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

Them Phase IV Ants

Ha, I don’t know, the poster/cover art I’ve seen made them look huge

Regular sized ants but they make it up in volume.

spoilers, sorry

I want to get the Saul Bass giant ant sci-fi movie blu-ray but it's probably not worth buying a Blu-Ray player just for that

I dunno. I could make a case that Phase IV is the perfect reason to get a Blu-Ray player

Having got said set and watched the 4K the other day, I can confirm: yes.

Good interview with Richard Lorber as in Kino Lorber:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/kino-lorber-interview-dvds-quality-1235901130/

And speaking of — Kino now has its own streaming service a la Criterion:

https://kinofilmcollection.com/

Not outside the US it seems

We’re number one!

Criterion (and Janus Films) acquired by Steven Rales. Rales is the founder of Indian Paintbrush, a company that finances Wes Anderson's movies, among other things.

other companies that Rales owns include drug testing companies that have been accused of profiteering developing countries, lovely guy I'm sure

A decent flash sale at Arrow UK this weekend.

https://www.arrowfilms.com/spotlight-deals.list

I already have this but its half-price in the sake and its worth getting
https://www.arrowfilms.com/battles-without-honor-and-humanity-the-complete-collection-blu-ray/13167090.html

*sale

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