Dark Force Entertainment Discussion Thread

[CrowKiller]

Originally Posted by Sector Drone

I miss the days when people used to watch their movies instead of their slipcovers.

Buy a movie to watch it? Psshhh what are you crazy? What nut job watches the movies they buy?

[CrowKiller]

Originally Posted by Dark Force

That's all about to change in about one week's time. The new Dark Force Customized Slipcovers including DEAD PIT, BREEDERS and GATES OF HELL/PSYCHO FROM TEXAS will guaranteed decimate anything previous from Vinegar and 88 Films. There's actually a very solid reason behind that. Since very early childhood I was a collector of monster and horror collectables and was more obsessed and fanatical about it than probably everyone on here put together. So when trying to create a really cool customized slipcover for the cult home video world I tried to design something that I would be obsessed with owning myself. Although it turned out to be quite challenging, I feel I have succeeded and the first one will soon be unveiled...

Can you limit them to one per customer? So the real collectors can get a copy for themselves and not worry about scum fleabayers snatching them all up to make more money off your hard work than you do? At least until a certain period of time or if sales slow down?

[miribeau]

Originally Posted by CrowKiller

Can you limit them to one per customer? So the real collectors can get a copy for themselves and not worry about scum fleabayers snatching them all up to make more money off your hard work than you do? At least until a certain period of time or if sales slow down?

I'd like to see a limit of two or three per customer, since some of us buy gifts on top of what we order for ourselves, but, keep in mind, that won't stop scalpers. They use multiple addresses and cards and even names to place orders.

[CrowKiller]

Originally Posted by miribeau

I'd like to see a limit of two or three per customer, since some of us buy gifts on top of what we order for ourselves, but, keep in mind, that won't stop scalpers. They use multiple addresses and cards and even names to place orders.

I understand but maybe for the first 24 or 48hrs? Sure they can make separate accounts but it's more of a pain in the ass than just adding 10 to your cart and paying for it. I'm not going to sit there and refresh the store page over and over again, hoping I get ONE. If it ends up being like Screams of a Winter Night than I'm not going to bother wasting my time trying to give them my money and I'll spend it on VS or someone else that doesn't make it hard to give them your money. The way this is handled will be the final deciding factor whether I do business with them ever again or not.

[miribeau]

Originally Posted by CrowKiller

I understand but maybe for the first 24 or 48hrs? Sure they can make separate accounts but it's more of a pain in the ass than just adding 10 to your cart and paying for it. I'm not going to sit there and refresh the store page over and over again, hoping I get ONE. If it ends up being like Screams of a Winter Night than I'm not going to bother wasting my time trying to give them my money and I'll spend it on VS or someone else that doesn't make it hard to give them your money. The way this is handled will be the final deciding factor whether I do business with them ever again or not.

I get what you mean. However, when you don't have free shipping, it matters to be able to combine purchases or purchase gift items. Half of the time I am getting a gift as my second or even second and third item. When I buy from Hamilton, I buy a ton of gifts, to piggyback on that single $4 shipping charge. With VS, same, to get free shipping. With a smaller store, like DF, it wouldn't work to buy a ton to get free shipping but I can usually find a gift or two and that means purchases of several copies of the same thing.

If he had a one copy policy, he also have to search through orders to weed out the suspected duplicates. In the end, a limit makes sense, but a limit of one is nearly impossible to enforce and ends up harming real customers more than it irritates scalpers.

The main issue with new releases from Dark Force is that they don't let us know, four or five days in advance, what the planned time is for them opening the store, so we can be ready. I'd like to be sitting here, on a schedule, waiting, not waiting and wondering, with no idea, but that is a problem with many vendors.

[Thomas Irwin]

Originally Posted by miribeau

Sometimes people just need to be reminded that they're cool just being themselves.

[indravayu]

Originally Posted by Sector Drone

I miss the days when people used to watch their movies instead of their slipcovers.

Fancy slipcovers are helping with sales. The blu-ray industry is in in deep trouble, with streaming absolutely murdering it; so anything that keeps people buying discs is a positive thing for those of us who appreciate having the option of buying physcial media.

[miribeau]

Originally Posted by Thomas Irwin

Who doesn't love Mister Rogers? Dude was awesome. Fred Rogers, married over 50 years, kind and respectful, almost to a fault, made me look a bit angry in comparison. He was a good man.... Big Bird, on the other hand, was more than likely, a drug-hallucination and can be a little irritating, plus he sheds.

Originally Posted by indravayu

Fancy slipcovers are helping with sales. The blu-ray industry is in in deep trouble, with streaming absolutely murdering it; so anything that keeps people buying discs is a positive thing for those of us who appreciate having the option of buying physcial media.

A pig just landed on my roof. But, yeah, I agree. We need any edge we can get, from every label. Whatever they can do to promote sales, including gimmicky accessories, is more than necessary.

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by indravayu

Fancy slipcovers are helping with sales. The blu-ray industry is in in deep trouble, with streaming absolutely murdering it; so anything that keeps people buying discs is a positive thing for those of us who appreciate having the option of buying physcial media.

