Scream Factory Blu-ray Discussion Thread

[Driver78]

I get why people are fearful about AI and why they hate the idea - just take a look at any of the Jim Cameron 4K threads. Shout has already said they have no plans of implementing the technology to film restorations, so how else would they use it, if they have plans at all? My feeling is just because the new guy has a background in AI doesn’t mean he’s going to replace the human workforce and automate all functions at the company. I don’t think a robot is going to choose which films to acquire, although it does feel that way sometimes lol. I’m not worried at all, especially after those assurances from the insider

[RevolverOcelScott]

Originally Posted by Driver78

I get why people are fearful about AI and why they hate the idea - just take a look at any of the Jim Cameron 4K threads. Shout has already said they have no plans of implementing the technology to film restorations, so how else would they use it, if they have plans at all? My feeling is just because the new guy has a background in AI doesn’t mean he’s going to replace the human workforce and automate all functions at the company. I don’t think a robot is going to choose which films to acquire, although it does feel that way sometimes lol. I’m not worried at all, especially after those assurances from the insider

Exactly.

Unfortunately technological advances hit all walks of life. 10ish years ago we had toll booth collectors and EZ Pass, now it's all automated, they were put out of a job. It's ok for folks to be wary, but acting like this is the first time technology has done this is absurd.

And with Shout, it's so far removed people are just freaking out to freak out with no logic or reasoning behind it.

[Taylor3978]

Originally Posted by NeonStreetMelt

The comments on DOTD's FB post about this are gold. The general ignorance regarding AI is both hilarious and disturbing. I've read books on this stuff...it's not going anywhere, and within a generation not hardly anyone will bat an eye about AI generated books/films/whatever. In regards to cannibalization of others' work....as if any human artist ever existed in some complete vacuum, and wasn't influenced either consciously or subconsciously by others' works that predated them, and what they grew up on. The human brain is going to literally be recreated synthetically this century...and their output will be no less valid than a present day human. We're all the sum total of our social programming/conditioning, and experiences, and our more complex machines will mirror that.

Not getting into the worries about AI taking over Shout (Shout Insider has already addressed this), but....for a post that is LMAO about people's ignorance of AI, it is displaying breathtaking ignorance itself and buying into the AI Kool Aid. Yes, AI will become ubiquitous, because companies will use it to improve productivity (in the same way that robots improved productivity in manufacturing). Yes, AI will make lots of mistakes (imagine AI enforcing something like online decency), you hope they will hire enough humans to help to correct those mistakes (but you know they won't, the whole point was to get rid of the humans). Yes, it is the case that AI companies have ignored copyright on a massive scale to steal online content, you could see the first 25 years of the Web as just laying the table for our AI overlords, and now they are gorging themselves. Good luck to any creatives out there trying to make a living, and get used to lazy cliched content as de rigeur. And ultimately it's a dead end, the dirty little secret of large language models is that they need constant training (these days by highly paid experts) to avoid collapsing into nonsense, they are not capable of training themselves. And for all the self-serving warnings by AI experts of "The Singularity," the real danger of AI is very much real and present, the data it is being trained on is full of bias, which it is then amplifying. Here's an example: image recognition for cell phone pictures routinely tagged black people as "gorillas". Why? Because there were no black people in its training data. How did companies work around this? They removed "gorilla" as a tag. When AI ethics researcher Timnit Gebru, working for Google, pointed out these kinds of issues, she was fired.

And I haven't even mentioned the carbon footprint of this technology.

[BrokenGlass41]

Originally Posted by Driver78

I get why people are fearful about AI and why they hate the idea - just take a look at any of the Jim Cameron 4K threads. Shout has already said they have no plans of implementing the technology to film restorations, so how else would they use it, if they have plans at all? My feeling is just because the new guy has a background in AI doesn’t mean he’s going to replace the human workforce and automate all functions at the company. I don’t think a robot is going to choose which films to acquire, although it does feel that way sometimes lol. I’m not worried at all, especially after those assurances from the insider

I think a lot of it is general AI paranoia. I mean, if they hired a guy who has a background in screenwriting, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be rewriting the movies somehow. AI can look scary when it’s “hyped” the way it has been, both in positive and negative ways. But it’s just a tool. People have done stupid things with Photoshop since the 90s, and people are going to be doing stupid stuff with AI but it’s not the world-ending kind of Terminator/HAL 9000-esque thing that’s being expected.

And we haven’t heard a thing from Einhorn himself yet, anyway. Maybe he’s a huge fan of film preservation and original intent, and won’t touch anything with AI. We don’t know, and we can’t start jumping to conclusions, especially not panicked ones.

[annubis44]

Originally Posted by RevolverOcelScott

Two mouse clicks, a total of 3 seconds. You don't need to resort to hyperbole to insinuate it's anything other than 2 mouse clicks.



So you're just cherry picking when AI used in art is good or bad, got it!

Yes, two clicks to try and create some kind of "got ya". You're not interested in having a discussion, you're just bothered I think generative AI that is trained on stolen artwork is unethical. Which is fine, you're entitled to your opinion. You also ignored the rest of my reply as well. Yes, you're right, me buying a movie completely invalidates my feelings/opinions and there's no nuance to anything and everything is just black and white. Can we get back to discussing Shout! Factory and leave the objectivist bootlicking behind? If you want to continue I'm happy to take it into DM's and spare the rest of the forum.

