Dark Force Entertainment Discussion Thread

[frakking toaster]

From Dark Forces Facebook.


"NEW PIECE OF EVIDENCE REGARDING THE CASE OF THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED:
According to GARY A. SMITH, in the book "UNEASY DREAMS: THE GOLDEN AGE OF BRITISH HORROR FILMS, 1956-1976 Revised Edition ," (2006, p.191) #240 on his list there are two cuts:

SCREAM AND DIE (Blackwater Film Productions, 1973, 99min)
THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED (US AIP, 1974, 84min)

https://www.amazon.com/Uneasy-Dreams.../dp/0786426616

You can preview this book on Amazon and search for "house that vanished" and bam, there it is on page 191 under Scream and Die. I would post a cap of the page but its copyrighted.

"About the Author
Gary A. Smith, a contributing writer for Little Shoppe of Horrors since 1980, has also written for Films in Review, Filmfax, Superstar Cine, and Cult Movies. Mr. Smith recently assisted in the video restoration of the complete version of Hammer's The Lost Continent. He is also the author of Epic Films: Casts, Credits and Commentary on Over 300 Historical Spectacle Movies, 2d ed. (2003) and lives in Los Angeles. "

Thus, Dark Force may actually be correct that this version they released is the one that played in drive-ins in the US.

PROBABLE CONCLUSION: THIS RELEASE WILL LIKELY BE MISSED WHEN UNAVAILABLE"



That last little bit shows that they have no f***ing clue ha

[AKNewbie]

Originally Posted by Frightener22

Just received my copy of Offerings from Amazon and the box art is unfortunately the same. I thought it was confirmed that the artwork (with the spine number) was going to be corrected in time for Amazon pre-orders. I've already reached out to Dark Force about this but was curious if anyone else's box art differs from mine.

Amazon tracking shows my copy is on my porch (along with The Church and Ichi the Killer).
Will let you know, but I expect to have the same "highly collectible" version as you received.

EDIT:
@Frightener - Looks like my copy is also the ultra-rare, highly-collectible, first-printing UNNUMBERED slip. /serious sarc here.

.

[Marsupial Werewolf]

Originally Posted by Ruined

And how is this different than a company that charges msrp $49.99 for a release in a fancy cardboard box with a foldout poster, and a read-once massive font "book" with info you can probably find on the internet for free? Or a company that charges msrp $40-$50 for a steelbook? Or one that charges $29.99-$34.99 msrp with a collectors slipcover or red case+reversible cover art being the main "feature"?

You make it sound like dark force is some anomaly but it's more the norm. Considering you are also getting 2 films for the price as well.

The drive in thing is a bit gimmicky but it's more of a feature than a slipcover or fancy cardboard box IMO.

If you have to ask...

[dissention]

Originally Posted by frakking toaster

From Dark Forces Facebook.

[Show spoiler]"NEW PIECE OF EVIDENCE REGARDING THE CASE OF THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED:
According to GARY A. SMITH, in the book "UNEASY DREAMS: THE GOLDEN AGE OF BRITISH HORROR FILMS, 1956-1976 Revised Edition ," (2006, p.191) #240 on his list there are two cuts:

SCREAM AND DIE (Blackwater Film Productions, 1973, 99min)
THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED (US AIP, 1974, 84min)

https://www.amazon.com/Uneasy-Dreams.../dp/0786426616

You can preview this book on Amazon and search for "house that vanished" and bam, there it is on page 191 under Scream and Die. I would post a cap of the page but its copyrighted.

"About the Author
Gary A. Smith, a contributing writer for Little Shoppe of Horrors since 1980, has also written for Films in Review, Filmfax, Superstar Cine, and Cult Movies. Mr. Smith recently assisted in the video restoration of the complete version of Hammer's The Lost Continent. He is also the author of Epic Films: Casts, Credits and Commentary on Over 300 Historical Spectacle Movies, 2d ed. (2003) and lives in Los Angeles. "

Thus, Dark Force may actually be correct that this version they released is the one that played in drive-ins in the US.

PROBABLE CONCLUSION: THIS RELEASE WILL LIKELY BE MISSED WHEN UNAVAILABLE"

That last little bit shows that they have no f***ing clue ha

They actually just copied & pasted Ruined's post to their own Facebook, I can't.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by frakking toaster

From Dark Forces Facebook.


