The Arrow Thread

[Susan Foreman]

“SOCIETY” (Arrow Blu-ray Review) | FANGORIA®

"While this set is limited to only 3000 copies, any self-respecting horror fan would be a goddamn fool to miss out on this stellar Arrow Video release of a genuinely amazing fright flick. Practical SFX fans and cult classics may have already made up their mind, but if not, the gorgeous 2K transfer and glut of special features should make this a top contender for best home media release of 2015. So make your way to your local Blu-ray retailer, fright fans: SOCIETY waits for you."

[Nordicdusk]

Has anyone ordered Society from Zavvi and received it ?

[dustdevil]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

“SOCIETY” (Arrow Blu-ray Review) | FANGORIA®

"While this set is limited to only 3000 copies, any self-respecting horror fan would be a goddamn fool to miss out on this stellar Arrow Video release of a genuinely amazing fright flick. Practical SFX fans and cult classics may have already made up their mind, but if not, the gorgeous 2K transfer and glut of special features should make this a top contender for best home media release of 2015. So make your way to your local Blu-ray retailer, fright fans: SOCIETY waits for you."

I wasn't going to bother with this one not being a big digibook fan but looking at the specs of it and with a few Arrow points you just twisted my arm

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nordicdusk

Has anyone ordered Society from Zavvi and received it ?

I don't think it's officially released until June. However, if you ordered directly from Arrow you should have received this a couple of weeks ago.

[Nordicdusk]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

I don't think it's officially released until June. However, if you ordered directly from Arrow you should have received this a couple of weeks ago.

Cheers. I was going to order it next weekend cheaper for me to order from Zavvi with free postage.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nordicdusk

Cheers. I was going to order it next weekend cheaper for me to order from Zavvi with free postage.

Be careful in regards to Zavvi. Their prices are often pretty cheap but their packaging is pretty hit and miss and with a Digipak such as Society, you may end up getting a crushed/dented set. Their customer service is pretty terrible too apparently.

[Nordicdusk]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Be careful in regards to Zavvi. Their prices are often pretty cheap but their packaging is pretty hit and miss and with a Digipak such as Society, you may end up getting a crushed/dented set. Their customer service is pretty terrible too apparently.

Thanks for the heads up I am in minds now I might just take the hit of the few extra euro and order from Arrow.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Paul@TheOverlook

Only the rental tape (released mid-1980s) was cut by the distributor (CIC Video) - this practice was fairly common at the time because companies were desperately trying to avoid the attention of the DPP - other self-censored films from this time include HALLOWEEN III and THE DEAD ZONE.

As I mentioned in a later post, the first sell thru release (issued in 1990, I believe) was passed uncut but CIC had submitted the R-rated version. There was even mention on the cover of this version including additional footage but obviously it was far from being uncut.

That UK Pioneer LD was definitely uncut - whether or not Pioneer submitted it to the BBFC or not, or if it is simply a case of the Board having to record for this (as I mentioned, it came out 1996/1997) for whatever reason, the uncut version did have a UK release - it was quite a cause for celebration back then - I sat beaming as I watched it

R-rated release was released 'uncut' but the pioneer laser had never actually gone in front of the BBFC at all. Quite often the laser disc releases were direct ports of American discs with an 18 cert slapped on. Never fully understood how they got away with this (its still something that happens occasionally with DVD and Blu-ray) so The unrated Videodrome has never actually been in front of the BBFC. Essentially Arrows release is the first legitimate uncut release in the UK.

[Paul@TheOverlook]

Originally Posted by keirarts

R-rated release was released 'uncut' but the pioneer laser had never actually gone in front of the BBFC at all. Quite often the laser disc releases were direct ports of American discs with an 18 cert slapped on. Never fully understood how they got away with this (its still something that happens occasionally with DVD and Blu-ray) so The unrated Videodrome has never actually been in front of the BBFC. Essentially Arrows release is the first legitimate uncut release in the UK.

