Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) (Unrated Producer's Cut)

[flash.over]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

Which means the Lionsgate release is coming from a different master then.

Could be the same one. By rights, Miramax can use whatever another company does with their property.

[roywilbury]

Originally Posted by flash.over

Could be the same one. By rights, Miramax can use whatever another company does with their property.

I’m not sure this is true. Miramax would own the film and all of the original film elements. But if another company licenses the film for release, and then prepares their own encode/master, I don’t think that would automatically entitle Miramax to literally clone that film’s encode. Obviously, the licensee’s own bonus features are off limits. But unless an agreement allows for it (and the case of this cut of H6 might be an anomaly along those lines, if they shared the cost of doing an HD scan, etc.), Miramax can’t simply rip the film’s encode from the Scream/Anchor Bay release.

I think the likely scenario is either that Miramax and Scream/Anchor Bay shared the cost of an HD scan and were both given the resulting raw master to work with, or Miramax did it all on their own dime and then provided Scream/Anchor Bay with that HD master. In either case, the two studios would take away that HD transfer and do their own thing to it to prep it for release. Once Scream/Anchor Bay starts doing anything, changing color grading or brightness, and then of course compression and mastering for their release, that’s their own work that nobody else (again, unless a specific arrangement/agreement was made) can use.

[redrunner97]

You cannot copyright a transfer, Cliff of Shout Factory said it himself in the Scream Factory thread a couple years ago when discussions of Scream Factory releasing Public Domain movies (particularly Night of the Living Dead, which has several different international HD transfers) were frequent.

He said it wouldn't make sense to strike a new transfer and spend all that money when another company could just take all their hard work and undermine their release with a competitive one.

So I'd be inclined to believe Miramax simply just can use any transfer to their own film they see fit. And in this case Scream Factory's box set deal included that Miramax could release them at any time they wanted.

[PuppetMasterBlu]

Originally Posted by PSLGuy

First it's only "Scream" 1 that's a major upgrade. I don't know whether a different master was used or not. Warner Bros, is the distributor. Here's the link

Also, it's not the Directors Cut(Holy Grail). With Wes Craven's passing Lionsgate should make an effort to make this re-release.

So I could just buy the blu-ray for the first one? Or should I buy the trilogy?

[schlock]

Originally Posted by PuppetMasterBlu

So I could just buy the blu-ray for the first one? Or should I buy the trilogy?

I find it interesting, and probably not coincidental, that the Limited edition box-set went officially OOP about the exact same time Lionsgate-Miramax announced their own separate release of Halloween 6 Producer's Cut. I have a feeling Scream had rights to that set's exclusive disc only until Miramax decided to do their own disc release, then Scream needed to pull theirs off distribution.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by schlock

I find it interesting, and probably not coincidental, that the Limited edition box-set went officially OOP about the exact same time Lionsgate-Miramax announced their own separate release of Halloween 6 Producer's Cut. I have a feeling Scream had rights to that set's exclusive disc only until Miramax decided to do their own disc release, then Scream needed to pull theirs off distribution.

I doubt Scream would sign a deal where their features go to someone else, but the master is surely now Lionsgate's to do whatever they want with. That would be my guess anyway. Scream can license their features out, but I doubt Lionsgate would want to pay for them.

I expect this to be a bare-bones disc with the same master on it. Anything could happen however, business is weird sometimes.

[Petemo2010]

Good thing I saw this thread, I pre-ordered this yesterday when I saw the price had dropped to $7.99. I did not know that this was already included in the deluxe set, which I own. Cancelled the pre-order I was waiting until October to watch the set.

Just out of Curiosity, which of the two cuts (Theatrical and Producers) do you guys, that have seen them both, like better and recommend?

[Michael24]

Originally Posted by Petemo2010

Just out of Curiosity, which of the two cuts (Theatrical and Producers) do you guys, that have seen them both, like better and recommend?

I like both, but ultimately prefer the Producer's Cut. The mystical aspects are played up a lot more in it, which is something that doesn't work for some, but works for me.

[Optimus-Prime-Rox]

Originally Posted by Petemo2010

Good thing I saw this thread, I pre-ordered this yesterday when I saw the price had dropped to $7.99. I did not know that this was already included in the deluxe set, which I own. Cancelled the pre-order I was waiting until October to watch the set.

Just out of Curiosity, which of the two cuts (Theatrical and Producers) do you guys, that have seen them both, like better and recommend?

I only ever got to see the edited version of the producers cut on tv but I think that version works better only if there had been a direct sequel to Curse Of Michael Myers which there wasn't sadly.

[schlock]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

I doubt Scream would sign a deal where their features go to someone else, but the master is surely now Lionsgate's to do whatever they want with. That would be my guess anyway. Scream can license their features out, but I doubt Lionsgate would want to pay for them.

I expect this to be a bare-bones disc with the same master on it. Anything could happen however, business is weird sometimes.

I never said that. I just was inferring that Scream had exclusive use of the Producer's Cut (the film itself) until Miramax decided they wanted to do something themselves with it. They now have, so Scream had to pull their version. I do not expect any of Scream's extras to go to Miramax.

[steev210]

Originally Posted by Petemo2010

Good thing I saw this thread, I pre-ordered this yesterday when I saw the price had dropped to $7.99. I did not know that this was already included in the deluxe set, which I own. Cancelled the pre-order I was waiting until October to watch the set.

Just out of Curiosity, which of the two cuts (Theatrical and Producers) do you guys, that have seen them both, like better and recommend?

Producer's Cut all the way. There's more Loomis, less gore and over-the-top deaths, better pacing, no schizo/strobe light editing, Carpenter's themes are used abundantly here (no annoying electric guitar riff in the P-Cut) and above all else the story unfolds nicely and coherently. I love H6 P Cut. The theatrical has its moments (especially the operating room scene/tunnel chase), but I find it to be inferior to the P-Cut.