"NEW PIECE OF EVIDENCE REGARDING THE CASE OF THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED:
According to GARY A. SMITH, in the book "UNEASY DREAMS: THE GOLDEN AGE OF BRITISH HORROR FILMS, 1956-1976 Revised Edition ," (2006, p.191) #240 on his list there are two cuts:

SCREAM AND DIE (Blackwater Film Productions, 1973, 99min)
THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED (US AIP, 1974, 84min)

https://www.amazon.com/Uneasy-Dreams.../dp/0786426616

You can preview this book on Amazon and search for "house that vanished" and bam, there it is on page 191 under Scream and Die. I would post a cap of the page but its copyrighted.

"About the Author
Gary A. Smith, a contributing writer for Little Shoppe of Horrors since 1980, has also written for Films in Review, Filmfax, Superstar Cine, and Cult Movies. Mr. Smith recently assisted in the video restoration of the complete version of Hammer's The Lost Continent. He is also the author of Epic Films: Casts, Credits and Commentary on Over 300 Historical Spectacle Movies, 2d ed. (2003) and lives in Los Angeles. "

Thus, Dark Force may actually be correct that this version they released is the one that played in drive-ins in the US.

PROBABLE CONCLUSION: THIS RELEASE WILL LIKELY BE MISSED WHEN UNAVAILABLE"



That last little bit shows that they have no f***ing clue ha

Hey my post is on Dark Force Facebook I'm famous! [emoji16]

[frakking toaster]

Originally Posted by dissention

They actually just copied & pasted Ruined's post to their own Facebook, I can't.

I didn't even realize. This is getting sad.

[splintersan]

Now we all know Dark Force is legit, they are quoting Ruined for their defense and proof. God I love this community.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by splintersan

Now we all know Dark Force is legit, they are quoting Ruined for their defense and proof. God I love this community.

[emoji23][emoji106]

BUT to be fair the expert source is Mr. Smith's book here and not myself.

[NoirFan]

Ha, a Dark Force/Ruined team-up has the potential for some A+ comedy gold, if you're one of those unhinged masochists who doesn't have him on your ignore list (people are always quoting him to mock/disprove his posts anyway, so I end up having to scroll through much of the trolling regardless). If only slimdude would weigh in, then we'd really have something.

[Boggle]

Yeah. This thread's gonna get a LOT of mileage

[Thomas Irwin]

Originally Posted by Ruined

Hey my post is on Dark Force Facebook I'm famous! [emoji16]

I see a magnet in your future!

[frakking toaster]

Originally Posted by Thomas Irwin

I see a magnet in your future!

Cult horror forum expert magnet free when you buy two blus from Dark Force big cartel!

[iamnoone]

Originally Posted by indravayu

84 minutes for THTV is surely a typo (as mentioned up-thread) based on the PAL run-time of 94 minutes. It's not surprising that multiple sources would repeat this typo - very easy for misinformation such as this to spread far and wide.

I checked the various rips on Cinemageddon (there are several) and all I see are 94 and 99 minute versions. There is one that appears to be a TV edit; it is listed at 99 minutes, but in the comments section of the page, people say that it is actually cut, so I don't know it's run time.

Yep, for decades, people thought there was a long-lost 131 minute version of THE DRIVER, because the VHS box had mistakenly indicated that instead of its real length of 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes = 131).

I don't trust any reference book written years later as far as details of running times go. These writers/experts source their information from other sources, and other sources copy that information, and so on. Phil Hardy in his Horror Encyclopedia also carries over the 99 and 84 myth. Most of these experts did not go and hunt down 35mm prints and time them while projected in their private home movie theater to write these giant books decades later. And if they saw them all upon release, they most likely didn't carry a stop-watch with them at the time to write down the running times. And yes, some sourced their info from the VHS box (egads!), back in a time when there was no internet. And the VHS ran 98/99 so they could verify that, but the incorrect 84 on the box stuck, too, so writers may have just assumed there was a version at that length out there as well, so that 84 has been carried along through the years. But where is this 84-minute version? It's as elusive as the 131-minute version of THE DRIVER - it doesn't exist.

Actual reviews and data from the actual time of its release are the most reliable data, but unfortunately very hard to come by on-line. I have tons of horror and monster magazines and fanzines from 1973-1974, and the only one that indicated a running time was Cinefantastique at 95 minutes. Maybe they brought along a stopwatch and clicked it off when the end credits started to roll? Who knows, you can't even trust that. And then the presskit from the US distributor at that time that clearly indicates app. 99. And we know that version of the film exists, because every VHS copy out there is that length. The only other version is 94 and that's just because it's in PAL.

