Scream Factory Blu-ray Discussion Thread

[chetripley80]

Does anyone else remember the Nintendo price-fixing scandal back in the 90s? This MAP pricing thing with Shout Factory seems really reminiscent of that scandal.

[TripleHBK]

Originally Posted by chetripley80

Does anyone else remember the Nintendo price-fixing scandal back in the 90s? This MAP pricing thing with Shout Factory seems really reminiscent of that scandal.

You aren't kidding...

https://www.ranker.com/list/breakdow.../jacob-shelton

So the question now is who could a person even report this to, and would they even give a damn given the market and by comparison lower dollar amounts we're talking about. Nintendo was a juggernaut... Shout Factory are essentially the Corporate Home Video version of Demon Dave looking to troll it's customers because they know there isn't anything we can do about it.

[GeoffOliver]

I used to purchase Scream Factory titles all the time when they were regularly in the $18 range on Amazon, but it’s now been over a year and a half since I’ve gotten any of their releases (other than Vincent Price Vol. 2 on sale for $40), because they’re just not worth $25-30 most of the time. If they weren’t doing this, I would have already gotten Candyman, Urban Legend, Scream For Help, Creepshow, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: TNG, House on Haunted Hill, Night of the Creeps, and others, but here we are. Say what you will about Kino, but they make it easy to collect their titles for good prices. Shout should have similar sales.

[jtu128]

Originally Posted by GeoffOliver

I used to purchase Scream Factory titles all the time when they were regularly in the $18 range on Amazon, but it’s now been over a year and a half since I’ve gotten any of their releases (other than Vincent Price Vol. 2 on sale for $40), because they’re just not worth $25-30 most of the time. If they weren’t doing this, I would have already gotten Candyman, Urban Legend, Scream For Help, Creepshow, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: TNG, House on Haunted Hill, Night of the Creeps, and others, but here we are. Say what you will about Kino, but they make it easy to collect their titles for good prices. Shout should have similar sales.

I’m in the same boat. I used to buy several titles a year... now it’s been a couple years since my last purchase. I would have even rebought some titles like Drag Me To Hell or In The Mouth Of Madness. But why pay $25-$30 for an incremental upgrade over Blu Rays I paid $5-$10 for.

[zbinks]

Originally Posted by TripleHBK

You aren't kidding...

https://www.ranker.com/list/breakdow.../jacob-shelton

So the question now is who could a person even report this to, and would they even give a damn given the market and by comparison lower dollar amounts we're talking about. Nintendo was a juggernaut... Shout Factory are essentially the Corporate Home Video version of Demon Dave looking to troll it's customers because they know there isn't anything we can do about it.

You're missing the big takeaway from that article. "Nintendo Totally Won"

MAP may fall just short of price fixing, in the legal sense, because while retailers can't advertise an item for less than MAP, they can still sell an item for whatever price they choose. In-store (meaning brick and mortar) pricing is not considered advertising. Pricing on an online listing is considered advertising, but prices in an online shopping cart aren't. Some online retailers get around MAP by simply applying non-advertised or non-specified (ex: "See Price in Shopping Cart") discounts to items once they've been added to a shopping cart.

[fnvmaster]

Originally Posted by TripleHBK

You aren't kidding...

https://www.ranker.com/list/breakdow.../jacob-shelton

So the question now is who could a person even report this to, and would they even give a damn given the market and by comparison lower dollar amounts we're talking about. Nintendo was a juggernaut... Shout Factory are essentially the Corporate Home Video version of Demon Dave looking to troll it's customers because they know there isn't anything we can do about it.

And at least Dave is amusing in the live feeds, especially the last one. Shout Factory is just screwing everyone over in silence. I refuse to pay more than $22 for a Shout release, no more than $15 if it doesn't have a slipcover.

[xXx$uicide_Ma$terxXx]

Originally Posted by fnvmaster

And at least Dave is amusing in the live feeds, especially the last one. Shout Factory is just screwing everyone over in silence. I refuse to pay more than $22 for a Shout release, no more than $15 if it doesn't have a slipcover.

That cheap little piece of paper with ugly art on it really worth $7 bucks to you?

[oilers73]

Originally Posted by xXx$uicide_Ma$terxXx

That cheap little piece of paper with ugly art on it really worth $7 bucks to you?

If I could get Shout/Scream releases for $7 less without a slipcover, I would do it. I never keep them.

[grrrarg]

Originally Posted by oilers73

If I could get Shout/Scream releases for $7 less without a slipcover, I would do it. I never keep them.

I really like some of them, for example the Sleepaway Camp trilogy, Night of the Comet, They Live, and Night of the Creeps.

I know some people hate slipcovers but it reminds me of sliding a VHS tape out of the sleeve.

