Scream Factory Blu-ray Discussion Thread

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by spawningblue

The thing is most of the titles in this line are for hardcore horror fans and I find it hard to believe that they would have no interest in Vincent Price. I really hope not that's for sure. I am 29 and have been a fan of his for years now, as have most of my friends. How many horror podcasts, magazines, or websites list Vincent Price as the face for horror? Considering these releases are hard to find in most stores and are mostly bought online I doubt these titles have the same audience as movies like Apparition, Paranormal Activity series or House at the End of the Street. Obviously there are some titles like Halloween 2 or The Fog that may attract the same audience but for the most part I doubt it.

Are flicks like Vagrant, Death Valley, Godsend, The Evictors, Town That Dreaded Sundown (Man I can't wait for this one!), The Horror Show, Schizoid, Scanner 2/ Scanner 3, Vampire Lovers (I would say this flick probably has the same audience as Price flicks) any more popular to the average movie fan then a Vincent Price flick? Unless those flicks were dirt cheap to pick up and Price films cost a pretty penny I don't get it.

you do bring up a point that I was considering asking... What market research determined that these titles would be profitable to release? I highlighted the ones that I was really surprised to see. Not trying to be antagonistic, but I truly am curious.

[Terrorfirmer]

Originally Posted by Frightener22

For what it's worth, I think I will be doing some very generous giveaways on my YouTube channel for Shout Factory and Scream Factory titles in the upcoming weeks. I just love and appreciate what Cliff and everyone does over at Shout and I'd love to give some fans a bunch of these great products on the house. Sorry for the shameless promotion but this could be a cool way for some of you guys to score some titles you were hoping to buy anyways

Will your generous giveaways include Canadians?

[Frightener22]

Originally Posted by Terrorfirmer

Will your generous giveaways include Canadians?

I don't see why not. I'll be ironing out the details over the next week or so. I'm excited and I'm not even the one winning these prizes

[Terrorfirmer]

Originally Posted by spawningblue

The thing is most of the titles in this line are for hardcore horror fans and I find it hard to believe that they would have no interest in Vincent Price, at least I really hope not. I am 29 and have been a fan of his for years now, as have most of my friends. How many horror podcasts, magazines, or websites list Vincent Price as the face for horror? Considering these releases are hard to find in most stores and are mostly bought online I doubt these titles have the same teen audience as movies like Apparition, Paranormal Activity series or House at the End of the Street. Obviously there are some titles like Halloween 2 or The Fog that may attract the same audience but for the most part I doubt it. Has the average teens even heard of half the movies in this line?

Are flicks like Vagrant, Death Valley, Godsend, The Evictors, Town That Dreaded Sundown (Man I can't wait for this one!), The Horror Show, Schizoid, Scanner 2/ Scanner 3, Vampire Lovers (I would say this flick probably has the same audience as Price flicks) any more popular to the average movie fan then a Vincent Price flick? Unless those flicks were dirt cheap to pick up and Price films cost a pretty penny I don't get it. Hammer flicks have been getting a lot of attention lately on Bluray, aren't they the same audience as those who are into Price flicks. Hell if you get into soem of his more recent work, Madhouse, Theatre of Blood, ect. I would say they have more in common with slasher flicks then anything. Not to mention Warner spending a crap load of money to release House of Wax in true 3D. They may not sell as much as the average Carpenter flick but to say there is no audience out there, I find that hard to believe.

And I'm not calling Cliff a liar, he has been nothing but upfront and honest with us, I'm just curious how they decide what will sell or not. I'm sure there must be reasoning behind it, probably money wise, but I don't think it's because there is no audience for these flicks. What about throwing a poll up on your Facebook to see if there is any interest in Price flicks?

I agree with what you're saying, i'm also 29 and am a Vincent Price fan, I grew up watching him on the Hilarious House of Frightenstein here in Canada, but part of the problem as I see it is that the time line of movies on a whole can be a fickle thing the horror movies of the 50s and 60s, like Price's films, are not the same type as the 70s and 80s when you get into the slasher type stuff and onward into the horror movies of the time now. I have friends the same age that i grew up watching horror films with that hate alot of early horror stuff for one major point, by todays standards those films are not the least bit scarey and they find them boring. the same can be said for other genres too, like Monty Python for example, I love those films, but there are alot of people i know that don't find them funny, they just don't get them. Basically to me the problem is just that the antie gets upped more and more every year and especially every decade and especially in the horror world, remember when the Exorcist had people running from theatres in panic and fear? well its one of my favorite all time movies but I don't find it frightening at all, and thats where I think the heart of the older newer issue lies, you're not (for the most part) going to sell the Raven or the Pit and the Pendulum to a bunch of 15 to 30 year olds that are used to Hostel and 28 weeks Later.

[ckocher]

I really want to get all of these releases, but at 20 bucks a pop, I just can't swing it. I'm hoping for a sale sometime soon. Even if they hit 15 bucks each that would be enough for me to bite.

