ClassicFlix Discussion Thread

[ClassicFlix]

Originally Posted by Viriconium

Nice Sale, but I wish Raw Deal was marked down.

I'm re-posting this over from another thread which I posted on a couple of days ago to clear the air on Raw Deal pricing:

Our Raw Deal - Special Edition was announced as a limited edition with the full expectation to produce 5,000 copies. We initially pressed 2,500 in December of 2017 and expected to press another 2,500 shortly thereafter.

Because the production cost of this release was high (our largest) and sales have fallen WAY short, we did not and have never produced the additional 2,500 units and as it stands now can't see us doing that as we would never sell that many for the remainder of the licensing agreement.

Producing another 1,000 is more likely, but IF it happens it won't be for another 6 - 12 months or later if we could possibly extend our agreement.

As it stands, we have just under 200 units in stock and by our tally less than 100 units are out with other retailers so this special edition won't be on sale for anything less than the current price at ClassicFlix.com and other etailers will likely soon be running out.

We hope our fans understand, but as a very small label we can't put out three to five grand to replicate a release we've already done, that won't make a return, and sacrifice the cost of licensing and producing future releases which have never seen the light of day on DVD or Blu.

Our Raw Deal Special Edition truly is a TOP NOTCH release that is special and limited, but if it goes OOP, fans of the film will still have access to it through our John Alton Film Noir Collection which is bare bones, but has three great noir films for one low price.

Thank you for your continued support of our label and for your understanding in this matter.

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by ClassicFlix

I'm re-posting this over from another thread which I posted on a couple of days ago to clear the air on Raw Deal pricing:

Our Raw Deal - Special Edition was announced as a limited edition with the full expectation to produce 5,000 copies. We initially pressed 2,500 in December of 2017 and expected to press another 2,500 shortly thereafter.

Because the production cost of this release was high (our largest) and sales have fallen WAY short, we did not and have never produced the additional 2,500 units and as it stands now can't see us doing that as we would never sell that many for the remainder of the licensing agreement.

Producing another 1,000 is more likely, but IF it happens it won't be for another 6 - 12 months or later if we could possibly extend our agreement.

As it stands, we have just under 200 units in stock and by our tally less than 100 units are out with other retailers so this special edition won't be on sale for anything less than the current price at ClassicFlix.com and other etailers will likely soon be running out.

We hope our fans understand, but as a very small label we can't put out three to five grand to replicate a release we've already done, that won't make a return, and sacrifice the cost of licensing and producing future releases which have never seen the light of day on DVD or Blu.

Our Raw Deal Special Edition truly is a TOP NOTCH release that is special and limited, but if it goes OOP, fans of the film will still have access to it through our John Alton Film Noir Collection which is bare bones, but has three great noir films for one low price.

Thank you for your continued support of our label and for your understanding in this matter.

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer

I appreciate the transparency. FYI, the three-film bundle of Raw Deal, T-Men and He Walked by Night is still a great deal at $47.98. Great, essential noir, and the extras are definitely worth the upgrade from the bare-bones release.

[Richard--W]

I wondered about the print-run of ClassicFlix titles. I gather 2,500 is the usual quantity?

I recommend everybody get their copies now. ClassicFlix's RAW DEAL was one of the
highlights of last year. An outstanding transfer of an outstanding film noir. The single
disc release has valuable supplements.

A ClassicFlix blu-ray is a keeper, highly collectable, a bargain at the occasional sale
prices and a bargain at the full list price.

[Richard--W]

ClassicFlix, is there a possibility that I Met My Love Again (1938) will be upgraded to a
blu-ray? I've been wanting to get this film and I will buy your DVD if there's no chance
of a blu-ray in the future.

[Batjac]

Originally Posted by belcherman

I appreciate the transparency. FYI, the three-film bundle of Raw Deal, T-Men and He Walked by Night is still a great deal at $47.98. Great, essential noir, and the extras are definitely worth the upgrade from the bare-bones release.

Well stated, and I couldn't I couldn't agree more. The commentaries on these films are outstanding, and ClassicFlix has done noir fans a great service by cleaning these films up, creating new content and producing pristine blu-ray releases -- they're well worth the price if you are into noir. As enthustiac as we may be about classic Hollywood films from this era, we're still a very small niche market. David has taken on the financial risk of producing quality products with the hope that he can sell 2500 copies. If he can't support enough to break even with these, how can we expect more releases?

