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Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs  I'm surprisingly the not too bothered about the slip case because the only release I have with one is Thief and it looks out of place with the other recent releases at it's the only one with a slip case. |
Indeed. Plus I'll be flipping the cover of my Contamination release when I do eventually buy it anyway... a slipcover would just get in the way of that and is a pretty strange 'add-on perk' considering the reversible artwork option exists anyway.
Maybe Arrow are trying the Scream Factory model for a bit... or are getting a little nostalgic for their old slip-box release days.
Joking aside, Arrow appear to be testing the water in terms of marketing their releases at the moment. We've seen several models at play over the past few months - numbered/initial small print run limited editions, editions with extra content (thicker booklets, comics etc.) limited run slipcovers, and of course there are the alternative steelbook editions which have been going for a while now. There is also recent talk of them making booklets limited so obviously they are looking at ways to cut costs and/or increase pre-order and first week release sales to maximise profits... despite the apparent scope of Arrow's business and their appeal as a label we are still talking niche releases in a niche market after all.
Paying up to £10 extra for a slipcover (or even a booklet) is never going to work for me though, however there will be people who will bite. I do like the limited edition collectors 'sets' however and always ensure to pre-order the ones I'm interested in at full price so I don't miss out. I also quite like the steelbooks (as long as the art appeals), but even these have the tendency to stick around for a longer and are regularly discounted on Arrow's site during their sales and at places like Zavvi.
We're certainly entering a transitional period where physical media is concerned and whilst I'm sure that discs will be around for many good years yet, the landscape in which they are being released is definitely changing... especially when talking cult cinema.