Dark Force Entertainment Discussion Thread

[frakking toaster]

I have an actual Dark Force related question. I haven't seen anybody post about the Cop Killers drive in blu. How is the quality on that and are the movies on it any good?

[LordSummerIsle]

Originally Posted by cloudnine

It's not scalping but it's unethical. No other labels have ever done it.

Very unethical. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[slasherdisc]

What the hell does 'Shilling' even mean?? lol

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by slasherdisc

What the hell does 'Shilling' even mean?? lol

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shill

[miribeau]

Originally Posted by frakking toaster

I have an actual Dark Force related question. I haven't seen anybody post about the Cop Killers drive in blu. How is the quality on that and are the movies on it any good?

My copy hasn't arrived yet but if you ask again in a week, I'll check it for you and let you know.

Originally Posted by zbinks

So... you're effectively calling Dark Force a scalper?

Originally Posted by zbinks

I wouldn't have even mentioned it, but I was more than a little surprised to see Ruined, of all people, seemingly throw the Dark Forces under the bus with his definition of scalping.

Ruined would probably (and rightly, I might add) make a case that Code Red's price probably doesn't include s/h, but that should be ~$5.00 according to the Facebook live feeds. That would still leave a ~$15.00 markup unaccounted for.

He specifically said it is not possible to scalp your own product so I don't think he was calling DF a scalper. Right now, DF is selling Bill's titles, for him, because he is ill and doesn't have a new store set up, one that works anyway. So, what looks like DF selling CR at a higher prices is actually CR selling at a higher price, having added in a commission to cover the time and energy of the other company, in selling and shipping out that product.

In other words, since Bill and DD made a deal for DF to sell those titles, I don't think it ever falls away from a seller selling his own product and, therefore, cannot be considered scalping.

[Antemasque]

My ban earlier seems tame compared to the shit going on here.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by zbinks

I wouldn't have even mentioned it, but I was more than a little surprised to see Ruined, of all people, seemingly throw the Dark Forces under the bus with his definition of scalping.



Ruined would probably (and rightly, I might add) make a case that Code Red's price probably doesn't include s/h, but that should be ~$5.00 according to the Facebook live feeds. That would still leave a ~$15.00 markup unaccounted for.

The problem with that is that Dark Force and Code Red have a close business partnership to the extent that Dark Force has released several Code Red titles - while not the same company (yet) its close enough.

[miribeau]

Originally Posted by Ruined

The problem with that is that Dark Force and Code Red have a close business partnership to the extent that Dark Force has released several Code Red titles - while not the same company (yet) its close enough.

I'd like to see them expand on that. With Bill's health, I'd like to see DF take over his inventory, at his request, and sell it off, so he can see those profits and stop worrying so much about all that inventory just sitting there, which is not healthy for him. Also, people seeking CR titles would be sucked into buying DF titles they had not been aware of, which means more money for DF to put out things I want to see like MM I.

I know no-one will ever do the RVO Angel Quadrilogy (Angel I, II, III and Jailbait, Angel IV was unrelated) but there are so many great films and too few labels to put them all out.

[dawnofthediscs]

DISGUSTING

It's gross that people will defend this behavior.

From the DF FB:

"LOOK WHAT COINCIDENTALLY JUST TURNED UP ON EBAY OF ALL PLACES???
See the prices at the new Dark Force Superstore are so good that you too could have a chance to make back 3 times your money on our titles. And you'll have another chance very soon as we announce more hot rare OOP titles coming into the Dark Force Superstore. Don't miss it!! We carry the best and most valuable in cult home video"

[Member-222782]

Dark Force is really just a middleman for the marked up goods racket, ambulance chasers. That was their intention all along. The occasional new Blu-ray release, like Mirror Mirror II, is just a front. Best to steer clear.

[nitin]

Originally Posted by dawnofthediscs

DISGUSTING

It's gross that people will defend this behavior.

From the DF FB:

"LOOK WHAT COINCIDENTALLY JUST TURNED UP ON EBAY OF ALL PLACES???
See the prices at the new Dark Force Superstore are so good that you too could have a chance to make back 3 times your money on our titles. And you'll have another chance very soon as we announce more hot rare OOP titles coming into the Dark Force Superstore. Don't miss it!! We carry the best and most valuable in cult home video"

I await miribeau/Ruined’s defence of how Dark Force and Code Red are in it for the customer and do everything in their power to stop scalping (but not by scalping their own products of course).

I also look forward to Ruined and miribeau’s posts trying to look decidedly different but failing.

[dawnofthediscs]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

Dark Force is really just a middleman for the marked up goods racket, ambulance chasers. That was their intention all along. The occasional new Blu-ray release, like Mirror Mirror II, is just a front. Best to steer clear.

the occasional mediocre Blu-ray release.

[miribeau]

Originally Posted by dawnofthediscs

DISGUSTING

It's gross that people will defend this behavior.

