy and cut by Dario Argento.

Basically, the history of the film is a chancer who saw a cheap horror movie made by some American do really well in Italy and he decided to make the "sequel". :D

That "sequel" nonsense claim seems to be the doing of the producing company, not the director and scriptwriter. It is very obviously a stand-alone film and not any "sequel" to Dawn.

shootemindehead

15-Jun-2018, 02:34 PM

That "sequel" nonsense claim seems to be the doing of the producing company, not the director and scriptwriter. It is very obviously a stand-alone film and not any "sequel" to Dawn.

Just because it appears as a "stand-alone film", it doesn't mean that its inception wasn't as a "sequel" to Romeo's film. Italian cinema did this. The producer and the bankroller of the film, De Angellis, always had Romero's film in mind, the film was always going to be marketed as a "sequel" and Fulci was hired knowing the film was going to be a "sequel". Italian law at the time didn't care if filmmakers made "sequels", even if that film had nothing to do with the original film.

Of course, it's not a sequel in any realistic terms though. But it was MADE as one.

JDP

15-Jun-2018, 02:43 PM

shootemindehead

15-Jun-2018, 02:59 PM

You're completely missing the point.

JDP

15-Jun-2018, 03:05 PM

You're completely missing the point.

Huh? I think it is you who has. I did not disagree with what you said. I am just saying that the word "sequel" here is not being used in a proper sense by the producers, or if they did use it in the true sense, the scriptwriter obviously did not get the point. This movie cannot be qualified as a "sequel" in any true sense, no matter what the actual intentions were.

EvilNed

15-Jun-2018, 03:14 PM

Just because it appears as a "stand-alone film", it doesn't mean that its inception wasn't as a "sequel" to Romeo's film. Italian cinema did this. The producer and the bankroller of the film, De Angellis, always had Romero's film in mind, the film was always going to be marketed as a "sequel" and Fulci was hired knowing the film was going to be a "sequel". Italian law at the time didn't care if filmmakers made "sequels", even if that film had nothing to do with the original film.

Of course, it's not a sequel in any realistic terms though. But it was MADE as one.

The term "sequel" must have been used very loosely here by the producing company, then, because obviously the movie itself cannot be qualified as one in any real sense of the word. Or if it was intended as a sequel in the true sense, then the producers miserably failed to convey the idea to the scriptwriter, as the story he wrote is very obviously self-contained and has zero whatsoever to do with a movie like Dawn, which starts right smack in the middle of an already ongoing zombie catastrophe. If anything, it could have been advertised as a "prequel" (purposefully ignoring Night, of course.)

You are both right. Zombi 2 was initially scripted as a standalone adventure called Nightmare Island and was apparently inspired by films like The Island of Dr Moreau (evil experiments etc. etc). The scriptwriting began before Dawn of the Dead hit cinemas, by which time it's likely that the producers bought the rights to it and adapted it to a Zombi 2 sequel by adding the wraparound story set in New York. The jungle setting of the film was probably inspired by the cannibal genre making it's way through italian cinema, rather than Dawn of the Dead.

All this is of course speculative and based on contradicting reports from various italian filmmakers who churned out so many films that it's possible that they just got things mixed up. Dardano Sarchetti has 13 writing credits in the years 1977-1980 and I doubt he could recall any particular film with any exact detail.

shootemindehead

15-Jun-2018, 03:15 PM

Huh? I think it is you who has. I did not disagree with what you said. I am just saying that the word "sequel" here is not being used in a proper sense by the producers, or if they did use it in the true sense, the scriptwriter obviously did not get the point. This movie cannot be qualified as a "sequel" in any true sense, no matter what the actual intentions were.

But, nobody is saying that it is or trying to "qualify" it as such.

You're brainlocked on it being an official sequel. There isn't anyone who thought is was then, or now.

But, Italian law was extremely lax when it came to Italian film companies making unofficial sequels and ripoffs to popular films. They did it all the time. There's a 'Jaws' sequel, an 'Alien' sequel, a 'Terminator' sequel. None of them are connected to the original films, but they were all financed and produced as "sequels'.

JDP

15-Jun-2018, 03:18 PM

But, nobody is saying that it is or trying to "qualify" it as such.

You're brainlocked on it being an official sequel. There isn't anyone who thought is was then, or now.

But, Italian law was extremely lax when it came to Italian film companies making unofficial sequels and ripoffs to popular films. They did it all the time. There's a 'Jaws' sequel, an 'Alien' sequel, a 'Terminator' sequel. None of them are connected to the original films, but they were all financed and produced as "sequels'.

Then obviously the term was being misused by the producers, since that is not what a "sequel" is supposed to be.

shootemindehead

15-Jun-2018, 03:26 PM

Then obviously the term was being misused by the producers, since that is not what a "sequel" is supposed to be.

That's the point. What is it you're not getting about this?

Italian moviemakers didn't give a tinkers cuss whether something was an ACTUAL sequel or not. But a "sequel" ( <- in quotes for a reason ) guaranteed a certain amount of bums on seats. I can't explain this any simplier.

bassman

15-Jun-2018, 03:48 PM

We need to hold a reading comprehension class. This seems to be happening in a lot of threads, no?

JDP

15-Jun-2018, 04:38 PM

That's the point. What is it you're not getting about this?

Italian moviemakers didn't give a tinkers cuss whether something was an ACTUAL sequel or not. But a "sequel" ( <- in quotes for a reason ) guaranteed a certain amount of bums on seats. I can't explain this any simplier.

Since the laws were so loose that anyone could make a "sequel" (whether really related or not to the plot of the movie it was claiming to be following), it could have been the case that a given production company simply was not communicating its ideas and intentions very well with the scriptwriters, and the final product was promoted with the incorrect term "sequel" nonetheless, despite not really fulfilling its intention as a "sequel" in the proper sense. I can't explain this any simpler either.

- - - Updated - - -

You are both right. Zombi 2 was initially scripted as a standalone adventure called Nightmare Island and was apparently inspired by films like The Island of Dr Moreau (evil experiments etc. etc). The scriptwriting began before Dawn of the Dead hit cinemas, by which time it's likely that the producers bought the rights to it and adapted it to a Zombi 2 sequel by adding the wraparound story set in New York. The jungle setting of the film was probably inspired by the cannibal genre making it's way through italian cinema, rather than Dawn of the Dead.

All this is of course speculative and based on contradicting reports from various italian filmmakers who churned out so many films that it's possible that they just got things mixed up. Dardano Sarchetti has 13 writing credits in the years 1977-1980 and I doubt he could recall any particular film with any exact detail.

That's more or less what I was aiming at. There might have been some communication/understanding/intention problems/differences here between the scripwriters & the producers, resulting in some of these pseudo-sequels, but which might in fact not been fully intended to be so, at least from the part of some of the people involved.

bassman

15-Jun-2018, 04:47 PM

So back to the subject of the thread.....

Scream has revealed the specs for In The Mouth of Madness, and are also releasing Carpenter’s Memoirs of An Invisible Man and Someone’s Watching Me!.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=23495

Really looking forward to “Madness”...

BRAND NEW 4K REMASTER of the film
NEW Audio Commentary with director John Carpenter and producer Sandy King Carpenter
NEW Horror's Hallowed Grounds – a look at the film's locations today
NEW The Whisperer of the Dark – an interview with actress Julie Carman
NEW Greg Nicotero's Things in the Basement – a new interview with special effects artist Greg Nicotero including behind-the-scenes footage
NEW Home Movies from Hobb's End – Behind the Scenes footage from Greg Nicotero
Audio Commentary with director John Carpenter and cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe
Vintage Featurette – The Making of In the Mouth of Madness
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spots
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature

Our boy Nicotero comes through with providing special features yet again!

It’s great that they made a NEW commentary with Carpenter, as the previous track is quite popular as an example of a bad commentary. Looking forward to trying the bad track, too! :lol:

MinionZombie

15-Jun-2018, 05:07 PM

bassman

15-Jun-2018, 05:10 PM

I've never seen "In The Mouth Of Madness", but if this got ported over here I'd be intrigued to give it a spin.

Nicotero took on Savini's idea of shooting lots of behind the scenes video, which has ended up being a film fan's wet dream as we've had such excellent glimpses behind the scenes (e.g. Evil Dead 2). Soooooo glad they were shooting so much video back then. :cool:

Indeed, it’s really paid off for us fans/collectors. It’s great that even after all these years, Nicotero hasn’t lost sight of his love for the genre and film in general.

You definitely should see if there’s a way you can view “Madness”. I’m really glad that I recently discovered it! Great stuff :thumbsup:

shootemindehead

15-Jun-2018, 05:20 PM

Since the laws were so loose that anyone could make a "sequel" (whether really related or not to the plot of the movie it was claiming to be following), it could have been the case that a given production company simply was not communicating its ideas and intentions very well with the scriptwriters, and the final product was promoted with the incorrect term "sequel" nonetheless, despite not really fulfilling its intention as a "sequel" in the proper sense. I can't explain this any simpler either.

Why are you trying so hard to make an argument out of this? It's ridiculous. There is, literally, no argument to be had here.

It has nothing to do with the script. Once a script is bought, that's it. The script writer gets paid and gets a credit. The film maker can then do, pretty much, what they want with it. The script means nothing in this case. There's no "communication" problem and there's no "whoops, we didn't mean it" going on. There were no good faith accidents happening. These movies were DIRECTLY produced and financed as "sequels", because the film companies wanted to cash in on a box office hit. It really is that simple. Italian cinema was notorious for it. There are loads of "sequels" to famous films that came out in Italy, none of which had much to do with the original film.

bassman

15-Jun-2018, 05:33 PM

So wait....are YOU telling ME that Titanic II is NOT an official sequel?!?

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTMxMjQ1MjA5Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjIzNjg1Mw@@._ V1_UY268_CR4,0,182,268_AL_.jpg

:lol:

shootemindehead

15-Jun-2018, 05:44 PM

Sorry to break it to you lad.

bassman

15-Jun-2018, 05:45 PM

But what were the writer’s sequel intentions?? :p

JDP

15-Jun-2018, 06:05 PM

Why are you trying so hard to make an argument out of this? It's ridiculous. There is, literally, no argument to be had here.

It has nothing to do with the script. Once a script is bought, that's it. The script writer gets paid and gets a credit. The film maker can then do, pretty much, what they want with it. The script means nothing in this case. There's no "communication" problem and there's no "whoops, we didn't mean it" going on. There were no good faith accidents happening. These movies were DIRECTLY produced and financed as "sequels", because the film companies wanted to cash in on a box office hit. It really is that simple. Italian cinema was notorious for it. There are loads of "sequels" to famous films that came out in Italy, none of which had much to do with the original film.

