Demons: The Official Announcement

[wayfarer]

It's the tone of the review that gets people's backs up. I haven't watched my BR copy of Demons yet. It'll be the 4th version I've owned. Maybe the guy has a point. Up until the comments about Arrow, the review is a reasoned informative piece.
I'll support Arrow as far as reason allows, but if they are doing a piss-poor job at "compressing" video etc, as this guy says, it does need to be addressed. I haven't got the eye that this guy says he has so probably not qualified to criticise. I review movies for entertainment value not for the specs (although I do comment on PQ and audio quality on occasion).
I agree with Daemonia above. Get involved here, that's what Cult Labs is supposed to be about. It's certainly how it's marketed on discs. Don't slag off CL members from afar; log in and argue reasoned points.
We're waiting....

[Gojirosan]

Ghosthouse is an "awesome splatter film" now?

Each to their own and that, but...really?

Also, he clearly hasn't seen Arrivederci Amore Ciao, if he reckons Dellamorte Dellamore is Soavi's most recent masterpiece...

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

My mistake about it probably being the member who mentioned synching stuff up. That was evilzombie!

[Daemonia]

Yeah, I was a bit baffled about his comments about Ghosthouse being an 'awesome splatter film'. Sorry, it's far from awesome - and splatter? Where? I found it relatively bloodless. Bet he hasn't seen it...

I do quite like it in its own endearing way, though. God Bless Humphrey Humbert.

[JonD]

I actually find Kentai's work interesting, and whilst some of what he says is true, some isn't, as well. I don't always agree with him, but it's his blog, and therefore his opinion.

As for him joining the Cult-Labs Forums, I'm pretty certain that if he did, a substantial amount of people would then start to use his membership as a reason to jump down his throat for daring to post any negative comments about Arrow, whether you agreed with them or not.

I'm new here, and as such, I know I've already got some people's backs-up, by posting stuff in the A SERBIAN FILM thread elsewhere on the Forums. I too, like Kentai, have very strong opinions. However, sometimes I also found that people didn't want to debate stuff on here, and actually, it felt more like if I didn't agree with what the majority felt, then I was in the wrong.

No matter how detailed my posts, and no matter how hard I tried to explain any points I was making, people still appeared to fail to get anything that I was writing. Now, I don't expect anyone to agree with everything I write. Likewise, I hope no one would expect me to agree with everything they write. We're all going to have different views on whatever the subject is, that is being debated.

But, with that said and done, why don't the head honcho's here at Arrow go through Kentai's blog review of DEMONS, and actually, constructively break down each point he raises, and respond to it. Explain why it wasn't possible to post-sync the original Stereo sound, to the new HD print. Discuss his accusations about the picture quality, etc. Explain to us - the fans and purchasers of DEMONS - why some of the decisions you made, were the ones you made. Would that not be more sensible, and productive for everyone, than Kentai saying Arrow is rubbish, and some of you guys and gals saying that he's talking out of his arse? (I know it may appear like I'm asking for Arrow to justify themselves, but that's not what I mean. Explaining something, is not the same as justifying something.)

Bitching at one another, from both sides of the Web, won't endear him to you guys, or us to him. So let's debate any issues he raises, in a mature, intelligent and literate fashion, and see what we can all accomplish.

In fact, let's have a thread where Forum Members can post questions about Arrow, and get them answered. I appreciate that Arrow doesn't want to disclose everything to us, and some stuff maybe Trade Secrets (for want of a better word), so we aren't entitled to know that stuff. But if any of us were to ask an honest question, in a mature fashion - even if the question may not be to Arrow's liking - let's see if it can help improve ALL future releases, so that Arrow becomes better than it already is.

Almar obviously wants Arrow and Shameless to be the best cult film labels in the UK. The people who buy Arrow releases want such films to be the best possible versions. Let's work together, and see if we can achieve something that benefits everyone.


(...And yes, I do see the irony in my post, after it appears I was the reason that the A SERBIAN FILM thread got closed down. So feel free to take the proverbial! )

[Daemonia]

Originally Posted by JonD

As for him joining the Cult-Labs Forums, I'm pretty certain that if he did, a substantial amount of people would then start to use his membership as a reason to jump down his throat for daring to post any negative comments about Arrow, whether you agreed with them or not.

We wouldn't though, that's the thing. As I said, he's entitled to his opinion on whatever Arrow releases and if his points are valid, they would be debated reasonably AND Arrow could respond. That would be constructive.

The point I take issue with is his comments that these forums are like the Third Reich and basically insulting each and every one of us (and that includes you too, as a member of CL). That's what has annoyed me. Not his comments on the Demons transfer.

[JonD]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

We wouldn't though, that's the thing.

I suspect, though, that some would.

Originally Posted by Daemonia

As I said, he's entitled to his opinion on whatever Arrow releases and if his points are valid, they would be debated reasonably AND Arrow could respond. That would be constructive.

Yes, in theory, that is true. But even in the short time I've been a member here - literally a month or so - I have seen times where reasonable questions have been asked, and then daring to ask a certain question, has resulted in people basically (and I'm paraphrasing here), being told "Don't ask that. Stop asking that. It's not up for discussion".

So, some of Kentai's concerns about debate being stifled on these Forums, has some validity to it.

Originally Posted by Daemonia

The point I take issue with is his comments that these forums are like the Third Reich and basically insulting each and every one of us (and that includes you too, as a member of CL). That's what has annoyed me. Not his comments on the Demons transfer.

I don't agree that he is insulting me. I don't know him. He doesn't know me. His comments, whilst incredibly strong and potentially inflammatory to many, are still his comments and his opinions on how he feels the Cult Labs Forums are run.

I don't agree that they are being run in a "Third Reich" manner, but he obviously does. Maybe I'm being naive or just a bit too wishful thinking, but I genuinely believe if he did join up here, that some members would simply defend Arrow to the hilt, (rather than being genuinely objective), and refuse to listen to him, or anything he wrote, no matter what.

All Forums, run by any company that makes a product, have some element of control exherted on them. It's ineveitable! No company would allow people to simply trash everything about the company. I accept that, and I understand that. But companies have to be open to criticism too. Especially when it comes to film restoration.

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

I have no problems with anyone posting negative comments, it's his whole "f*ck you Arrow" attitude that's annoying me about his review. He's even had a dig at me in the part he added last night. But hey, if that's the way he wants to be, good luck to him.

[Daemonia]

Originally Posted by JonD

Yes, in theory, that is true. But even in the short time I've been a member here - literally a month or so - I have seen times where reasonable questions have been asked, and then daring to ask a certain question, has resulted in people basically (and I'm paraphrasing here), being told "Don't ask that. Stop asking that. It's not up for discussion".

I get the feeling you have this idea that the people on Cult Labs are hostile to every little criticism. You yourself seem constantly on the defensive. There's no need for that, no-one's attacking you. We had a difference of opinion on ASF, but I'm certainly not going to drag that into every thread we both post on. You had your opinion and I have mine. It's not a big deal. Not to me, anyway.

As Stephen says, it's his whole 'f*ck you, Arrow' attitude that I find so unpleasant, especially when he's talking in relation to Cult Labs.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

From a fairly brief perusal of his review, it seemed he wasn't entirely objective – saying '**** you Arrow' means he can't possibly be open-minded about any Arrow Video releases, thus negating many of his points.