The Official Arbelos Films Thread

[lolwut]

Originally Posted by spiffnme

Amazon has just reduced the price on our Gangs of Wasseypur blu-ray release! If you were considering purchasing it, NOW is the time!

[Show spoiler]

PS: I also updated our 2015 info on first page. Updates include links to VOD sources and some updated dates.

I saw that, but I was wondering if it comes with a slipcover or not. Do you know?

[Tiberius]

Originally Posted by spiffnme

Question for everyone...

What special features do you think truly add value to a blu-ray release? Which ones do you feel are a complete waste?

Adds value:
Thick booklet a la Criterion/MoC
Isolated score audio track
Alternate score audio track
Restoration demo
Director's/Screenwriter's commentary
Scholarly commentary
Maximizing disc for feature's bit rate
Lossless audio

Complete waste:
Previews/ads for other Blu-rays

[abcnews11]

Originally Posted by spiffnme

Question for everyone...

What special features do you think truly add value to a blu-ray release? Which ones do you feel are a complete waste?

Adds Value
---Alternate Takes
---Bloopers
---Commentary
---Deleted Scenes
---Trailer
---Using Lossless Audio & Maximum Bit-Rates on the main feature

[littleprince32]

Will both parts of Gangs of Wasseypur be released in a single package or will each part get a separate release? Really, really looking forward to all your releases but especially that one. And may I suggest a May 5 release date? A double feature of Gangs and the new 4K remaster of Goodfellas would be the perfect way to spend a day.

[Craig-Rogers]

Keep that feedback coming in regarding blu-ray extras! It's EXTREMELY helpful information!

I'll try to find out what I can about the Gangs release.

[Craig-Rogers]

Our hope is to release as one collector set with parts 1 & 2 together. Gotta stress that's not official yet though.

Originally Posted by littleprince32

Will both parts of Gangs of Wasseypur be released in a single package or will each part get a separate release? Really, really looking forward to all your releases but especially that one. And may I suggest a May 5 release date? A double feature of Gangs and the new 4K remaster of Goodfellas would be the perfect way to spend a day.

[littleprince32]

Originally Posted by spiffnme

Our hope is to release as one collector set with parts 1 & 2 together. Gotta stress that's not official yet though.

That's great news! I know there's a million other things you have to take into consideration when making the decision but I think most people would prefer to buy it in one set. I'll be picking up both parts either way.

And to answer your general question about special features, my all time favorite is Charles Laughton Directs The Night of the Hunter. I love features that explore the craft of filmmaking and that one went above and beyond. So many special features are basically puff pieces so anything that goes deeper is appreciate.

Thank you for the info and quick response!

[littleprince32]

Originally Posted by spiffnme

2015 Schedule (so far - there's fun stuff in the works I can't talk about yet!)


Giuseppe Makes a Movie
currently in theatres!
VOD and DVD (no blu-ray) - Spring

Glad you guys changed your mind. Preorder for Giuseppe Makes a Movie blu-ray is up at Diabolik. Really excited for this since I didn't get a chance to see it on the big screen. Giuseppe is a fantastic, insane (in the best possible way) filmmaker and I'm guessing he's a fascinating documentary subject. Can't wait to see the process behind his movies.

[Craig-Rogers]

Yep...Giuseppe IS coming on blu-ray! Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...PVC56BC2GMSEOX

[Craig-Rogers]

More Belladonna! Enjoy!








note: These are 2K downrez images from our original 4K scan. This is not a final restored or color corrected image.

Have a great weekend folks!

[Yami]

What a tease you are, spiffnme!

Speaking of Indian cinema, I'd love to see Cinelicious restore films like Satyajit Ray's Days and Nights in the Forest (arguably his best, but not among the restorations that Criterion are undertaking) or Guru Dutt's Kaagaz Ke Phool,

[Hindustani]

Originally Posted by Yami

What a tease you are, spiffnme!

Speaking of Indian cinema, I'd love to see Cinelicious restore films like Satyajit Ray's Days and Nights in the Forest (arguably his best, but not among the restorations that Criterion are undertaking) or Guru Dutt's Kaagaz Ke Phool,

The Guru Dutt Trilogy is a must

PYAASA (1957) (means PARCHED aka extremely thirsty)

SAHIB BIBI AUR GHULAM (1962) (means MASTER, MADAM and SERVENT)

KAAGAZ KE PHOOL (1959) in Cinemascope (means PAPER FLOWERS)



besides this.

Cinelicious Should look into....

SHOLAY (1975)(2014 Dolby Atmos release). Its a Kurasawa seven samurai bollywood curry wester. A landmark motion picture event in history of Bollywood. It recently was re-release after complete digital restoration, 3D tranfer and Dolby Atmos upgrade to its original 70mm 6-track stereophonic sound.