[tylergfoster]

Originally Posted by redrunner97

You cannot copyright a transfer, Cliff of Shout Factory said it himself in the Scream Factory thread a couple years ago when discussions of Scream Factory releasing Public Domain movies (particularly Night of the Living Dead, which has several different international HD transfers) were frequent.

He said it wouldn't make sense to strike a new transfer and spend all that money when another company could just take all their hard work and undermine their release with a competitive one.

So I'd be inclined to believe Miramax simply just can use any transfer to their own film they see fit. And in this case Scream Factory's box set deal included that Miramax could release them at any time they wanted.

That's not what he meant. A movie like Night of the Living Dead is much different than a movie like this. What Cliff is saying is that it doesn't make sense to invest a hefty remastering fee into a public domain movie and sell it for the usual Scream MSRP of $29.95, and have someone pop up with another Blu-ray at $9.95. Although people like us would make the distinction, it would eat away at Shout's sales whether the competitor put in the work or not.

In the case of a public domain film, as far as I know, someone could ostensibly just buy Scream's disc, rip it, and put it on their own disc as long as they changed the menus and stuff. With a copyrighted film, though, it's different. Just because Universal decides to release Charade doesn't mean Criterion has to provide them with their new master. Now, in licensing deals, it's of course a good idea for them to do this kind of thing -- I can't imagine why Criterion would ever refuse to provide that master because that helps strengthen the relationship between the two companies for future releases, and I imagine that would be true in the case of Lionsgate and Shout, but this could also be something that they negotiated in advance, in that Shout would want to protect their transfer of this special cut for X amount of time and make as much money as they can before letting Lionsgate have their transfer, and / or Lionsgate did stipulate that they have to hand over that master at a certain point if they want the rights.

[StingingVelvet]

Basically everyone wants to get paid for their work. Criterion and Arrow license each other's masters all the time, and get paid for it. Criterion license out their old special features from laserdisc days or whatever, but they are known to charge a lot to do so. I am sure Scream would license out their H6 features for this release for the right money, I just VERY much doubt Lionsgate wanted to pay it.

Same thing with the master, if Scream did it themselves, though I bet there was a deal in place ahead of time that gave the master to Lionsgate after it was done. I can't imagine Lionsgate doing their own master again so quickly, masters are expensive.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

That's not what he meant. A movie like Night of the Living Dead is much different than a movie like this. What Cliff is saying is that it doesn't make sense to invest a hefty remastering fee into a public domain movie and sell it for the usual Scream MSRP of $29.95, and have someone pop up with another Blu-ray at $9.95. Although people like us would make the distinction, it would eat away at Shout's sales whether the competitor put in the work or not.

In the case of a public domain film, as far as I know, someone could ostensibly just buy Scream's disc, rip it, and put it on their own disc as long as they changed the menus and stuff. With a copyrighted film, though, it's different. Just because Universal decides to release Charade doesn't mean Criterion has to provide them with their new master. Now, in licensing deals, it's of course a good idea for them to do this kind of thing -- I can't imagine why Criterion would ever refuse to provide that master because that helps strengthen the relationship between the two companies for future releases, and I imagine that would be true in the case of Lionsgate and Shout, but this could also be something that they negotiated in advance, in that Shout would want to protect their transfer of this special cut for X amount of time and make as much money as they can before letting Lionsgate have their transfer, and / or Lionsgate did stipulate that they have to hand over that master at a certain point if they want the rights.

Isn't Charade public domain too? Or is that part of your point? I'm confused now.

[maperez1987]

Does anyone have a picture yet of the back cover?

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by maperez1987

Does anyone have a picture yet of the back cover?

Nope, no early reviews either. Gonna have to hope for early word on what's on the disc. I assume it is just the new cut by itself unless told otherwise.

[jstxanothrxstory]

Originally Posted by Petemo2010

Just out of Curiosity, which of the two cuts (Theatrical and Producers) do you guys, that have seen them both, like better and recommend?

The producer's cut is generally considered the better cut of the two. It plays out more smoothly and attempts to wrap up as many of Revenge's loose ends as it can. Unfortunately, with how it ends,

[Show spoiler]it would've been very hard to continue the series following Donald Pleasance's death.

[jstxanothrxstory]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

I am sure Scream would license out their H6 features for this release for the right money, I just VERY much doubt Lionsgate wanted to pay it.

Why would they? The biggest draw of the Scream/AB box set was that the producer's cut was getting an official release with special features. By licensing out their special features, it pretty much negates their release.

[dohrmannmf]

Originally Posted by Petemo2010

Just out of Curiosity, which of the two cuts (Theatrical and Producers) do you guys, that have seen them both, like better and recommend?

Definitely the producer's cut. The theatrical can be entertaining, but it definitely suffers from having too many hands trying to control it. The producer's cut, while not the best in the series, is a lot closer to what the Akkad family wanted. For the theatrical cut, Miramax, the director, and the producer (Paul Freeman) were really fighting for control and ultimately the studio won out and the director was a studio hire. Like I said it's not a bad film, but it definitely has the vibe a lot of mid-90s horror films had if they were distributed by Miramax/Dimension. Plus the producer's cut has Alan Howarth's score in tact which really makes a difference.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by jstxanothrxstory

Why would they? The biggest draw of the Scream/AB box set was that the producer's cut was getting an official release with special features. By licensing out their special features, it pretty much negates their release.

One assumes their collection won't be in print much longer, if it even still is. Why not make money licensing the features? They aren't much good otherwise. Still, like I said, Lionsgate wouldn't pay for them, so it's a moot point.