Scream Factory Blu-ray Discussion Thread

[Jlouisbarrett]

It's fantastic living in Bull Moose's home state because they carry Shout!/Scream Factory, Arrow Video and Synapse titles. A lot of the time they'll have some real gems previously owned but in perfect condition at a discounted price. No idea who would sell back some of the things I find there... Probably the aforementioned G.P. who blind bought the movie and hated it.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Mister B Gone

Sorry but I do think they could serve themselves and all current and future customers better by putting more care into their cover art. Too many times it is just lazy. A good product starts with presentation i.e. what is on the store shelf and being looked at by someone who isn't familiar with the product. The fanbase who has already seen and like the film were already going to buy it regardless.

I would guess they think drawn giant heads are a consumer grabber, just like studios think photoshop giant heads are. Market research apparently backs this up, and Shout are aiming more for general audiences than other labels like Kino are. So, it makes a bit of sense, even if we don't get it.

They put the original art on the flipside for us weirdos who prefer it.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Shout are aiming more for general audiences than other labels like Kino are. So, it makes a bit of sense, even if we don't get it.

Per their own response to complaints about spoilers on the cover for The Exorcist III, they're catering to fans & people who have already seen the movies they're selling.

Personally, I think their art has gotten a bit better recently (Dead Ringers, Village of the Damned, Rabid, etc) when they do something other than floating heads (like Dolls). The floating head template is rote and stuff like Black Christmas & The Exorcist III is just yuck.

[TripleHBK]

Originally Posted by dissention

Per their own response to complaints about spoilers on the cover for The Exorcist III, they're catering to fans & people who have already seen the movies they're selling.

Personally, I think their art has gotten a bit better recently (Dead Ringers, Village of the Damned, Rabid, etc) when they do something other than floating heads (like Dolls). The floating head template is rote and stuff like Black Christmas & The Exorcist III is just yuck.

I more or less agree... Motel Hell, Army of Darkness, Shocker, and even to a lesser extent Village of the Damned are covers I really really enjoy and feel like they have the right balance between retro and modern. As I've said time and time again, less is more on these covers. Pick one focal point for the eye to focus on and make it the center of the attention. Filling every square inch with detail/people is unnecessary and distracting from the piece as a whole. There are a lot of other covers I like, but none quite as good as the aforementioned titles.

[ThisKid]

With the whole controversy about the artwork for Black Christmas, I think Scream Factory should've made the whole cover art darker so that the killer doesn't get revealed automatically. Or, they could cover him up with a bit of black-coloured snow, both sealing the identity of the killer, and making it seem more like a "Black Christmas".

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by dissention

Per their own response to complaints about spoilers on the cover for The Exorcist III, they're catering to fans & people who have already seen the movies they're selling.

I didn't mean non-fans. I meant they are selling movies with more general fanbases than Kino or Criterion usually do. They are movies with a larger audience, typically, especially the collector's editions.

[Wernski]

I just wish Scream Factory would hang up the comic book style art all together.

[zeze]

Originally Posted by FiendCameron

Don't know if it's tied to an email, but I have a Shout free shipping code good till end of Sept for orders over $40

FREESHIPPINGQ42016

Thanks for the code.

[mariachi507]

Originally Posted by ThisKid

With the whole controversy about the artwork for Black Christmas, I think Scream Factory should've made the whole cover art darker so that the killer doesn't get revealed automatically. Or, they could cover him up with a bit of black-coloured snow, both sealing the identity of the killer, and making it seem more like a "Black Christmas".

That's really my only problem with it, it's not a particularly good cover, but I don't find it to be as bad as some are making out.

The comic art aesthetic can get pretty tiring, but I think it's neat when I stack the releases side by side.

