Upcoming Non-UK Blu-ray Releases

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Antropophagus

You're welcome! It would be fantastic if they try to release What Have You Done to Solange? or The House with Laughing Windows.

Solange would be nice. THWLW - no thanks, not a favourite of mine. The Shameless dvd is enough for me.

Hopefully it will be something completely new.

[keirarts]

Personally I'd like BU to put out ANGUISH and BLOODSTAINED SHADOW.


Does make me wonder about these f*****s sat on great mountains of celluloid they won't release because people won't pay them enough. Perhaps when the libary's pass to their kids they might reconsider, being that at that point the prints will be worth bugger all to anyone bar afficionados like us cult labbers.

How much demand is there for the works of Paul Naschy? A lot less in a generation or two if noone has been able to discover the films.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by keirarts

Does make me wonder about these f*****s sat on great mountains of celluloid they won't release because people won't pay them enough. Perhaps when the libary's pass to their kids they might reconsider, being that at that point the prints will be worth bugger all to anyone bar afficionados like us cult labbers.

How much demand is there for the works of Paul Naschy? A lot less in a generation or two if noone has been able to discover the films.

Exactly. When shiny discs are gone all their possible inheritance is also gone.

There will come a time sooner rather than later when companies won't be interested in restoring films for sale as it won't be worthwhile.

[Paul@TheOverlook]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

That's a very generic answer and not specific to the question really.

Doesn't stop Code Red, Scorpion, or Raro from releasing new titles.

I think the fact that Bill Lustig lives a comfortable life and the gradual decline in physical sales has probably prompted him to be less prolific. Someone I know had dinner with him a year or so ago and Bill said that there was not a lot of money to be made anymore - my guess (and it's a guess, not fact, of course) is that if you didn't need to make heaps of cash you'd probably slow down which is where they're at, I think. Bear in mind that Lustig was heavily involved with the Anchor Bay US releases at the start of the Millennium, a time when the industry was at its peak, he's seen a bigger decline than many of his younger competitors. I'm sure that would be quite disheartening.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Thanks Paul.

A very informative reply which answers a lot of questions. I didn't realize Bill was involved with Anchor Bay. As you say that's when companies made real money from dvd releases.

[Paul@TheOverlook]

Thanks, Dem. As I said, only speculating, mate. He was pretty much THE acquisitions guy for ABUS which is why the company's interest in Euro cult stuff dried up soon after his departure.

Blue Underground was set up as a production company for extras and it produced the supplements on many of those early AB discs. Lustig was partnered with David Gregory and Carl Daft. They split from AB in 2002/2003 and their first releases were Contraband and Grand Slam. Gregory and Daft left sometime later and started Severin.

I'm very much looking forward to Companeros - it's one of my favourite spaghettis.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Paul@TheOverlook

I'm very much looking forward to Companeros - it's one of my favourite spaghettis.

I don't think i've ever seen it. I certainly don't own it, despite having quite a few spaghetti westerns.

Just off the top of your head, does it compare to any others in plot and or style?

[Paul@TheOverlook]

It's practically a remake of Corbucci's A Professional Gun / The Mercenary which was made a couple of years before but I prefer Companeros - probably because I rate Milian more than I do Tony Musante and Morricone's score is a real barnstormer!

Corbucci was a real chameleon filmmaker, stuff like Django and the Great Silence is so gritty and bleak but there's a playfulness and sense of humour to the other two and they're similar to some of Leone's westerns on that respect. Well worth seeking out.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Paul@TheOverlook

It's practically a remake of Corbucci's A Professional Gun / The Mercenary which was made a couple of years before but I prefer Companeros - probably because I rate Milian more than I do Tony Musante and Morricone's score is a real barnstormer!

Corbucci was a real chameleon filmmaker, stuff like Django and the Great Silence is so gritty and bleak but there's a playfulness and sense of humour to the other two and they're similar to some of Leone's westerns on that respect. Well worth seeking out.

Thanks Paul.

Pete recommended The Great Silence to me last year but i never picked it up.

I'll have a look at Companeros. Its under a fiver new on dvd from BU.

You mentioned Milian. I'm currently watching series 2 of Miami Vice and he popped up in the episode Bought and Paid For. Had his name not been in the special guest list during the opening credits i wouldn't have recognized him.

[Paul@TheOverlook]

He was in loads of American stuff in the 80s and 90s and yeah, he really let himself go!

Pete's a man of impeccable taste, as I'm sure you know. The Great Silence is such a great film but it's dark and dour. Be warned!