I am not sure if you are reading what is being written or what. What you are describing fits one of the possible scenarios: the producers took a script that had nothing to do with another given movie, and then plastered a fake "sequel" promotion on it. In this case the scriptwriter is not at fault. He wrote something else entirely different and it was never his intention to be misleading. Scenario Number 1: fulfilled. But unless you are a mind-reader and know everything that was going on in everyone's minds back then, there might have been cases of Scenario Number 2: some of these pretended "sequels" were intentionally commissioned to be these totally disconnected stories and yet misleadingly promoted as "sequels" nonetheless. In this case, the scriptwriters would purposefully come up with some story having barely any connection at all with the movie it was supposed to be a follow up to, so they are fully complicit in the deceptive tactic. Or Scenario Number 3: the producers want a movie with at least some kind of real connection with the plot of the movie they are intending to follow up, but the scriptwriters don't quite get what the producers want and write something that barely has some kind of connection; the final product is not exactly what the producers originally wanted, but due to time and/or money constrains they green-light the project anyway and still pretend is a "sequel" nonetheless. Just considering what the several possibilities could be, that's all.

- - - Updated - - -

So wait....are YOU telling ME that Titanic II is NOT an official sequel?!?

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTMxMjQ1MjA5Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjIzNjg1Mw@@._ V1_UY268_CR4,0,182,268_AL_.jpg

:lol:

LOL! What a lousy example of intended "sarcasm". Maybe you should actually read the plot of the movie to understand the "why" of the title. Talking about "reading & comprehension" problems and general "douche-baggery"....

bassman

15-Jun-2018, 06:23 PM

JDP

15-Jun-2018, 06:50 PM

The “why” of the title has nothing to do with the fact that the film was given the title “Titanic 2” for one simple reason, which is to trick unknowing consumers, thus moving more units/DVD’s. Just like what shoot has been saying about “Zombi 2”, it was done only for name recognition and revenue.

Hint: the title is actually in reference to the ship's name, which is literally "Titanic II". What else do you want the filmmakers to call the film? Apollo 13???? Obviously that they will chose a fitting title that has to do with the main "character" (if we allow a ship to be referred to as such) in the movie. The producers are not pretending that it is an actual follow up to the original Titanic story set in the early 20th century.

shootemindehead

15-Jun-2018, 06:55 PM

I am not sure if you are reading what is being written or what. What you are describing fits one of the possible scenarios: the producers took a script that had nothing to do with another given movie, and then plastered a fake "sequel" promotion on it. In this case the scriptwriter is not at fault. He wrote something else entirely different and it was never his intention to be misleading. Scenario Number 1: fulfilled. But unless you are a mind-reader and know everything that was going on in everyone's minds back then, there might have been cases of Scenario Number 2: some of these pretended "sequels" were intentionally commissioned to be these totally disconnected stories and yet misleadingly promoted as "sequels" nonetheless. In this case, the scriptwriters would purposefully come up with some story having barely any connection at all with the movie it was supposed to be a follow up to, so they are fully complicit in the deceptive tactic. Or Scenario Number 3: the producers want a movie with at least some kind of real connection with the plot of the movie they are intending to follow up, but the scriptwriters don't quite get what the producers want and write something that barely has some kind of connection; the final product is not exactly what the producers originally wanted, but due to time and/or money constrains they green-light the project anyway and still pretend is a "sequel" nonetheless. Just considering what the several possibilities could be, that's all.

You're just trying to make up shit to argue about.

Not one person on this thread has said anything about a scriptwriter's "fault".

We're done here. This is fucking stupid.

JDP

15-Jun-2018, 07:01 PM

You're just trying to make up shit to argue about.

Not one person on this thread has said anything about a scriptwriter's "fault".

We're done here. This is fucking stupid.

Read post #74 and then your response in #75. I clearly said that the scriptwriter didn't seem to be at fault here, but the producers. Yet you had to respond to something that, bizarrely enough, you are now agreeing with! Then why try to argue about it in the first place??? Just agree and move on or don't say anything.

bassman

15-Jun-2018, 07:14 PM

Hint: the title is actually in reference to the ship's name, which is literally "Titanic II". What else do you want the filmmakers to call the film? Apollo 13???? Obviously that they will chose a fitting title that has to do with the main "character" (if we allow a ship to be referred to as such) in the movie. The producers are not pretending that it is an actual follow up to the original Titanic story set in the early 20th century.

Dude.....you honestly think the titles for these “sequels” discussed here were given for artistic reasons, or reasons having to do with anything other than name recognition and profit?

I could write “Citizen Kane 2” and have the world’s best explanation in the film as to why it’s titled that, but that makes zero difference and changes nothing about the fact that it was very intentionally given that title for recognition purposes and so that unknowing consumers would see it and say “Oh! I loved the original (insert title here), so I have to see this!”.

It’s the very same reason that these smaller studios like Asylum rush out films with similar plot and titles to upcoming theatrical releases that are guaranteed to make money. Transmorphers, Atlantic Rim, Snakes on a Train, etc. Very intentionally creating cash grabs with name recognition.

JDP

15-Jun-2018, 07:37 PM

Dude.....you honestly think the titles for these “sequels” discussed here were given for artistic reasons, or reasons having to do with anything other than name recognition and profit?

I could write “Citizen Kane 2” and have the world’s best explanation in the film as to why it’s titled that, but that makes zero difference and changes nothing about the fact that it was very intentionally given that title for recognition purposes and so that unknowing consumers would see it and say “Oh! I loved the original (insert title here), so I have to see this!”.

It’s the very same reason that these smaller studios like Asylum rush out films with similar plot and titles to upcoming popular releases that are guaranteed to make money. Transmorphers, Atlantic Rim, Snakes on a Train, etc. Very intentionally creating cash grabs with name recognition.

Besides the fact that this is a direct-to-TV movie (not really going to fool many people into spending money on it even if that was your intention), the movies you are referring to are not really going to fool many people either. I mean "Transmorphers"... LOL! Come on. These silly title-twists are not really that difficult to spot as being different from the more famous titles. In the case of Titanic II it might give the "sequel" impression that you are referring to to someone who doesn't know anything about the movie, due to the "II" in the title, but merely reading the plot summary it will quickly be clear that this is not intended as a sequel to the original story.

bassman

15-Jun-2018, 07:48 PM

JDP

15-Jun-2018, 08:51 PM

Indeed, it’s all down to each individual consumer/viewer whether or not they’re going to be duped by these tricks, but there have to be plenty of people out there doing so, because they’ve been churning out these cash grabs for a great length of time without any sign of slowing down....

Been watching movies at home since Beta and VHS video shops were around... I can't remember even one person who even rented -let alone bought- a movie without reading the back of the box first. The only movies that can conceivably fool someone into thinking that they are actual "sequels" to other movies are the ones where the plots, as described in the plot summaries, are also misleadingly presented to the public, or written in a very vague manner that doesn't give a clearer idea of what the movies are actually about. If they are written with at least a minimum of accuracy, though, these shams are not really fooling anyone. People who buy/rent such movies most of the time do so fully knowing they are not really any such "sequels" and just want to see them anyway (mostly out of pure curiosity.)

bassman

15-Jun-2018, 10:13 PM

Speaking of false advertising with films......when I was watching the Terminator franchise recently, I had a good chuckle with this:

https://www.arthipo.com/image/cache/catalog/genel-tasarim/all-posters/sinema-cinema-film-postersleri/Yabanc%C4%B1%20Filmler/PSTER057-film-terminator-3-2-1000x1000.jpg

Where was this movie?? :lol:

EvilNed

17-Jun-2018, 02:36 PM

Been watching movies at home since Beta and VHS video shops were around... I can't remember even one person who even rented -let alone bought- a movie without reading the back of the box first. The only movies that can conceivably fool someone into thinking that they are actual "sequels" to other movies are the ones where the plots, as described in the plot summaries, are also misleadingly presented to the public, or written in a very vague manner that doesn't give a clearer idea of what the movies are actually about. If they are written with at least a minimum of accuracy, though, these shams are not really fooling anyone. People who buy/rent such movies most of the time do so fully knowing they are not really any such "sequels" and just want to see them anyway (mostly out of pure curiosity.)

Hypothesis:
There exists a trend among low budget filmmakers to market their films as sequels, or knock offs, to famous blockbusters in an attempt to garner extra interest in the film.

Evidence for such a trend:
Companies such as Asylum systematically give their film titles and box office art that are remarkeable similar to trending blockbusters. There are italian produced sequels named Zombi 2, Alien 2, Terminator 2, House on the edge of the park 2 etc.

Evidence against such a trend:
JDP has never once rented a film without reading the back of the cover. Nor has anyone he knows.

JDP

17-Jun-2018, 05:05 PM

Hypothesis:
There exists a trend among low budget filmmakers to market their films as sequels, or knock offs, to famous blockbusters in an attempt to garner extra interest in the film.

Evidence for such a trend:
Companies such as Asylum systematically give their film titles and box office art that are remarkeable similar to trending blockbusters. There are italian produced sequels named Zombi 2, Alien 2, Terminator 2, House on the edge of the park 2 etc.

Evidence against such a trend:
JDP has never once rented a film without reading the back of the cover. Nor has anyone he knows.

Let's see, when I first saw "Zombi 3" I wasn't really fooled at all that it had anything to do with "Zombi" or "Zombi 2". Why? All I had to do is read the plot summary in less than 1 minute. Kind of self-defeating for the "geniuses" behind the title thingy, don't you think? They did not really pull a fast one on anyone, except maybe the retarded or the illiterate (but then again these last ones won't even be able to read the movie's title in the first place, so the tactic falls flat on them too.) So:

Evidence that such a trend does not really work #2: The above referred plot summaries... they are there for a purpose.

#3: People aren't that stupid or blind. Something like "Transmorphers", for example, isn't really fooling anyone into thinking it's the same as "Transformers", except maybe the retarded, who are a marginal segment of the population, or the illiterate (who can't read movie titles to begin with, so it's like "barking up the wrong tree".)

#4: Nowadays there is the Internet. You can very easily have access to more info about any movie ever made than ever before.

Conclusion: most people watch these movies because they fully want to (mostly out of curiosity), not because they are really being misled into watching them by some silly title-twist or some number arbitrarily slapped onto a generic title.

EvilNed

17-Jun-2018, 05:30 PM

Let's see, when I first saw "Zombi 3" I wasn't really fooled at all that it had anything to do with "Zombi" or "Zombi 2". Why? All I had to do is read the plot summary in less than 1 minute. Kind of self-defeating for the "geniuses" behind the title thingy, don't you think? They did not really pull a fast one on anyone, except maybe the retarded or the illiterate (but then again these last ones won't even be able to read the movie's title in the first place, so the tactic falls flat on them too.) So:

Evidence that such a trend does not really work #2: The above referred plot summaries... they are there for a purpose.

#3: People aren't that stupid or blind. Something like "Transmorphers", for example, isn't really fooling anyone into thinking it's the same as "Transformers", except maybe the retarded, who are a marginal segment of the population, or the illiterate (who can't read movie titles to begin with, so it's like "barking up the wrong tree".)

#4: Nowadays there is the Internet. You can very easily have access to more info about any movie ever made than ever before.

Conclusion: most people watch these movies because they fully want to (mostly out of curiosity), not because they are really being misled into watching them by some silly title-twist or some number arbitrarily slapped onto a generic title.

Thank you for elaborating with more anecdotal evidence.

JDP

17-Jun-2018, 05:36 PM

Thank you for elaborating with more anecdotal evidence.

Thank you for elaborating nothing... oh, and purposefully ignoring those inconvenient plot summaries that accompany all movies.