The DF print was probably chopped up by the projectionist to snip out all the dirty parts ala Cinema Paradiso. And other wear and tear. The cigarette burns could also be telling, if certain reels are way off compared to the rest. Usually the initial 4 reels would be app. 20 minutes between marks.

TLDR: All said, the print is cut by projectionists or damaged, the 84 doesn't exist and never did - simply a typo. No proof at all that there was ever any other version outside of the 98/99.

DF acquired a rare 35mm print, didn't know it was damaged and missing 9 minutes, released it, and then it was discovered by fans that it was cut. I don't think they intended any deceit or cover-up initially. Maybe they can seek out another print that hasn't been through the ringer. I am not sorry I bought it, but do hope an uncut version eventually turns up.

[indravayu]

Excellent summary!

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by iamnoone

The DF print was probably chopped up by the projectionist to snip out all the dirty parts ala Cinema Paradiso. And other wear and tear. The cigarette burns could also be telling, if certain reels are way off compared to the rest. Usually the initial 4 reels would be app. 20 minutes between marks.

TLDR: All said, the print is cut by projectionists or damaged, the 84 doesn't exist and never did - simply a typo. No proof at all that there was ever any other version outside of the 98/99.

DF acquired a rare 35mm print, didn't know it was damaged and missing 9 minutes, released it, and then it was discovered by fans that it was cut. I don't think they intended any deceit or cover-up initially. Maybe they can seek out another print that hasn't been through the ringer. I am not sorry I bought it, but do hope an uncut version eventually turns up.

May be the case, in the meantime though this DF blu ray is the only home media release I know of that actually represents a film experience for this movie IMO.

Until/if an uncut version surfaces, whenever that may be and assuming it is also able to be released, this blu is probably still the best approximation of this film on home media. Having the film downgraded to VHS quality and then ripped to DVD R just doesn't do it for me, even if uncut - VHS spoils the filmic look.

If the rights are not an issue DF could splice in VHS inserts for the uncut parts using their 89min transfer as a base given there is a large amount cut here and it would likely benefit.

[gobad2003]

Originally Posted by Ruined

May be the case, in the meantime though this DF blu ray is the only home media release I know of that actually represents a film experience for this movie IMO.

Until/if an uncut version surfaces, whenever that may be and assuming it is also able to be released, this blu is probably still the best approximation of this film on home media. Having the film downgraded to VHS quality and then transferred to DVD R just doesn't do it for me, even if uncut - spoils the filmic feeling of it all

So you don't like Silent Night Deadly Night with the uncut scenes put back in I'd rather have a complete film experience the way the director intended then some butchered version, But hey whatever floats your boat my friend.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by gobad2003

So you don't like Silent Night Deadly Night with the uncut scenes put back in I'd rather have a complete film experience the way the director intended then some butchered version, But hey whatever floats your boat my friend.

In this case since it's 10min and the cuts are jarring yes I'd take the inserts. Id still keep the current blu for an insert-free experience though. I have a few movies I own multiple versions of for this reason.

When it's a case of like 1min worth of violence sprinkled here and there throughout the movie I often find the VHS inserts in that case to be more distracting than helpful. While it's a more complete movie having the entire A/V experience massively change back and forth for like 10 seconds of extra gore here or there is even more distracting than having missing footage.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Zarak

The way that Dark Force has doubled down on their mistake is really an insult to their intended audience. You can't position yourself as a collector-oriented label and then insult collectors who want the complete film.

So you really doubt this Blu being sourced from a drive in print as billed by Dark Force? Given its condition I seriously doubt it was sitting in a vault. More likely it was found or auctioned off from some closed down drive in or the like.

And again worth noting, despite its flaws the Dark Force release is still the only home media release in existence of this movie that actually looks like film, all other DVDs of this movie are VHS rips. So even with the cuts it's still a valuable release if you appreciate the look of film over tape IMO.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Thomas Irwin

I see a magnet in your future!

Maybe the whole set of magnets? I only have THTV [emoji848]

[Hubunkey]

Hopefully we eventually move past all the HTV talk and they can release more Drive_in releases for the people that enjoy the Drive-In mode.