Early Blu-rays that may have playback issues (Criterion, Well Go USA, etc.)

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This thread is going to go through some cleanup and re-organization (hopefully soon) to provide a more insightful and data-driven analysis of this problem. Right now, the thread and people's thinking are very studio-oriented (i.e., "Lionsgate discs rot," "Criterion discs used to rot but now don't thankfully"), but really the important issue is the disc replicator. One studio can, and usually does, use multiple replicators, so finding and recording where problem discs were actually manufactured is the key to tracking this.

People come here and report when a disc they own has died, which is certainly good to know, but the followup question that I always ask (and is almost always ignored) is "Where was the disc manufactured?" I'm hoping people will read this introduction and provide that information when they first report a disc instead of having to be chased for a followup question. How do you find that information, you might be wondering? Well just look at the following photo:



That is actually a photo of a CD (it is the most informative and well-shot photo I have found thus far), but the principle is 100% the same for Blu-rays. The "Mould Code" on the clear plastic at the center of the disc is the crucial information; it might be hard to see in certain light, and a magnifying glass certainly makes it a lot easier. That code allows us to trace what replication company and even what machine was used to press that disc. Finding all that information from the code can be tricky sometimes, but just make sure to post the Mould Code in this thread, and we can do the rest.

A note on the following lists: Just because one person has reported a certain dead disc, that doesn't mean that all copies of that disc are bad. Tolerances for disc production are fairly tight, and random / chaotic errors occur on a per-disc basis. Some of those errors result in 'dead from day 1' discs that never play, and some of those errors result in improper sealing or some other problem that causes the disc to die within a few years' time. Every replicator discussed below has released hundreds of millions of discs, so the handful of problems that pop up do not indicate widespread failure. This is simply a list for organizing the problems that do pop up so people can be aware and check their own discs.

Known US problem codes (and relevant time periods):

IFPI 10K6
IFPI 10K7
IFPI 10K8

These three were codes used by Sonopress, USA, and are most notable for being the codes of the bronzing Criterion discs from 2009 to 2010. The Sonopress USA plant has since closed, so no new discs are being pressed by them anymore, but it's unknown the extent of their pressing (and problems) during the period that they were pressing Blu-rays. I've seen early Image BDs with these codes, but I haven't run into an Image BD that has bronzed (yet?).

Titles identified by Criterion as potentially bronzing:

Howards End
M
Monsoon Wedding
Monterey Pop
Paris, Texas
Pierrot le fou
Ride with the Devil
The Seventh Seal
Summer Hours
Walkabout

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IFPI 2F29

I BELIEVE this is the Huntsville, Alabama replication plant, which is now owned by Technicolor. They were previously owned by Cinram, and even earlier by CMCA and Deluxe. It is difficult to find information on this, so I could be wrong, in part or in full. The only information I'm 100% certain of is the mould code itself, "IFPI 2F29."

Whoever is actually running this replicator, it is one of the few replicators remaining in the US, and Lionsgate continues using them to this very day. There are quite a few Lionsgate discs that have rotted in the past, leading to people being generally distrustful of all Lionsgate discs even though this replicator is the real problem.

Very early Lionsgate discs up through at least 2010 have had many reports of bronzing or failure (My Bloody Valentine, Near Dark, Wallace and Gromit Collection, Rambo 1-4, etc.). 2011 and 2012 have a few reported discs, and there are none from 2013 on that have been reported. Lionsgate HAS used other replicators from time to time - I've seen "IFPI 2U**" discs from them, though not super frequently, and they press their 4K UHD discs at Technicolor Mexico (IFPI KK**, a plant with a very good track record thankfully).

Other studios that use this "IFPI 2F29" replicator extensively include Fox (and therefore MGM) and Anchor Bay. I've also seen very occasional use of them by Warner Bros.

