Non-Criterion Boutique Home Video Discussion (Kino, Warner Archive, Arrow, Indicator, Vinegar Syndrome, Code Red, etc.)

ugh hitler stans are so annoying

Just did a nostalgic search through thread titles started by his most frequent identity and that was a wild ride. I didn't realise there were just so many of them.

In actually relevant news I went to order that Czech film from Second Run but I can't check out the shopping cart. Oh well.

yeah sorry for derail (also embarrassingly realized I've figured this out before)

still, I would probably avoid releasing nazisploitation movies with that company name

I wasn't having a go except at myself because I thought I was derailing.

there are lots of WB Archives Blu-Rays with extras. Off the top of my head, a couple Michael Curtiz movies (Dodge City + Adventures of Robin Hood) have newsreels, cartoons, short films (by Curtiz!), trailers, and multiple radio broadcasts of the film in question. Usually some contemporary interviews with scholars/critics, too.

Dunno about entire extra films though, I've only ever encountered that with Criterion. They should really emphasize that more imo, I mean the Stranger Than Paradise disc for example: it has Permanent Vacation! That's hardly an extra. Stranger Than Paradise is an extra on that disc!

Gaslight at least has both the 1940 and 1944 versions of the film. I could swear I have at least one other with a bonus film.

But yeah, Criterion (and others who do likewise) should make a bigger deal about that. I bought The Front Page from Kino not realizing that it was included on Criterion's release of His Girl Friday.

Most (if not all) of the Warner Archive Blu extras are ported over from the original DVDs.

The first Gaslight with Anton Walbrook is grebt.

Wow, I had no idea about Gaslight. Yeah, I had the same reaction with His Girl Friday, tbh I didn't even know it had the extra movie when I bought it. I went to watch HGF again like 2 years ago and was like "what's this extra disc...? ...oh..... wtf?!!"

It Happened One Night has a feature length Capra silent (haven't watched yet), and the Stagecoach release has one of the best Ford silents I've seen, Bucking Broadway.

Killer's Kiss included with The Killing...The Report included with Certified Copy...yeah...

I'd imagine with Criterion that it has to do with them gatekeeping what gets the official "prestige" of being included in the Collection, which kinda makes since for stuff like De Palma's Murder A La Mod (bonus for Blow Out) or the 30s version of Magnificent Obsession on the Sirk disc, but is pretty baffling choice when it comes to Permanent Vacation.

Killer's Kiss included with The Killing...The Report included with Certified Copy...yeah...

― Motoroller Scampotron (WmC), Wednesday, February 24, 2021 1:24 PM (three minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

YO

I'VE HAD THE REPORT THIS WHOLE TIME.....?

xxp Yeah that does make sense, it just feels like they should advertise them more, I mean I had NO idea Certified Copy came with The Report-- and I've had that disc for years!

But, then again, I don't read stickers!

My birthday present to you!

I love you

The studio killed the original UK Gaslight in various ways such as renaming it so as not to compete with the US remake, iirc..

Okay, MGM destroyed the negative at the time, and one or both versions were variously known as Angel Street and The Murder in Thornton Square.

Bonus films are indeed an awesome feature, though tbh I'm not sure I'll ever get around to the earlier version of Holiday

I haven't looked at the Warner Archive site in years, but I remember being wary because the DVDs (and maybe the blu-rays?) were sometimes DVD-Rs/MOD. The fact that a even some factory-pressed Warner titles from about fifteen years ago became unplayable over time helped sour me on buying Warner releases. But I also just rarely watch physical discs any more, unfortunately.

xxp Another bonus feature IIRC is The Traveler on Criterion's Close-Up.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/arts/gaslight-movie-afterlife.html
J. Hoberman's overview.

xpost Warner Archive DVDs are, unfortunately, usually DVD-Rs and thusly not generally something I'm inclined to pay money for (except that I'm probably going to fold on the Forbidden Hollywood sets eventually). Their blu-rays, however, are legit manufactured discs and well worth checking out. They have so much good stuff.