From the DF FB:

"LOOK WHAT COINCIDENTALLY JUST TURNED UP ON EBAY OF ALL PLACES???
See the prices at the new Dark Force Superstore are so good that you too could have a chance to make back 3 times your money on our titles. And you'll have another chance very soon as we announce more hot rare OOP titles coming into the Dark Force Superstore. Don't miss it!! We carry the best and most valuable in cult home video"

Both of the ones that just showed up on ebay are in the stores of professional scalpers. They sell limiteds from Severin and Code Red and others. One of them has a Synapse steelbook for over 100.

This is what happens when a release is limited. The 40 per unit that could go to CR on this will, instead, be around 100 or 130, going to some guy in New York and another in San Francisco and who knows how many others. Money on the floor always makes me sad. That is money that could be financing new releases but, instead, will pay for who knows what.

Originally Posted by dawnofthediscs

the occasional mediocre Blu-ray release.

MM II looked awesome. You don't have to love Roddy as much as I do, but there is something wrong with anyone who doesn't at least like him.

[Dark Force]

Originally Posted by Ruined

How exactly can the label with the rights "scalp" the product? They bought the right to resell the title. If they want to charge $1, they can charge $1. If they want to charge $1000, they can do that, too. So a label "scalping" their own product is in actuality impossible; they are setting the official price and they can set it for whatever they want.

"A limited edition set with bells and whistles" is just a way to make you feel excited about paying a higher price for packaging materials that cost a fraction of the price difference.

My point is, labels have different ways to extract money from you. Code Red plays games with prices. Other companies charge large amounts for cardboard boxes and steelbooks that cost $1 to make. You just happen to like the latter way better, but both are simply ways to maximize profits.

Protip: buy Code Red titles when they come out at normal price, so one isn't stuck paying higher prices down the road.

This is exactly correct. It is impossible for a label to scalp their own product. This stuff is like stocks, they can go up or down and we can either make profits or even lose money. No one is complaining if the movie drops way down in value so that we lose money but yet if it goes up in value they are in arms. Once again Ruined makes total sense here.

[cropduster]

Originally Posted by cloudnine

It's not scalping but it's unethical. No other labels have ever done it.

Didn't Arrow scalp some copies of their Limited Edition UK release of Deep Red on ebay and at conventions for $100 after Arrow had announced it was completely sold out? Not sure if true but I do remember reading about it somewhere.

For a while, Unearthed Films sold copies of their OOP release of Rock and Rule for $40 on their website. The film's MSRP was $29.95(around $20 actual price).

[Dark Force]

Originally Posted by cropduster

Didn't Arrow scalp some copies of their Limited Edition UK release of Deep Red on ebay and at conventions for $100 after Arrow had announced it was completely sold out? Not sure if true but I do remember reading about it somewhere.

For a while, Unearthed Films sold copies of their OOP release of Rock and Rule for $40 on their website. The film's MSRP was $29.95(around $20 actual price).

Wouldn't surprise me but everyone seems to forget that we had not choice on the pricing for Butcher Baker because we were not able to get it for the usual wholesale prices due to it's limited inventory and obviously high value on ebay. In fact, we were lucky to get any at all and figured at least we could sell some to the fans and still way less than the inflated ebay ones.

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by Dark Force

This is exactly correct. It is impossible for a label to scalp their own product. This stuff is like stocks, they can go up or down and we can either make profits or even lose money. No one is complaining if the movie drops way down in value so that we lose money but yet if it goes up in value they are in arms. Once again Ruined makes total sense here.

So you got into the home video business hoping to make gobs of money by creating artificial demand? Noice.. Another reason not to support you.

[miribeau]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

So you got into the home video business hoping to make gobs of money by creating artificial demand? Noice.. Another reason not to support you.

Creating an artificial demand is quite literally the purpose of all business. If there is no creation of demand, no one will buy anything. Even in the food industry, anything beyond subsistence level nutrition is the result of the creation of an artificial, or not pre-existing, demand.

I hope all labels are able to create demand, even ones I don't like, even price-gouging Shout Factory, if it is good for the physical media market.

[frakking toaster]

Originally Posted by Dark Force

This is exactly correct. It is impossible for a label to scalp their own product. This stuff is like stocks, they can go up or down and we can either make profits or even lose money. No one is complaining if the movie drops way down in value so that we lose money but yet if it goes up in value they are in arms. Once again Ruined makes total sense here.

But you're not the original label so technically you're scalping it. Plus the only reason the prices have gone up on secondary sites is because Bill lied and said it was completely sold out, which obviously bull since he still has boxes of them. Bill took Necromancy off the market cause 5 people complained about it and now he's allowing you to scalp it. Call it what you want but you are now a SCALPER.

[dawnofthediscs]

I'll bet ol' Davey DeFalco and his flabby old titty muscles $1,000 cash that a CRATE of Butcher Baker Blu-rays show up at a popular retailer within the next month for $29.99