I'm a bit disappointed with Shriek Show's BD releases, myself.

As you say, they do appear to be simple upscales, and they even changed Buio Omega in respect of using a different cut of the film to that of the DVD, meaning the beginning is slightly different.

However, they'll do for now until better releases come along.

Nightmare City has been released loads of times now. Never seems to be any new titles released anymore.

What do you mean by 'new titles'? Arrow have recently released a whole load of films which haven't had bluray releases before. Deranged, Foxy Brown, Squirm, Spider Baby, The Car, Runaway Train, Django Prepare a Coffin for example. Fairly certain no HD releases of those films prior to the Arrow blurays.

There's usually lots of reasons why this is the case though.

For example, pick a title that has never been released anywhere on DVD before that you want to see released, and one or more of the following reasons why it hasn't had a release will more than likely be true.

- No/very poor film elements
- Rights holder asking a stupid amount of money
- Rights in dispute
- Too expensive to master/release in respect to the profit they'd make

After all, every DVD company is a business. You can pretend they are there to help and support the fans all you want, but if they can't see themselves making a profit, they won't bother - and who can blame them?

The companies that do play the riskier game, usually find themselves going out of business or struggling to stay afloat.

So because they are a business lets just consistently play safe and rehash the same titles over and over again in the hope of making a few quid.
This only seems to appeal to people who buy things because they are Arrow releases which is very shallow indeed.

Why not take a chance on films which havent seen the light since VHS ?
Granted some of those titles are decent but some are dire as well.

I personally wouldn't call releasing Deranged and Spider Baby 'playing it safe', but each to their own.

Out of curiosity, what would you want a release of that hasn't been released already?

Also, the point I'm making is a general one that applies world-wide, not just to Arrow.

There are already other labels such as Raro , Camera Obscura, Koch media ect that consistently restore and release interesting titles.
Personally i like Italian cinema and there are a lot of classics that have not seen a release since the 80s

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 now £22 from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Texas-Ch...saw+massacre+2

Exactly. Like I said before films like Foxy Brown, Squirm, The Car, Runaway Train or Django Prepare a Coffin also haven't had HD releases before. Releasing a film not seen since VHS would likely cost a hell of a lot more due to restoration and there's no assurance that it'd make a great deal of money back. There's likely to be a good chance the film's not been seen since VHS after all.


I'm so sick of people p--sing and moaning that companies never release anything new when all they mean is they haven't released anything that personally appeals to them. Two different things. As bizarre-eye says, they're a business and so making a profit is key. They don't owe anyone anything.

The irony here is that Raro are re-releasing Nightmare City too ;)

I do agree that I prefer more unknown niche titles myself, but speaking as a film fan, Arrow's release schedule this year has excited me much more than the above companies you listed. Koch in particular are a funny one, as although they sometimes release some interesting titles, they also release a lot of mainstream stuff like The Bay, Moon, The Raid, Super etc. I guess titles like this are their 'bread and butter' which allows them to take a chance on some other more cult fare.

Camera Obscura have some fine releases (particularly their giallo titles), but they release about two titles a year, so are a very niche collector's label unlike Arrow, Scream Factory etc. which average around 2-3 titles a month.

Deals also play a big part. It's obvious that both Arrow and Scream Factory have deals with MGM, Fox and Universal amongst others and often receive a 'package of films' they can release, so why not release them - even if they've been released before.

**** me, de ja vu.

Texas chainsaw 2 has dropped to a reasonable price on amazon for those who don't want to pay straight away from arrow
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2 Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk: Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Jim Siedow, Tobe Hooper: Film & TV

Fury still 19.99 but for anyone interested in TGM 2 I would place a preorder

Quotes like the one above are exactly the problem that this forum has had and will always had in that if you dare to mildly criticise Arrow or Shameless for what i would class as valid reasons you get people going on the defensive to annoying levels.

They have to "play it safe" with titles that have been released before, and that have sold well, in order to be able to talke the chances on the more obscure stuff. Contrary to what people might think, only the latest blockbusters sell in huge numbers. Be lucky if some Arrow, and Shameless for that matter, sell a couple of hundred copies. They'll barely make a profit, if any. So they can't always go for stuff that hasn't seen a release since the days of vhs. It's just not feasible.

I understand your reasoning however i just dont understand why people buy the same releases over and over again. I would urge anyone not to.

For some people, like myself, they buy for different artwork and extras. For some, it's because they support a particular label, or collect everything to do with their favourite films.

I understand that. I just dont have that mindset.

Perfect example here, a couple of fans asked for a blu ray of Meridian from 88 Films, they replied by saying the DVD sold only 150 copies, so it would not be feasible.

