Scream Factory/Shout Factory

[BAKA]

I really don’t agree with any of that either (Sorry! It’s going to be one of those days, isn’t it?).

I liked the first few Scream Factory covers, but ever since the second wave onwards I’ve found them shoddy. So many have smacked of laziness, collections of various elements plonked on with little thought to composition. Not to mention the growing number of deformed people (what is up with Jamie’s head in The Fog???). The only things likely to be deformed on an Arrow cover are boobs, which while I’m not a fan of, I can live with.

With regards to the Bava releases it just seems a little crazy to me. You’re throwing away different cuts of the film, original language tracks, the wealth of features, over covers and slipcases? It’s entirely your prerogative, and I get that package is important to people (it is to me, I’m happy to double dip on expensive mediabooks from other regions, my bank however, not so happy), and I get the movie is more important than features to a lot of people (I’d also consider myself one of those), but it seems like a lot to lose to me. The AIP cuts alone make the Arrow release an easy choice for me. I get it and entirely respect it; it’s just not in the realms of possibility for me.

As far as pricing, I’d question where you’re looking. I paid £12.99 for Knightriders direct from Arrow. I have all of the Q3 BD announcements pre-ordered at less than £13 each from Amazon, with the exception of the steelbook at less than £15 and Lifeforce, which I imagine I will likely find cheaper closer to release. Just putting a SF release (for example) into my cart and checking shipping it works out at over £16 for me. I’ve also heard they’re not custom friendly, which is why I’ve never used them. Having a browse a lot of their prices shouldn’t be bothering customs anyway, with the possible exception of sets and Criterion’s.

I've saved just shy of £200 for my Region Free player at the moment, the horror stories of people having trouble with newer titles (frequently the biggest complaint I've read is increasing loading times, but scarily some not playing at all!), as they're not able to update the firmware of some of the cheaper region free ones without losing the region free aspect. Not a lot of the titles I would purchase would be an issue I imagine, the majority of stuff I purchase is likely old catalog releases, and I imagine it's the newer big budgeted releases with new fangled features that are the cause.

One of my issues, is patience however. I struggled not to import the Bava releases before knowing their region coding, and I just don't have the funds to constantly double dip. For titles I'm extremely fond of, I will, and the likes of The Fog, despite the artist's mutilation of Jamie Lee Curtis, I'm dying for that ever elusive interview. I fear when I do go region free (which I plan to prior to October for my 31 Days of Horror Movies, and have to really, considering my growing number of locked releases!) I will end up purchasing the first release of something, rather than waiting for potentially better ones to come along.

[Criterion7]

Originally Posted by BAKA

I really don’t agree with any of that either (Sorry! It’s going to be one of those days, isn’t it?).

I liked the first few Scream Factory covers, but ever since the second wave onwards I’ve found them shoddy. So many have smacked of laziness, collections of various elements plonked on with little thought to composition. Not to mention the growing number of deformed people (what is up with Jamie’s head in The Fog???). The only things likely to be deformed on an Arrow cover are boobs, which while I’m not a fan of, I can live with.

With regards to the Bava releases it just seems a little crazy to me. You’re throwing away different cuts of the film, original language tracks, the wealth of features, over covers and slipcases? It’s entirely your prerogative, and I get that package is important to people (it is to me, I’m happy to double dip on expensive mediabooks from other regions, my bank however, not so happy), and I get the movie is more important than features to a lot of people (I’d also consider myself one of those), but it seems like a lot to lose to me. The AIP cuts alone make the Arrow release an easy choice for me. I get it and entirely respect it; it’s just not in the realms of possibility for me.

As far as pricing, I’d question where you’re looking. I paid £12.99 for Knightriders direct from Arrow. I have all of the Q3 BD announcements pre-ordered at less than £13 each from Amazon, with the exception of the steelbook at less than £15 and Lifeforce, which I imagine I will likely find cheaper closer to release. Just putting a SF release (for example) into my cart and checking shipping it works out at over £16 for me. I’ve also heard they’re not custom friendly, which is why I’ve never used them. Having a browse a lot of their prices shouldn’t be bothering customs anyway, with the possible exception of sets and Criterion’s.