EvilNed

17-Jun-2018, 11:13 PM

Thank you for elaborating nothing... oh, and purposefully ignoring those inconvenient plot summaries that accompany all movies.

I’m not. I never suggested I did. You are making things up.

JDP

17-Jun-2018, 11:42 PM

I’m not. I never suggested I did. You are making things up.

Just the logical implications of your comments. "Anecdotal"... you seem to think I am the only one who reads plot summaries, or that they are printed on the back of every movie just for me, not for the millions of potential viewers out there. I am just an average guy, not some kind of privileged unique case. I don't buy or rent movies without doing what countless others also do: read the plot summary first, or watch the trailer, or read the reviews. Nothing "unusual" or "unique" about it.

bassman

18-Jun-2018, 03:42 AM

JDP

18-Jun-2018, 04:50 AM

You have to be careful even with the advertisements for more “legitimate” films. As I posted earlier, Terminator 3 was shown to feature the future robot wars, Alien 3 was promoted to take place on Earth, Scream was advertised as a Drew Barrymore film, Drive was shown to be a Fast and Furious style action film, and even the recent Avengers Infinity War ads featured characters that were not in the film at all.

These things are all products being sold, and they’ll do anything to make that money. Like fast food commercials that make the food look amazing, but then you get it and it’s a disaster.

This isn’t directly related, just something that occurred to me when promotion was mentioned...

The case of Scream is still technically "legit": that actress is in the movie after all (albeit only during the starting sequence.) I remember back in the day that Red Sonja was also heavily promoted as a Schwarzenegger film, and in some countries the movie was even rechristened as "Kalidor" (!!!):

https://www.avoir-alire.com/IMG/jpg/kalidor-2.jpg

even though his character is not the main one and is not onscreen for a large portion of the movie. But Schwarzenegger does appear in it, so it is still technically "legit".

Sometimes movie advertisements will show things that are not actually in the movie, or that the advertisers just got wrong. At the old Nitpickers site these errors totally counted as legit "nitpicks". I got several of these in. For the movie Tron, for example, I got three of them approved: one for the trailer (it shows Flynn pressing a key labelled "TRON" on a computer keyboard: THIS WAS NOT IN THE MOVIE!), one for some foreign (can't remember from where now) advertisement (the description said that Flynn is trapped inside a "video game": WRONG! He gets trapped inside ENCOM's computer network, which is controlled by the devious MCP, which makes the captured programs destroy each other by forcing them to play deadly games, which is very different) and one for the Italian movie poster (it says that Flynn is "trapped in an unreal world to destroy the video-force that he had created": WRONG! Flynn gets trapped in ENCOM's computer network by the MCP, which is Ed Dillinger's creation, not Flynn's, and this is what becomes his goal to destroy.)

bassman

18-Jun-2018, 05:29 PM

You getting some kind of kickback for this nitpickers thing? Because this is about the fifth time you’ve mentioned it lately. :rockbrow:

JDP

18-Jun-2018, 05:36 PM

You getting some kind of kickback for this nitpickers thing? Because this is about the fifth time you’ve mentioned it lately. :rockbrow:

It suits the topics being discussed lately. The site specialized in such things.

EvilNed

18-Jun-2018, 07:06 PM

Just the logical implications of your comments.

You seem to use that word a lot. I do not think it means what you think it means.

JDP

18-Jun-2018, 07:44 PM

You seem to use that word a lot. I do not think it means what you think it means.

implication
noun
plural: implications

1. the conclusion that can be drawn from something, although it is not explicitly stated; something implied or suggested as naturally to be inferred or understood; something that is suggested without being said directly.

Synonyms: suggestion, insinuation, innuendo, hint, intimation, imputation

EvilNed

18-Jun-2018, 11:19 PM

implication
noun
plural: implications

1. the conclusion that can be drawn from something, although it is not explicitly stated; something implied or suggested as naturally to be inferred or understood; something that is suggested without being said directly.

Synonyms: suggestion, insinuation, innuendo, hint, intimation, imputation

I was referring to logical. ;)

JDP

19-Jun-2018, 01:12 AM

I was referring to logical. ;)

http://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.IX6QXiZlAxYipFv3D_EZlAHaFj

bassman

19-Jun-2018, 02:29 AM

Yay, Spock! There’s always room for Spock and Trek! :D

Back to the thread topic of Blu Ray collections: curious if my fellow collectors have any specific ways they display, arrange, or store their collections?

For me, I have a pretty large collection that I keep out for visitors to browse should they choose. I’ve just recently sold my house and am in the process of building another, but at that previous house I had a “Man Cave” in the basement(which I actually referred to as more of a “Nerd Cave”). In that room, I had a large shelving section to house all my DVDs and Blu Rays.

As I said, it’s quite a collection. Just guessing, it’s probably around 800-1,000 titles. Possibly more, just never bothered to count. For the majority of the shelving I would have them in alphabetical order. However, I’d keep the DVDs in one section, and the Blu Rays in another. On top of that, I would keep boxed set collections together, as well as a section for the BIG box sets such as the 40th anniversary Planet of the Apes or complete Star Trek original crew movie and tv series. These are those long cases that are impossible to place with a normal Blu Ray case shelving.

Also, occasionally I’d break the alphabetical order placement for certain franchises. For example, I’d have Chris Nolan’s Batman trilogy together, even though the titles of these films would normally have them seperated in alphabetical order. There’d also be a section for ALL Batman films, which itself was in a section of all DC comics films. Same for things such as James Bond, Romero, or Marvel.

So what about you fellas, how do you keep your collection organized, if at all? Some may not even care to have their collections in any sort of sequencing. Maybe it’s an underlying mental or OCD issue, but I personally can’t stand it if I go to someone’s house and their collections are just thrown together all Willy-Nilly. :lol:

EvilNed

19-Jun-2018, 07:04 AM

So what about you fellas, how do you keep your collection organized, if at all? Some may not even care to have their collections in any sort of sequencing. Maybe it’s an underlying mental or OCD issue, but I personally can’t stand it if I go to someone’s house and their collections are just thrown together all Willy-Nilly. :lol:

I'm selling off all of my DVDs except for a few select titles that have yet to reach BluRay. I'm still open to buying DVDs in these cases.
As for how I keep my films, I keep all of my bluRays sorted after label and then internally by genre or according to numbered sleeves.

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable carrying such a big selection as yours again. I have about 700 DVDs I'm letting go and I don't think I'll ever reach that size again. But who knows. My blurays number around 200 now and that's just after 18 months of serious collection. So we'll see I guess.

shootemindehead

19-Jun-2018, 09:49 AM

LOL.

I tried to alphabetise my DVD/Blu collection, but my wife doesn't put anything back where she found it, so I've just given up. Also, I digitised my physical copies onto disks and sold off a lot of DVD's. Most of the time, if I want to watch something (other than the extras) I'll be watching the digital copy.

Like Ned, I'm not sure if I'll be putting the same amount of effort in collecting physical copies of films again - not at this time of life anyway. I've gone through video collections, DVD collections and now Blu's, which I'm building at a much slower pace and with only titles that I want for "posterity", as it were. Eventually, everything is going to go digital anyway and physical copies will become harder and harder to get, I reckon.

I don't see any point in 4K, so that particular means of collecting will mean nothing to me. But, that will be the next big push I suppose. But, with DVD still outselling Blu Ray and the majority of people not understanding the quality difference between a DVD and a Blu, I just can't imagine the general public taking on 4K.

EvilNed

19-Jun-2018, 10:15 AM

I tried to alphabetise my DVD/Blu collection, but my wife doesn't put anything back where she found it, so I've just given up. Also, I digitised my physical copies onto disks and sold off a lot of DVD's. Most of the time, if I want to watch something (other than the extras) I'll be watching the digital copy.

You have to think like a woman.

Organize by color. This she will understand.

MinionZombie

19-Jun-2018, 10:43 AM

I've got mine alphabetised, but I sorted that out quite early on (as in, hundreds of DVDs ago). It's the easiest way to find something. I've got my DVDs and Blu-Rays in their own sections, although they do somewhat clash together at one point simply because of the layout of my shelves and the general lack of shelf space ... much like Heathrow airport, I seem to always be running at 99% capacity. :lol:

Box sets have their own section, too, and I've still got all my VHS tapes - box official and ones that are chock full'o recordings going back as far as the 1990s. I've got a bunch of 'lesser used' discs - as well as discs that have since been usurped by Blu-Ray or another DVD edition - stashed a storage box under the bed and it is, yep, crammed full. :D

I'll have to see about letting some of them go, but to be honest I'm quite attached to my collection. I remember where I got them, when I got them, sometimes even how much I paid for them, and like the dude in High Fidelity it's like an autobiography told through physical media purchases.

As someone who actually has OCD (which isn't just being particular about things - the term gets so misused in conversation), part of it relates to physical objects - you have trouble throwing things away as you grow connected to them, they attain meaning and a connection to the past/important events/loved ones (e.g. if it was a gift) - with certain objects you can even end up attaching some sort of anthropomorphised state to them, so it can be very hard to actually get rid of anything (yes, hoarding is an offshoot of OCD and can be it's own separate mental health issue).

Anyway, lest I get all serious, circling back to purchases - yesterday I got my copy of Arrow Video's deluxe 3-disc release of The Last House on the Left. Plenty to trawl through on there! :)

bassman

19-Jun-2018, 12:02 PM

I have digital services such as Vudu, and just about all of my collection on digital, but I still can’t bring myself to get rid of my collection! The only time I’m okay with selling one is if I’ve upgraded the title from DVD to Blu Ray, but I still have tons of DVDs that have yet to be released on the newer format. Plus, for me, there’s always been something special about physical media. Purchasing the disc, peeling off the plastic, the case in-hand.....there’s something “special” about it. If the internet goes down or skynet takes over, I’ll still have my physical copies. :p

Although, as Ned says, having to lug all those titles around can be quite troublesome. My recent move was the first in about 13 years and I definitely did take note of how much extra it was to move! I think I ended up with about 7 large boxes/containers of DVD/BR.

MZ, no offense intended with the OCD thing! I wasn't intending to make light of the disorder, but more of myself for the way I’m SO particular.

EvilNed

19-Jun-2018, 12:34 PM

Although, as Ned says, having to lug all those titles around can be quite troublesome. My recent move was the first in about 13 years and I definitely did take note of how much extra it was to move! I think I ended up with about 7 large boxes/containers of DVD/BR.

I'm moving in October and if I haven't sold off all my DVDs by then I'm throwing them away.

bassman

19-Jun-2018, 12:38 PM

I'm moving in October and if I haven't sold off all my DVDs by then I'm throwing them away.

You might be able to get rid of some here if you’re willing to ship.

....If this place even still has the marketplace area?? :lol:

EDIT: yeah, it’s still there. Last post was a year ago....

MinionZombie

19-Jun-2018, 03:23 PM

MZ, no offense intended with the OCD thing! I wasn't intending to make light of the disorder, but more of myself for the way I’m SO particular.

