Scream Factory Blu-ray Discussion Thread

[dsman71]

Zbinks makes some great, great points... unless Scream can get some tough to license films or spend more for some titles, who knows what will happen. You cant survive releasing Robot Jox like titles all year long

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by dsman71

Zbinks makes some great, great points... unless Scream can get some tough to license films or spend more for some titles, who knows what will happen. You cant survive releasing Robot Jox like titles all year long

Those are the ones I want too, haha.

[Wernski]

Stranger than Lionsgate not releasing their titles, to me, is that they must also be refusing all offers from all the companies like Scream.

[dsman71]

Originally Posted by jshaide

Those are the ones I want too, haha.

So sorry to read this

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by zbinks

Scream Factory seems pretty down on their chances of licensing from Universal in the near future.

I wonder why that is. Perhaps Universal saw how popular their titles released by Scream were and decided to release them on their own?

Originally Posted by Wernski

Stranger than Lionsgate not releasing their titles, to me, is that they must also be refusing all offers from all the companies like Scream.

It makes no sense for a business to just sit on something that could be profitable.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

I wonder why that is. Perhaps Universal saw how popular their titles released by Scream were and decided to release them on their own?



It makes no sense for a business to just sit on something that could be profitable.

I think you might be on to something with Universal. Synapse mentioned that they tried to license Firestarter and a couple other titles and Universal told them they weren't licensing anything right now.

Criterion's relationship with Universal goes back a long time, which is why they still get some stuff from them, but for the likes of Scream I'd say everyone should put their titles in the same category as WB and Lionsgate's titles.

As for Lionsgate sitting on titles, to paraphrase someone from the Criterion forum, Lionsgate is like a spoiled child, they get a shiny toy (Miramax catalog, StudioCanal catalog), play with it a bit and toss it in the corner and forget about it (release a handful of titles and sit on the rest of the catalog.)

[Catastrophe]

My 2015 Schedule thus far:

Definitely:
The Phantom of the Opera
Invaders from Mars

Probably:
Love at First Bite/Once Bitten
Ghoulies/Ghoulies II

Maybe:
Class of 1984
Scarecrows/Destroyer
Over Your Dead Body
Escape from New York

Long shot:
Empires of the Ants/Jaws of Satan
Blacula/Scream Blacula Scream

[Lucy Ashton]

Mine looks like this:

Definitely:
Class of 1984
Scarecrows/Destroyer

Probably:
The Phantom of the Opera

Maybe:
Blacula/Scream Blacula Scream
New Year's Evil

Long shot:
From a Whisper to a Scream

Nah:
Everything else

My preferences are mainly slashers and 70's horror, particularly of the grindhouse variety. Not much for me to get excited about in the October announcements.

[redrunner97]

In my opinion, the issue is that they announced too many loosely-horror titles at once. And people don't get why, and seeing things like "increase in double features", "several loosely-horror films", and the obvious lack of single/collector's editions announced lately (even though they have SEVERAL on the slate) has confused people. Combine that with the odd pairing they have chosen, and I think that's what's slowed down (or halted) talk about Scream Factory online for the last month and a half.

I think the best remedy would be to announce a big title... and fast. Or get some deals made with other companies. Sony is finally letting Twilight Time do special features, maybe that could be a positive sign for Scream Factory? Who knows?

I plan to get as many as possible (Hey, I'm a collector), but these are the ones I am excited for:

Really Excited:
Class of 1984
Mad Max
Escape from New York
Invaders from Mars
Carrie / The Rage: Carrie 2
Destroyer / Scarecrows
New Year's Evil
Phantom of the Opera
From a Whisper to a Scream

Excited:
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh
Blacula / Scream Blacula Scream
Frogs / Food of the Gods
Empire of the Ants / Jaws of Satan
Ghoulies / Ghoulies 2
Love at First Bite / Once Bitten
Vampire's Kiss / High Spirits
Tentacles / Reptillicus
Dog Soldiers (despite recent news, I reluctantly still want it)
Robot Jox
Hell Hole (if it ever gets released)
Exterminators of the Year 3000

Not Too Excited:
Over Your Dead Body
Animal
Dark Haul

Not Interested:
Supernova

Overall, I think these are mostly GOOD titles. I'm excited for many of them, I just feel like the whole animal-run-amok thing is being over saturated on blu-ray at the moment. I also don't get their pairings at all... But whatever. I'll still be picking up most of them, if not all of them, soon.