Name one streaming service that regularly has great quality and titles like The Boogens, Dead End Drive-In or House By the Cemetery in full HD and I'll stop collecting physical media right now. Amazon is practically useless for these types of fringe titles since the PQ is SD at best, VHS-quality at worst. Netflix is littered with throwaway DTV movies. If streaming is to take over, they really need to program films of every genre in high quality.

[defile959]

Hey Cinema84 - while it's not full HD (and I don't want to discourage anyone from collecting physical media), have you checked out Shudder? They typically have a solid selection of horror. I probably watch more Shudder than I do Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon combined. I'll always be primarily a physical media collector, but Shudder gets high marks in my book.

[deltatauhobbit]

Originally Posted by Sector Drone

I miss the days when people used to watch their movies instead of their slipcovers.

You obviously have not enjoyed a night of movie watching while fondling an embossed slipcover

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by defile959

Hey Cinema84 - while it's not full HD (and I don't want to discourage anyone from collecting physical media), have you checked out Shudder? They typically have a solid selection of horror. I probably watch more Shudder than I do Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon combined. I'll always be primarily a physical media collector, but Shudder gets high marks in my book.

I've heard of Shudder but don't they typically have stuff like Child's Play and more of the common titles?

[CrowKiller]

Originally Posted by defile959

Hey Cinema84 - while it's not full HD (and I don't want to discourage anyone from collecting physical media), have you checked out Shudder? They typically have a solid selection of horror. I probably watch more Shudder than I do Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon combined. I'll always be primarily a physical media collector, but Shudder gets high marks in my book.

Shudder is awesome but have pretty much all the good stuff they have already. It's good though if someone didn't have a large collection.

[defile959]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

I've heard of Shudder but don't they typically have stuff like Child's Play and more of the common titles?

They've had two of the three titles you mentioned. They often have deep cuts, going farther back than you might expect. They've done a solid job of picking up festival titles, and some of their originals are damn good too. It's ridiculously cheap too - something like $4 a month, or $40 a year when I signed up. I think it's a little more expensive now, but I've found it to be well worth the price.

[indravayu]

I like Shudder and have been a subscriber since they first launched. The selection leaned more towards the 70s and early 80s when the channel was young (which was fine by me; they had a huge selection of Gialli, Fulci and Bava flicks for a while) - now it has a broader mix with more contemporary stuff (and they have also started adding non-horror stuff - like Asian Action flicks and thrillers). I love seeing Joe Bob Briggs on there and am looking forward to his next season.

I still think that Amazon beats them for sheer quanity of horror titles - especially older stuff. I like having access to both.

[Frightener22]

"This one should fit very nicely into the DARK FORCE COLLECTOR'S SERIES and will likely look super cool when it GLOWS IN THE DARK!
darkforcesuperstore.com"

[Thomas Irwin]

Originally Posted by miribeau

Who doesn't love Mister Rogers? Dude was awesome. Fred Rogers, married over 50 years, kind and respectful, almost to a fault, made me look a bit angry in comparison. He was a good man.... Big Bird, on the other hand, was more than likely, a drug-hallucination and can be a little irritating, plus he sheds.

I saw Fred Rogers back in '87. He came to the camp I was attending, as he was a personal friend of the director. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to speak with him. He's even one of the few pop vinyls that I own. He fits in great with Pee-wee Herman, Elvira and Joey Ramone.

[TheHorrorNerd]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

I've heard of Shudder but don't they typically have stuff like Child's Play and more of the common titles?

No but they have Joe Bob Briggs. That's all I need.

[whedon]

Originally Posted by indravayu

Fancy slipcovers are helping with sales. The blu-ray industry is in in deep trouble, with streaming absolutely murdering it; so anything that keeps people buying discs is a positive thing for those of us who appreciate having the option of buying physcial media.

I don't think that slipcovers are all that important. Sure they can look nice and Arrow and VS have some pretty nifty slipcovers of late but the reason that these releases sell is that people want the films. If Arrow and VS announced that they would no longer be doing slipcases then I doubt anyone but a scalper would care all that much so long as the same care and attention when into ensuring that the film was the best it could be.

Steaming is certainly having an effect on sales but for niche labels that effect isn't all that noticeable. The great thing about being a fan of a label such as VS is that very few if any streaming services have their releases. Generally, the versions of VS releases available on Amazon or other are edited, pan and scan, VHS quality versions that are almost unwatchable.

[indravayu]

Originally Posted by whedon

I don't think that slipcovers are all that important. Sure they can look nice and Arrow and VS have some pretty nifty slipcovers of late but the reason that these releases sell is that people want the films. If Arrow and VS announced that they would no longer be doing slipcases then I doubt anyone but a scalper would care all that much so long as the same care and attention when into ensuring that the film was the best it could be.

Steaming is certainly having an effect on sales but for niche labels that effect isn't all that noticeable. The great thing about being a fan of a label such as VS is that very few if any streaming services have their releases. Generally, the versions of VS releases available on Amazon or other are edited, pan and scan, VHS quality versions that are almost unwatchable.

Go ahead and ask the labels how offering limited edition slip case versions is affecting sales - I think you will be quite surprised.

Vinegar Syndrome (and Severin and Arrow) releases have been popping up on Shudder. I think these labels knows where the market is heading. Not all VS releases on Amazon Prime Video are low quality - I have watched a bunch that were at bare minimum DVD quality (if not better).