Reported bad discs with IFPI 2F29:

Lionsgate:

2006

The Devil's Rejects (original 2006 release) - multiple reports
Lord of War (original 2006 release) - multiple reports
The Punisher (2004 film, original 2006 release) - multiple reports
Saw (original 2006 release) - at least 1 report
Stargate (original 2006 release) - at least 1 report
Stir of Echoes (original 2006 release) - multiple reports
Total Recall (1990 film, original 2006 release) - multiple reports

2007

American Psycho (original 2007 release) - multiple reports
Basic Instinct (original 2007 release) - multiple reports
The Condemned (original 2007 release) - at least 1 report
First Blood (Rambo) (1982 film, original 2007 release) - at least 1 report
House of 1000 Corpses (original 2007 release) - multiple reports
King of New York (original 2007 release) - multiple reports
Reservoir Dogs (original 2007 release) - multiple reports
Saw II (original 2007 release) - at least 1 report
Saw III (original 2007 release) - at least 1 report

2008

Bangkok Dangerous (2008 film, original 2009 release) - 1 report
The Eye - unconfirmed, I've just seen 1 second-hand report
Rambo: First Blood Part II (original 2008 release) - at least 1 report
Rambo III (original 2008 release) - at least 1 report
Saw IV (original 2008 release) - at least 1 report

2009

Cujo - 2 reports
Frailty - 1 report
The Haunting in Connecticut (original 2009 release) - 1 report
The Monster Squad - at least 3 reports
My Bloody Valentine (1981 film) - multiple reports
Near Dark - multiple reports
The Ninth Gate - 1 report
Red Heat (original 2009 release) - 1 report
Requiem For A Dream (original 2009 release) - at least 1 report
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (2009 'Skynet' release) - multiple reports
Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Collection - multiple reports

2010

Cabin Fever (2002 film) - at least 3 reports
Drop Zone - 1 report
From Paris With Love - unconfirmed, I've just seen 1 second-hand report
Hard Candy - 1 report
Jacob's Ladder (original 2010 release) - unconfirmed, I've just seen 1 second-hand report
Ladybugs - 1 report
Mad Men season 3 - 1 report
Rambo: Extended Cut (2008 film, 2010 'Extended Cut' release) - 1 report
The Relic - multiple reports
Winter's Bone - 1 report

2011

Chaplin (original 2011 release) - multiple reports
Evil Dead 2 (2011 '25th Anniversary Edition') - 1 report
The Lincoln Lawyer (original 2011 release) - 1 report

2012

Meatballs (original 2012 release) - 1 report
Total Recall (1990 film, 2012 'Mind-Bending Edition') - 3 reports
Cabin in the Woods - 1 report

Fox:

2006

Rising Sun - 1 report
Speed - multiple reports

2007

Alien vs. Predator - at least 1 report
The Day After Tomorrow - 1 report
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - at least 1 report
The Simpsons Movie - multiple reports

2009

Donnie Darko (original 2009 release) - 1 report
The Robe - at least 2 reports
Unfaithful (original 2009 release) - 1 report
Valkyrie - 2 reports

2010

The A-Team - 1 report

2011

Rio - 1 report

2012

Annie Hall - multiple reports
John Tucker Must Die - multiple reports
Manhattan - multiple reports
Martha Marcy May Marlene - at least 2 reports
Patton (2012 'Remastered' release) - 1 report
Spellbound - 1 report

Anchor Bay:

2010

Abandoned - 1 report

2013

The Master - 1 report

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IFPI 2TB4

2TB4 corresponds to Technicolor, California. Some 2008-early 2009 Paramount BDs have had this code and been reported for bronzing (at least one of the Jack Ryan movies, Cloverfield, many reports of Zodiac disc 2). I believe this plant is now closed, but that is a more recent development.

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IFPI IC0Z

This is actually an Asian replicator (which is a whole different can of worms; there were many problematic Asian pressings in the 2009-2011 period), but it makes an appearance on the US list because Well Go USA had their discs manufactured there. Well Go USA stopped using them after the issues were discovered, and I have not seen them used for any US Blu-rays since (though they are still a replicator for Asian Blu-rays, and they say the problem was due to some bad resin that they no longer use).

Titles identified by Well Go USA as potentially bronzing:

9TH COMPANY
ASSAULT GIRLS
BLOOD
BROTHERS FIVE
DELIGHTFUL FOREST, THE
DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, THE
FORK IN THE ROAD, A
HEROIC ONES, THE
IP MAN
IP MAN 2
KUNG FU DUNK
LEGEND OF THE FIST
MAN FROM NOWHERE, THE
SAMURAI PRINCESS
SHAOLIN
STOMP LIVE
STOOL PIGEON
WEB OF DEATH
WHITEWALL, THE

Known international problem codes: Work-in-progress