[tylerc904]

I typically love SF's cover art. There is a line though, where it can be too cartoony. This is an example of fan art (don't know who made it but it's amazing) that executes it perfectly:

[TripleHBK]

Originally Posted by tylerc904

I typically love SF's cover art. There is a line though, where it can be too cartoony. This is an example of fan art (don't know who made it but it's amazing) that executes it perfectly:

Nice drawing but it still suffers from the exact same problem as most every Scream Factory release. No central focal point and the desire to cram every actor/moment from the film on the cover.

If these releases are being marketed to the Hardcore crowd who "has already seen these films" then we don't need to see every actor/actress' face on the cover. Pick a key moment/scene/character and focus the cover on it, rather than trying to tell the entire story in one image. I agree that these are certainly much better likenesses and the overall quality is higher than what we typically get on a Scream Factory release, but that doesn't excuse the primary complaints.

[Jlouisbarrett]

Originally Posted by TripleHBK

Nice drawing but it still suffers from the exact same problem as most every Scream Factory release. No central focal point and the desire to cram every actor/moment from the film on the cover.

If these releases are being marketed to the Hardcore crowd who "has already seen these films" then we don't need to see every actor/actress' face on the cover. Pick a key moment/scene/character and focus the cover on it, rather than trying to tell the entire story in one image. I agree that these are certainly much better likenesses and the overall quality is higher than what we typically get on a Scream Factory release, but that doesn't excuse the primary complaints.

How is there no focal point in that illustration? The focal point is Ghostface. I do prefer cover art with a single, iconic, striking image, however this sort of "collage" approach can indeed be done very well and I'd say that art for Scream is a prime example.

[DetroitSportsFan]

That Scream art is exactly what I'd expect if SF got to release it.

[ThisKid]

Now that I think about it, what if Scream Factory does a new artwork for a Robert Altman ensemble film?

[Member-167298]

Originally Posted by ThisKid

Now that I think about it, what if Scream Factory does a new artwork for a Robert Altman ensemble film?

Imagine Nashville! I don't think there is enough room on a cover!

[tylerc904]

Originally Posted by Jlouisbarrett

How is there no focal point in that illustration? The focal point is Ghostface. I do prefer cover art with a single, iconic, striking image, however this sort of "collage" approach can indeed be done very well and I'd say that art for Scream is a prime example.

I think these Scream Factory releases are the time to use a cover like this. Especially if they have a slipcase. Keep the standard theatrical poster as the main cover, and have the slip be the new, all inclusive illustration. These are "special" editions after all. Give us special artwork, and for those who desperately pine for simple/classic, have it inside so they can switch. Everyone's happy (except people on here who need to complain constantly, all the time).

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by ThisKid

Now that I think about it, what if Scream Factory does a new artwork for a Robert Altman ensemble film?

I'd love to see Scream handle some of those 1970s disaster films, like Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, and The Poseidon Adventure. Each movie would need foldout slipcovers just to accommodate the ensemble casts.

That said, I love Scream Factory's original artwork on the slipcovers. Except for Cat People.

I particularly love the Pumpkinhead original Scream slipcover art, because it looks like an Iron Maiden album cover.

[ThisKid]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I'd love to see Scream handle some of those 1970s disaster films, like Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, and The Poseidon Adventure. Each movie would need foldout slipcovers just to accommodate the ensemble casts.

OK, that's an awesome idea. Like, seriously. Although, if they did this with an Altman film, it's not the case of there won't be enough room on the cover, there just won't be enough room on anyone's shelf to fit the cover!

[perfectionthrusilenc]

Ordered my first Scream Factory blus from Amazon yesterday. I'm guessing I got a good deal on them (free shipping with Prime obviously)

The Funhouse - $13.19
Sleepaway Camp - $15.74
They Live - $15.99

Thoughts?

[rockyfan]

Originally Posted by perfectionthrusilenc

Ordered my first Scream Factory blus from Amazon yesterday. I'm guessing I got a good deal on them (free shipping with Prime obviously)

The Funhouse - $13.19
Sleepaway Camp - $15.74
They Live - $15.99

Thoughts?

Let us know if they come with slips? 😃