No offence taken whatsoever, dude, don't worry about it. :)

A mere dusting of an FYI to spread a bit of knowledge about a condition that is so misunderstood or colloquialised, but I 99.9% took it as a jumping off point to talk about why I personally struggle to move any 'defunct' titles in my collection. I really connect to that scene in High Fidelity where he's reorganising his vinyl 'autobiographically'. His life was written out in music, mine's written out in movies. :D

I'm moving in October and if I haven't sold off all my DVDs by then I'm throwing them away.

Do you have charity shops that you could donate them to?

EvilNed

19-Jun-2018, 03:31 PM

Do you have charity shops that you could donate them to?

Yeah, but the end result would just be the junkyard anyway, wouldn't it?

MinionZombie

19-Jun-2018, 03:39 PM

Yeah, but the end result would just be the junkyard anyway, wouldn't it?

You don't know that for certain. Some of them might get sold - and that money goes to a good cause - so it'd be worthwhile doing, I'd say. Rather than just binning it all, you might allow the charities to make a little dosh for their cause(s), and anything they don't want they'll recirculate to other such shops or they'll bin themselves - but at least the opportunity to let them make a bit of money has been given.

bassman

19-Jun-2018, 06:23 PM

Maybe there are certain electronics-type stores in your area that will give you a few bucks for bulk collections that they’ll turn around and sale individually? There are a couple big chain stores here in the US that will do that. In certain cases you might only make one buck for a dvd, but hey...it’s better than just tossing them, I suppose. Pawn shops will sometimes do the same.

JDP

19-Jun-2018, 07:57 PM

Easiest way to get rid of unwanted CDs and DVDs: sell them on eBay, at first as single items, and if they don't sell that way then by lots. Don't expect to be paid much, though, except for the rarer or more sought-after-by-collectors items (ex: I once got paid $10 for a CD, no covers, nothing, just the CD. Yet another time I only got a miserable $1 out of a double-CD complete with everything.) But it still beats the hell out of having to throw them away. That is truly dumping your money straight into the trash! At least you recover some of your money the other way.

bassman

19-Jun-2018, 09:09 PM

As usual, studios rerelease original films on BR when a new sequel is coming to theaters, so John McTiernan’s Predator is getting a new edition this August. It’s a normal thing, but what makes this one worth mentioning is that previous releases of the film have had notoriously bad picture quality. One of which was so laughably bad, it earned the nickname of the “wax museum edition”. No word yet if they’re going to put in the effort to remaster the film, but there’s some sort of hope that they’ll finally give the film a release it deserves.

There’s a big chance that they’ll just repackage one of the previous releases, but one could hope. The Alien series got a fantastic release years back, so it’s past time they give the same care to Predator. Hey, McTiernan is out of jail now, so they could even produce some good special features reminiscent of Alien...

shootemindehead

20-Jun-2018, 12:26 AM

You have to think like a woman.

Organize by color. This she will understand.

But, what if you're colour blind?

:eek:

MinionZombie

20-Jun-2018, 10:31 AM

Snaffled up some more genre releases on-the-cheap. :)

The Bone Yard (88 Films)
Delirium (88 Films)
Cat in the Brain (88 Films)
Street Trash (88 Films - this one has a 2 hour making of)
What Have You Done To Solange? (Arrow Video)
Dolls (101 Films)

Gonna have to rejig my DVD/BR shelves once more - I've gone over capacity again. :o

bassman

20-Jun-2018, 12:47 PM

Dolls is on my soon-to-see list. Let us know how the release is, please and thank you, sir! :cool:

MinionZombie

20-Jun-2018, 05:14 PM

Dolls is on my soon-to-see list. Let us know how the release is, please and thank you, sir! :cool:

Aye, I've been on a bit of a Stuard Gordon kick recently - getting the BRs of Re-Animator and From Beyond. I've never seen Dolls, so I'm intrigued and the trailer looks cool. :)

bassman

28-Jun-2018, 12:58 PM

Barnesandnoble.com is having a 50% off sale, including Criterion Collections.

bassman

01-Jul-2018, 04:11 PM

Shout has announced that the 80’s remake of Dragnet will be one of their October releases. Much like The Burbs, I’ve always loved this film and felt like it was underrated. Yeah, it can be cheesy as hell, but it’s long been a favorite and one I haven’t seen on Blu Ray. Hopefully like The Burbs it will have great documentaries and special features!

https://www.shoutfactory.com/s3_images/images/c9266cd9-737a-e811-a981-0edcbcd33718/Dragnet.BR.Cover.72dpi.png

- - - Updated - - -

A Nightmare On Elm Street Collection

This is an older release and I stumbled upon it at Walmart for quite cheap, so I decided to give it a try. I’ll watch these films on TV during the Halloween season, but this would be the first time I’ve owned them or seen them in HD. They look about what you’d expect - it’s good picture quality for the age of the films. I hear that all of the special features are ported over from previous releases, but because I’ve never owned the series, they’re all-new to me and quite enjoyable.

I still have to watch through every film, as well as the commentaries, but it’s seeming like a good little collection. Most members here probably already own these films, but if not, I recommend this cheaply priced set.

The Matrix Collection

As I'd discussed with Ned in another thread, this is a very worthy set with top-notch video/audio quality and tons of features. Really the only downfall of the series is the now lackluster CGI special effects work, which is more evident than ever in these high definition transfers. That’s really a minor quibble, though. The set itself is fantastic and I suggest any fan of the series or science fiction pick it up.

bassman

05-Jul-2018, 05:24 PM

As usual, right after I buy something, a new version is announced!

Creepshow Collectors Edition

https://www.shoutfactory.com/s3_images/images/28cfd30c-ad7d-e811-a981-0edcbcd33718/Creepshow.BeautyShot.png

**NEW TITLE ANNOUNCEMENT**

We are proud (and so unbelievably excited) to reveal today that we are prepping to release the classic George A. Romero and Stephen King 1982 anthology CREEPSHOW this Fall in an all-new upgraded presentation! Because we feel this is a rather huge and beloved title, we are rolling this out a little more uniquely so please read carefully for all the details that we have at the time.

• Naturally, this will be branded as a “Collector’s Edition” but packaged a bit differently than we have done in the past for other CEs. This will come with a rigid slipcover (like what we did with the deluxe version release of Nightbreed) that will house a Blu-ray case and a collectible booklet featuring a new essay from Michael Gingold (Fangoria, Rue-Morgue, Dellirium). The newly-commissioned artwork pictured on the slipcase is from Laz Marquez (Army of Darkness, The Howling and Lifeforce steelbooks).

• The Blu-ray case wrap inside will be reversible featuring original theatrical artwork on both sides. (The “ticket booth” one and the “Comic book” one.)

• New extras and specs are still in progress and will be announced later in September. Rest-assured we have plenty planned and…we are in progress of doing an all-new film transfer!

• This will be the national release which streets on October 23rd. U.S. and Canada territories (Region A).

THE FOLLOWING INFO BELOW REFERS TO THE EXCLUSIVE LIMITED-EDITION WEBSITE OFFER (ONLY 1,500 AVAILABLE):

• If you order Creepshow from our site directly you will receive the Blu-ray two weeks early and the following exclusively-made-for us items:
• A rolled 28.5” x 16.5” lithograph poster of the slipcase art
by Laz Marquez
• A rolled 18” x 24” poster of alternative art illustration, also
by Laz Marquez

EvilNed

05-Jul-2018, 06:57 PM

Yeah that's a common occurance.

I watched Death Smiles on a Murderer two weeks on Youtube a few weeks before Arrow announced it was releasing it on Bluray. Would have rather waited.

I bought the old NoShame version of The Case of the Scorpions Tail just so I'd have the film itself. Never watched it and now the BluRay is out in two weeks. (I'd already seen it)

MinionZombie

06-Jul-2018, 10:40 AM

I watched Death Smiles on a Murderer two weeks on Youtube a few weeks before Arrow announced it was releasing it on Bluray. Would have rather waited.

I bought the old NoShame version of The Case of the Scorpions Tail just so I'd have the film itself. Never watched it and now the BluRay is out in two weeks. (I'd already seen it)

Yeah, it ain't half annoying when they announce a sweet new release after you've just bought an older one, isn't it? No sooner had I bought a DVD of The 'Burbs than the spiffy Arrow Video release was announced. Fortunately I'd only spent a pittance on said DVD and later got the Blu-Ray on sale, so it worked out alright.

Another thing I hate is buying something full price on release (or shortly thereafter) only to see it about 3 months later on a sale, but you can never really predict what's going to end up on a sale or not, so it's a gamble, but I have picked up some excellent releases at bargain prices, or been able to spend only a little (instead of full whack) on a curio title (e.g. Hell of the Living Dead - I'd have been ruing a full price purchase of that, but six quid? Nah, that's alright.) :D

1) "Death Smiles on a Murderer" - what's it like? I'm kinda interested in getting it, but what's your view on it?

2) "The Case of the Scorpion's Tail" - I think I've got that same edition on DVD, although I got it a couple of years back. I'd like to get the Blu-Ray, but I'll wait for a sale. Not long after I imported the out-of-print DVD of "What Have You Done To Solange?" the Arrow Video restoration was announced. :rolleyes:

I see that Arrow will be releasing another giallo - "The Pyjama Girl Case" - sometime soon. I'm interested in that one. IIRC it's set in Australia, unusually enough.

bassman

06-Jul-2018, 11:28 AM

The “word on the street” is that shout/scream are going to announce a definitive complete box set of the Nightmafe on Elm Street series at Comic Con in about a week. Yet another title I just recently purchased! But if they’ve given the full series a good set, I’ll be all over that one...

It’s also strongly rumored that they have the rights to Poltergeist and Beetlejuice, two big titles that are long overdue for proper releases.

MinionZombie

06-Jul-2018, 05:07 PM

I had my eye on a boxset of the ANOES films on Blu-Ray a while back, but never got it - now I'll wait to see if we get a better edition over here as a result of this rumour. I'm not mad keen on the ANOES series, but I enjoy most of them (likewise with Halloween - although I'd say I'm more into Halloween than ANOES). The Jason movies, on the other hand, I'm mad keen for that franchise. :D

bassman

06-Jul-2018, 11:01 PM

Scream Factory just keeps on announcing new ones everyday!

https://www.shoutfactory.com/s3_images/images/3b401ca8-b57d-e811-a981-0edcbcd33718/NOTD.SB.BeautyShot.72dpi.png

JDP

07-Jul-2018, 12:43 AM

Scream Factory just keeps on announcing new ones everyday!

https://www.shoutfactory.com/s3_images/images/3b401ca8-b57d-e811-a981-0edcbcd33718/NOTD.SB.BeautyShot.72dpi.png

That was the best of the demon movies. Cool make-up, FX (the old-fashioned conventional ones, no cartoonish CGI), and creepy atmosphere (it was shot in an actual abandoned mansion which, unfortunately, no longer exists.) Stooge, Sal and Suzanne had the funniest lines in the whole movie.

The remake was way inferior to the original, as usual.

bassman

07-Jul-2018, 08:46 AM

I’m not too familiar with the Demons series, so I didn’t even know that a remake existed. This release seems like a good blind purchase. I also love that it comes with a NECA figure(pictured on right), which is pretty rare for Scream Factory’s releases. I can only recall one prior release that came with this, which was “Silent Night, Deadly Night”.

