Kino Lorber Studio Classics

[spawningblue]

Originally Posted by Zygmunt22

Speaking of potential future MGM deals...looks like Olive's MGM license is no more. They seemed to have removed their MGM titles from their site, and they're mostly out of stock or with low stock numbers at Amazon.

Would love to see Kino take a second crack at some of these that only had barebones treatment.

I'd love to see Kino stacked editions of Foxy Brown, Coffy, Friday Foster, Slaughter, Black Caesar, Hammer, It! The Terror From Beyond Space, The Last American Virgin, Ski School, Zapped!, Thrashin', Messenger of Death, Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects, Firewalker, Stone Cold, Mannequin 1+2, Class, and so many more!

Hell, for some of these I would just be happy to have the original DVD extras (Even if just the theatrical trailer) and original artwork. Many of these are pretty big cult classics that had stacked editions released elsewhere around the world and we unfortunately were stuck with Olive's barebones releases.

[AnthonyGG]

Perhaps this new Sony deal will lead to another next year and we can finally get SLC Punk on blu hint hint Kino

[Thomas Veil]

Originally Posted by spawningblue

I'd love to see Kino stacked editions of Foxy Brown, Coffy, Friday Foster, Slaughter, Black Caesar, Hammer, It! The Terror From Beyond Space, The Last American Virgin, Ski School, Zapped!, Thrashin', Messenger of Death, Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects, Firewalker, Stone Cold, Mannequin 1+2, Class, and so many more!

Hell, for some of these I would just be happy to have the original DVD extras (Even if just the theatrical trailer) and original artwork. Many of these are pretty big cult classics that had stacked editions released elsewhere around the world and we unfortunately were stuck with Olive's barebones releases.

No offense to Kino but would rather VS get stuff like Coffy & Foxy Brown. The packaging would be sweet. We'll see if anyone can get these...depends on Amazon. I just picked up a few titles I had procrastinated on just in case from Best Buy.

[SeanJoyce]

Originally Posted by spawningblue

I'd love to see Kino stacked editions of Foxy Brown, Coffy, Friday Foster, Slaughter, Black Caesar, Hammer, It! The Terror From Beyond Space, The Last American Virgin, Ski School, Zapped!, Thrashin', Messenger of Death, Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects, Firewalker, Stone Cold, Mannequin 1+2, Class, and so many more!

Stone Cold deserves the red carpet VS treatment...would pair excellently with their release of Savage Dawn.

If only somebody can get Beyond the Law out there.

[NeilZ]

Originally Posted by Beckford

I also would pounce on a good quality Blu-ray of "Algiers". Hedy Lamarr is wonderful in it. And Gene Lockhart was deservedly Oscar nominated for great supporting work. Even more exciting would be a nice looking Blu of "Ecstasy", That's the 1933 Czech film that first made Lamarr famous. When the picture's mentioned now it's usually in reference to the sexual candor and brief nudity that made it notorious in its day. But it's actually a fine film beautifully photographed and sensitively realized by all concerned. There's very little dialogue; the thing almost registers as a silent - a very good one. I believe a European film festival a couple of seasons ago was promising a newly restored print. So maybe we might see a topnotch Blu-ray yet.

Yes to all of the above!

[mja345]

Via the Kino/Scorpion BD, I gave a watch to Tom Gries’ compelling, obscure 1969 sports drama “Number One”, starring Charlton Heston, Jessica Walter, Bruce Dern, Diana Muldaur and John Randolph. Heston plays 15-year veteran quarterback Ron “Cat” Catlan, nearing his 40th birthday (or as Tom Brady would call it, “the beginning of your football prime") and the end of his storied career with the New Orleans Saints. Cat’s not dealing with the impending end of his playing career well, as he is reluctant to help possible replacements and begins aggressively pursuing boozy nights and extra-marital affairs.

The most fun aspect of the film is seeing Heston (46 years old at the time) embody this once-great, always-proud athlete and really focus on the most boorish, assholish elements of the character. Cat is what one could charitably call a bit of a neanderthal. His sweet fashion-designer wife (Jessica Walter) attempts to present Cat with some possibilities for his post-playing career, but Cat often responds to her as if she’s offering him a colonoscopy. Cat is the classic guy who treats his wife like absolute shit, but expects her to be absolutely giddy when he walks in the door. He’s also feeling increasingly alienated from his former teammate and friend (Bruce Dern), who has retired and moved onto becoming a successful businessman. There is a priceless scene in which Dern hosts a prototypical “Far out, maaaaannnnn” late 60s party, where he wears a pair of John Lennon-style glasses and lustily gazes at the hippie women dancing on top of tables. There are also several instances where Heston gets hit with terms like “Daddy-O” and “Daddy Cat” by his younger teammates. Let's bring back the term "Daddy-O". Our culture badly needs that.