[ClassicFlix]

Originally Posted by Batjac

Well stated, and I couldn't I couldn't agree more. The commentaries on these films are outstanding, and ClassicFlix has done noir fans a great service by cleaning these films up, creating new content and producing pristine blu-ray releases -- they're well worth the price if you are into noir. As enthustiac as we may be about classic Hollywood films from this era, we're still a very small niche market. David has taken on the financial risk of producing quality products with the hope that he can sell 2500 copies. If he can't support enough to break even with these, how can we expect more releases?

Thanks for all the kind words.

- David

[ClassicFlix]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

ClassicFlix, is there a possibility that I Met My Love Again (1938) will be upgraded to a
blu-ray? I've been wanting to get this film and I will buy your DVD if there's no chance
of a blu-ray in the future.

Even though we did a fresh scan, I'm sorry to say that because the source material was so poor it wasn't considered for Blu-ray and won't be coming to BD in the future.

- David

[StarDestroyer52]

Star-packed screwball comedy Out of the Blue will be making its debut on home video this November 26th from ClassicFlix.

Newly remastered and restored, the riotous farce stars George Brent, Virginia Mayo, Turhan Bey, Ann Dvorak and Carole Landis and was written and co-scripted by author Vera Caspary, whose works such as Laura were so popular at the time that production studio Eagle-Lion put her name above the title for the film's opening credits.

Details below.



If when the cat’s away the mice will play... then henpecked husband Arthur Earthleigh is due for a real rave-up of a weekend when his domineering wife Mae (Carole Landis) goes out of town to visit her sister.

After dropping off his wife at Grand Central Station, Arthur (George Brent) plans to dine alone at a local restaurant, but unexpectedly meets up with tipsy flibbertigibbet Olive Jensen (Ann Dvorak) and later invites her back to his place for a nightcap. It’s all perfectly innocent, of course, but Olive has a tendency to ignore any sign that she’s worn out her welcome. And although she seems to have an iron constitution, Olive soon confesses that she’s subject to fainting spells — a fact Arthur ignores as he later believes he’s killed her when she succumbs to one of her “episodes.”

To avoid scandal, Arthur moves the unconscious Olive to the terrace of his neighbor David Galleo (Turhan Bey) and is doubly pleased in doing so because he’s been trying to evict the bohemian artist and his vexing dog Rabelais. But David and girlfriend Deborah (Virginia Mayo) are on to his scheme and think up their own plot to ensure that Arthur won’t be pushing for dispossession any time soon.

A delightful comedy that echoes the classic screwball farces of the 1930s, Out of the Blue features Carole Landis in one of her final roles (also playing against type as the disapproving Mae) before her tragic passing in 1948, and both Turhan Bey and Virginia Mayo who make an attractive couple as they’re swept up in the insanity. But it’s Ann Dvorak who steals the show as the delightful Olive… the infuriatingly funny and unstoppable force who turns poor Arthur’s world upside down.

Author Vera Caspary, whose works were adapted for such classic films as Laura and A Letter to Three Wives, wrote the story and co-scripted Out of the Blue which was directed by screwball comedy veteran Leigh Jason.

Special thanks to licensor Films Around the World for this release.

[John_Drake]

Glad to see some new movement!

Will definitely pick this up!

[noirjunkie]

This is another title to add to my wish list. Thanks, David and the CF team. I'll buy all the screwball comedies you release; please keep them coming.

[Kincho]

So nice to see Out of the Blue coming!

[cjamescook]

Classicflix-

I look forward to ordering Public Defender but I really would have preferred it on Blu-ray. The YouTube video looked great at 720p.

So, I have to ask: Why DVD?

I can understand if a small house wants to offer only one format, but why pick the lesser? At this point, isn't household penetration of Blu-ray players very high, at least among your target semi-niche videophile audience? And some say that the replication costs for both formats are now close?

So, what am I missing?

Thanks in advance.

[ClassicFlix]

Originally Posted by cjamescook

Classicflix-

I look forward to ordering Public Defender but I really would have preferred it on Blu-ray. The YouTube video looked great at 720p.

So, I have to ask: Why DVD?

I can understand if a small house wants to offer only one format, but why pick the lesser? At this point, isn't household penetration of Blu-ray players very high, at least among your target semi-niche videophile audience? And some say that the replication costs for both formats are now close?

So, what am I missing?

Thanks in advance.

Thanks for asking.