[Member-222782]

Is the price fixing thing rearing its ugly head again? I thought we were past that. I've been purchasing Shout/Scream Factory titles for "normal" prices for at least 6 months now. Of course, I've been buying a lot less SF titles these days so maybe I just haven't been exposed to the issue. The Collector's Editions I've picked up most recently have been priced at $24.99 or less ($22.99 is the average) at Amazon, with TV movies like Strays priced at around $17.99 - so very reasonable. I hope they don't start up the price wars again when the Paramount titles hit

[TripleHBK]

I've been fortunate to have found most titles at price points I am comfortable with as well over the last year but that's thanks in no small part to pricing errors and me being quick on the draw. However the comparisons to the Nintendo controversy are worth pointing out as it just seems unheard of to me that 3 of the largest retailers are refusing to carry something as simple as Blu Rays from one particular distributor all because that studio discourages price competition in an effort to prop themselves up as appearing more competitive than they really are. I refuse to believe that these policies have helped them in any way.

Interestingly enough, checking Best Buy right now it does appear that some of the 2018 titles that weren't originally available may now be starting to pop up. It appears that Shout Factory may have a 1 year exclusivity window on their MAP pricing. Brainscan which was released on August 28th 2018 is listed as are the titles that came out before that but Brain Dead which was released on September 11th 2018 is not listed, though I'm willing to bet it pops up in a week or less. That is certainly encouraging for lesser titles that may not warrant immediate purchases but for folks looking to fill in collections later on.

[jtu128]

Originally Posted by xXx$uicide_Ma$terxXx

That cheap little piece of paper with ugly art on it really worth $7 bucks to you?

That cheap piece of paper is Scream’s current business model. Take a current $5 release, commission new artwork and include a slip cover. Whammy, $25.

[Jibbons]

I'm constantly finding used SF titles with and without slipcases for $10-$15 dolalrs at used media stores near me in the Bay Area all the time. Now way in hell am I play $20+.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by TripleHBK

I've been fortunate to have found most titles at price points I am comfortable with as well over the last year but that's thanks in no small part to pricing errors and me being quick on the draw. However the comparisons to the Nintendo controversy are worth pointing out as it just seems unheard of to me that 3 of the largest retailers are refusing to carry something as simple as Blu Rays from one particular distributor all because that studio discourages price competition in an effort to prop themselves up as appearing more competitive than they really are. I refuse to believe that these policies have helped them in any way.

Interestingly enough, checking Best Buy right now it does appear that some of the 2018 titles that weren't originally available may now be starting to pop up. It appears that Shout Factory may have a 1 year exclusivity window on their MAP pricing. Brainscan which was released on August 28th 2018 is listed as are the titles that came out before that but Brain Dead which was released on September 11th 2018 is not listed, though I'm willing to bet it pops up in a week or less. That is certainly encouraging for lesser titles that may not warrant immediate purchases but for folks looking to fill in collections later on.

I've bought a TON of Scream titles this year thanks to HAMILTON BOOKS and BULLMOOSE (when they first list titles)...

Unfortunately both of those weapons are out of bullets and now I have no source that I can count on to get new releases at sub $20 price points.

Not sure how to play going forward... I guess I'll wait on some, break my rule and pay over $20 on must haves, and watch daily for sales, price matches, etc.

I can justify $22 with BULLMOOSE since I pay no tax or shipping... that's the same cost as $19.99 at AMAZON more or less....

[darkness2918]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

I've bought a TON of Scream titles this year thanks to HAMILTON BOOKS and BULLMOOSE (when they first list titles)...

Unfortunately both of those weapons are out of bullets and now I have no source that I can count on to get new releases at sub $20 price points.

Not sure how to play going forward... I guess I'll wait on some, break my rule and pay over $20 on must haves, and watch daily for sales, price matches, etc.

I can justify $22 with BULLMOOSE since I pay no tax or shipping... that's the same cost as $19.99 at AMAZON more or less....

That’s what I do. The ones I really want I buy, the others I can wait on until they’re at a price I’m more comfortable paying, especially if they are blind buys. I don’t blind buy from SF as much as I did before.

[sancho]

Originally Posted by darkness2918

that’s what i do. The ones i really want i buy, the others i can wait on until they’re at a price i’m more comfortable paying,

+ 1

[NeMo_ET]

I don't really care if they want to charge $30 a title because many of the other companies do it as well but if they're trying to align themselves with those other companies they should start doing sales a couple times a year like those companies do as well. I'm talking 50% off deals, 4 for $44, etc. etc. not a couple dollars here and there. Let the ultimate fans buy the movie day 1 at full price (I've done it myself for movies I really want) and let the casual or blind buys happen during the sales. My biggest issue right now is I'm not about to pay $30 for something I've never seen or might watch once every couple years.

[BarnDoor]

So it looks like Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) is coming from Scream in December (read the posts near the bottom of this thread). No real surprise, given they hinted one classic Universal title would get an individual release.

Surely we'll see this confirmed later today. Will this be the only previously unannounced title for December, that's the big question now.

[jcole8882]

We need Dark Night of the Scarecrow

[BarnDoor]

Originally Posted by jcole8882

We need Dark Night of the Scarecrow

What's wrong with the current release?