*sorry if I'm missing a 2015 title or two...

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Catastrophe

My 2015 Schedule thus far:

Definitely:
The Phantom of the Opera
Invaders from Mars

Probably:
Love at First Bite/Once Bitten
Ghoulies/Ghoulies II

Maybe:
Class of 1984
Scarecrows/Destroyer
Over Your Dead Body
Escape from New York

Long shot:
Empires of the Ants/Jaws of Satan
Blacula/Scream Blacula Scream

highlighted the one's I will buy for sure.

Escape From New York only if the PQ is dramatically better, this hasn't happened on previous options like this (Assault on precinct 13, Day of the Dead)

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by redrunner97

Sony is finally letting Twilight Time do special features

Just going by Fright Night (I haven't been really following TT lately, so this may not be true of other Sony-licensed TT releases), they aren't - the commentaries and Q & A were all recorded a few years ago, and aren't, in any case, technically officially commissioned extras like those that Red Shirt/Ballyhoo etc. produce.

[redrunner97]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

Just going by Fright Night (I haven't been really following TT lately, so this may not be true of other Sony-licensed TT releases), they aren't - the commentaries and Q & A were all recorded a few years ago, and aren't, in any case, technically officially commissioned extras like those that Red Shirt/Ballyhoo etc. produce.

For The Blob, there were new features produced. At least the commentary, I believe, was new. EDIT: So was the Cinefamily featurette.

Tbh, I don't keep up with Twilight Time released. They are too expensive and the window is too narrow for me to get most of the ones I want. I will be picking up Fright Night though. For the record.

[RandyK]

From a Whisper to a Scream is delayed (for a good reason though).

Heads up! We wanted to inform everyone of a slight delay on our upcoming blu-ray release of FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM. Street date is now 3/24 (it was previously 2/17).
Director Jeff Burr has promised us some great extras and we needed a little more time to get those delivered.
Thank you for understanding!

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by redrunner97

For The Blob, there were new features produced. At least the commentary, I believe, was new. EDIT: So was the Cinefamily featurette.

I haven't watched it yet, but isn't the latter just a filmed Q & A at a movie theater? So, again, not a sit-down 'professional' featurette like Scream do, with multiple interview subjects edited together with footage from the film. As for the former, I wonder if Sony has different 'rules' about commentaries vs. featurettes?

[Undeadcow]

It's also possible that less accessible mainstream titles will force Scream Factory to take changes releasing material they were previously hesitant on - like Psycho IV, Sleepaway Camp 2+, etc. Personally my opinion is that Ginger Snaps was always going to end up on blu-ray one way or another but some of the more interesting announcements are things, like Lords of Illusions or Dolls, that are (even just a bit) more obscure. We've seen Scream Factory dip into more modern horror with SciFi Channel originals or better stuff like The Squad and Dead Shadows so that's another avenue for them to explore - overlooked modern horror films.

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

It makes no sense for a business to just sit on something that could be profitable.

The best explaination I've heard is that companies such as Anchor Bay wait until there is a good time to release titles to maximize profit. For example, with Phantasm V coming up it would be most logical to release the originals as a tie in (like with Leprechauns). ...Or maybe there's a chance indian forklore will be really hot next fall and they can put out The Manitou at two times the sales riding the buzz from some other cultural event (sort of like how we saw My Bloody Valentine original come out with the remake, or the Twilight insipired cover art for Near Dark).