EvilNed

07-Jul-2018, 10:56 AM

1) "Death Smiles on a Murderer" - what's it like? I'm kinda interested in getting it, but what's your view on it?

2) "The Case of the Scorpion's Tail" - I think I've got that same edition on DVD, although I got it a couple of years back. I'd like to get the Blu-Ray, but I'll wait for a sale. Not long after I imported the out-of-print DVD of "What Have You Done To Solange?" the Arrow Video restoration was announced. :rolleyes:

I see that Arrow will be releasing another giallo - "The Pyjama Girl Case" - sometime soon. I'm interested in that one. IIRC it's set in Australia, unusually enough.

Death Smiles on a Murderer is poetic trash - but still trash. It's not stylishly shot and the sets are rubbish. Some of the supposedly frightening hauntings or killings are really badly edited together montages that do not make sense. The story would also have been better if all the cards were on the table from the start, rather than saving the explanation for the final minutes. Having said that it's got something. I find that giallos (and this is a borderline giallo) work best when there's a touch of sorrow to them them. Revenge for emotional betrayal of that kind. In that department it does deliver.

The Pyjama Girl Case is a rather slow and sad giallo. It's not bloody and all. Instead it focuses on one particular murder and the ensuing detective story. There's a paralell story too that develops in tandem with the murder case which mirrors the murder. It's a very good film but feels much more serious that the standard of the genre.

MinionZombie

07-Jul-2018, 11:38 AM

Death Smiles on a Murderer is poetic trash - but still trash. It's not stylishly shot and the sets are rubbish. Some of the supposedly frightening hauntings or killings are really badly edited together montages that do not make sense. The story would also have been better if all the cards were on the table from the start, rather than saving the explanation for the final minutes. Having said that it's got something. I find that giallos (and this is a borderline giallo) work best when there's a touch of sorrow to them them. Revenge for emotional betrayal of that kind. In that department it does deliver.

The Pyjama Girl Case is a rather slow and sad giallo. It's not bloody and all. Instead it focuses on one particular murder and the ensuing detective story. There's a paralell story too that develops in tandem with the murder case which mirrors the murder. It's a very good film but feels much more serious that the standard of the genre.

Interesting. I reckon I'll wait for them to appear on a sale, then, and that should give a good 'cost-to-enjoyment' ratio. :D

EvilNed

07-Jul-2018, 02:13 PM

Interesting. I reckon I'll wait for them to appear on a sale, then, and that should give a good 'cost-to-enjoyment' ratio. :D

Good idea. The Case of the Scorpion's Tail is top notch tho. Also knowing the twist ending I'm looking forward to rewatching it with new eyes.

MinionZombie

07-Jul-2018, 05:13 PM

Good idea. The Case of the Scorpion's Tail is top notch tho. Also knowing the twist ending I'm looking forward to rewatching it with new eyes.

While I've got Scorpion's Tail on DVD, it's been a while since I saw it and I've totally forgotten the ending. So whenever I get around to re-watching it I'll be able to enjoy it like the first time. :)

Will see if the Arrow Video Blu-Ray comes to a sale sometime soon after it's release as sometimes happens (e.g. Evil Ed was in a sale only 2 or 3 months after its release).

bassman

12-Jul-2018, 03:44 PM

Slither

Picked up Scream Factory’s CE of James Gunn’s first directorial effort. I imagine everyone has seen it here, but it’s a great throwback to classic zombie/gore/etc films of the 80’s. Scream did a great job with the transfers and added a handful of new features, including a new commentary with Gunn, Rooker, and Fillion, which is a fun retrospective sort of “party”. I wish Scream had edited the featurettes into one continuing documentary, but it’s reslly a minor gripe with a fantastic release. Everyone here needs this film in their collections and this is the best version, for sure.

Now diving into the Criterion release of Repo Man! :thumbsup:

- - - Updated - - -

Repo Man: Criterion Collection

As usual with Criterion, the picture and audio quality is very impressive. I’d mostly known this film from TV broadcasts, so this transfer is like an all new film. Also has commentary, various interviews, round table discussions, and also features the TV Version, which is much more necessary when compared to the Anubis edit on their Night release. Here, there are completely alternate takes, scenes, and omissions, all edited for TV by the film’s Writer/Director Alex Cox. Any fan of 80’s cinema needs this one in their collection. A complete blast from start to finish.

MinionZombie

13-Jul-2018, 05:04 PM

Candyman is getting the Arrow Video treatment (UK only, it seems) come October:

https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37060451_2021353174565333_2382868956995125248_o.jp g?_nc_cat=0&oh=93a2868aafc8d4910af5665c022b1f0d&oe=5BE9E016

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original negative and supervised and approved by writer-director Bernard Rose and director of photography Anthony B. Richmond
• 5.1 DTS-HD MA and Original Uncompressed Stereo 2.0 Audio
• Optional English subtitles
• Exclusive packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
• 6 Lobby Card reproductions
• Reversible fold-out poster featuring two artworks
• Fully illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by festival programmer Michael Blyth
• Limited Edition perfect-bound booklet reproducing the original hand-painted storyboards by Bernard Rose
• Brand new audio commentary with writer-director Bernard Rose and actor Tony Todd
• Brand new audio commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
• Be My Victim – a brand new interview with Tony Todd
• It Was Always You, Helen – a brand new interview with Virginia Madsen
• The Writing on the Wall: The Production Design of Candyman – a brand new interview with production designer Jane Ann Stewart
• Forbidden Flesh: The Makeup FX of Candyman – brand new interviews with special makeup effects artists Bob Keen, Gary J. Tunnicliffe and Mark Coulier
• A Story to Tell: Clive Barker’s “The Forbidden” – writer Douglas E. Winter on Clive Barker’s seminal Books of Blood and Candyman’s source story, “The Forbidden”
• Urban Legend: Unwrapping Candyman – a critical analysis of the film with writers Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes
• Theatrical Trailer
• Three rarely-seen Bernard Rose short films, newly restored in HD: Looking at Alice (30 mins, 1978), A Bomb With No Name on It (3 mins, 1976), The Wreckers (5 mins)

Had I not just recently seen this on telly I'd have been pre-ordering it straight away, but that sated my desire for the film for a spell - although it is an excellent film, no doubt. Perhaps I'd get it on sale, or on the inevitable re-release with basic packaging. By the looks of this one it'll be akin to the recent deluxe release for Last House on the Left (so it'd be £20 or £25, probably). Kinda tempted, still...

bassman

13-Jul-2018, 10:52 PM

With Shout/Scream Factory having announced that they’ll reveal 10 big titles at Comic Con, a fan asked if our beloved Dawn of the Dead could be one of them, this is their response:

Originally Posted by Scream Factory

Sorry but we can tell you right now that DAWN OF THE DEAD 1978 is not one of the titles. We've tried to get it and could not work out a deal with the licensor.

F*ckin greedy Rubenstein! Shout would likely give us the multiple-edit release we’ve been asking for.

MinionZombie

14-Jul-2018, 10:58 AM

F*ckin greedy Rubenstein! Shout would likely give us the multiple-edit release we’ve been asking for.

Too right. We need a proper deluxe edition with brand new restorations of all three cuts, plus a compilation of any leftover footage, plus new docs etc - but that ain't happening any time soon - and whatever happened to the 3D conversion of Dawn? Did that ever happen? How long ago did that get announced? Who the hell cares for a 3D conversion of it anyway?

A deluxe Blu-Ray is what we want!

bassman

21-Jul-2018, 04:50 PM

MZ, I think I’ve heard you talk about these films on a few occasions. Critters series box set coming:

https://www.shoutfactory.com/s3_images/images/0ecd7cb7-178a-e811-a981-0edcbcd33718/CrittersCollection.BeautyShot.72dpi.png

https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-critters-collection?product_id=6882

MinionZombie

21-Jul-2018, 05:37 PM

Hmmm ... if there's no extras, then I don't think I'll bother as I already have the four movie collection on DVD (which are barebones releases).

Now, if there was a nice complimentary of extras and it came to the UK, then I'd be interested.

I re-watched Critters 2 the other week as this year is the 30th anniversary of the movie. There's an excellent episode of the podcast Post Mortem with Mick Garris (featuring Lin Shaye and the Chiodo Brothers), which I'd recommend listening to for fans of the flick. :)

EvilNed

22-Jul-2018, 09:42 AM

(Not my picture, snatched it from google)

Found these two releases waiting for me when I returned from Italy.

https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/ce18c04139e6a8b23a945a0d68ad9b07/5C122998/t51.2885-15/e35/36762797_486797081745404_3694914193850368000_n.jpg

MinionZombie

27-Jul-2018, 05:22 PM

City of the Living Dead is getting a new 4k restoration from Arrow Video and a deluxe packaging release (reversible poster, lobby cards, booklet, hard cardboard outer case).

LIMTED EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative by Arrow Films
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original uncompressed 1.0 mono and optional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Original English and Italian soundtracks
• Newly translated, optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Audio commentary with star Catriona MacColl and journalist Jay Slater
• Audio commentary with star Giovanni Lombardo Radice and writer Calum Waddell
• We Are the Apocalypse, new interview with writer Dardano Sacchetti
• Through Your Eyes, new interview with Catriona MacColl
• Dust in the Wind, new interview with cameraman Roberto Forges Davanzati
• The Art of Dreaming, new interview with production designer Massimo Antonello Geleng
• Tales of Friendship, new interview with cinematographer Sergio Salvati
• I Walked with a Zombie, new interview with actor Giovanni Lombardo Radice
• They Call Him "Bombardone", new interview with special effects artist Gino De Rossi
• The Horror Family, new interview with father and son actors Venantino and Luca Venantini
• Previously unseen interview with composer Fabio Frizzi
• Archival interview with actor Carlo De Mejo
• Building Fulci’s City, a new video interview with Stephen Thrower, author of the definitive tome, Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci
• Reflections on Fulci, a new appraisal of Fulci’s Gothic period by actor, writer and director Andy Nyman (Ghost Stories)
• The Dead Are Alive!, a new video essay by Kat Ellinger on Lucio Fulci and the Italian zombie cycle
• Behind the scenes 8mm footage with Roberto Forges Davanzati audio commentary
• Alternative US Gates of Hell opening credits
• Original trailers and radio spots
• Extensive image gallery featuring over 150 stills, posters and other ephemera from the FAB Press and Mike Siegel archives
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Wes Benscoter
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• 6 lobby card reproductions
• Limited 60-page booklet featuring new writing by Travis Crawford and Roberto Curti, an archival interview with Lucio Fulci, and original reviews

https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37884647_2044690492231601_629428823028400128_o.jpg ?_nc_cat=0&oh=8226f9ec23d1585a2b6c939a206f5e7b&oe=5BCB9406

I've already got the previous Arrow Video release from a few years back, so I don't fancy double-dipping (especially as I'm not crazy about COTLD, although I have grown to like it more with subsequent viewings) ... but they've certainly put together a tempting package there...