[Splatterpunk]

Just wanted to post a quick "thanks" to cmac for all he does. I've read this thread almost daily since its inception and I'm totally digging what Scream Factory is doing. My wife thought I was crazy when I lost my mind over the Halloween III and They Live releases but it's like SF is a label aimed squarely at my tastes. The new artwork, the special features, it's all so awesome. Man, I can't wait for Phantasm II, The Fog, and DotD! The folks at SF have made my day on more than one occasion./End of gush...

[xxBachelor1981xx]

I just wanted to post a picture of all my scream factory Blurays so far. Cant wait to get more.

Screamfactory Blues.jpg

[Frightener22]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

you do bring up a point that I was considering asking... What market research determined that these titles would be profitable to release? I highlighted the ones that I was really surprised to see. Not trying to be antagonistic, but I truly am curious.

I think since some of them have recognizable faces (ie Bill Paxton in "The Vagrant") along with the fact that they have never seen a release in the US (or in some cases, anywhere) probably leads the people at Shout to think they will do reasonable business. This is just a guess of course.

[WildWestWar]

Originally Posted by ckocher

I really want to get all of these releases, but at 20 bucks a pop, I just can't swing it. I'm hoping for a sale sometime soon. Even if they hit 15 bucks each that would be enough for me to bite.

I hope Cliff picked up the slasher/comedy extraveganza "Motel Hell" from mgm.
Its a wonderfully weird film. It has never had a real dvd release by mgm. It was a part of the Midnight Movies, and was paired with "Deranged", then smacked into a triple pack with "Wrong Turn" and "Needful Things".

I'd love for this flick to get a REAL release, where its not combined Bare-Bones with multiple other films.

It would certainly sell better than "The Vagrant" or "Schizoid"... Lmao. (:

[Frightener22]

Originally Posted by WildWestWar

I hope Cliff picked up the slasher/comedy extraveganza "Motel Hell" from mgm.
Its a wonderfully weird film. It has never had a real dvd release by mgm. It was a part of the Midnight Movies, and was paired with "Deranged", then smacked into a triple pack with "Wrong Turn" and "Needful Things".

I'd love for this flick to get a REAL release, where its not combined Bare-Bones with multiple other films.

It would certainly cell better than "The Vagrant" or "Schizoid"... Lmao. (:

Unfortunately, Cliff has already stated a few times that "Motel Hell" is not in the cards. Maybe in the future.

[nagysaudio]

Originally Posted by nagysaudio

Cliff, American Ninja 1-2, yay, or nay?

No answer from Cliff = Definitely YES!!!!!

I cannot wait for these two movies. Absolute MASTERPIECES! It will be a day one purchase

Thanks Cliff!!!

[benricci]

Originally Posted by spawningblue

How many horror podcasts, magazines, or websites list Vincent Price as the face for horror?

In the year 2013? Um, virtually none.

Now, if it was 1963...

[WildWingMafia]

There IS no face of horror in 2013. Thats part of the problem with the genre right now. During periods of growth and thriving in the industry, there are recognizable icons and characters and even actors to identify with the genre:

The gothic expressionistic era of Universals monsters: DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, THE WOLFMAN

horror replaced by sci-fi in the 50s... (still iconic images of giant bugs and shrinking people)

The actor driven 60s: Price, Karloff

The british driven 70s: Cushing, Lee

The slasher characters of the 80s: JASON, LEATHERFACE, MICHAEL MYERS, FREDDY, PINHEAD (though not technically a slasher)

death of horror for a while...

90s = SCREAM - though not technically a character, the image of GHOSTFACE is extremely iconic and identifiable.

Now what do we have? Your last really good FACE of horror was SAW - Billy the puppet, the pig masks, the traps themselves.

The face of horror right now is a bunch of shaky, crappy looking found footage with nothing that materializes and nothing to identify with. There is no halloween costume for Paranormal Activity. There will be no Halloween costume for something as forgettable as MAMA. Say what you will about Insidious, but at least THAT haunted house movie gave us the red faced demon, the old woman with the candle and the shotgun twins to identify with. As opposed to 8 million found footage, demonic possession movies that dont have the intelligence, marketing forsight or dramatic gravitas to create a REAGAN for us to latch onto.

[cmac]

Originally Posted by nagysaudio

Cliff, American Ninja 1-2, yay, or nay?

nay

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by nagysaudio

No answer from Cliff = Definitely YES!!!!!

I cannot wait for these two movies. Absolute MASTERPIECES! It will be a day one purchase

Thanks Cliff!!!

Is this true...that no answer from Cliff means YES?
I asked Cliff yesterday on here if Shout! had any plans to release their Big Bad Mama double feature on blu-ray and got no answer. Cliff, I know you said the Corman line was done but I wasn't sure if that meant just no new titles and/or upgrading any of the DVD titles to blu as well. More Angie in HD would be nice! But back to the above talk in that I understand that it may not even be a possibility.

