Blue Underground Thread

[Daemonia]

Originally Posted by Vampix

I've been wanting to replace my old region free Anchor Bay DVD of The New York Ripper for a while now, so have decided to buy the Blue Underground Blu-ray from Diabolik DVD. It's my first time ordering from this company as it was difficult to get hold of a new copy of NYR from Amazon UK. Is Diabolik a reliable company? And if my parcel gets opened by UK customs is there a chance it could get seized? I know there's only a few seconds cut from the UK release but when it comes to Fulci, I only buy uncut.

The odd times I've used Diabolik they've been fast and reliable.

The upgrade to blu-ray is immense on this film. I was mightily impressed with the transfer on this blu from BU.

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

The odd times I've used Diabolik they've been fast and reliable.

The upgrade to blu-ray is immense on this film. I was mightily impressed with the transfer on this blu from BU.

Diabolik have always come through for me as well.

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Vampix

I've been wanting to replace my old region free Anchor Bay DVD of The New York Ripper for a while now, so have decided to buy the Blue Underground Blu-ray from Diabolik DVD. It's my first time ordering from this company as it was difficult to get hold of a new copy of NYR from Amazon UK. Is Diabolik a reliable company? And if my parcel gets opened by UK customs is there a chance it could get seized? I know there's only a few seconds cut from the UK release but when it comes to Fulci, I only buy uncut.

Diabolik are sound and the BU transfer of NYR looks amazing!

[R-T-C Tim]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

It's never been cut in the UK. The theatrical release was only rated an 'A' (PG) and on home video got pushed up to a 15 for some reason. Mind you, it was rated 15 for home video at the height of the James Bulger/Child's Play debacle, which might account for its harsher rating at this time, as the BBFC were having a hissy fit over horror films at this point in time.

Might there not have been some 'pressure' to encourage a 15 rating? I believe the BBFC have been quite open to suggestions to up a rating in the past (apparently some of the later Amicus horror films were looking at A ratings when they wanted an X).

Originally Posted by Vampix

...And if my parcel gets opened by UK customs is there a chance it could get seized? I know there's only a few seconds cut from the UK release but when it comes to Fulci, I only buy uncut.

Next to impossible. I have ordered scores of DVDs from the US and overseas, several of which are banned and a great many of which have no certification in the UK and never had a hint of bother. To be at risk, they would have to be titles that have actually been subject to a court ruling of 'obscenity'.

The cuts in NYR are policy cuts based on the BBFC's self-determined morality rules and theoretically to avoid the film being potentially subject to an obscenity trial. It is important to note that the BBFC have no legal ability to outlaw or even insist on cuts to a film, they can just choose not to issue a rating. It is only that because under UK law it is illegal to sell a DVD that does not have a BBFC rating they can ipso facto control the film's availability for display or purchase in the UK. Only a film actually subject to an obscenity court ruling, or one that contains footage actually made illegal by UK law (eg. animal cruelty or indecent images of a child) can be actually seized.

[Scyther]

Diabolik has always done right by me, as well!

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Me too - although I never use them to order BU discs... they're much cheaper from Amazon marketplace sellers.

[Daemonia]

Originally Posted by R-T-C Tim

Might there not have been some 'pressure' to encourage a 15 rating? I believe the BBFC have been quite open to suggestions to up a rating in the past (apparently some of the later Amicus horror films were looking at A ratings when they wanted an X).

Doubtful. Amicus films, even when they were recently released on DVD, still garnered 15 certificates, which means that back in the day they undoubtedly would have been granted X certificates.

One trick that Vipco did employ in the 90's, though, was to include trailers that were rated 18 so that the entire VHS package had to display an 18 certificate, even if the actual film was a lower rated affair.

[Vampix]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Me too - although I never use them to order BU discs... they're much cheaper from Amazon marketplace sellers.

I tried to buy a brand new copy of BU's New York Ripper from Amazon UK, but I had a very hard time trying to find a company that sold them and I don't like buying second hand discs. That's why I chose Diabolik.

[Crimson Blade]

Does anyone know if the Midnight Movie collections contain the films in separate boxes with the individual covers? Or are they just 3 discs bundled into one case?

[Rondadoronron]

Originally Posted by Crimson Blade

Does anyone know if the Midnight Movie collections contain the films in separate boxes with the individual covers? Or are they just 3 discs bundled into one case?

Yeah there just two/three discs put into one case.