Cat’s restlessness leads him into an affair with a beautiful younger woman (Diana Muldaur), which leads to perhaps the funniest scene in the film. Heston returns from having sex with Muldaur, only to find Walter’s flamboyantly gay assistant giving her a back massage. Cat proceeds to assault the assistant and go on an incredible tirade, then tells Walter that he just banged another woman, then says he expects more from her in the sack. Ol’ Cat for Husband of the Year! The remainder of the film deals with Cat’s deliberation whether to play again or not, his disputes with his head coach (John Randolph), and features a stunningly somber conclusion.

“Number One” is far from a hidden masterpiece, but is a really fascinating curio featuring a strange mix of genres. The sports component is more than adequately handled, allowing Heston a pretty wide berth to explore Cat’s conflicted psyche. Heston, although slightly miscast, puts forth his usual highly entertaining rigid machismo, which suits the character of a 15-year veteran quarterback on the verge of retirement. In reading a bit about the film, apparently Heston was not particularly competent at throwing a football. They largely conceal his throwing motion, but, from what I saw, we’re looking at a sub-30 completion percentage. “Number One” is an entertaining time capsule of when sports dramas were a little grittier as opposed to the polished and uplifting ones we see today. I definitely recommend picking this one up in a sale.

[SkinnyTwist]

Originally Posted by spawningblue

I'd love to see Kino stacked editions of Foxy Brown, Coffy, Friday Foster, Slaughter, Black Caesar, Hammer, It! The Terror From Beyond Space, The Last American Virgin, Ski School, Zapped!, Thrashin', Messenger of Death, Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects, Firewalker, Stone Cold, Mannequin 1+2, Class, and so many more!

I wouldn't hold my breath for the blaxploitation titles. It's been noted that the genre didn't perform well for KL, sadly. I missed out on a boatload of that stuff because I came to the table too late (especially regretting missing "Across 110th Street".) I saw most of that stuff in their theatrical runs and have a good deal of it on DVD, but would cherish having Blu-rays. But maybe used copies will surface at a fair price.

[SkinnyTwist]

Originally Posted by mja345

Via the Kino/Scorpion BD, I gave a watch to Tom Gries’ compelling, obscure 1969 sports drama “Number One”, starring Charlton Heston, Jessica Walter, Bruce Dern, Diana Muldaur and John Randolph. [...] I definitely recommend picking this one up in a sale.

Thanks for this great review. I saw this film some time back and found it too dry for my taste, but after reading your take, I suddenly feel the need to give it another spin and maybe even buy it (when it appears in one of the big sales, natch!)

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by SkinnyTwist

I wouldn't hold my breath for the blaxploitation titles. It's been noted that the genre didn't perform well for KL, sadly. I missed out on a boatload of that stuff because I came to the table too late (especially regretting missing "Across 110th Street".) I saw most of that stuff in their theatrical runs and have a good deal of it on DVD, but would cherish having Blu-rays. But maybe used copies will surface at a fair price.

Most likely, but maybe they will try again with titles like Coffy, Foxy Brown, or Friday Foster, since it has Pam Grier, who is a bigger star than most of the blaxploitation stuff KL has released.

As for Across 110th Street, Imprint is releasing it.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by mja345

There are also several instances where Heston gets hit with terms like “Daddy-O” and “Daddy Cat” by his younger teammates. Let's bring back the term "Daddy-O". Our culture badly needs that.

Well he loved playing bastards, but even more than that, the film's a key part of his move from the Mr Epic era to the Chucky Baby years when he would become the king of swingin' cool, whether it's telling teenage apes to never trust anyone over thirty or setting out his stall as a major fashion icon, teaching Roger Moore how to rock a safari suit



showing Austin Powers how the velvet dinner jacket look is done



and doing more for aviator shades than Tom Cruise could dream of:



Chucky Baby was always ahead of the curve with the happening looks and the hippest jive. And... is that a fashionably distressed reinvention of the Ascot I see before me?