MUGHAL E AZAM (1960) (means THE GREAT MUGHALS). A BEN-HUR, GONE WITH THE WIND type epic. Brilliantly written, shot and acted. It went complete Digital Restoration in B & W and technicolor (partly shot in Technicolor) in 2004.


PAAKEEZAH (1972) in Cinemascope (means PURITY). Another early landmark, color "cinemascope" masterpiece on the courtesan culture similar to Geisha culture in east and lesser form of prostitution culture in the West. Film renouned for incredible performances, musical score and breath taking songs. Just recently went complete Digital Restoration by Shemaroo Studios based in Mumbai, India.

Criterion has been seriously missing out on rest of the Indian classics as they solely focus on Satyajit Ray's work only.

Cinelicious can make serious inroads into Classical Indian Cinema by releasing atleast 1 of the above mentioned 6 masterpieces.

There is a huge BluRay and future 4K UHD BluRay market for Classic Indian Cinema worldwide all the way upto Trinidad & Tobago in the west where there is still massive Indian diaspora.

[moviegeek1992]

Originally Posted by Hindustani

The Guru Dutt Trilogy is a must

PYAASA (1957) (means PARCHED aka extremely thirsty)

SAHIB BIBI AUR GHULAM (1962) (means MASTER, MADAM and SERVENT)

KAAGAZ KE PHOOL (1959) in Cinemascope (means PAPER FLOWERS)



besides this.

Cinelicious Should look into....

SHOLAY (1975)(2014 Dolby Atmos release). Its a Kurasawa seven samurai bollywood curry wester. A landmark motion picture event in history of Bollywood. It recently was re-release after complete digital restoration, 3D tranfer and Dolby Atmos upgrade to its original 70mm 6-track stereophonic sound.



MUGHAL E AZAM (1960) (means THE GREAT MUGHALS). A BEN-HUR, GONE WITH THE WIND type epic. Brilliantly written, shot and acted. It went complete Digital Restoration in B & W and technicolor (partly shot in Technicolor) in 2004.


PAAKEEZAH (1972) in Cinemascope (means PURITY). Another early landmark, color "cinemascope" masterpiece on the courtesan culture similar to Geisha culture in east and lesser form of prostitution culture in the West. Film renouned for incredible performances, musical score and breath taking songs. Just recently went complete Digital Restoration by Shemaroo Studios based in Mumbai, India.

Criterion has been seriously missing out on rest of the Indian classics as they solely focus on Satyajit Ray's work only.

Cinelicious can make serious inroads into Classical Indian Cinema by releasing atleast 1 of the above mentioned 6 masterpieces.

There is a huge BluRay and future 4K UHD BluRay market for Classic Indian Cinema worldwide all the way upto Trinidad & Tobago in the west where there is still massive Indian diaspora.

Sorry, but I don't agree with this. There are many Indians or South East Asians all over the world but hardly many are interested in blu-rays let alone blu-rays of the films you have mentioned.

The Indian dvd industry is already in decline to the point where a title sometimes appears on TV the same time as it's dvd release. One of the biggest distributors for Bollywood films, Eros International (who released the first Bollywood blu-ray) have abandoned blu-ray in favour of their own on-demnd website, and another giant Shemaroo are probably seeing more revenue through ads as they slowly upload their catalogue to YouTube than dvd sales for those individual titles would have attained.

To top it all off, these distributors are extremely protective of their properties and are unlikely to license out to anyone else, Mughal-E-Azam and Sholay being prime examples.

Sure blu-ray labels can make deals with more independent filmmakers after their films appear at various film festivals for a blu-ray release beyond that if the respective rights owners don't release a blu-ray of the films you mentioned themselves, then it's never gonna happen. Think of this way, over in the US, every crappy movie makes its way to blu-ray (including Syfy channel schlock) yet the total number of Bollywood blu-rays probably isn't more than 150 (if that), and that's from 2007 till now!

[Craig-Rogers]

The BELLADONNA OF SADNESS trailer is finally here! Just dropped on vice.com

They seem to be pushing the "x-rated" "porn" angle awfully hard with their write up. For sure, it's a film for adults with adult themes, but porn? No. It's not pornography.



And no, the release of BELLADONNA did not immediately bankrupt Mushi. The fate of that company was already sealed when this film was being made. In fact an argument could be made that BELLADONNA OF SADNESS is the film it is because the company's fate was already known while making it. It freed the filmmakers up to push boundaries both thematically and artistically they very likely wouldn't have otherwise.

[Hindustani]

Originally Posted by moviegeek1992

Sorry, but I don't agree with this.

Partly agreed. There are few points you made. Those cannot be denied. You havent looked at the whole picture yet.