I've saved just shy of £200 for my Region Free player at the moment, the horror stories of people having trouble with newer titles (frequently the biggest complaint I've read is increasing loading times, but scarily some not playing at all!), as they're not able to update the firmware of some of the cheaper region free ones without losing the region free aspect. Not a lot of the titles I would purchase would be an issue I imagine, the majority of stuff I purchase is likely old catalog releases, and I imagine it's the newer big budgeted releases with new fangled features that are the cause.

One of my issues, is patience however. I struggled not to import the Bava releases before knowing their region coding, and I just don't have the funds to constantly double dip. For titles I'm extremely fond of, I will, and the likes of The Fog, despite the artist's mutilation of Jamie Lee Curtis, I'm dying for that ever elusive interview. I fear when I do go region free (which I plan to prior to October for my 31 Days of Horror Movies, and have to really, considering my growing number of locked releases!) I will end up purchasing the first release of something, rather than waiting for potentially better ones to come along.

I am the flip side of you so I get what you are saying.
Arrow Video releases but the sudden lack of slip case window box, which I thought was ingenius and the IMHO extremely lackluster art ( The Car, Blow Out and Life Force come to mind) have severely slowed down my collection of them.

Like you when I have a quality choice in my own region I will grab it cause it is more accessible and cheaper.

When I bought my Arrow Video dvds and blus originally I was getting great deals often because I got them long after release. Though right now from Amazon(the easiest and safest place for me to get Arrow releases) has most pre-orders at 14 pounds and things like the lifeforce steelbook is 24!!

I have been pretty impressed with what some other companies like Second Sight have done( not a fan of much of there art though) but they seem to be putting together a better package than Arrow in DVD and blu.

Right now Scream Factory, Criterion, Shout factory, and Raro Video are my go-to companies for the big genre releases.

I still get the occasional Arrow and look into Second Sight carefully when there are releases on each side.

Its all subjective but its understandable that you'd gravitate towards the dvd company that is more easily accessible, I do that as well. However it isn't as cheap lately and the covers often leave a bit to be desired IMO.

Artwork however is subjective so we could talk circles about what we consider a quality release and neither one is wrong its basic opinion.

All in all lets all just be glad that we have various options out there for us. Its a really good time to be a genre fan no matter what company you go for.

[BAKA]

That, I can very much agree with, and relate to.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by oaxaca

This may sound like I have more money than sense (which I don't; I don't have much of either ) but the following points make me import US releases on certain occasions...

1) Scream Factory's artwork and slipcover releases are uniformly excellent and generally impress me much more than Arrow's artwork... Artwork is important to me.

2) Arrow pissed me off when they got rid of the window-box, 4-panel blu rays, hence from BLACK SUNDAY/LISA & THE DEVIL onwards I haven't bought any further Arrow releases. As two examples I'm holding out for Scream Factory's KNIGHTRIDERS (better artwork anyway if you ask me) and Kino's BLACK SABBATH release (I have a few other Bava's released by Kino anyway so this release will go with those BDs nicely).

3) CDImports sell new Scream/Shout Factory releases at $17.66 each, and some others e.g. the Jackie Chan doubles at around $12 (new Olive titles are all $14.43)... Buying a brand new Scream Factory release tends to work out no more expensive than a brand new Arrow release! IN FACT US imports are CHEAPER when you look at the prices Amazon are charging for some of the newer Arrow releases (e.g. KNIGHTRIDERS at 17 quid 50!!). Go second hand and I admit UK prices are generally a bit less than US import prices.