Anybody picking up the new Stepfather 4k? I'm on the fence about whether it's worth the upgrade.

[TenYearLurker]

Originally Posted by annubis44

First off, it's hilarious that you went to the trouble to look that up in my collection. That speaks volumes.

You don't actually think it's hilarious. You're upset because your hypocrisy only took a few seconds to point out.

Originally Posted by annubis44

Guess what, I still shop at Amazon and Walmart even though I consider both companies and many others to be terrible, because I still have to live my life. I try to support good things with my dollars but if I boycotted every company or film because an ******* was involved I'd never be able to shop anywhere or watch anything ever again (or visit this forum as a matter of fact). That doesn't mean I can't criticize it or call it out for what it is.

Sure, but it makes your criticisms extremely hollow and performative. I consider those companies to be pretty terrible too, which is why I don't support them with my money.

You can't rail against "the man" and "the evil capitalist empire" and then, in the same breath, say that you'll still throw money at the entities you're railing against just because it makes your life more convenient. That is maximum silliness. Like driving a diesel-powered pickup truck to a protest on Big Oil.

[Video Ghoul]

Sure am looking forward to the Scream Factory Shocktober sale next month.

[Bradsdadg]

Ordered Phantoms, Poltergeist 2 and Big Trouble in Little China. Shipped out two days ago, was just delivered today. Some quick service!! Also came with an ALF sticker in the box, thanks SF!

[annubis44]

Originally Posted by TenYearLurker

I consider those companies to be pretty terrible too, which is why I don't support them with my money.

Your can't rail against "the man" and "the evil capitalist empire" and then, in the same breath, say that you'll still throw money at the entities you're railing against just because it makes your life more convenient.

*You

Enjoy your economic privilege.

Will you be picking up the Stepfather 4k?

[concolt]

My 4K of the Strangers is all scratched to hell. Looks like someone played frisbee on gravel with it. I recently watched the Blu-ray so I wasn’t planning on watching it so soon but I guess I’ll have to see if it plays ok.

[MifuneFan]

This first wave of titles are now up at SF's site. it looks like they just have 30 of each in stock though: I didn't think they would add them there as well, so that's good to know for the future.

https://shoutfactory.com/collections...ing-releases-1

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I just came across a surprising new development. It appears Shout! Factory will begin selling some of their releases through Allied Vaughn / MovieZyng. They currently have 5 titles listed. I'm not sure if this is a new alternative to their limited edition site exclusive strategy, or what. On the plus side, there is a potential for less scratched discs going this route. Allied Vaughn are the same company that manufactures discs for Warner Archive. These releases should be sold elsewhere as well, but not as many places as a wide release would be.

Here is the first wave, which all appear to be coming in September:

A World Without Thieves (2004)



Big Fan (2009)



Clockwatchers (1997)



Linoleum (2022)



Miranda (2002)

[DukeTogo84]

What's interesting about these MOD titles is that unlike other Shout titles, if you turn your player off with the disc inside and you turn it back on, the film resumes right where you left out. Really like that.

[Techlet]

Originally Posted by BrokenGlass41

And we haven’t heard a thing from Einhorn himself yet, anyway. Maybe he’s a huge fan of film preservation and original intent, and won’t touch anything with AI. We don’t know, and we can’t start jumping to conclusions, especially not panicked ones.

A quick scroll through his Twitter/Insta and you can get a good idea of what his focus is on nowadays.

[TenYearLurker]

Originally Posted by annubis44

Will you be picking up the Stepfather 4k?

Already did, along with The Strangers

[RevolverOcelScott]

Originally Posted by TenYearLurker

Already did, along with The Strangers

You bought 2 discs? That's some crazy "economic privilege" you have!

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

What's interesting about these MOD titles is that unlike other Shout titles, if you turn your player off with the disc inside and you turn it back on, the film resumes right where you left out. Really like that.

God, I always curse myself when I do some kind of screw up and accidentally turn off a Shout disc in the middle of it.

[locomotive]

Originally Posted by Bradsdadg

Ordered Phantoms, Poltergeist 2 and Big Trouble in Little China. Shipped out two days ago, was just delivered today. Some quick service!! Also came with an ALF sticker in the box, thanks SF!

Don't let it near your cat.

[Bradsdadg]

Originally Posted by locomotive

don't let it near your cat.

I don't know, she has a pretty good bite as well

[Show spoiler]sweetpeayawn.jpg

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by jshaide

God, I always curse myself when I do some kind of screw up and accidentally turn off a Shout disc in the middle of it.

Happens to me far too much. I watch all my movies in complete darkness and my uni remote doesn't have a lit keypad. Typically occurs when I need to take a potty break and, instead of hitting the pause button, I hit the wrong key by mistake.

[russweiss1]

Originally Posted by Bradsdadg

I don't know, she has a pretty good bite as well

[Show spoiler]Attachment 307441

It looks like you're forcing the cat to watch another boring movie.