[nagysaudio]

Originally Posted by cmac

nay

Booooo!!! LOL!

[benricci]

Originally Posted by WildWingMafia

There IS no face of horror in 2013. Thats part of the problem with the genre right now. During periods of growth and thriving in the industry, there are recognizable icons and characters and even actors to identify with the genre:

The gothic expressionistic era of Universals monsters: DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, THE WOLFMAN

horror replaced by sci-fi in the 50s... (still iconic images of giant bugs and shrinking people)

The actor driven 60s: Price, Karloff

The british driven 70s: Cushing, Lee

The slasher characters of the 80s: JASON, LEATHERFACE, MICHAEL MYERS, FREDDY, PINHEAD (though not technically a slasher)

death of horror for a while...

90s = SCREAM - though not technically a character, the image of GHOSTFACE is extremely iconic and identifiable.

Now what do we have? Your last really good FACE of horror was SAW - Billy the puppet, the pig masks, the traps themselves.

The face of horror right now is a bunch of shaky, crappy looking found footage with nothing that materializes and nothing to identify with. There is no halloween costume for Paranormal Activity. There will be no Halloween costume for something as forgettable as MAMA. Say what you will about Insidious, but at least THAT haunted house movie gave us the red faced demon, the old woman with the candle and the shotgun twins to identify with. As opposed to 8 million found footage, demonic possession movies that dont have the intelligence, marketing forsight or dramatic gravitas to create a REAGAN for us to latch onto.

Bingo.

[cmac]

Originally Posted by spawningblue

The thing is most of the titles in this line are for hardcore horror fans and I find it hard to believe that they would have no interest in Vincent Price, at least I really hope not. I am 29 and have been a fan of his for years now, as have most of my friends. How many horror podcasts, magazines, or websites list Vincent Price as the face for horror? Considering these releases are hard to find in most stores and are mostly bought online I doubt these titles have the same teen audience as movies like Apparition, Paranormal Activity series or House at the End of the Street. Obviously there are some titles like Halloween 2 or The Fog that may attract the same audience but for the most part I doubt it. Has the average teens even heard of half the movies in this line? Are they running out and paying $25 to get The island on Bluray when they can get the Scream trilogy for $20?

Are flicks like Vagrant, Death Valley, Godsend, The Evictors, Town That Dreaded Sundown (Man I can't wait for this one!), The Horror Show, Schizoid, Scanner 2/ Scanner 3, Vampire Lovers (I would say this flick probably has the same audience as Price flicks) any more popular to the average movie fan then a Vincent Price flick? Unless those flicks were dirt cheap to pick up and Price films cost a pretty penny I don't get it. Hammer flicks have been getting a lot of attention lately on Bluray, aren't they the same audience as those who are into Price flicks. Hell if you get into some of his more recent work, Madhouse, Theatre of Blood, ect. I would say they have more in common with slasher flicks then anything. Not to mention Warner spending a crap load of money to release House of Wax in true 3D. They may not sell as much as the average Carpenter flick but to say there is no audience out there, I find that hard to believe.

And I'm not calling Cliff a liar, he has been nothing but upfront and honest with us, I'm just curious how they decide what will sell or not. I'm sure there must be reasoning behind it, probably money wise, but I don't think it's because there is no audience for these flicks. What about throwing a poll up on your Facebook to see if there is any interest in Price flicks?

One last thing, if you use the method others were using before to test a films popularity, how many reviews a film has on IMDB, you will see Price films are doing pretty well. Most of them have as many as any of Scream Factory's other releases, Carpenter flicks not included. Dr. Phibes and Pit and the Pendulum even have more more reviews then The Funhouse, and just about all of them have more reviews then the films I mentioned above.

Please note the examples you gave... only one has never been on DVD. The Vincent Price films have been on DVD... and most of the Price films went to the Garr Group, so I don't get what you were trying to prove there.
I've been doing this for almost 30 years. Yes, I think I know what sells by now.
We also have access to data that shows how EVERY film has sold on DVD and Blu-Ray and we use those numbers to come up with how we think titles will sell. We use real data. We don't pick films out of hats or out of thin air. There is reseach involved.
It also depends on what's available to us. We can't get every film. Some films were licensed to other companies.

[cmac]

Originally Posted by RiFiFi1955

Is this true...that no answer from Cliff means YES?
I asked Cliff yesterday on here if Shout! had any plans to release their Big Bad Mama double feature on blu-ray and got no answer. Cliff, I know you said the Corman line was done but I wasn't sure if that meant just no new titles and/or upgrading any of the DVD titles to blu as well. More Angie in HD would be nice! But back to the above talk in that I understand that it may not even be a possibility.

absolutely not. Geez, i can't answer every question. I do my best.
there are no more Corman releases.

[Movie-Brat]

No doubt the entire Corman library has been exhausted.