4) I spent 50 quid on a multi-region blu ray player, I may as well use it

I really wouldent reccomend buying the bava titles from kino over the arrow discs unless your REALLY stuck with region 1. I bought all the kino bava titles (baron blood/black sunday) before finding out about the arrow releases and ended up double dipping.
Take it from somebody who owns both, the Arrow releases are far superior to the kino discs and if you buy them from arrow their cheaper as well.

Also cult labs newsletter says the prince charles in london is screening a 35mm print of the burning..

http://www.princecharlescinema.com/events/events.php?seasonanchor=cigarette&utm_source=Cult+ Laboratories+Ltd.+List&utm_campaign=e394ea21f0-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ac dace478-e394ea21f0-382010993

So a future uk release might not be just blind optimism on my part

Definately holding off on the scream factory release to wait and see now

[the blob]

Originally Posted by Criterion7

Though right now from Amazon(the easiest and safest place for me to get Arrow releases) has most pre-orders at 14 pounds and things like the lifeforce steelbook is 24!!

You get a reduction from that though as Amazon remove the 20% VAT for non EU buyers. Still, I suppose shipping counteracts some of that. Lifeforce steelbook is down to £19.75 btw even though it shows up in the search as £23.50.

Not aimed at yourself but to some of the other stuff I'm reading, I really can't understand the concept of sacrificing content for artwork at all. Sure, it would be nice for everything to be perfect but do some people know how long people have been crying to get hold of the AIP version of Black Sabbath for instance?

Similarly, I'd rather have the Criterion Blow Out for the inclusion of the extra film.

[BAKA]

Originally Posted by keirarts

Also cult labs newsletter says the prince charles in london is screening a 35mm print of the burning..

http://www.princecharlescinema.com/events/events.php?seasonanchor=cigarette&utm_source=Cult+ Laboratories+Ltd.+List&utm_campaign=e394ea21f0-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ac dace478-e394ea21f0-382010993

So a future uk release might not be just blind optimism on my part

Oh wow, I wish I knew about that sooner. I would love to have gone to that.

[Criterion7]

Originally Posted by the blob

You get a reduction from that though as Amazon remove the 20% VAT for non EU buyers. Still, I suppose shipping counteracts some of that. Lifeforce steelbook is down to £19.75 btw even though it shows up in the search as £23.50.

Not aimed at yourself but to some of the other stuff I'm reading, I really can't understand the concept of sacrificing content for artwork at all. Sure, it would be nice for everything to be perfect but do some people know how long people have been crying to get hold of the AIP version of Black Sabbath for instance?

Similarly, I'd rather have the Criterion Blow Out for the inclusion of the extra film.

Yeah the reduction comes in handy for my Doctor Who pre-orders.

For the Bava I would definitely go with Arrow. And you are right the only version of Blow Out worth getting is still the Criterion.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by the blob

You get a reduction from that though as Amazon remove the 20% VAT for non EU buyers. Still, I suppose shipping counteracts some of that. Lifeforce steelbook is down to £19.75 btw even though it shows up in the search as £23.50.

Not aimed at yourself but to some of the other stuff I'm reading, I really can't understand the concept of sacrificing content for artwork at all. Sure, it would be nice for everything to be perfect but do some people know how long people have been crying to get hold of the AIP version of Black Sabbath for instance?

Similarly, I'd rather have the Criterion Blow Out for the inclusion of the extra film.

I suppose some folk dont really mind about extras so long as the print is decent. And its nice to have a pretty sleeve on the shelf. I paid extra for the eureaka masters of cinema steelbooks for the packaging alone.

Criterion tends to be the best, certainly I would rather take them over most other companies aside from the BFI (aside from Salo where the criterion release is clearly superior) and Eureaka whose releases for me tend to be comparable for extras and quality. That said my #1 mission after a big lotto win is to buy ALL the criterion blus, even where i'm doubling up with my eureaka discs (a'la REPO MAN)

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

And here's the reverse artwork for Scream Factory's THE FOG. Bloody beautiful!

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Ah originals eh?