Razorback (1984) - Scream Factory - March 14, 2023

[cakefactory]

For reference here's what they have to compete with for those of us who imported it:



New 4K Transfer
Audio commentary with director Russell Mulcahy and Shayne Armstrong
Audio interview with actor Gregory Harrison (30 Minutes)
JAWS ON TROTTERS: Featuring interviews with director Russell Mulcahy, producer Hal McElroy, Razorback creator Bob McCarron, composer Iva Davies and cast Judy Morris and Chris Haywood. (73 Minutes)
Extended interviews with cast and crew from Mark Hartley’s NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD (84 minutes)
Grisly deleted scenes with new optional audio commentary (2 minutes 30 seconds)
RAZORBACK: THE VHS CUT – the original uncut 4:3 Australian home video version
Theatrical trailer
VHS trailer
A CERTAIN PIGGISH NATURE: Looking Back at Razorback
Image gallery

Here's a good review with a LOT of screenshots:

https://dawnofthediscs.wordpress.com...nment-blu-ray/


I had this version too, it was the 1080i version with an older transfer and fewer extras.



I will say I like this cover art more.

[starsteam]

When it comes to Warner titles are they stuck with what Warner provides them (like Paramount) or are they free to source elsewhere?

[eddyw78]

There is a French BD of this too with what look like the same extras as the Australian release. Does this use the same 4k transfer also?

[DaylightsEnd]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

Sloooooooowly but shirley those Warner Archive upgrades are coming our way. Can we get The Pack next, please? It's the only really good killer dog movie other than Cujo.

I'm kinda partial to The Breed (2006).

And Hell yeah, Cujo on 4k uhd is a big priority for my library....

I have the remastered Razorback Umbrella blu. Since Razorback already has a newer 4k scan floating around and remastered blus, it gives me pause to wait for an almost inevitable 4k uhd......I've really tried to stop buying standard blu's with 4k remasters, unless a future 4k uhd would be almost impossible.

[Kakihara]

I'll hold on to my Umbrella BD but cool for those that don't have it yet.

[Bobbyjoe766]

Great little movie about a real porker - not that shite from '95, with the little pig.

I have both Australian Blu-rays and the old DVD. I'll pass on this - unless the snipped graphic bits have been found? The old sh*tty 4:3 R-rated VHS won't cut it for me.

I'll wait for a 4K release. Even if it's still missing the gory trims.

[Marv Inc.]

Originally Posted by starsteam

When it comes to Warner titles are they stuck with what Warner provides them (like Paramount) or are they free to source elsewhere?

I think it comes down to budget and interest. When Arrow licensed Candyman from Universal they took it upon themselves to try and find the uncut material.

[Jerry_Dam]

Originally Posted by eddyw78

There is a French BD of this too with what look like the same extras as the Australian release. Does this use the same 4k transfer also?

I believe so.

[Big-D]

Benny and Dicko, now there's a pair of unforgettable characters. In fact, they're bigger monsters than the actual Razorback.

Two psychopaths roaming around the outback, torturing, raping, killing people and animals and this was before Wolf Creek.

"Wakey Wakey, hands off Snakey."

[Bobbyjoe766]

Originally Posted by Big-D

Benny and Dicko, now there's a pair of unforgettable characters. In fact, they're bigger monsters than the actual Razorback.

Two psychopaths roaming around the outback, torturing, raping, killing people and animals and this was before Wolf Creek.

"Wakey Wakey, hands off Snakey."

Like Quint, from JAWS, they were as much a danger as the beast.

[Show spoiler]RAZORBACK, also showed people being dropped down mine shafts before it became fashionable in South Australia's Coober Pedy.

[LanceL]

Have been looking at the Umbrella release. Will wait till there are reviews to see which is best.

[starsteam]

Originally Posted by Marv Inc.

I think it comes down to budget and interest. When Arrow licensed Candyman from Universal they took it upon themselves to try and find the uncut material.

Yeah but that's Universal. They and MGM seems less strict than other studios when it comes to licensing. Paramount wouldn't let Shout get the uncut version of Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell because they didn't have it themselves. Same goes for numerous dated transfers of theirs that had new scans by labels in other countries. I just can't remember if Warner is that strict or not.

[StrayButler91]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

Since this was an Aussie production, would it be safe to assume that elements for any excised footage might be located in Australia?

It depends on the production companies and investors involved, the facilities used for developing and processing the film elements, and the post-production houses in general for editing, sound, duplication, etc. Then it depends on where the film elements were stored and whether or not prints with extended footage ever left Australia. I mean, the uncut Psycho was created from a German print. I recall hearing stories about extended prints for films being simply lost when they were supplied to distributors due to poor archival practices.

[Marv Inc.]

