The Arrow Thread

[Trashforcash]

This is just a real shame. I know I always go on about arrow releases not being what they were, but it's sad to see them in trouble. The pandemic + competition clearly has them on the ropes. It seems unfair given the fact they pretty much invented the collectors blu ray market.

It will be interesting to see which way it swings. Will the grungier arrow video prevail or will the academy style win out?

In my view Arrow Video and Academy are incompatible. They are aimed at totally different markets. If the video market is niche, the academy market is ultra niche. I own about 80% of the stuff Video put out, but only ever bought two Academy releases: Demonlover and les Diabolique. They were the only two I ever saw having "Video-esque" appeal.

Overall, it would be tragic if arrow went bust as...

Indicator and Eureka= arthouse at heart with token cult horror releases occasionally

101 films= some good stuff (Phase 4 anyone?). But some terrible stuff as well (screamers). Release very infrequently.


88 Films= some good stuff (looking forward to Humanoids) but have serious quality control problems (still cant unsee Slaughterhouse rock).

Vinegar syndrome = fun but cripplingly expensive.

Second sight= good quality but very mainstream (not sure why I bought the strangers... again)

Arrow were the originators and all round the best at what they do. It will be tragic if they fold, but I think it's going that way.

I'm gonna up my arrow purchasing to support them. But not Battle chuffing Royale.

[Trashforcash]

Also, if you have a spare 10 mins, check out arrow video's filings at companies house. Just google "companies house arrow video". It seems there has been turmoil at the top of arrow this month. To say the least. Big changes.

Check it out.

You can also see how much the other companies make (88 etc). It's not as much as I thought.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Trashforcash

This is just a real shame. I know I always go on about arrow releases not being what they were, but it's sad to see them in trouble. The pandemic + competition clearly has them on the ropes. It seems unfair given the fact they pretty much invented the collectors blu ray market.



It will be interesting to see which way it swings. Will the grungier arrow video prevail or will the academy style win out?



In my view Arrow Video and Academy are incompatible. They are aimed at totally different markets. If the video market is niche, the academy market is ultra niche. I own about 80% of the stuff Video put out, but only ever bought two Academy releases: Demonlover and les Diabolique. They were the only two I ever saw having "Video-esque" appeal.



Overall, it would be tragic if arrow went bust as...



Indicator and Eureka= arthouse at heart with token cult horror releases occasionally



101 films= some good stuff (Phase 4 anyone?). But some terrible stuff as well (screamers). Release very infrequently.





88 Films= some good stuff (looking forward to Humanoids) but have serious quality control problems (still cant unsee Slaughterhouse rock).



Vinegar syndrome = fun but cripplingly expensive.



Second sight= good quality but very mainstream (not sure why I bought the strangers... again)



Arrow were the originators and all round the best at what they do. It will be tragic if they fold, but I think it's going that way.



I'm gonna up my arrow purchasing to support them. But not Battle chuffing Royale.

While i sympathise with any company struggling its hard to ignore the fact that Arrow have continued to insist on moving away from what made them a success in the first place. They built up a succesful label on one target audience and once they'd got somewhere started to try being something else and appealing to a different audience. Largely neglecting the fans that loyally bought their earlier stuff regardless of the occasional blips in qc.

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[Rob4]

Originally Posted by Trashforcash

Also, if you have a spare 10 mins, check out arrow video's filings at companies house. Just google "companies house arrow video". It seems there has been turmoil at the top of arrow this month. To say the least. Big changes.

Check it out.

You can also see how much the other companies make (88 etc). It's not as much as I thought.

Just to clarify, The Hut.com Ltd has taken a 75% controlling share in Arrow.

It's hard to see how this will affect their business model, but it felt to me, that the Academy line was being downsized well before the change in ownership.

EDIT: Arrow profits after tax:
2018 264,638
2019 468,924

The figures suggest to me that the takeover is of company that is worth investing in. However, that doesn't mean there won't be restructuring and re-focusing as there is no way of knowing which part of the business is bringing in the profits? Only time will tell?

We probably won't see any significant changes for a year or so as the release schedule will already have been planned a year in advance.

[Trashforcash]

Yes, it also says that Alex Agran has ceased to be a person of significant control. I might be totally wrong here, but werent Arrow an Agran family business? I always thought he was the most important influence in developing the company into the Arrow Video we know and love from 2009. I suppose I have the following questions...

1. Is Alex Agran still about in another role?
2. Have the Agran family bailed out? Or are they still at the company in another role?
3. If they have left, why is that?
4. Is the merger of Academy and Video something they wanted or not?
5. Has the company undergone a huge change of management that is going to fundamentally change what it is?
6. Is Fran Simeone about still? He strikes me as the second most important creative person at the company?

Getting new partners might help the company, but Arrow is a very dear thing to me and I just hope it's not going to be watered down or changed too much.

This is all speculation based on the mass of filings made at companies house this month. I have no insight at all really.

What do you all think?

[Susan Foreman]

"***NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE COMING!***

Join us this Friday (March 26th) at 3.00pm GMT / 7.00am PT / 10.00am ET for our June title reveals!"

Suggestions include 'Krull', Japanese 'Spider-Man' television show from the 70's, 'Aracnophobia', 'Kingdom Of The Spiders', 'Spiders Labyrinth', 'Kiss Of The Spiderwoman', 'Black Belly Of The Trantula'

Personally, if I saw that spider I would want to get away from it as fast as possible, and because I'm not a driver, I would have to be...'THE HITCHER'!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Rob4

Just to clarify, The Hut.com Ltd has taken a 75% controlling share in Arrow.

It's hard to see how this will affect their business model, but it felt to me, that the Academy line was being downsized well before the change in ownership.

EDIT: Arrow profits after tax:
2018 264,638
2019 468,924

The figures suggest to me that the takeover is of company that is worth investing in. However, that doesn't mean there won't be restructuring and re-focusing as there is no way of knowing which part of the business is bringing in the profits? Only time will tell?

We probably won't see any significant changes for a year or so as the release schedule will already have been planned a year in advance.

Do you mean the online fashion firm that has a woeful customer satisfaction rating?

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

"***NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE COMING!***

Join us this Friday (March 26th) at 3.00pm GMT / 7.00am PT / 10.00am ET for our June title reveals!"

Suggestions include 'Krull', Japanese 'Spider-Man' television show from the 70's, 'Aracnophobia', 'Kingdom Of The Spiders', 'Spiders Labyrinth', 'Kiss Of The Spiderwoman', 'Black Belly Of The Trantula'

Personally, if I saw that spider I would want to get away from it as fast as possible, and because I'm not a driver, I would have to be...'THE HITCHER'!

As they released Crash not so long ago, David Cronenberg's Spider would make sense.

[Rob4]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

"***NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE COMING!***

Join us this Friday (March 26th) at 3.00pm GMT / 7.00am PT / 10.00am ET for our June title reveals!"

Suggestions include 'Krull', Japanese 'Spider-Man' television show from the 70's, 'Aracnophobia', 'Kingdom Of The Spiders', 'Spiders Labyrinth', 'Kiss Of The Spiderwoman', 'Black Belly Of The Trantula'

Personally, if I saw that spider I would want to get away from it as fast as possible, and because I'm not a driver, I would have to be...'THE HITCHER'!

This suggestion seems most likely:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200740/

[Trashforcash]

Has Niko Mastorakis released any spider-themed films?

Anything but an obscure Japanese film from the 1950s!

Kingdom of the Spiders would be amazing. Shatner barricaded inside a log cabin while the world gets taken over by tarantulas. It's great. But then again, as I've heard of it it doesnt stand a chance of release.