Scream Factory Blu-ray Discussion Thread

[scohenmarinetech]

When's the next sale? Figured I'd wait to buy Alone in the Dark, Elvira's Haunted Hills and Deadly Friend until then.

[BunyipPouch]

Originally Posted by scohenmarinetech

When's the next sale? Figured I'd wait to buy Alone in the Dark, Elvira's Haunted Hills and Deadly Friend until then.

October 18th or so.

Hello all! Just a heads up that our annual Shocktober Sale will be starting later than usual this year. Expect it around week of 10/18. Sorry for the delay!

[SonnybytheSea]

Originally Posted by TripleHBK

100% assuming they can get the license and that there in lies the problem. No one knows what the mindset is at Warner/New Line and so it's impossible to predict whether a set will happen or not. Most of us are of the belief that eventually a deal will be reached and we'll see a set, but no one really knows if/when that will happen. Shout Factory wants the license.. but can they get it?

All things considered the best I (or anyone) can tell you is that it's probable a set will happen eventually as it would be another MONSTER seller for Shout Factory, but if they can't obtain the license, then it's all a moot point.

Part of me wants at least a final ANOES film with Robert Englund as Freddy and basically wrap up all the loose ends of the series by bringing back Alice (Lisa Wilcox), Maggie (Lisa Zane), Lori (Monica Keena) & Will (Jason Ritter). Kind of like all the survivors of the past films come together to defeat Freddy. I even have an idea of how to bring Nancy back....

[TripleHBK]

Originally Posted by SonnybytheSea

Part of me wants at least a final ANOES film with Robert Englund as Freddy and basically wrap up all the loose ends of the series by bringing back Alice (Lisa Wilcox), Maggie (Lisa Zane), Lori (Monica Keena) & Will (Jason Ritter). Kind of like all the survivors of the past films come together to defeat Freddy. I even have an idea of how to bring Nancy back....

Englund could totally pull off one more Nightmare. Instead of making Freddy so slapsticky and physical like he became in the later films he could/should be much slower and more sinister, returning to his original film performance in many ways and the film could be used to transition the character from Englund to another actor as well similar to what they did with Leprechaun returns. (They wouldn't need another Freddy, but the story could serve as an explanation on how/why the character could change appearances.) Hell I'd be down with a direct sequel to New Nightmare. That film already explains that Freddy is/was simply an evil entity. Using the logic built in that film Freddy can/will always return unless a new story comes along to contain him and so given we're nearly 30 years out from that film I feel like it'd be an easy story to tell to restart the franchise while also tying it back to the original run.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by ravenus

[Show spoiler]The Legend of Hell House (TLOHH) is the film adaptation of the novel Hell House by Richard Matheson. Matheson's book was of course inspired by Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, which previously spawned its own influential film version, The Haunting. Talk about legacy, phew.

I haven't read the Matheson novel (at least I don't recall so), but the film (scripted by the author himself) definitely draws upon its predecessor. But while The Haunting created an atmosphere of unease in terms of shadows, noises and suggestions, being ambiguous about the supernatural element, TLOHH defiantly steps over into paranormal territory and doesn't flinch from the red stuff.

The protagonist Dr. Barrett (Clive Revill) is tasked with confirming the existence of the afterlife by an aging eccentric tycoon, and his proving ground is the Belasco mansion, which has a cursed reputation of being one of the most aggressively haunted mansions; all previous investigations have ended in tragedies. While Barrett is a physicist with interest in paranormal phenomena, he is saddled with two psychic team members, the religious-minded mental medium Florence (Pamela Franklin, between The Innocents and this one, she hasn't had much luck with isolated manors), and the physical medium Ben (Roddy McDowall, channeling a wonderful febrile energy).

Barely do they settle into the Belasco mansion that the hijinks begin - crockery goes flying, tables rattle, mirrors shatter, a black cat goes on a rampage, Barrett's wife (Gayle Hunnicut) develops nymphomaniac tendencies. Matheson and director John Gough eschew subtlety and go right for the jugular. The film is essentially powered by the excess, and so the climax almost by necessity is a little disappointing. I don't know if it works on the printed page, but on screen at least, it comes off somewhat unintentionally funny. But it's a movie that scratches a certain itch when it comes to horror.

Shout's blu-ray is sourced from an obvious dated HD master created off a print, with edge halos, somewhat clumpy grain and limited refinement in the color palette. But till a new scan/resto occurs, this is probably the best it gets. The DTS-HDMA 2.0 audio is similarly decent but underpowered (literally too, I had to raise my volume setting a few notches above normal). Extras include a half-hour interview with John Hough and an audio commentary with Pamela Franklin.

The John Hough interview (by Calum Wadell) was pretty good. The man fondly reminiscences the making of TLOHH, and regards it as a happy experience. He talks about his creative process, especially with the other crew members to create the specific look of the film. He awards special praise to Alan Hume who did a lot of handheld cam on this one. He goes on to discuss the impact the film had on his career, expressing slight regret that contemporary reviews were not as enthusiastic as retrospective ones, but it gave him the opportunity to work on the films he did with Disney. He also talks about Incubus and <ahem> Howling 4. Overall, it's a pleasant and engaging interview.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by TripleHBK

Hell I'd be down with a direct sequel to New Nightmare.

If they opened the movie with Englund New Nightmare Freddy killing Jackie Earle Haley as himself, I think audiences would be intrigued...

[The Great Owl]

All five of the Halloween 4K releases arrived in the mail from DiabolikDVD today, along with Alone in the Dark, Elvira's Haunted Hills, and Return to Salem's Lot.

Handsome packages, all of them, especially after I replaced the eco packs for Halloween III, IV, and V.