[TripleHBK]

I'm honestly a little bit surprised that Scream Factory hasn't gone after more of the Full Moon or Corman libraries. There are countless Corman films (Both in the Horror Genre and outside of it) that would make excellent additions to the Scream Factory line. I understand that many of the elements may be in rough shape, but there has to be at least a few gems. (Come on Sorority House Massacre II and III). As for Full Moon Films... I gotta believe that Charles Band would gladly license out pretty much any of his stuff, as that guy is interested in money above all else.

In fact now that I'm looking over the old Empire Pictures film list, I may be on to something considering what's been released from Scream Factory thus far...

The Alchemist (1983)
The Dungeonmaster (1984)
Walking the Edge (1985)
Ghoulies (1985)
Re-Animator (1985)
Savage Island (1985)
Trancers (1985)
Underworld (1985)
Zone Troopers (1985)
Breeders (1986)
Crawlspace (1986)
Dreamaniac (1986)
Eliminators (1986)
From Beyond (1986)
Ghost Warrior (1986)
Rawhead Rex (1986)
Robot Holocaust (1986)
Troll (1986)
TerrorVision (1986)
Buy & Cell (1987)
The Caller (1987)
Creepozoids (1987)
Dolls (1987)
Enemy Territory (1987)
Mutant Hunt (1987)
Necropolis (1987)
The Princess Academy (1987)
Valet Girls (1987)
Vicious Lips (1987)
Assault of the Killer Bimbos (1988)
Catacombs (1988)
Cellar Dweller (1988)
Ghost Town (1988)
Ghoulies II (1988)
Prison (1988)
Pulse Pounders (1988)
Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988)
Transformations (1988)
Arena (1989)
Deadly Weapon (1989)
Intruder (1989)
Puppet Master (1989) (produced by Empire Pictures, released by Full Moon Features)
Robot Jox (1990)
Spellcaster (1992)

[NoirFan]

Several (five?) others from that list have also already been released by Scream as part of their DVD-only 4-packs, and they've announced Robot Jox for BD.

[TripleHBK]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

Several (five?) others from that list have also already been released by Scream as part of their DVD-only 4-packs, and they've announced Robot Jox for BD.

That would certainly lead more credence to the idea that most if not all of those will eventually make their way to a Scream release in one form or another. I'd be interested in the following for sure. Certainly more so than the last several announced titles.

-Dreamaniac
-A Re-animator Collectors Edition
-Rawhead Rex
-Troll
-Breeders

[zbinks]

^Not all of the Empire Pictures films belong to the same licensor. Many belong to MGM, but not all. Anything that doesn't belong to MGM probably won't be coming from Scream Factory anytime soon. There's a quite a few that seem to belong to Charles Band / Full Moon (Puppet Master, Trancers, Pulse Pounders and Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama to name a few). Re-Animator is probably the biggest film ever released through Empire Pictures, but that belongs to Brian Yuzna and I'm guessing Image still has a few years left on their license. Rawhead Rex is a bit of a mystery. The last official release was a 1999 DVD from Artisan and Pioneer. The film might still belong to Lionsgate, but it's been out of circulation for over a decade now. As far as the MGM-owned films go, the other issue is whether film elements / HD-masters exist. Cellar Dweller, for example, seemingly only exists in near-VHS quality standard definition.

[JMDiaz718]

Are Shout/Scream still supposed to release some of the Paramount catalog?

Really looking forward to seeing hi-def copies of:

King Kong 76
Prophecy 79
Dragonslayer
The Big Bus
The Brady Bunch movies
Addams Family Values
Maybe Star Trek The Motion Picture Director's Cut.
Bug
Foul Play
It Came From Hollywood
I Married A Monster From Outer Space
Pet Sematary Two
Stuart Saves His Family
The Relic (a better looking version than the Lionsgate edition)
Private Parts
Brain Candy