Scream Factory Blu-ray Discussion Thread

[fuzzymctiger]

Originally Posted by HDMe

I had completely missed this originally in the theater and somehow never saw it on late night TV either. I frankly first heard of it when people in this thread were talking about it as a Scream release.

I was able to catch it on one of the premium channels, and then subsequently put in a pre-order for it and got it when it came out.

I thought it was a surprisingly good movie actually, the only thing... after it ended I had this nagging feeling like there was more to the story than they actually developed. Like Carpenter actually had an idea so good that he didn't know what to do with it and left some of it on the table.

This is a movie I wouldn't mind seeing Carpenter remake IF it meant he could explore some more of it in depth. It just felt like a movie that had more to it than they could fit in the allocated time. Maybe a made-for-TV mini-series or something over 2-3 nights might do the trick?

I agree. I found it really creepy, but almost boring on first watch.

It felt like it needed more background or lore or whatever to justify and explain all the things.

[redrunner97]

I've begun liking Prince of Darkness more with each rewatch. Its a solid film, but my least favorite of his films that I've seen.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by HDMe

I thought it was a surprisingly good movie actually, the only thing... after it ended I had this nagging feeling like there was more to the story than they actually developed. Like Carpenter actually had an idea so good that he didn't know what to do with it and left some of it on the table.

It wasn't written by Carpenter, it was written by "Martin Quatermass" ( ), who was fictionally described in the press release as "Brother to the well-known British rocket scientist". ( )

Look, John, you don't have to make an absolute fool of yourself trying to do geek-homage tributes to Nigel Kneale and "Quatermass & the Pit"--
Well, okay, maybe you thought you had to in 1986, because we hadn't yet learned to accept Halloween III for what it was back then, but STILL.

[MNL_Boogey_Man]

Originally Posted by redrunner97

I've begun liking Prince of Darkness more with each rewatch. Its a solid film, but my least favorite of his films that I've seen.

I find that true, I got a lot more out of this time. I caught things I didn't catch before. I find that with a lot of Carpenter's movies. I watched The Fog again the other day when I got the Scream Factory release and found things I missed on my previous viewings. I also watch Big Trouble in Little China quite a bit and find more I like about it every time. Another Favorite that I watch a lot is They Live and there is ton to see in that movie...

[MNL_Boogey_Man]

Originally Posted by Pete Rock

No Sh!t. That is a day one purchase for me.

Same here I will purchase that on release day or pre-order it.. I have it on an import DVD, but Blu-ray and widescreen. I am there!

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by redrunner97

I've begun liking Prince of Darkness more with each rewatch. Its a solid film, but my least favorite of his films that I've seen.

On first watch, I mainly just thought that the comic relief asian guy was mind-numbingly unfunny and the special effects were terrible. The second time I watched it, I thought it was one of the most awesome movies I'd ever seen! It's completely ludicrous, but in a somewhat self-conscious way. It has one of the most bizarre collections of plot elements I've ever seen and somehow manages to have some legitimately creepy stuff in it. Those weird video shots of the prince of darkness coming out of the building, for example, are pretty much straight out of a nightmare. But yeah, even without that, we have a movie about the son of anti-god being a vat of green slime that creates zombie minions in a church in LA, and the script is LOADED with mumbo-jumbo about everything from ridiculous philosophical attempts to explain quantum physics to a 3rd grade description of schroedinger's cat to tachyon signals being used as a plot point. ANd Alice Cooper impales a man with a bicycle! 10/10

[Mr. Thomsen]

Originally Posted by KamenRiderWolf

So what do you all think about John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness? I watched a long time ago(over 20 years) and found it boring. Well I bought the Scream release and watched it and found it creepy now. I still like the blood and gore movies, but now I like themore subtle ones too....

I have always liked it, but never found it the least scary - until I recently re-watched it for the first time in years. For some reason, the slow build-up and the steady rhythm of the soundtrack really got to me this time. It's definitely among my top 5 Carpenter movies!

[MNL_Boogey_Man]

I was just wondering what everyone thought of this release? I will be getting it in the mail today. I have seen it before and liked the whole series. So do you think it was a good choice for Scream Factory to do? Also is it worth to get Sleepaway Camp? What do you all recommend from Scream Factory? Just let me know your thoughts on these questions.....

Thanks

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[Member-167298]

Originally Posted by KamenRiderWolf

I was just wondering what everyone thought of this release? I will bevgetting it in the mail today. I have seen it before and liked the whole series. So do you tink it was a good choice for Sceam Factory to do? Also is it worth to get Sleepaway Camp? What do you all recommend from Scream Factory? Just let me know your thoughts on these questions.....

Thanks

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If you like NOTD, you need to buy the Blu Ray. Good looking transfer (I am sure some purist will nitpick something) and great extras. They don't carry over the Linnea interview from the Anchor Bay DVD though, so I wish I didn't sell that.

As far as Sleepaway Camp, I am not a big fan of that movie but I ended up buying it anyway and was satisfied that I did. The bonus features are good and the transfer is probably as good as it will ever get.

[Catastrophe]

Sleepaway Camp has IMO the best transfer that Scream Factory has put out thus far. There's a couple of scenes that have very minor print damage but other than that, the picture is gorgeous.

-----

Prince of Darkness was an odd viewing experience for me. Usually if I don't like a movie it'll take me another viewing, maybe two at the most, to decide if I like it or not. After watching the old DVD (prior to purchasing SF's blu), I felt kind of meh about it. Then not one hour later, I'd changed my mind and now I love it.