I'm slapping myself just now because when I started this thread I knew I was forgetting to mention a major player and sure enough: Shout/Scream Factory is probably the most dominant boutique label in my collection. And sure enough: they're having a sale (on box sets).

https://www.shoutfactory.com/page/list/id/282131?utm_source=rejoiner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BOXSET+SALE+FEB+2021+-+FIRST+DAY&utm_content=BOXSET+SALE+FEB+2021

You see, this is how I blew through whatever stimulus money I received last year. Soooo many sales. It's a really easy way to go broke.

Olive Films puts out a lot of good stuff. Can't seem to find a proper home page.

https://olivefilms.com/

(doesn't show up on a Google search).

If you’re not buying the Maude box set from that Shout sale, seriously what are you doing in life?!

Lol

I was looking at the Barney Miller box.

Seeing that Homicide box, and remembering how ridiculously expensive the original season sets were back upon release in the early '00s: $80-$100 apiece (because of the music rights, iirc).

Wow, that is amazingly cheap, even at retail. Did they cut the music or something?

Looks like direct ports of the old discs.

When A&E did their complete series box, IIRC it was like $150-$200.

that
Tomorrow I'll Wake Up And Scald Myself With Tea film mentioned upthread fort mentioned in the guardian today in an article about a new (?) streaming service

https://easterneuropeanmovies.com/

which might be a bit off topic (being streaming) but looks interesting

(fuck autocorrect, you get the idea)

That does look great. I grumble about the big streaming services quite a bit but truth be told I could probably spend the rest of my life just watching old movies on stuff like this, the Cinephobe and assorted youtube accounts, without even getting into the Criterion channel.

the russian films are a separate (but related) website

and it has an interesting payment plan - $5 for a day, $15 for a week, $30 for a month, $100 for lifetime

you could probably get the cost per film down to $1 given a week and enough spare time (although probably avoid Satantango in that case!)

that's assuming this service lasts 2 years!

That's a great selection, quite a few I've loved and a good bunch I want to see, maybe someday.

Inspired by this thread I tracked down a complete list of Warner Archive releases, and wow! Need the third season of Young Sheldon on blu with no extras? They got you covered!

Come on, that's on par with dismissing Criterion because they released Armageddon. Every physical media company produces shitty loss leaders. Warner Archive is one of the few things I won't actively give WB shit for these days.

No man I'm not dismissing it, it's just that I mostly knew it as a purveyor of super niche old school Hollywood stuff and was surprised by their branching out.

Also Armageddon is totally Criterion-worthy what are you on about.

The Long Good Friday looks extraordinary in the new Arrow version. They even put together a fancy modern trailer which makes it look the bee's knees

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B90zNzyFk-w

Man i'd love to see this print at the movies.

xpost Ah, gotcha. Yeah, more and more they're also using WAC as a repository for tv seasons that otherwise don't get a wide physical release (I think they manufacture these things like 1000 at a time?). Which...I don't even know what tv shows are considered for a wide release anymore, since Targets and other major retail outlets have all but given up on physical media.

bought a cheap 2nd hand blu ray player recently, what are good online shops in UK to buy these kind of boutique releases?
is there a place with an upcoming release schedule?

I extensively use blu-ray.com. This is their new release calendar but you may have to tweak the settings to get UK-specific releases (hint: select yr country in the search bar, do a search, and the site should then rejigger their listings such that they're specific to your region).

Warning: that link is extremely dangerous, as I realize now that I hadn't checked it in a while and now I'm seeing a bunch of stuff that I didn't even know had been released and, well...bye bye, money.

well-spotted. a couple of things on my wish list there, will probably spring for the ju-on box.

the stray cat rock and female prisoner scorpion boxes are good value at £25 each

Meantime Vinegar Syndrome has got its Halfway to Black Friday sale going

https://vinegarsyndrome.com/

Vinegar Syndrome kills me because everything they release is either "Huh, never even heard of that" or "Really? That?"