JDP

27-Jul-2018, 06:01 PM

City of the Living Dead is getting a new 4k restoration from Arrow Video and a deluxe packaging release (reversible poster, lobby cards, booklet, hard cardboard outer case).

https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37884647_2044690492231601_629428823028400128_o.jpg ?_nc_cat=0&oh=8226f9ec23d1585a2b6c939a206f5e7b&oe=5BCB9406

I've already got the previous Arrow Video release from a few years back, so I don't fancy double-dipping (especially as I'm not crazy about COTLD, although I have grown to like it more with subsequent viewings) ... but they've certainly put together a tempting package there...

They forgot to add a "What is the bizarre ending supposed to mean???" feature.

beat_truck

28-Jul-2018, 03:32 AM

They forgot to add a "What is the bizarre ending supposed to mean???" feature.

I've read several times that the abrupt, nonsense ending was used because the film was damaged by getting coffee spilled on it, and they were just too cheap/lazy to reshoot the real ending. Whether it is true or not, I don't know.

JDP

28-Jul-2018, 04:00 AM

I've read several times that the abrupt, nonsense ending was used because the film was damaged by getting coffee spilled on it, and they were just too cheap/lazy to reshoot the real ending. Whether it is true or not, I don't know.

I've read the same thing. But I think that not even Fulci himself knew what the substitute ending is supposed to mean.

beat_truck

28-Jul-2018, 05:39 AM

I've read the same thing. But I think that not even Fulci himself knew what the substitute ending is supposed to mean.

Probably not. Nobody else does, that's for sure.

EvilNed

28-Jul-2018, 07:11 AM

Also put on sale yesterday was Mondo Macabros upcoming release of Perversion Story. This is the limited edition, there will be a standard edition later.

https://assets.bigcartel.com/product_images/220554316/MDO-185_LE_sideA.png?auto=format&fit=max&h=1000&w=1000

MinionZombie

28-Jul-2018, 10:59 AM

They forgot to add a "What is the bizarre ending supposed to mean???" feature.

While there's no specific featurette on that, I recall from the extras on the version that I have (extras that'll be ported over to join the new ones on this new release) that they do discuss the ending on a couple of the interviews with cast/crew talking about it. I'd never heard the 'spilt coffee' rumour, and I'd imagine it's just that, because I don't recall that being mentioned at all on the Blu-Ray extras for the disc I've got. I think it was basically a case of they didn't really have a good enough ending - it was lacking some kind of jolt or something to creep you out - so you end up with that weird 'cracked glass' sort of effect. It kind of feels like a dream being shattered, and considering that City of the Living Dead was designed to have this kind of 'dream logic' feel to it with all these vaguely connected vignettes and a loose narrative, that kind of plays into the weirdness of it all.

bassman

28-Jul-2018, 02:33 PM

I’ve never seen City of the Living Dead. Might be worth a blind purchase?

beat_truck

28-Jul-2018, 02:51 PM

I’ve never seen City of the Living Dead. Might be worth a blind purchase?

Try before you buy.;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isLwMb5rU3w

They messed with it to get it by the copyright police, so you need to watch it at 0.75 speed.

shootemindehead

28-Jul-2018, 03:29 PM

I’ve never seen City of the Living Dead. Might be worth a blind purchase?

Absolutely not.

MinionZombie

28-Jul-2018, 04:14 PM

I’ve never seen City of the Living Dead. Might be worth a blind purchase?

IIRC you weren't overly fussed by Zombie Flesh Eaters, and that's one of Fulci's very best. City of the Living Dead is a solid effort, although IIRC Shoot really doesn't like the movie, so perhaps he's biased in another direction? :D

The first time I saw it I didn't get along with it at all. The second time I saw it was years later and I enjoyed it more, having really gotten into Italian genre movies of the 70s and 80s. The third time I saw it I'd developed more of a familiarity with it, so it bedded in a bit more for me.

IMHO City of the Living Dead is the weakest of the 'Gates of Hell' trilogy (which was followed up with The Beyond - arguably the best of the three to most folks - and then The House By The Cemetery), but it has some great scenes (e.g. the pick axe in the coffin scene, or the vomiting her guts up scene, the head drill scene). It does feel like a bit of a ZFE rip off in some regards (most notably in the main musical theme for the film), but yeah, a solid Fulci flick.

For you though? I wouldn't buy this one as a blind purchase as you might not like the movie. Have a look at it elsewhere, or get a cheap copy on DVD or something to try it out maybe?

EvilNed

28-Jul-2018, 04:43 PM

I’ve never seen City of the Living Dead. Might be worth a blind purchase?

No.

It's an acquired taste.
In fact, it's a pretty bad film. But it's weird and if you're an afficianado of italian genre films then it's fantastic. But I don't think you are.

bassman

28-Jul-2018, 05:56 PM

:lol:

I love the extremely negative responses...

shootemindehead

28-Jul-2018, 07:06 PM

:lol:

I love the extremely negative responses...

Seriously though, download it and have a look. Because, when it's not being weird, it's stupid and when it's not stupid, it's just dull.

As Mini said, if you weren't that pushed on 'Zombie Flesh Eaters', I don't think 'City of the Living Dead' will do much for you.

beat_truck

28-Jul-2018, 08:24 PM

It's not my favorite movie in the world, but I like COTLD. Probably more so than The Beyond. The Beyond has some good atmosphere and gore, but the story (I use that term loosely) is a mess. House By The Cemetery is a total snooze fest to me. I think I've only watched it all the way through once. Maybe it is time to rewatch it.

bassman

20-Aug-2018, 02:17 PM

This is a total 90’s guilty pleasure, so I’m not sure if others feel the same, but I’m excited that they’re releasing an anniversary edition of Hocus Pocus.

https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/53785016?wid=1400

https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/53785016_Alt02?wid=1400

As I said, it’s a total guilty pleasure, but I’ve noticed around the net that there are apparently a great deal of others that feel the same. This is a must-watch film for the month of October in my house, so this new release will be welcomed. It’s been listed as having extras and deleted/extended scenes, although there’s not yet any solid confirmation.

bassman

25-Aug-2018, 01:43 PM

Just got an email from Shout/Scream factory.....right now they’re having a buy one, get one sale. Halloween II and III are included in the BOGO list. I have both releases and highly recommend them to anyone interested.

- - - Updated - - -

Recently picked up a few classic horror films...

The Thing (Collectors Edition)
I’d had an older release that was basically just a port from the old laserdisc, but decided it was time to upgrade when I found this newer release on sale. I’m so glad I did, too! This release is phenomenal. The picture quality is fantastic and you could spend nearly an entire day with all the special features. The great “Terror Takes Shape” documentary from the old release is ported over, as well as hours upon hours of new interviews and goodies. This is a must purchase, get it now!

They Live (Collectors Edition)
This is a good release, but not as extensive as some. The PQ is great, probably the best it will ever be, and the handful of interviews and commentary are a joy to see. I can’t imagine this film getting a much better release in the future. This is probably as good as it gets. Worth an upgrade if found for a good price.

The Howling (Collectors Edition)
Like The Thing, previous documentaries are ported over, with new interviews added. Hours of entertaining features and the PQ is probably as good as it will ever be. It’s a good release that’s worth an upgrade or purchase if you don’t already own the film.

bassman

09-Sep-2018, 10:45 AM

Any of our collector friends have any knowledge of Peter Jackson’s two Middle Earth trilogies and their releases? I’d always struggled to truly get IN to the LOTR trilogy, for various reasons, but just this past week I had some time off of work between shows, so I gave that particular trilogy a spin and finally, after all these years, fell in love with LOTR.

Sooo, my situation is this: I have the initial barebones Blu Rays of Fellowship, Towers, and King. I’ve yet to see the Hobbit prequels, and have decided I’ll just do a blind purchase for those with a complete set. There are soooo many different releases out there, I was curious what some of you guys’ personal opinions are of them?

For myself, I basically want all six films of the series, with the most special features. Jackson always has phenomenal features and docs on his films, but my barebones have nothing. Then of course there are also the extended editions, which come on their own as well? Is there a release that has both theatrical and extended cuts of both trilogies with the in-depth documentaries and commentaries? Or would it be best to purchase each trilogy separately? Each FILM separately?

Many different choices! What do my HD friends think is the best way to own these six films? Much appreciated!

MinionZombie

09-Sep-2018, 11:13 AM

I would go for the extended editions, which really add a lot to the films (literally and metaphorically) - especially in the case of LOTR (e.g. Return of the King has something like a whole hour of additional footage). I feel the extended editions of LOTR are superior, give the story a little more room to breathe, and allow the viewer to get completely spirited away into the world of Middle Earth.

The Hobbit films aren't up to the giddy heights achieved by the LOTR trilogy, but if you're into the whole mythos and Middle Earth world, you will definitely find yourself getting spirited away with those as well. Again, I opted for the extended editions - the most noticeable additions come in The Battle of The Five Armies (the third Hobbit flick), which was pretty short for a Middle Earth movie in the cinema (like just two hours) and felt a bit rushed, but with the extended edition it, again, has more room to breathe but it also has a lot more violence in it (here in the UK the theatrical version was rated 12 while the extended version was rated 15) ... you actually saw numerous glimpses of old school Peter Jackson in those additions during the big battle scenes.

Anyway, I don't know specifics about the American releases, but you could check out dvdcompare.net, which is an excellent resource to compare and contrast different releases on both DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as blu-ray.com for detailed reviews. The extended editions should come with a whole raft of extras (the extended Hobbit films that I have on their original release - 4 disc editions IIRC - for instance, have as much as 10 hours of behind the scenes documentaries). Indeed, the special features for all the films are excellent. :)

shootemindehead

09-Sep-2018, 01:33 PM

Like Mini said, get the extended versions of LotR. The extras alone are worth the money.

For the Hobbit, I would personally go for this guy's 4 hour version, which strips out all of the inane added-on shite that Jackson put in to stretch out, what should have been, a single film into a completely unnecessary trilogy.

http://www.maple-films.com/downloads.html

'The Hobbit' is a bloated, insufferable mess, that blithely poaches stuff from other unfinished Tolkien works and it feels like it. It should never have been a trilogy in the first place and the only thing that those additions add is running time.

bassman

09-Sep-2018, 01:55 PM

MinionZombie

09-Sep-2018, 05:06 PM

Thanks for the advice, fellas! :thumbsup:

Instead of getting all six films and blind-buying The Hobbit films, I think I’ll just buy the LOTR extended box set and deal with the Hobbit films on their own time.

Seems like I remember reading articles that Jackson may have changed some stuff in the trilogy? Not at the same level as George Lucas, but it seems like it was a big issue for at least one of the sets?...

Eh? I've not heard of this - got any info? I got the 4-disc DVD extended editions when they were originally released, so that's the only way I've seen them. I will say, something I didn't like about the Hobbit movies is that they're absolutely covered in CGI and overt colour grading. The LOTR films feature far more on-location shooting in the beauty of New Zealand, while The Hobbit films so often have large chunks shot on stages with lots and lots of blue/green screen backgrounds/environments ... feels a bit much, you know?