[MNL_Boogey_Man]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

If you like NOTD, you need to buy the Blu Ray. Good looking transfer (I am sure some purist will nitpick something) and great extras. They don't carry over the Linnea interview from the Anchor Bay DVD though, so I wish I didn't sell that.

As far as Sleepaway Camp, I am not a big fan of that movie but I ended up buying it anyway and was satisfied that I did. The bonus features are good and the transfer is probably as good as it will ever get.

Thanks for your reply it really helped. I have bought Night of the Demons and plan on buying Sleepaway Camo, becouse I am collectiing the Scream Factory releases. Just wanted to know if there was another I should buy before Sleepaway Camp.If you have any suggestions let me know..

Thanks

[HDMe]

Originally Posted by fuzzymctiger

I agree. I found it really creepy, but almost boring on first watch.

It felt like it needed more background or lore or whatever to justify and explain all the things.

Originally Posted by cakefactory

On first watch, I mainly just thought that the comic relief asian guy was mind-numbingly unfunny and the special effects were terrible. The second time I watched it, I thought it was one of the most awesome movies I'd ever seen! It's completely ludicrous, but in a somewhat self-conscious way. It has one of the most bizarre collections of plot elements I've ever seen and somehow manages to have some legitimately creepy stuff in it. Those weird video shots of the prince of darkness coming out of the building, for example, are pretty much straight out of a nightmare. But yeah, even without that, we have a movie about the son of anti-god being a vat of green slime that creates zombie minions in a church in LA, and the script is LOADED with mumbo-jumbo about everything from ridiculous philosophical attempts to explain quantum physics to a 3rd grade description of schroedinger's cat to tachyon signals being used as a plot point. ANd Alice Cooper impales a man with a bicycle! 10/10

Yeah... they threw a lot of high-concept ideas in there... and unlike movies where they throw stuff just to see what sticks and a lot of it misses... I felt this movie threw a lot of good ideas there and they all stuck, but most were underdeveloped.

It's a sci-fi horror movie. It's horror with God vs the Devil... but its sci-fi in that God might be an alien from another dimension...

and... spoilering the key thing:

[Show spoiler]The huge concept idea that the church made up all the religious stuff to protect people from the truth, which was that the anti-God was another alien from another dimension... the church was still the good guys here, but the structure of the religion was designed to imprison evil rather than encourage good.

They could have made a whole movie just about that one concept twist.

[MNL_Boogey_Man]

Sleepaway Camp is out of stock right now where I order my older titles at a cheaper price than Amazon. So I ordered thsse two....

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[Member-167298]

Originally Posted by KamenRiderWolf

Sleepaway Camp is out of stock right now where I order my older titles at a cheaper price than Amazon. So I ordered thsse two....

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Good choices! The Burning is a personal favorite. Witchboard isn't great, especially compared to the director's much better Night of the Demons, but it has a decent concept and some fun scenes.

[Gold Ranger]

Originally Posted by KamenRiderWolf

Sleepaway Camp is out of stock right now where I order my older titles at a cheaper price than Amazon. So I ordered thsse two....

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I'd love to get WitchBoard and Night of the Comet...

[redrunner97]

The Burning is a fantastic choice.

[MNL_Boogey_Man]

Originally Posted by KaineKinetic

I'd love to get WitchBoard and Night of the Comet...

Nice to see you in here... DVD Planet has the Scream Titles at a good price and through the 29th if you enter SummerSavings you get an extra 10% off the movies...

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by HDMe

Yeah... they threw a lot of high-concept ideas in there... and unlike movies where they throw stuff just to see what sticks and a lot of it misses... I felt this movie threw a lot of good ideas there and they all stuck, but most were underdeveloped.

Again, you have to have seen a few of Nigel Kneale's "Quatermass" series to understand some of the, quote, "weirder" films in Carpenter's filmography--
For those not into UK cult, Kneale's Dr. Bernard Quatermass in the 50's/60's was a sort of human earthbound Doctor Who (in fact, the Jon Pertwee season with UNIT and the Brigadier was a deliberate homage to the series), who usually started out helping the army with scientific consultation, started discovering ancient alien origins rooted deep in civilization, and by the last reel was usually facing off nothing less than total apocalypse of the human race.
(Carpenter's certainly no stranger to cerebral B/W 50's UK sci-fi, judging from his Village of the Damned remake.)

For which reason, Carpenter has made no secret of thinking "Quatermass & the Pit/Five Million Years to Earth" is one of his favorite sci-fi/horrors of all time (and rightly so)--Which point has been discussed at length every time someone tries to explain Halloween III: Season of the Witch, for which he hired Kneale to do the uncredited original storyline. Oh, and as noted above, also explains his goofy pseudonym on the Darkness script.
PoD has all the earmarks of being Carpenter's personal Quatermass fan-fiction relocated to America, only without the army, with the Donald Pleasance priest as the unheeded Doctor, and cutting straight to the "buried alien menace" cosmology mumbo-jumbo where all the cool apocalyptic stuff happens.

[Gold Ranger]

Originally Posted by KamenRiderWolf

Nice to see you in here... DVD Planet has the Scream Titles at a good price and through the 29th if you enter SummerSavings you get an extra 10% off the movies...

Thanks for the Heads Up! Now I just need to find the $43 for it.. lol
I don't get paid until the 30th...

[MNL_Boogey_Man]

Originally Posted by KaineKinetic

Thanks for the Heads Up! Now I just need to find the $43 for it.. lol
I don't get paid until the 30th...

The Blu-rays are $17..50 plus the 105 off with the keyword SummerSavings..