[Hellspawn28]

I hope Scream Factory will give us a Steel Box for Dead Ringers because I like that they give us new transfers for them.

[SeanJoyce]

Some of the "little guys" get forgotten when discussion tends to fixate on the big ones, but both Backcountry and Hunter Hunter are two superb survivalist horror films with simultaneously beautiful and foreboding scenery from our brothers up north.

Really pleased that Scream gave us both of these, and the original artwork beneath the slipcovers is always a welcome touch.

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

Some of the "little guys" get forgotten when discussion tends to fixate on the big ones, but both Backcountry and Hunter Hunter are two superb survivalist horror films with simultaneously beautiful and foreboding scenery from our brothers up north.

Really pleased that Scream gave us both of these, and the original artwork beneath the slipcovers is always a welcome touch.

I'm happy they release newer IFC films. Looking forward to Come True next month.

[BurningAstronaut]

Got this email about the latest Halloween shipping update:

We are getting closer to the end of the shipping process and wanted to get you some specific information about what is forecast to happen as we finish up. Almost all orders in the US will ship UPS which will mean a quick ship time and reliable tracking.

ORDERS FOR MIXED HALLOWEEN UHD WITH NO VINYL
All of these orders are forecast to ship on or before October 20.

ELVIRA AND HALLOWEEN UHD IN THE SAME ORDER
Orders with the two new release UHDs in them will be shipped by end of day October 15.

ORDERS FOR MIXED HALLOWEEN UHD WITH VINYL
We have shipped some vinyl plus UHD orders and plan to have every unit shipped on or before October 25.

We have a slight shortage of the Halloween 7" vinyl, we have opted to ship all orders regardless. Where an order ships without the vinyl, we will ship the vinyl and the black slipcase in the coming weeks.

There are no words to express our gratitude to those who have stuck with us through this process, and we are so sorry that the process has dragged on for so long.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by Hellspawn28

I hope Scream Factory will give us a Steel Box for Dead Ringers because I like that they give us new transfers for them.

It definitely needs one.

[ravenus]

Scripted by Stephen King from his own novella Cycle of the Werewolf, Silver Bullet is set in a small town where some brutal slayings are happening and panic is rife through the community. A young wheelchair-bound boy (Corey Haim) is the only one who cottons on to what is going, but he has a hard time convincing anyone to believe him, and what's the worse, the beast is on to him.

The first time I saw Silver Bullet was as a kid. From that viewing I mainly recalled only the climax where the werewolf changes back into human form after being killed, and it made a big impression at the time. Revisiting now, the movie is less impactful - it is rarely exciting from a visual standpoint, and apart from some scenes of bloodletting, it almost has a TV movie vibe (accentuated by the overuse of background score) - but it's still a decent time-pass. The actors do a good job, especially a young Corey Haim who early in his career showed great promise. I thought Everett McGill's character could have been better written

[Show spoiler]to reflect his conflicted mindset of being both a priest and a werewolf

.

Shout's blu-ray gives a good presentation of the film - it's not some poster-child for detail and sharpness and the colors may run a little hot, but it's good for a film of that vintage. The stereo sound is sturdy - dialog is clear and the bass carries presence for the score and the sound FX. Among the extras, I saw a bunch of video featurettes with actors and crew members, all of who have warm and fond memories of the film. The disc also includes multiple audio commentary tracks.

[Hellspawn28]

Is Scream Factory done with releasing 20th Century Fox titles? I'm still hoping that they will release Ghost in the Machine.

[Raven_Sky]

Any word when is the next Scream Factory’s Shocktober Sale?

[Nighthawk71]

Originally Posted by Raven_Sky

Any word when is the next Scream Factory’s Shocktober Sale?

it is sometime next week they said

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Scripted by Stephen King from his own novella Cycle of the Werewolf, Silver Bullet is set in a small town where some brutal slayings are happening and panic is rife through the community. A young wheelchair-bound boy (Corey Haim) is the only one who cottons on to what is going, but he has a hard time convincing anyone to believe him, and what's the worse, the beast is on to him.

The first time I saw Silver Bullet was as a kid. From that viewing I mainly recalled only the climax where the werewolf changes back into human form after being killed, and it made a big impression at the time. Revisiting now, the movie is less impactful - it is rarely exciting from a visual standpoint, and apart from some scenes of bloodletting, it almost has a TV movie vibe (accentuated by the overuse of background score) - but it's still a decent time-pass. The actors do a good job, especially a young Corey Haim who early in his career showed great promise. I thought Everett McGill's character could have been better written

[Show spoiler]to reflect his conflicted mindset of being both a priest and a werewolf

.

Shout's blu-ray gives a good presentation of the film - it's not some poster-child for detail and sharpness and the colors may run a little hot, but it's good for a film of that vintage. The stereo sound is sturdy - dialog is clear and the bass carries presence for the score and the sound FX. Among the extras, I saw a bunch of video featurettes with actors and crew members, all of who have warm and fond memories of the film. The disc also includes multiple audio commentary tracks.

If you haven't already, listen to the commentary track with director Daniel Attias. It's excellent.

[Luke Dodge748]

My copy of Deadly Friend arrived today! Can't wait to get home and watch it. This will keep me from watching Halloween Kills at home; I would rather see it in theaters an support them.

This year is just a ridiculous year for bluray/physical media for me personally. I'm sure a lot of you feel the same way...

[Starman22]

Originally Posted by Hellspawn28

Is Scream Factory done with releasing 20th Century Fox titles? I'm still hoping that they will release Ghost in the Machine.

I'm thinking same thing and now Disney owns 20th Century Fox titles.

[u2popmofo]

Yay, my Halloween 4KUHD preorders finally arrived from SF.