That was me. I bought all 150 copies. i'll buy them all just so 88 will continue and release every single Full Moon film! :lol:

Bollocks. I'm not being defensive of them at all. They're a company, they get my money when they put out something I want, my money stays in my wallet when they don't. No loyalty or allegiance. My issue with your comments are that it's the same standard complaints that we constantly see on here whenever announcements are made (which in itself is fair enough. Hey you don't like what they've released then good for you. Different strokes etc) but they show a fundamental lack of knowledge about how companies operate or how the industry works.

Basically, criticising any company for not doing something which would likely have dire financial repercussions is not a 'valid reason' in my book.

You dont know that releasing a new title would have dire consequences financially at all. It all depends on what the title is.
If my complaint falls into the standard category then i guess im not the only one whos tired of rehashes but as long as people buy the same titles over and over then things are just gonna stagnate further.

I agree with some of that but am still pretty confused as to what the rehashes are? Time Bandits is, I think. TCM2 is in terms of a Region A release being available but most of the stuff is new to bluray. And if the idea of a rehash is something new to UK BD but which has had an international BD release then we're down to the same old argument about UK companies releasing for the UK with not everyone having access to multiregion or preferring not to import, which I personally don't think is valid.

I dont really differentiate between BD and DVD as i cant tell the difference. T he main point was about Nightmare City which has had more releases than any other genre horror film i can think of across the world.

Right well in that case there's no point discussing this then since I (and a lot of people on here) regard the first time a film is released on bluray as a new release due to the much higher PQ etc. I think you're in the minority of people who wouldn't be happy with a bluray release of a film previously unavailable on the format.

I dont understand the last part of that sentence but yeah i have a different idea of what is and isnt a new release.

Incidentally I do agree and there are loads of films that haven't had releases on DVD I'd love to see but I can understand why they're unlikely to happen.

Its very sad that some of these are gonna disappear eventually. I have had to stockpile a couple of Betamax and VHS decks just to be safe.

Evil Dead and Halloween. No horror film could possibly have more international rereleases then those two ;)

I can see you're point, it's ok playing safe but how many times can some films get released , re released and re released, to a film fan etc a release of a good old film even tho been released before can still be good news, but to someone who just buys films for the sake of it will buy any old release and version of the film they come across careless of who releases it they just he film nothing more nothing less, so a new version of the film wont mean anything to them because they already own the film, I 100% applaud companies like Shameless and arrow but we do need some new films that haven't been released 6/7 times before, there is loads of good films that are crying out a release from VHS days and surely if a company releases a film no other company has released before they surely that's a good selling point and a advantage for them, than a film that's been released by several different companies.. If That's the case then of playing safe then loads of films would never see light off day again from VHS. It's like tring to say why should they convert so and so album from vinyl to cd, just concentrate on all new stuff or stuff that's already on cd..
Ps I am not in any way shape or form knocking Arrow / Shameless they are doing a brilliant job and the best they can and I applaud them for that, I'm just making a point of releasing old films crying out for DVD / blu ray release.

The thing is an argument could easily be made that surely more obscure VHS-titles are likely to sell less, due to them being less well-known? Factor in the cost of restorating the print and it seems obvious why companies won't go near such a thing. It seems like such a big risk.

I do find it tiresome when Arrow reissue and repackage their previous releases (The Beyond steelbook, however many damn Battle Royale editions) but have no problem with them releasing stuff on bluray that hasn't been released before. There are loads of films I'm not keen on (Time Bandits, all the erotic stuff) but that's the benefit of wide-ranging cult releases.

The good thing about Time Bandits is its a Terry Gilliam film, getting a brand new transfer because the old one looked like pants, I think that it would bring in a lot of money from people who don't know Arrow, paving the way for more cult releases, or even old VHS movies :)

Another problem I think, is that because Arrow is nearly solely blu ray now, except for ArrowDrome, that that could be another reason why we don't see them. Things like Initation, Pin and The Vineyard, back in the day probably would have gotten new artwork and a white case, like Pieces and Slaughter High, but now that the main line is pretty much devoted to the blu/dual format, with ArrowDrome taking DVD only titles, I don't think we'll see many more.

The films don't have to be obscure etc surely there is a lot of films that where big titles in the day that haven't been converted yet?

:lol:

:doh:

So Tim Lucas just posted this on facebook:

"I contributed liner notes to this new Arrow Films release, which the frame grabs here indicate looks absolutely sumptuous. I've also been commissioned by Arrow to record an audio commentary for the next Corman/Poe release, PIT AND THE PENDULUM!"

:woot: I love Pit and the Pendulum, here's hoping they release all the Corman/Poe/Price films :woot:

This is amazing news.
:rockon:

Awesome stuff. These films are among my favourites. I hope The Raven gets a release.

Mine too, give me a Corman/Poe film any day over a DePalma film :nod: