The Arrow Thread

[PaulD]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Which is great except since ZFE, Arrow have had little interest in the type of cinema a lot of fans want from them. Certainly the fans who supported them when they were releasing the sub par transfers you're referring too. Now they've got the funds and resources to do a proper restoration of say Fulci's City of the Living Dead for example they would rather restore things like Withnail or the 'Burbs. Great films but far removed from the original fare they were once so proud of.

Like what though? Nekromantik? The Girl Who Knew Too Much? Rabid Dogs? Nightmare City (on the horizon anyway)? Mark of the Devil? These are all releases in keeping with their earlier releases as far as I'm concerned.

[Michael Brooke]

The bottom line is: do you want quantity or quality? Quality takes time, costs money and requires subsidy from the high-profile likes of Withnail and The Burbs.

I'm currently overseeing Borowczyk's Dr Jekyll, one of the cultiest of all Euro titles (Udo Kier! Patrick Magee! Oodles of sex and violence!), and indeed one of the most frequently requested - but because we're going back to the original camera negative the whole process takes much, much longer than just requesting an existing HD master off the shelf (which in the case of this film doesn't exist anyway). It also costs a lot more.

Same with the extras - there's nothing ready-made, so everything has to be created from scratch, people have to be interviewed in multiple countries, you name it.

It's thrilling seeing it all come together, especially given that this title has only ever been available in VHS or sub-VHS quality for decades, but there's an obvious downside to all this perfectionism (although I suspect people can live with that when they see the end result).

[Antropophagus]

Originally Posted by Michael Brooke

The bottom line is: do you want quantity or quality? Quality takes time, costs money and requires subsidy from the high-profile likes of Withnail and The Burbs.

I'm currently overseeing Borowczyk's Dr Jekyll, one of the cultiest of all Euro titles (Udo Kier! Patrick Magee! Oodles of sex and violence!), and indeed one of the most frequently requested - but because we're going back to the original camera negative the whole process takes much, much longer than just requesting an existing HD master off the shelf (which in the case of this film doesn't exist anyway). It also costs a lot more.

Same with the extras - there's nothing ready-made, so everything has to be created from scratch, people have to be interviewed in multiple countries, you name it.

It's thrilling seeing it all come together, especially given that this title has only ever been available in VHS or sub-VHS quality for decades, but there's an obvious downside to all this perfectionism (although I suspect people can live with that when they see the end result).

Great post but let me disagree with you. With all due respect to Borowczyk and his films but to call The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne "one of the cultiest of all Euro titles"???

[J Harker]

No don't get me wrong Nos, the quality of their releases is superb. I've not seen Nekromantik and it holds no appeal to me whatsoever but things like the Vincent Price releases, ten even five years ago i would never imagined we would see on blu with such comprehensive extras. I just think that some myself included wish that now Arrow have improved the quality of their releases and are doing their own restoration work that they were still putting out old dodgy Italian horrors.

[Michael Brooke]

Originally Posted by Antropophagus

Great post but let me disagree with you. With all due respect to Borowczyk and his films but to call The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne "one of the cultiest of all Euro titles"???

Yes, absolutely. It's one of the most frequently requested titles that I can think of (and not just from Arrow), and when the trailer went up on the Indiegogo campaign, pledges shot through the roof - in a matter of days the total went from low to high five figures.

In fact, this one announcement had such a galvanising effect on the campaign that Arrow held back their "secret weapon" announcement - the one that was going to be revealed at a late stage to give things a last-minute boost. Which they didn't bother doing in the end (and they still haven't announced it, although I suspect it will go down very well indeed round these parts when they do) because Dr Jekyll had done all the heavy lifting already.

Which of course is why I've been given such a generous budget for restoration and extras: the demand is clearly there.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

No don't get me wrong Nos, the quality of their releases is superb. I've not seen Nekromantik and it holds no appeal to me whatsoever but things like the Vincent Price releases, ten even five years ago i would never imagined we would see on blu with such comprehensive extras. I just think that some myself included wish that now Arrow have improved the quality of their releases and are doing their own restoration work that they were still putting out old dodgy Italian horrors.

So do I but, as Michael says, they need the money and titles like The 'Burbs help pay the bills.

Surely they aren't mutually exclusive?

[J Harker]

But it does seem whenever it is suggested Arrow have moved away from cult movies and towards the mainstream someone wheels Borowczyk out. With respect to the guy and his films i can't be the only one who isn't the least bit interested?

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Cult films aren't just horror films, some are wildly popular films but still have cult followings. Just look at the loons who dress up as nuns for sing-a-long showing of "The Sound of Music".

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by PaulD

Like what though? Nekromantik? The Girl Who Knew Too Much? Rabid Dogs? Nightmare City (on the horizon anyway)? Mark of the Devil? These are all releases in keeping with their earlier releases as far as I'm concerned.

Absolutely correct Paul.....
THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN
THE BEAST WITHIN
LIFEFORCE
MOTEL HELL
SQUIRM
THE VISITOR
SHIVERS

etc etc etc
If the above titles aren't with keeping in with their 'origins' then I don't know what is.....

[Nordicdusk]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

Cult films aren't just horror films, some are wildly popular films but still have cult followings. Just look at the loons who dress up as nuns for sing-a-long showing of "The Sound of Music".

Sound like my kind of night minus the singing and the film.