With the exception of a handful of the 69 episodes on which we did fresh HD scans, they were all old SD masters. I know that may seem hard to believe after watching the series because almost all have a PQ of good to very good, some I would even say excellent.

And even though Blu wasn't an option on this series, in general, replication of Blu-ray's for small runs are anywhere from 1.5x to 2.5x the cost of DVD. Authoring is also about 1.5x more costly.

Additionally, speaking anecdotally from having been in the business of renting and selling classic titles for 15 years, you would be shocked as to how many in our target demo (45 & up) still only have DVD players (some of which have only recently made the jump from VHS).

For those who cannot envision this, think of the technical aversion your eldest living relative has and multiply that by several million.

- David

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by ClassicFlix

Thanks for asking.

[Show spoiler]With the exception of a handful of the 69 episodes on which we did fresh HD scans, they were all old SD masters. I know that may seem hard to believe after watching the series because almost all have a PQ of good to very good, some I would even say excellent.

And even though Blu wasn't an option on this series, in general, replication of Blu-ray's for small runs are anywhere from 1.5x to 2.5x the cost of DVD. Authoring is also about 1.5x more costly.

Additionally, speaking anecdotally from having been in the business of renting and selling classic titles for 15 years, you would be shocked as to how many in our target demo (45 & up) still only have DVD players (some of which have only recently made the jump from VHS).

For those who cannot envision this, think of the technical aversion your eldest living relative has and multiply that by several million.

Thanks, David, I really appreciate you taking the time to write this.

I won't say that I'm shocked, but I am still shaking my head at the facts of the marketplace. I had really hoped that DVD would be killed off by now. That said, when I asked on the KinoLorber forum why a Stanley Kubrick (!) documentary was not on Blu-ray, the KL Insider reported they offer most of their documentaries only on DVD due to sales numbers (no details were offered). You have to buy their titles from a streaming source if you want HD documentaries.

As for "technical aversion", yes, we forget about that. Growing up, I had an old maid aunt that was a school librarian. She didn't drive and was very nervous about using the dishwasher. Go figure.

Peace.

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by ClassicFlix

Thanks for asking.

With the exception of a handful of the 69 episodes on which we did fresh HD scans, they were all old SD masters. I know that may seem hard to believe after watching the series because almost all have a PQ of good to very good, some I would even say excellent.

And even though Blu wasn't an option on this series, in general, replication of Blu-ray's for small runs are anywhere from 1.5x to 2.5x the cost of DVD. Authoring is also about 1.5x more costly.

Additionally, speaking anecdotally from having been in the business of renting and selling classic titles for 15 years, you would be shocked as to how many in our target demo (45 & up) still only have DVD players (some of which have only recently made the jump from VHS).

For those who cannot envision this, think of the technical aversion your eldest living relative has and multiply that by several million.

- David

How unfortunate. The situation's even worse than I thought.

I realize the situation is better for new movies but old movies are where my heart is.

[keke]

Originally Posted by ClassicFlix

And even though Blu wasn't an option on this series, in general, replication of Blu-ray's for small runs are anywhere from 1.5x to 2.5x the cost of DVD. Authoring is also about 1.5x more costly.

- David

This is probably a really dumb question but how come the replication and authoring costs are that much higher versus DVD?

[silverlakephil]

I just watched The Amazing Mr.X on YouTube whose cinematography by the great John Alton is a beauty to watch. Does ClassicFlix have the access to this great film or is the only decent print in the steel trap hands of Wade Williams?

[ClassicFlix]

Originally Posted by keke

This is probably a really dumb question but how come the replication and authoring costs are that much higher versus DVD?

Can't say the difference is 100% attributable to the licensing cost of Blu-ray technology, but my bet would be it's 80 - 90% of the increased cost.

- David

[ClassicFlix]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

I just watched The Amazing Mr.X on YouTube whose cinematography by the great John Alton is a beauty to watch. Does ClassicFlix have the access to this great film or is the only decent print in the steel trap hands of Wade Williams?

Would love to, but currently don't have access to decent materials.

- David

[keke]

Originally Posted by ClassicFlix

Can't say the difference is 100% attributable to the licensing cost of Blu-ray technology, but my bet would be it's 80 - 90% of the increased cost.

- David

I don't suppose the Blu-ray technology fee will decrease or could be re-negotiated in the future? Is the fee the same as Blu-ray for 4K releases also (or even higher)?

Thanks.