There are many Indians or South East Asians all over the world but hardly many are interested in blu-rays let alone blu-rays of the films you have mentioned.

I cannot talk much about Pakistanis, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankans as you said South Asian. Majority of Indians are cinemagoers not just hollywood but also for regional, local movies. Its a cultural & traditional thing. There is limited interest in BluRays and definitely not the craze like Hollywood.

If there is not enough craze for bollywood, european companies (REM, ALIVE) will not be releasing BluRays for latest bollywood flicks. Do not believe me? Go check out official REM website. Both Germany and France have been releasing BluRays regularly as latest as 2015 for Bollywood

The Indian dvd industry is already in decline to the point where a title sometimes appears on TV the same time as it's dvd release.

The world BluRay industry is in decline. Fair amout of ground has been lost to VoD. Even 4k UHD HDR recent movies & classics like SAN ANDREAS, BLACK MASS and GOODFELLAS have shown up in VoD in 4k UHD HDR long before BluRay.

One of the biggest distributors for Bollywood films, Eros International (who released the first Bollywood blu-ray) have abandoned blu-ray in favour of their own on-demnd website

EROS INTERNATIONAL is the worst example of how they have treated Bollywood recent mega blockbusters and Bollywood classics heritage. Best example is EROS despite holding the rights for most popular Bollywood blockbuster (SHOLAY) an equivalent of THE GODFATHER (popularity wise, not content wise), they failed to even release properly authored DVD and never bothered to release BluRay ever. And the movie has already gone massive digital restoration and Dolby Atmos upgrade as recent as 2014.

EROS treats Indian movies fans like they do not exist. Their only real interest is distributing the movies and getting foot falls into cinemas on opening weekend and week. After that, they do not give a damn about home videos. Their DVDs were some of the worse ever aurhored with the fanciest, most expensive covers. Its like gift wrapping garbage to fool audiences to sell DVDs for $20.

and another giant Shemaroo are probably seeing more revenue through ads as they slowly upload their catalogue to YouTube than dvd sales for those individual titles would have attained.

Shemaroo is the largest rights holder of Bollywood classics. But recently, they have been very friendly. They signed deal with Eagle Entertainment to have latter release few 1970s classics or past blockbusters. I myself own few of the shemaroo titles release by Eagle. They are of average quality but definitely digitally restored (shemaroo themselves do it in-house now) 1080p.

To top it all off, these distributors are extremely protective of their properties and are unlikely to license out to anyone else, Mughal-E-Azam and Sholay being prime examples.

Yes. they are protective. But. No true overseas professional company like CINELICIOUS or CRITERION has appropached them.

They might want to do one-off business with a company like CINELICIOUS on "First to 3000" BluRays basis. Any one of the above 6 titles mentioned if released on "first to 3000 blurays" basis will sell out even at $39.99 in a year. But no Indian overseas company is professional enough. This is where CRITERION or CINELICIOUS can step in fill the gap.

Think of this way, over in the US, every crappy movie makes its way to blu-ray (including Syfy channel schlock) yet the total number of Bollywood blu-rays probably isn't more than 150 (if that), and that's from 2007 till now!

YASH RAJ FILMS (YRF) BluRay branch releases BRs for even their recent garbage releases which flopped at the boxoffice. A recent movie (GUNDAY) rated 2/10 on IMDB is released by YRF on BD with "TrueHD Advance 96k Upsampling" 5.1 audio.

Brand new Digitally Restored print of PYAASA (means Parched) (1957) has recently been screened in Europe and Canada.

Indian Classic Pyaasa Restored for Upcoming Venice Film Fest

A company like CINELICOUS can benefit big time if they release this enormously popular B & W classic on BD25 which will be much cheaper.

Silicon Valley alone has 1 million Indian diaspora and Indian diaspora is some of the richest diaspora I have seen. They are the first adoptors of HDTV, 4K, UHD stuff.

[nitin]

Hindustani,

no offence, but are pipe dreaming again.

[Andrew-Kenneth]

Originally Posted by moviegeek1992

One of the biggest distributors for Bollywood films, Eros International (who released the first Bollywood blu-ray) have abandoned blu-ray

Eros has not abandoned blu-ray.
Recent releases =>

In 2015 a total of 24 bollywood movies got released on blu-ray.
(not counting south indian cinema)

Originally Posted by moviegeek1992

the total number of Bollywood blu-rays probably isn't more than 150 (if that), and that's from 2007 till now!

Well, I own about 380 Indian blu-ray's and that's just my collection...

[Craig-Rogers]

http://private-property-restoration.tumblr.com/

[noirjunkie]

Private Property has definitely just moved to the top of my wish list.

[nitin]

fantastic!