[seagal]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Well he loved playing bastards, but even more than that, the film's a key part of his move from the Mr Epic era to the Chucky Baby years when he would become the king of swingin' cool, whether it's telling teenage apes to never trust anyone over thirty or setting out his stall as a major fashion icon, teaching Roger Moore how to rock a safari suit



showing Austin Powers how the velvet dinner jacket look is done



and doing more for aviator shades than Tom Cruise could dream of:



Chucky Baby was always ahead of the curve with the happening looks and the hippest jive. And... is that a fashionably distressed reinvention of the Ascot I see before me?

That reminds me of "Skyjacked" with Heston, a movie I like to see getting the blu-ray treatment but it´s with Warner.

[Guy LeDouche]

First sale order.



I'm a sucker for lots of bonus content, any recommendations in that regard?

[bonehica]

Had to restrain myself this sale. Grabbed these:

[Beckford]

Just ordered three titles to be shipped to Canada:



"The Black Marble"(1980) wasn't even on my radar till I read the great review from mja345 (post #67404). Love Paula Prentiss and I always thought Robert Foxworth was under-rated. So I'm in.
Didn''t even know that a Blu-ray of Antonioni's fascinating "I Vinti"/The Vanquished(1953) was available from Kino. When I saw it on the list I grabbed it immediately.
My third pick was a DVD set, "British Noir Collection II". Mainly for "The Interrupted Journey"(1949) with Richard Todd and Valerie Hobson. It's great. Just wish it were available in Blu. Already have a standalone Blu of the excellent "Cosh Boy", which is also in the set. The other titles in the collection, none of which I've seen, all look fairly promising.

[Beckford]

Just ordered three titles to be shipped to Canada:



Couldn't manage to upload an image for my third choice. Kept getting some sort of Peter Rabbit tiltle.

"The Black Marble"(1980) wasn't even on my radar till I read the great review from mja345 (post #67404). Love Paula Prentiss and I always thought Robert Foxworth was under-rated. So I'm in.
Didn''t even know that a Blu-ray of Antonioni's fascinating "I Vinti"/The Vanquished(1953) was available from Kino. When I saw it on the list I grabbed it immediately.
My third pick was a DVD set, "British Noir Collection II". Mainly for "The Interrupted Journey"(1949) with Richard Todd and Valerie Hobson. It's great. Just wish it were available in Blu. Already have a standalone Blu of the excellent "Cosh Boy", which is also in the set. The other titles in the collection, none of which I've seen, all look fairly promising.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by Beckford

Just ordered three titles to be shipped to Canada:


"The Black Marble"(1980) wasn't even on my radar till I read the great review from mja345 (post #67404). Love Paula Prentiss and I always thought Robert Foxworth was under-rated. So I'm in.
Didn''t even know that a Blu-ray of Antonioni's fascinating "I Vinti"/The Vanquished(1953) was available from Kino. When I saw it on the list I grabbed it immediately.
My third pick was a DVD set, "British Noir Collection II". Mainly for "The Interrupted Journey"(1949) with Richard Todd and Valerie Hobson. It's great. Just wish it were available in Blu. Already have a standalone Blu of the excellent "Cosh Boy", which is also in the set. The other titles in the collection, none of which I've seen, all look fairly promising.

That's some bizarre cover art they're using for the British Noir Collection.

[MifuneFan]

You have to use DVD tags instead of BD for DVD's.

[dvd]200226[/dvd]

[Thomas Veil]

Originally Posted by SkinnyTwist

I wouldn't hold my breath for the blaxploitation titles. It's been noted that the genre didn't perform well for KL, sadly. I missed out on a boatload of that stuff because I came to the table too late (especially regretting missing "Across 110th Street".) I saw most of that stuff in their theatrical runs and have a good deal of it on DVD, but would cherish having Blu-rays. But maybe used copies will surface at a fair price.

This is true but since then I have seen a lot more interest in it. I just think at least some of the bigger ones would sell better now. I know for one I was late to the party.

[brainofj72]

Wound up going pretty small with this sale. Grabbed these (plus a few gifts for friends):



Also, I know this is esoteric but I keep checking every sale to see if the Arnold Fanck DVDs (SOS Iceberg and Storm Over Mont Blanc) drop in price, and they just never seem to. Oh well...I'll check again next sale.

[Zygmunt22]

Originally Posted by Thomas Veil

This is true but since then I have seen a lot more interest in it. I just think at least some of the bigger ones would sell better now. I know for one I was late to the party.

Even if Kino didn't grab them, I'm sure someone would double dip on those blaxploitation titles. MVD, Scorpion, etc.