I didn't mind Jackson adding in stuff from the appendices, though, because the Hobbit trilogy also kind of became a LOTR prequel trilogy in some ways (i.e. some scenes are there to bridge gaps or provide backstory to events that later occur in the LOTR films, or to make better sense of some events). Sure, three films is a bit much - two would have been plenty with some fat trimmed out generally ... however, if you really get into the world of it all you just enjoy the journey, even if it is a bit overlong.

bassman

11-Sep-2018, 08:31 AM

My memory was slightly off....what I’d heard wasn’t that they’d added things, but there’s a different color grade. From what I’m reading now, it’s only on the extended version Fellowship on Blu Ray. It’s not as shocking as the blue tint on Night90, but it’s there....

Vwcm-73kZE8

MinionZombie

11-Sep-2018, 10:44 AM

bassman

11-Sep-2018, 10:51 AM

I take it that's a recent colour grading tweak? You can really notice it on the blue of the sky! Don't really know why that was at all necessary, makes the Shire look too green around the gills. :rockbrow:

From what I gather, it first appeared on the extended version of Fellowship on Blu Ray. Apparently the regular DVD version doesn’t have the issue.

MinionZombie

11-Sep-2018, 10:55 AM

From what I gather, it first appeared on the extended version of Fellowship on Blu Ray. Apparently the regular DVD version doesn’t have the issue.

Ah, that would make sense. My 4-disc extended edition DVD from 2002 will be the original grade, then.

I don't see why the re-grade was necessary, to be honest. It's not like they were trying to make a live action plate match with a matte painting (e.g. in the Final Cut of Blade Runner). I rather like the original grade, which makes Hobbiton even more sunny and nice, all the more of a contrast to what comes later (e.g. you couldn't get further away from the Hobbiton vibe than Mount Doom).

bassman

11-Sep-2018, 07:48 PM

So, I happened to find the extended trilogy set at a local store. Now....I’ve always known that Peter Jackson provides fans with fantastic in-depth special features. Even for his smaller films. But somehow it just hadn’t registered with me just how much was truly produced for this trilogy. Nine discs of special features. Holy sh*t man this is the greatest thing ever! :lol: It’s gonna take weeks to see it all...

Anyway, just glancing at the films in a few spots, the quality also looks amazing. Looking forward to Jackson’s commentaries. This set is worth every penny.

Also picked up a few other releases I’m going to dive into soon: Collectors Editions of The Sting, Batman: The Movie, Alien Covenant, and a new release of one of my top ten all-time favorites, To Kill A Mockingbird. This recent Blu Ray haul has been like the best Christmas morning as a kid! :p

EvilNed

12-Sep-2018, 10:18 AM

I liked the first Lord of the Rings, but the other two were not really up to par. Too much shoddy CGI.

MinionZombie

18-Sep-2018, 05:36 PM

Had a splurge on some cheap Blu-Rays.

Nightmares In A Damaged Brain
Salo
Ed Wood
Microwave Massacre
Pieces
Black Mama, White Mama
Hitchhike
Maniac Cop
Driller Killer
Aenigma

So mostly Arrow Video and 88 Films titles, but a couple of others in there as well. Plenty to be watching now, then! :lol:

- - - Updated - - -

Just stumbled across this announcement today - Studio Canal are releasing brand new restorations (with new extra features) of four of John Carpenter's classics:
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=23917

The Fog, Escape From New York, Prince of Darkness, and They Live are all getting brand new releases - seems to be your choice of pricey Collector's Editions (which have Blu-Ray and 4K presentations, two discs each, with poster, lobby cards, booklet, and soundtrack CD) or a standard 2-disc Blu-Ray (no 4K, no poster/lobby cards/booklet) ... there might be some steelbooks as well. Seems as if Prince of Darkness isn't getting the "Collector's Edition" treatment, though.

Anyway - it seems that each film gets its own feature length documentary plus some other extras. Looks like they're Region B-locked, though.

I'll be snapping up those, for sure!!! :hyper: However, it's a shame the 2-disc Blu-Ray editions don't come with the soundtracks. I don't want to pay double the money and get a 4K disc that I'm never going to use. £30 for the collector's editions, £15 for the 2-disc Blu-Ray editions.

bassman

19-Sep-2018, 02:22 PM

Ooh those look nice! It’s almost a shame that these films have other recent remastered and packed blu rays, but depending on reviews I still may pick up one or two of these. Argh they always get me with the double dips!

A few recent purchases that I may have mentioned before:

To Kill A Mockingbird
Really the only thing new in the way of special features is an interesting restoration doc. Includes all previous release features, including the Fearful Symmetry making-of doc and the lengthy doc on the life and career of the great Greggory Peck. 10/10 a must have!

The Sting
A classic heist flick set in 1930’s America starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. A decent enough restoration and potted features, including making-of doc. 7/10

bassman

10-Nov-2018, 06:05 PM

Diabolik DVD is releasing a new edition of Argento’s Dawn/Zombi Cut.

https://www.diabolikdvd.com/product/dawn-of-the-dead-final-cut-lenticular-steelbook-blu-ray-all-region/

To my knowledge, this cut of the film was released on a lackluster Blu Ray within the last year or two, so hopefully this one will be a better restoration.

Still holding onto the hope that we one day see all three edits of the film remastered! A remastered re-release of the Ultimate Collection would be ideal.

EvilNed

11-Nov-2018, 08:45 AM

bassman

11-Nov-2018, 05:10 PM

The Argento Cut was recently remastered and restored on a massive 4-6 disc (depending on which version you bought) edition in Italy.
Here's the link to it:
https://www.amazon.it/Zombi-Dawn-Dead-Blu-Ray-Ultra/dp/B01LTHL0IS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1541925885&sr=8-4&keywords=zombi

It could be that restoration packaged for a US release.

Yeah, that’s the one I was referencing that got some bad-mediocre reviews for its restoration. This one has the possibility of being a better restoration, from what I gather.

EvilNed

25-Jan-2019, 10:20 PM

So what's been bought of interest since last post?

I'm into spaghetti westerns at the moment. Picked up the Grindhouse release of THE BIG GUNDOWN and Arrow's releases of DJANGO / TEXAS ADIOS as well as the SARTANA COLLECTION.

I've bought way more stuff than that tho. NIGHT OF THE DEMON collectors edition from Indicator, anyone? Solid british 50's gothic horror. Haven't unwrapped it yet, but it's a beauty. Also picked up Scream Factory's CREEPSHOW bluray. I pick up everything giallo that get's released, which has landed me with FORBIDDEN PHOTOS OF A LADY ABOVE SUSPICION and THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS. Waiting on them, as well as THE PSYCHIC from Severin and THE FIFTH CORD and THE POSSESSED from Arrow.
Also from Arrow, announced today, THE IGUANA WITH A TONGUE OF FIRE. It's an alright film. STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER is getting a US release too, I will be getting that.
Let me recommend GIALLO IN VENICE to anyone who likes their exploitation filled with no plot and softcore pornography, including of closeups of people jerking off. Not for me folks, but I learned the hard way...

MinionZombie

26-Jan-2019, 11:24 AM

Some recent purchases include:

Night of the Creeps (Eureka)
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (Arrow)
Puppet Master 1, 2, and 3 (88 Films)
Contraband (Shameless)

Let me recommend GIALLO IN VENICE to anyone who likes their exploitation filled with no plot and softcore pornography, including of closeups of people jerking off.

https://media1.tenor.com/images/c79c3262e4a75bb34bf4a7b106d976c2/tenor.gif?itemid=4318466

I'm off down the shops! :lol::lol::lol:

EvilNed

26-Jan-2019, 12:44 PM

I want to get the Night of the Creeps, but I rewatched it a couple of years ago and to be honest I don't think it's that good. There's not much going on until the very end. It's fairly tame by zombie film standards.

bassman

26-Jan-2019, 12:57 PM

EvilNed

29-Jan-2019, 07:44 PM

Forbidden Photos arrived today, along with The Case of the Bloody Iris and also Street Law, which I'd forgotten that I'd ordered! Hooray.

MinionZombie

30-Jan-2019, 11:08 AM

I have the SE DVD release of Night of the Creeps from years ago. It’s a good little release, but I need to upgrade to blu ray if there’s one available. I really enjoy that film. Out of Tom Atkins’ distinguished career, that film has some of his best work and quotes.

“What is this, a homicide or a bad B-movie??” :cool:

"The guy was one continuous eyebrow." :lol:

I just watched the Blu-Ray the other day. A good release, although there's no new extras. They were all new to me as the last time I saw the flick was like 20 years ago on telly, but yeah, the extras are all ported over from previous American releases in 2009 and 2016. But they do cover a lot of ground and offer up a lot of insight into the movie.

It was really good fun seeing it again, it's got so much going for it with its mash-up of horror movie tropes, fun dialogue, Tom Atkins, well designed practical effects etc. Sure, it's gradually paced, but there's always something happening at regular intervals, so it never goes too long without something interesting or cool happening.

This release has the Director's Cut ending (the one that ends looking over a cemetery as a space ship appears with search lights roaming), but the original 'cheap shock' theatrical ending is included as an extra. The DC ending is definitely better. :)

EvilNed

30-Jan-2019, 02:44 PM

I did not like the wrap-around story for Night of the Creeps. The one with the aliens. To me it did not really contribute anything of value.

bassman

30-Jan-2019, 04:32 PM

MinionZombie

30-Jan-2019, 05:30 PM

Yeah, I agree that it wasn’t necessary but at the same time, it doesn’t hurt the film, IMO. The Alien bookends were only there to explain the origin of the slugs. I don’t recall there being any other purpose than that. I do need to revisit the film, though.

In the theatrical edit, is there an explanation for the slugs, or they just appear? I know the graveyard/spaceship ending wasn’t there, but was the little alien battle still at the head of the film?

Oh aye, I think the only difference between the cuts is the ending. So it actually makes more sense in the director's cut because it is bookended with a space ship, rather than seeing one at the beginning and then never again. :D

EvilNed

30-Jan-2019, 07:23 PM

Oh aye, I think the only difference between the cuts is the ending. So it actually makes more sense in the director's cut because it is bookended with a space ship, rather than seeing one at the beginning and then never again. :D

I was never a fan of those type of endings. I'd rather they just exclude those bookends completely. It's like Saving Private Ryan, at the end I've completely forgotten that we're watching the recollections of an old man (and I don't think the narrative within works at all to be honest. What, is this old geezer standing there and remembering some general reading a letter from Abe Lincoln, in his HQ back in the states?).

JDP

30-Jan-2019, 08:37 PM

The intro with the aliens in Night of the Creeps is obviously there to give the appearance of the critters on Earth an explanation. It could have been something else, of course, like say, an accident at a biological lab in our planet, for example. But the scriptwriter decided it was due to aliens. His call. He wrote the story. Nothing more to it.

MinionZombie

31-Jan-2019, 11:28 AM

I was never a fan of those type of endings. I'd rather they just exclude those bookends completely. It's like Saving Private Ryan, at the end I've completely forgotten that we're watching the recollections of an old man (and I don't think the narrative within works at all to be honest. What, is this old geezer standing there and remembering some general reading a letter from Abe Lincoln, in his HQ back in the states?).