There were a lot of UK Pioneer discs that weren't "direct ports" and were UK exclusives - there was some Handmade Films releases (LIFE OF BRIAN, THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY), for instance, and Videodrome was another, as, to my knowledge, the only version that had been issued in the US was fullscreen (by Universal) and that may have been the R-Rated version (I can't remember - I'm pretty sre the only uncut LD version prior to the UK release was the then long deleted Japanese disc which was worth a fortune) but it was certainly not widescreen like the UK disc. You have to also remember that LaserDiscs here were rarely direct ports - whole new transfers had to be struck because the US versions were NTSC and the UK's was PAL. The "slapped" on certs were placed on US imports and they could be bought in larger record stores like HMV, Tower and Virgin (mostly in London's West End, but seldom seen in other stores). The bigger chains were responsible though - they only imported the stuff that was passed uncut by the BBFC (they would still technically contravene BBFC guidelines because they had not been certified in widescreen versions for viewing at home). The independents didn't care - sold banned/uncertified films (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, THE EXORCIST, TCM, etc), films that was heavily cut here (Bruce Lees, Steven Seagals, etc) and stuff months before UK cinema release!

While only a fraction of the size of the US market there was a second attempt to reintroduce LaserDisc in the UK in the early 90s (it had been launched as a rental format early-1980s and died a quick death) - Companies such as Pioneer, Columbia/Tri-Star, Encore (which had deals with Fox and later Columbia/TriStar) and Blue Dolphin (which had some Warner titles) tried nobly to raise interest but it wasn't long before DVD landed and stopped it dead in its tracks.

Pioneer was/is a professional company and it had licencing deals with the likes of Paramount, Universal and Guild - maybe it wasn't responsible for submitting the films to the BBFC - maybe it was down to the licencor, in this instance Universal--or rather CIC the joint venture between Universal and Paramount for Video-- who overlooked the resubmission? Who knows. Whether it was approved by the BBFC or not, it was definitely released uncut here and that does undermines Arrow's PR spin.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Paul@TheOverlook

There were a lot of UK Pioneer discs that weren't "direct ports" and were UK exclusives - there was some Handmade Films releases (LIFE OF BRIAN, THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY), for instance, and Videodrome was another, as, to my knowledge, the only version that had been issued in the US was fullscreen (by Universal) and that may have been the R-Rated version (I can't remember - I'm pretty sre the only uncut LD version prior to the UK release was the then long deleted Japanese disc which was worth a fortune) but it was certainly not widescreen like the UK disc. You have to also remember that LaserDiscs here were rarely direct ports - whole new transfers had to be struck because the US versions were NTSC and the UK's was PAL. The "slapped" on certs were placed on US imports and they could be bought in larger record stores like HMV, Tower and Virgin (mostly in London's West End, but seldom seen in other stores). The bigger chains were responsible though - they only imported the stuff that was passed uncut by the BBFC (they would still technically contravene BBFC guidelines because they had not been certified in widescreen versions for viewing at home). The independents didn't care - sold banned/uncertified films (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, THE EXORCIST, TCM, etc), films that was heavily cut here (Bruce Lees, Steven Seagals, etc) and stuff months before UK cinema release!

While only a fraction of the size of the US market there was a second attempt to reintroduce LaserDisc in the UK in the early 90s (it had been launched as a rental format early-1980s and died a quick death) - Companies such as Pioneer, Columbia/Tri-Star, Encore (which had deals with Fox and later Columbia/TriStar) and Blue Dolphin (which had some Warner titles) tried nobly to raise interest but it wasn't long before DVD landed and stopped it dead in its tracks.

Pioneer was/is a professional company and it had licencing deals with the likes of Paramount, Universal and Guild - maybe it wasn't responsible for submitting the films to the BBFC - maybe it was down to the licencor, in this instance Universal--or rather CIC the joint venture between Universal and Paramount for Video-- who overlooked the resubmission? Who knows. Whether it was approved by the BBFC or not, it was definitely released uncut here and that does undermines Arrow's PR spin.

It doesn't really undermine the spin at all.

1. This is the first time that the BBFC have passed the title uncut.

2. Aside from the legally dubious laserdisc all but a handful of punters saw, Uk releases have always been submitted pre-cut. Be it R-rated prints or R-rated with further distributor imposed cuts. A lot of consumers on Arrows site were nervous given the cock up with Shivers, that it would be "uncut" R-rated print.

So good news.