Originally Posted by starsteam

Yeah but that's Universal. They and MGM seems less strict than other studios when it comes to licensing. Paramount wouldn't let Shout get the uncut version of Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell because they didn't have it themselves. Same goes for numerous dated transfers of theirs that had new scans by labels in other countries. I just can't remember if Warner is that strict or not.

I suppose it depends on the contract. If the contract requires you to use the supplied master then that's final. I'd imagine Warner are probably rather strict since they didn't allow Scream to make new discs of Freddy vs. Jason and the Friday reboot for their boxset.

[Surge92]

Originally Posted by eddyw78

There is a French BD of this too with what look like the same extras as the Australian release. Does this use the same 4k transfer also?

Yes, I have both.

[Rayjg]

I have the WAC DVD and the two Aussie Blu-rays and I barely even like the film! So of course I’ll pick this release up too.

[critterdvd]

I just ordered the WAC Dvd last month! Haha

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by critterdvd

I just ordered the WAC Dvd last month! Haha

Thank you!

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

Since this was an Aussie production, would it be safe to assume that elements for any excised footage might be located in Australia? Warner was just a distributor, no?

Originally Posted by StrayButler91

It depends on the production companies and investors involved, the facilities used for developing and processing the film elements, and the post-production houses in general for editing, sound, duplication, etc. Then it depends on where the film elements were stored and whether or not prints with extended footage ever left Australia. I recall hearing stories about extended prints for films being simply lost when they were supplied to distributors due to poor archival practices.

Several Australian films back in the day had distributors with little-to-no funding (or incentive) to do much with their product, other than getting titles out for theater/TV and video to stay afloat. Most distributors, film labs and storage facilities discarded original film and audio elements after making release prints and/or IPs for archival purposes. Some distributors made edits on certain films for a lower rating certificate (read ticket sales, moolah) directly on the negatives. Some high profile directors and film funding groups did make efforts to preserve original elements or OCNs for future/export market purposes, but there were far few in-between that did and most had no money or very little left to even get the title out to theaters or overseas markets.

In the case of Razorback, the OCN edits Aussie distributor Greater Union did were carried over to the IP and new prints made from it. The cut OCN is believed to be long lost or discarded, but in some podcast for the Umbrella release it was theorized the OCN possibly got sent to Warner, as they got distribution rights for various territories and made IPs and dupes form it.

However, there were also rumors of an uncut dupe neg that was sent over to Toho-Towa for the subbed Japanese theatrical release. Russell Mulcahy mentioned this in an interview as he once believed the Japanese VHS and LD were of this version, before discovering they were based on the version from Warner.

As to the Aussie VHS release being uncut, that was made from the uncut dupe before it supposedly got shipped to Japan. Unforninutely, on top of being a messy analog PAL master it was permanently butchered to pan and scan ratio.

Unless their distribution rights expired, this may possibly be licensed from Warner. Probably is since it's using cover art Warner used for the older releases. We won't know exactly until they put out specs.

Not that it would matter much since it was confirmed to the cut version, but if Warner has the OCN Shout probably did a new 4k transfer off that, if not a 2k off some IP. Unlikely they'd use the 4k IP master by Umbrella as Warner almost never allows usage of transfers from other entities, plus their policy is 2k - IP/IN/Fine Grains, 4k - OCN only. Would be a miracle if someone else tipped them off the Japanese sources and they found a usable print to reconstruct from. At worst, they'd include the cut VHS footage as bonus material as I can't see them including the full uncut VHS transfer.

Originally Posted by starsteam

When it comes to Warner titles are they stuck with what Warner provides them (like Paramount) or are they free to source elsewhere?

Warner are much more protective with their materials than MGM and Universal, but don't completely block 3rd parties from creating their own transfers unlike Sony and 20th Century.

Like Paramount, Warner handles film scanning of it's materials but allows third parties to finish the rest. Cliff confirmed this for titles like Creepshow, and Criterion's Shaft and Menace II Society were scanned by Warner while Criterion did the mastering and 4k HDR work themselves.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Also, a quick rundown on who has distribution rights:

North America -

all still with Warner??

Australia -

Master rights holder - Rainbow Classics (formed from the remains of main Australian producer UAA)

Theatrical - Greater Union

Previous home video distributor - Roadshow (who bought Greater Union in 1986)

Current distributor - Umbrella Entertainment, under exclusive license from Rainbow Classics

UK -

Theatrical - Thorn EMI

Home Video - Thorn EMI and Warner Home Video (they briefly had rights to the Thorn EMI catalog through Weintraub Entertainment)

DVD release - Anchor Bay under license from Rainbow Classics (as of 2002)

Current rights holder - Rainbow Classics

Current distributor - unknown

Warner apparently has digital/streaming rights in the UK, and it's the same listing as the US ones and same SD master as the US DVD.