Honestly I shop their partner labels a LOT more.

I admit I gave their version of Phase IV a look, but it doesn't seem to have anything the Japanese Blu-Ray I bought a couple of years ago lacks.

Yeah I hadn't gotten that earlier one so I happily picked their version up. Well worth it! Good extras too.

An action tour-de-force from director Joseph Zito (The Prowler, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter) and one of the key films in helping establish Chuck Norris (who co-authored the screenplay with James Bruner) as an action superstar, INVASION U.S.A. was also one of the first true blockbusters from 80s genre film legends Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus’ Cannon Films. Co-starring Richard Lynch (The Sword and the Sorcerer), Melissa Prophet (Goodfellas, Casino), and Billy Drago (The Untouchables), this epic feat of non-stop stunt work and incredible action setpieces comes to 4K UHD from Vinegar Syndrome, newly restored for this release from its 35mm original camera negative and ready for retribution with a staggering supply of new and archival bonus materials.

I feel like this kind of description is sort of like trying to flip an old house after giving it nothing more than a new paint job and wood slat fencing around the perimeter of the property.

well-spotted. a couple of things on my wish list there, will probably spring for the ju-on box.

the stray cat rock and female prisoner scorpion boxes are good value at £25 each

― koogs, Friday, 24 May 2024 18:29 (three hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Aye, I did grab those.

HMV also have a sale on for Radiance blu-rays 2 for £22
https://hmv.com/store/film-tv/radiance-blu-ray-2-for-%C2%A322

Well I was excited that BFI had a sale on their recent blu ray set “Three Films by Yasujiro Ozu” - they’re not exactly top-tier titles but I assume it’ll go out of print rapidly like all such niche sets. Even the 80s Obayashi set from last year has doubled in price used.

Problem for me is VS raised the MSRP on everything, so even at 50% off... hard to throw $25-35 on a blind buy

i have two of those ozu titles on other bfi releases but have been wanting Tenement Gentleman for a while

(but that's not much cheaper than fopp was already selling it for)

fwiw I think an Ozu set from the BFI is going to have a larger printing than an Obayashi from Third Window

I have about a 50% hit rate through VS, science fiction and Spanish language are almost certainly worth it but the other ones I pick up are hit and miss. I'm not interested in 80s action movies though so over the past couple of years there's definitely been a lot to avoid.

glad I'm not into the stuff VS puts out cos that shit be expensive. appreciate their conservation efforts tho

Vinegar Sugar is nuts, Love to pay more for a DVD than the original budget of the movie.

Syndrome, not Sugar.

Invasion USA is a shitty pick. I kept hoping it would be something like the final J. Lee Thompson/Charles Bronson collab, the absolutely fucking insane Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1999)

Deaf Crocodile and Canadian International are killing it. The only 2 partner labels worth blind buying anything from. Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile was the lead programmer of the American Cinematheque for years, and their schedules declined significantly after his departure

Phase IV is a rare disc I’ve bought twice, as the older Blu has Bass’ short films.

I was actually present when the Cinefamily in L.A. showed the original ending of Phase IV for the first time ever. The film doesn’t work without it-you literally SEE the titular fourth phase in it!

Yeah I’ve bought everything on Deaf Crocodile and supported their Kickstarters. Insanely good work.

yeh I've got a few DC releases and want more, no longer a partner label tho so going to be slightly harder & more expensive for people outside the US to get hold of them

Speaking of Vinegar Syndrome Partner Labels, Fun City Editions responded to a fan query on FB that if one was interested in any of their titles that VS distributed, now is the best time to grab 'em because those titles will be OOP once they're sold out: https://vinegarsyndrome.com/collections/going-out-of-print-pl

FCE is also doing a sale on most of their newer titles not distributed by VS: https://www.funcityeditions.com/shop