Night of the Living Dead Blu-ray Releases

[RandyK]

Originally Posted by HonestJohn

Honestly I gave up hope. Now this is something George could make some money with .... Can he get a Copyright on this and get back his film? Sorta ...kinda ...

I think Severin said the reason I they couldn't include the international version of Castle of Blood on their release of Nightmare Castle was because some of the scenes in that cut were owned by a different company than who owned the US cut. So it seems possible that he could either copyright those scenes or maybe copyright the whole cut as "The Extended Cut" or something, similar to the Director's Cut of Nightbreed.

[dvdmike]

OK need to see that new version, plus that would not be public domain

[filmo70]

Originally Posted by RandyK

So it seems possible that he could either copyright those scenes or maybe copyright the whole cut as "The Extended Cut" or something, similar to the Director's Cut of Nightbreed.

If they are doing a new transfer they can just copyright the new transfer.

[HonestJohn]

Originally Posted by RandyK

I think Severin said the reason I they couldn't include the international version of Castle of Blood on their release of Nightmare Castle was because some of the scenes in that cut were owned by a different company than who owned the US cut. So it seems possible that he could either copyright those scenes or maybe copyright the whole cut as "The Extended Cut" or something, similar to the Director's Cut of Nightbreed.

Thanks, and yeah that's where I was headed with my post. Copyright it as an Extended Cut to finally lock this thing down. He could copyright the transfer as well I suppose as filmo70 said. Don't know which ones better or if it makes a difference. If I were George, I'd be doing backflips at the possibilities. I know I am ...


Edit: Been trying to dig up more info on this, but can't find any. Anyone else have any luck?

[OneWayFilms]

Which is the BEST American version that also includes the colorized version?

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by OneWayFilms

Which is the BEST American version that also includes the colorized version?

The BEST version is the Japanese disc, which is Region A. Why would you want to subject yourself to a colorized version?

[AmishParadise]

This title has been absent from my Blu-ray collection for far too long. :-P Ordered the Japanese version from CDJapan here as many others have done. Should arrive in 3-6 days. Looking forward to it.

[HonestJohn]

Originally Posted by OneWayFilms

Which is the BEST American version that also includes the colorized version?

There is none. (Blu-ray)

[dubious]

Originally Posted by filmo70

If they are doing a new transfer they can just copyright the new transfer.

I don't think that's how it works... but I'd like some enlightenment on the subject. Like any recorded image, once it exists, it doesn't matter how it's distributed or maintained, the key unique imagery is the subject of the copyright, not the media format.

If you mean they are doing a new transfer, since no copyright record exists (expired or not) for the missing 9-minute segment, that portion could be copyrighted and exclusive.

[Professor Echo]

I watched the Japanese version last Halloween and loved it. It was better than any other time I had ever seen the film, including being projected in 16mm and 35mm. The only thing I missed were having extras, particularly the trailer, which is hilariously over the top.

If it's still at a reasonable price from Japan, why deprive yourself and wait for a PERFECT release from somewhere else that may never materialize? Enjoy it now and then double dip if a nicer version comes along at some point.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by OneWayFilms

Which is the BEST American version that also includes the colorized version?

The best version is the one without the colorized version.

[Bob Kramer]

Originally Posted by OneWayFilms

Which is the BEST American version that also includes the colorized version?

Japanese disc costs about $15, including shipping. Might as well pick up the Japanese disc of Man Who Fell To Earth while you're at it (if you don't have the OOP Criterion). 30 bucks total!

[Bob Kramer]

Originally Posted by dubious

I don't think that's how it works... but I'd like some enlightenment on the subject. Like any recorded image, once it exists, it doesn't matter how it's distributed or maintained, the key unique imagery is the subject of the copyright, not the media format.

If you mean they are doing a new transfer, since no copyright record exists (expired or not) for the missing 9-minute segment, that portion could be copyrighted and exclusive.

Restorations are/can be copyrighted. Lots of old newspaper comics in the public domain are, in their reprinted and restored form, owned by the publishers or whoever did the restorations. Oddly though, in those cases, they often cannot use the names of the original strips! So Krazy Kat has to be reprinted under the name Krazy & Ignatz; Gasoline Alley under the name Walt & Skeezix, etc.

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by AmishParadise

This title has been absent from my Blu-ray collection for far too long. :-P Ordered the Japanese version from CDJapan here as many others have done. Should arrive in 3-6 days. Looking forward to it.

Don't forget to use the points you receive for registering on your order.

[dubious]

Originally Posted by Bob Kramer

Restorations are/can be copyrighted. Lots of old newspaper comics in the public domain are, in their reprinted and restored form, owned by the publishers or whoever did the restorations. Oddly though, in those cases, they often cannot use the names of the original strips! So Krazy Kat has to be reprinted under the name Krazy & Ignatz; Gasoline Alley under the name Walt & Skeezix, etc.

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com...put-on-hiatus/

“Technically we have not ended the series and hope to somehow continue it. Sales are not a problem, but rather Tribune Media. They are threatening to sue us if we continue, despite the fact that, according to our lawyer, the material we are reprinting has lapsed in copyright. Even though the law appears to be on our side, we cannot afford to go into any lawsuit against a large corporation. We’ll wait and see…

Thanks for your interest and support,
—
Chris Oliveros
Drawn & Quarterly”

This article at least seems to suggest the Walt&Skeezix reprints were shutdown because they didn't have the copyright holder's permission, and were publishing their versions on the grounds of it being in the public domain. In other words, anyone else could acquire a Walt&Skeezix reprint, scan it, and legally reprint and sell their own prints (if it is public domain).

[Bob Kramer]

Originally Posted by dubious

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com...put-on-hiatus/



This article at least seems to suggest the Walt&Skeezix reprints were shutdown because they didn't have the copyright holder's permission, and were publishing their versions on the grounds of it being in the public domain. In other words, anyone else could acquire a Walt&Skeezix reprint, scan it, and legally reprint and sell their own prints (if it is public domain).

You may be right, I don't know. There have been new volumes since that article, and another new volume is appearing in November. Would be interesting to find out how this sort of situation is handled in film.

[dubious]

Originally Posted by Bob Kramer

You may be right, I don't know. There have been new volumes since that article, and another new volume is appearing in November. Would be interesting to find out how this sort of situation is handled in film.

Off-topic, but an interesting tidbit I took away from a TCM documentary a few weeks ago was that in the early days of copyright, film was not a legally recognized medium for submission, so studios would print the 35mm reel onto strips of photo-paper. For film archivists, this has been a treasure trove for preserving some lost films as these paper backups made excellent archive elements compared to their highly voilatile nitrate film negatives.

Unfortunately, studios at the time, wanting to save a few bucks, usually didn't submit the entirety of the film to the copyright office. They picked only a few key portions of the film and printed those segments out for copyright submission. Therefore, some of the lost films out there do still survive with short excerpts sourced from these photo-paper archive submissions due to their longevity.

e2a: The name of the documentary is Fragments: Surviving Pieces of Lost Films if my googling was right.

[NoirFan]

If I'm able, I'll ask Romero about the possibility of a Blu-ray with the newly discovered footage at Rock and Shock next weekend.


Edit: Obviously with Scorsese supervising a restoration there will be a BD eventually, but maybe Romero can give me a specific tidbit or two.

[Jar Jar Stinks]

Which HD cut is on YouTube and how does it compare to the Blu-ray?

[RandyK]

With Scorsese supervising the new restoration, I would think Criterion would be the leading contender for a potential new release. I'm assuming they have a pretty good relationship.