The 88 Films Thread

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Very well said, on all counts.

About the price, I think that's another area where we've been spoiled recently due to the Internet and supermarkets under cutting high street stores to the extent that the stores that I frequented when I started buying things to watch at home – Virgin Megastore, Our Price, Woolworth's etc – have now gone and, many years ago I would have been happy to pay £20 for a DVD of a film from the 1970s, but now almost expect that same sort of film to be released on Blu-ray for under £10.

Sometimes it doesn't hurt to take a step back, remember how things used to be, and realise how good consumers have it these days.

[Antropophagus]

All this speculation and discussion on the Anthro transfer could end if 88 Films would make an official statement or just give more info. But they don't. As I said I have emailed them many times now, no replies so far. At this point I want to cancel my pre-order and wait for a cheaper release on Amazon but how can I cancel it if they keep on ignoring my emails? Go to paypal and open a dispute and ask for a chargeback?

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

Very well said, on all counts.

About the price, I think that's another area where we've been spoiled recently due to the Internet and supermarkets under cutting high street stores to the extent that the stores that I frequented when I started buying things to watch at home – Virgin Megastore, Our Price, Woolworth's etc – have now gone and, many years ago I would have been happy to pay £20 for a DVD of a film from the 1970s, but now almost expect that same sort of film to be released on Blu-ray for under £10.

Sometimes it doesn't hurt to take a step back, remember how things used to be, and realise how good consumers have it these days.

I totally agree with you about the pricing.

It wasn't too long ago that I was importing DVDs from places like Xploited Cinema many coming complete with far from impressive transfers, incorrect OARs, dub-titles etc. often at £15 a pop. Now I can buy HD mastered premium packaged discs complete with a wealth of extras for half the price. If I knew then what I know now it would have saved myself a tonne of cash!

Yes, most of the titles I was buying were obscure curios, but just look at what's popping up on Blu... I'd never of thought a lot of these titles would hit the HD format. Some haven't even had proper DVD releases.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Antropophagus

All this speculation and discussion on the Anthro transfer could end if 88 Films would make an official statement or just give more info. But they don't. As I said I have emailed them many times now, no replies so far. At this point I want to cancel my pre-order and wait for a cheaper release on Amazon but how can I cancel it if they keep on ignoring my emails? Go to paypal and open a dispute and ask for a chargeback?

Curious mate. What info about the transfer are you actually trying to get from 88?

[Antropophagus]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Curious mate. What info about the transfer are you actually trying to get from 88?

All I want to know if that's how the finished blu will look. If that screenshot was heavily processed and compressed or underwent any other digital manipulation I'll happily keep my pre-order if that's how it'll look I'll cancel my order.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

There are two sides to this argument and both have some valid points.

I'm also becoming increasingly more exasperated by the A/V brigade who almost seem to relish ripping into a release (even before it's on the shelf and they've seen it with their own eyes in motion on their own set-ups). Everyone seems to be an armchair critic nowadays - the advent of Blu-ray obviously adding to this - and a lot of complaints I've seen (not here but in general) are based on assumption rather than an understanding of all the processes involved, budgets, limitations both technically and financially etc.

88 after all are a small outfit on a limited budget. They quite probably can't afford to develop new scans and masters from the OCN like Arrow and certain other companies do, and their name will not carry as much weight when bargaining with companies and directors for releases. Therefore they work with what they can get. However, at the same time - as others have already mentioned - they have a passion and a sense of riskiness in terms of the titles they want to release, choosing a lot of world HD firsts and genre fare that the fans have been clamouring for and that bigger, more cash-rich companies such as Arrow may not want to take a chance on as their financial dept has warned them that the numbers might not stack-up. Whilst this is a risky strategy from such a new, young outfit I think they've generally got off to a decent start and can only learn through experience. Whilst Anthro would undoubtedly look better if Arrow would have picked it up, the bottom line is they haven't and they didn't want to - if they did I'm sure they would have been able to outbid 88 - and the same goes for a lot of 88's upcoming slate too. Potentially, we therefore currently have the option of a decent upgrade of Anthro over previous DVD release vs. No release at all - how much of an upgrade that will be remains to be seen and of course fans will need to decide themselves whether it justifies a purchase.

Also, the value of £19.99 that is being thrown around in respect to the release is only true for 88's own site and is for the exclusive slipcover and art cards pre-order version. Amazon etc. will be stocking this title too and it will no doubt be in the £12-£14 price range on release day and may even fall to £8.99, which so many of 88's releases tend to do. I for one think £8.99 for a packed HD mastered (albeit not as good as it could have been) release of Anthro is a steal. Especially as my DVD copy cost more than that several years ago. However, price again is something that needs to be justified by the individual - £20 is a lot to some and a minimal expense to others.

However, I think we've become spoiled as fans. All these niche companies who put so much effort into creating premium releases have meant we've started taking this kind of work for granted. I remember when Arrow released their Dawn of the Dead Blu back in 2008. There was literally nothing like it in terms of fan-geared packed media on the market at the time and it was a true revelation. Now everyone is trying to get a slice of an increasingly shrinking pie and by which we've started to see more aggressive and game-upping antics coming into play - which is good news for us fans in many respects. However, this also breeds the apathy from fans that every release should be perfect and match 'distributor x's standards of quality' when in reality this isn't the case (especially with these tiny indie labels).

On the flip-side we can't just dismiss people's opinions and points in regards to a release and seemingly 'cover-up' any flaws people may infer. This is an open forum after all and praise can also be balanced with criticism - the main driver being that any criticism is always constructive and not just insult based. There are those who are a little label loyal and maybe get a bit defensive when transfers or releases are called in question and are branded 'fan boys' because of it - this can be seen across all internet boards, and equally there are people who will nit-pick and/or have 'grudges' against certain labels... the latter being the minority few, but an unfortunate by-product of open internet forums nonetheless. Neither group's opinions makes for the most reasonable or intelligent reading and both are often as stubborn as each other. Me? I have no loyalties and I just absorb all the information that is provided and judge for myself - the proof being 'in the pudding' so to speak, and let my wallet do the talking respectively.

A superb post Bizarre_Eye.

Taking everything into account with a very reasoned attitude.

[Crimson Blade]

Can't say i have any issues with their first Italian release, The Night Train Murders.
There is a bit of that LVR scanner noise about, but it's nowhere near the first Tenebrae release debacle.
A new scan would probably have looked even more fantastic, but it's a huge step up from the previous dvd, and i'm more than happy with it.

[Blinkant]

Originally Posted by Antropophagus

All I want to know if that's how the finished blu will look. If that screenshot was heavily processed and compressed or underwent any other digital manipulation I'll happily keep my pre-order if that's how it'll look I'll cancel my order.

I think you are best off cancelling your order and then seeing what the reviews are like when it comes out.

I personally think the film looks fine, especailly when compared to the DVD and if it turns out to be a good or bad transfer, it will prob be the best we can hope for, for now anyway.

[Mojo]

So just to clarify, will the ANTHROPOPAGUS blu ray be available on Amazon etc. or will it only be available direct from 88?

[Blinkant]

Originally Posted by Mojo

So just to clarify, will the ANTHROPOPAGUS blu ray be available on Amazon etc. or will it only be available direct from 88?

Amazon will have it on DVD but you will only be able to get the Blu direct from 88 Films, for the first 6 months.