I like the opening of Night of the Creeps. It works well with the mash-up of genres that is the script, you're immediately thrown into some action, and it's a fun contrast as you go from that to 1950s America in black and white. Plus, it's basically the inciting incident for the whole movie. :D

As for Saving Private Ryan ... well, you don't have to be so literal about it. ;) Obviously the old man isn't remembering the scenes his character wasn't there for. :lol:

bassman

16-Feb-2019, 03:36 PM

Kinda funny that Scream Factory has announced a new release of Night of the Creeps right after we were discussing it: https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/night-of-the-creeps-deluxe-limited-edition-with-exclusive-action-figure?product_id=7065&hashed=5b29418f72d813a890a177c29a60da0d4199d195238 a130a11bf353602f92c61&utm_source=Shout%21+Factory+Master&utm_campaign=2864b711bd-NightOfTheCreeps_DeluxeWithFigure_Feb2019&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d0d2f6aeb4-2864b711bd-89053217

....with a Tom Atkins figure! My life is now complete. :D

https://i.ibb.co/DK02BD2/5-F2492-FB-D9-F5-46-AA-A883-16827-A93-DF67.jpg

MinionZombie

16-Feb-2019, 05:30 PM

That's pretty sweet! Love the new cover art they've done for it, too!

bassman

22-Feb-2019, 12:58 AM

Fellow David Lynch fans.....Criterion is releasing Blue Velvet!!!

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/02/david-lynch-blue-velvet-lost-footage-criterion-collection-1202045078/

4K digital restoration transfer, 70 minute making-of doc, feature length “meditation” by Peter Braatz, the 51 minute “lost footage” reel, and more.

https://www.joblo.com/assets/images/arrow/news/2019/02/Blue%20Velvet,%204k,%20David%20Lynch,%20AITH.jpg

I’ll be havin’ that, thank you! :cool:

MinionZombie

22-Feb-2019, 10:39 AM

I bought the previous release (imported, actually, as it was region free), the 25th Anniversary one that was put out in 2011 - https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Blue-Velvet-Blu-ray/20175/#Review -, and it has the making of and the deleted scenes, so I won't be double dipping this time around.

However, if folks don't already have Blue Velvet in their collection, then this will very much be worthwhile getting. The making of and deleted scenes are excellent.

bassman

22-Feb-2019, 03:05 PM

Yeah, the main special features have been previously released, so really the only appeal would be if the picture quality is improved. Criterion generally does a fantastic job with their restorations, so hopefully it turns out well. I imagine they’ll probably produce some new, smaller featurettes as well. I don’t have the previous release, so if this is anything like Criterion’s past efforts like Night....I’ll be all over it! :)

EvilNed

24-Feb-2019, 07:42 PM

On my kitchen table, ready to be sorted into the stands;

The Night of the Sorcerers / The Loreley's Grasp, two Armando Ossario horrors from the 70s. Releasted by Sream Factory.
Nemesis, by Albert Pyun. Old 90's scifi action. Low budget, but highly intensive and violent.
Jungle Holocaust by Ruggero Deodato. His first cannibal flick, which was probably released as something else and then relabelled Jungle Holocaust after the success of Cannibal Holocaust
The Psychic by Lucio Fulci. A strong giallo with paranormal overtones! I love this one. Also known as Seven Notes in Black. The theme song was featured in Kill Bill 1 quite extensively.
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things by Bob Clark. One of the best non-Romero zombie flicks out there.
Opera by Dario Argento. It's been awhile since I saw this. I can't remember much about it except the keyhole murder and the punk rock.
The Possessed and The Fifth Cord, two giallos by Luigi Bassoni. The Fifth Cord is amazing.

bassman

24-Feb-2019, 11:09 PM

EvilNed

25-Feb-2019, 09:14 AM

I love how you guys tend to also collect lesser-known films like those. I need to do some research and dive deeper like y’all do. Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things seems like it may be a good place to start, as I’ve recently been seeking out those kinds of smaller zombie films of the past.

I collect almost exclusively cult films. Partly because other films I can just watch on Netflix and whatnot, and partly because that's primarily my taste (these days, at least).

However if you haven't seem Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things do yourself a favor and seek it out. It's a great, slow burning zombie flick from the early 70's. The zombies are spot on and there's a feeling of dread over most of the film. I assume you likewise haven't seen The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue then? Give that a go as well. Two of the best non-Romero zombie flicks out there.

MinionZombie

25-Feb-2019, 11:09 AM

I've been eyeing up The Fifth Cord, so I must get my mits on it some time.

Like Ned, the bulk of my purchases are "cult" films from labels like Arrow Video and 88 Films, with sprinklings coming from other places. Although I do still buy up-to-date fare, but usually only the ones I really want and know I will watch multiple times.

I never really got into Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things. I liked bits of it, but generally I just didn't see what the fuss was about. I couldn't really get into it. Now, The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue (which IIRC bassman saw just recently, but wasn't all that fussed about), on the other hand, that's one I've seen a few times now and really enjoy.

I've been on a full blown Netflix bender these last few weeks since getting it, so the only thing I've bought is a cheap copy of Sausage Party. :lol:

I'm salivating at the prospect of the Second Sight releases of Dawn of the Dead and Martin, though - Lee Karr's been posting some pictures from location tours (with guides) that will be included in the special features.

bassman

25-Feb-2019, 11:37 AM

I collect almost exclusively cult films. Partly because other films I can just watch on Netflix and whatnot, and partly because that's primarily my taste (these days, at least).

However if you haven't seem Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things do yourself a favor and seek it out. It's a great, slow burning zombie flick from the early 70's. The zombies are spot on and there's a feeling of dread over most of the film. I assume you likewise haven't seen The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue then? Give that a go as well. Two of the best non-Romero zombie flicks out there.

I’ve seen Morgue a couple times, but I’ve yet to find Children. Just re-watched the former a couple weeks ago after discussing it with someone here, actually.

EvilNed

25-Feb-2019, 12:57 PM

I’ve seen Morgue a couple times, but I’ve yet to find Children. Just re-watched the former a couple weeks ago after discussing it with someone here, actually.

Probably me... I rewatched it recently as well.

JDP

25-Feb-2019, 02:43 PM

Actually it was with me.

I second the opinion of MinionZombie above. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is a quite better film than Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things. Jorge Grau was a much more capable filmmaker, and also had more resources than the folks who made Children. This last movie is a much more humble effort. Its main claim to fame is that it was made in the early 70s, quite before Dawn reignited a huge wave of "zombie fever" (which affected all zombie movies since the late 70s.) It also doesn't take place in the middle of a full-blown ongoing zombie crisis but shows the beginning of one. As such, it is more fair to compare it with Romero's Night rather than his later output. Same thing for Let Sleeping Corpses Lie.

bassman

27-Feb-2019, 02:45 PM

UHD owners: Alien is coming soon.

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=2471

BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM, COMPLETED IN 2018 BY 20TH CENTURY FOX AT COMPANY 3/DELUXE ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES CORP., SUPERVISED BY RIDLEY SCOTT AND PAM DERY, WITH THE 4K SCANS DONE AT EFILM

https://images.blu-ray.com/news/upload/10418_tn.jpg

No word on a full Anthology set just yet. If the standard blu ray is any indication, this release should be gorgeous!

bassman

06-Mar-2019, 10:12 PM

One of James Cameron’s regular digital intermediate editors, Skip Kimball, shared this post today:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D062LVZV4AU66KX.png

The Abyss is one of Cameron’s few films that have yet to get an HD release of any kind. I love this movie and feel like it often doesn’t get mentioned enough due to Cameron’s unusually extensive list of amazing and classic films. It’s also one where the extended cut(last released on regular DVD) works exceptionally well, kinda taking the place of the theatrical cut, IMO.

There’s also been talk of True Lies getting the restoration and 4K treatment. I thoroughly enjoy both of these films and they’ll be a day-one purchase for me!

MinionZombie

07-Mar-2019, 11:32 AM

Oh, sweet! Likewise, I'm a fan of The Abyss (I've got the director's cut on VHS :D ), and True Lies is also a hella fun flick.

bassman

05-Apr-2019, 11:53 PM

For the 35th and 30th Anniversaries of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II this year, Sony will be releasing the films in a 4K steelbook box set with all new special features and commentaries!

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=24909

The special features disc includes more than two hours of long-requested and rare archival elements—including never-before-seen deleted scenes from the first film—along with returning interviews, effects breakdowns, multi-angle explorations and much more! Both films also feature BRAND NEW commentaries, featuring the filmmakers on GHOSTBUSTERS II and passionate fans with deep-cut insights on GHOSTBUSTERS.

ALL-NEW & RARE ARCHIVAL SPECIAL FEATURES:

GHOSTBUSTERS
Fan Commentary featuring Troy Benjamin and Chris Stewart (Interdimensional Crossrip podcast), Ashley Victoria Robinson (Geek History Lesson podcast) and Sean Bishop (Ghostbusters prop replica expert), moderated by Ghost Corps' Eric Reich
6 Rare & Newly Unearthed Deleted Scenes, including the long-requested Fort Detmerring scenes!
Also includes Raw Takes for the Central Park Bums sequence
1984 ShoWest Exhibitor Reel, featuring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd pitching an early reel of footage to theatrical exhibitors!
Full Ghostbusters TV Commercial from the film
Ghostbusters TV Commercial Outtakes
"A Moment With the Stars" – Original EPK Featurette
Original Domestic Teaser Trailer
Original Stereo Audio for the Feature (Blu-ray only)

GHOSTBUSTERS II
Commentary featuring Director Ivan Reitman, Star/Co-Writer Dan Aykroyd and Executive Producer Joe Medjuck
"The Oprah Winfrey Show: Cast of Ghostbusters II" – June 1989
Full Ghostbusters II Theatrical EPK
Rare Unfinished Teaser Trailer – featuring the full commercial from the film!
Original Stereo Audio for the Feature (Blu-ray only)
THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS
"The Real Ghostbusters - Pitch Concept Pilot" - A Fan Restoration by Robert Barbieri

ALSO INCLUDES(previously available):

GHOSTBUSTERS
Commentary featuring Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis and Joe Medjuck
Slimer Mode Picture-in-Picture Track
"Tricks and Trivia" Text Commentary
10 Deleted Scenes
Who You Gonna Call: A Ghostbusters Retrospective
1984 Featurette
SFX Featurette
Cast and Crew Featurette
Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car
Multi-Angle Explorations
Storyboard Comparison
Alternate TV Version Takes
"Ghostbusters" Music Video by Ray Parker, Jr.
Photo Galleries
Trailers
International Teaser Trailer
Domestic Theatrical Trailer
30th Anniversary Theatrical Trailer

GHOSTBUSTERS II
7 Deleted Scenes
Time Is But A Window: Ghostbusters II and Beyond
"On Our Own" Music Video by Bobby Brown
Photo Galleries
Trailers
Domestic Teaser Trailer
Domestic Theatrical Trailer
International Theatrical Trailer

https://images.blu-ray.com/news/upload/10564_tn.jpg

I love that they’ve gone back to the more simplistic covers reminiscent of the VHS boxes. I’d prefer that it be the original logo rather than the “hands” variant, but it’s a win simply for ditching the awful green and blue slime covers they’ve used for the past twenty years.

Now the question is whether to spring for this release, or hold out for the inevitable trilogy box set when Jason’s Ghostbusters III gets it’s home release?...