#boutique blu rays

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

Attention everyone in the replies and the tags that are grieving the 'death' of special features. They still exist. Don't get me wrong, they're not as mainstream as they were in the DVD boom (like Disney wants out of physical media entirely, trying that with my home of Australia, please sign petitions and complain through the Disney Australia site by the way).

They are a niche now (so you probably won't find the latest box office hit amongst these), and us collectors of boutique blu rays have been doing okay. Boutique blu rays have way more special features packed in than even DVDs from the 2000s. Yeah, some brands are expensive (Criterion is pretty much the top of the bunch for a reason), but some aren't and ebay is a godsend for trying to find cheap secondhead ones. I know facebook is the devil, but facebook groups of such collectors has been helpful in finding cheap copies.

Sites like Deep Discount, WOWHD, and Oldies also help, and whatever most local middle man boutique home media website bops about in your country. And check out local fairs. Probably won't have the boutique stuff, but they often have DVDs from the DVD boom.

And I will admit, first tip, get a blu ray player that can change what region code it can play. Region code is the bane of any collector. Or if you can't afford one, get an external blu ray player for your laptop, VLC can bypass the region lock.

Anyway, the point of my reblog was to list boutique blu ray and DVD labels that are worth checking out if you want to have physical media in your life instead of assuming streaming killed it outright.

If anything, I learnt that you'll find more of the movies you want on physical media than on streaming (like I got into collecting before everyone else noticed streaming's slow decline because Danger Diabolik kept disappearing on streaming platforms).

I also want to recommend them since quite a number of them are also restoration efforts and archives that could use more support. Some I bought from before, some I haven't but heard good things.

Arrow Video/Films: Mainly horror cult films, but also a mix of classics. Very prolific. Packed with special features. Often cheap on eBay, unless it's the rare out of print ones *eyes Killer Klowns from Outer Space*. And due to some brands like Arrow wanting to get into 4K UHD, some collectors are selling their regular blu-ray copies, which is great for those of us who find 4K too uncanny valley (like it's really great time to get an Arrow edition of Blood and Black Lace blu ray that used to be so expensive to get).

American Genre Film Archive: Essentially Something Weird's successor. A non-profit all about hunting, conserving, restoring, and distributing exploitation films that wouldn't normally get this treatment. Some of you may raise an eyebrow at that, but think about how many old school indie shorts and films would've been forgotten in low quality limbo if not for these loving efforts. Queer films, for instance. Like, the AGFA is where I got my blu ray of the Gay Girls Riding Club's series of 1960s drag shorts.

88 Films: I haven't gotten anything from them yet, but I heard this is a great goody bag of Hong Kong cult action films. Along with other varied niche films and a lot of special features. Ever wanted a commentary of Street Fighter? They have that.

BFI: Pretty much Britiain's Criterion. Sometimes even having films that are also in the Criterion Collection, so pretty good option when it comes to cost. They're a charity all about preserving film and TV in the UK. They have a massive archive of not only British films but also international films, and sell blu rays of them with lots of special features *eyes that rare out of print BFI copy of Funeral Parade of Roses*.

Criterion Collection: I mean...no introduction needed. They invented the movie commentary. They've been THE top tier DVD distributor. They defined what a boutique blu ray is. So I'll just give a tip. Because they've been at it for so long, like as far back as laserdiscs, some of their editions...are a bit out of date. What I mean is if you have a specific film in mind that Criterion has, it's best to check what other companies did with their edition of the film most recently. Like, I got Eureka's 2014 edition of Youth of the Beast instead of Criterion's 2005 edition of the film because it had more special features. That would also help cut down cost.

Discotek: Basically the best go-to for those into anime that isn't recent, including shows and movies deemed license rescued. Like, a lot of Lupin III specials on here for one. Often found on RightStufAnime. It's affordable depending on where you live. Like, out of reach concerning shipping for us Australians (*eyes the blu ray of Mystery of Mamo*), but you Americans will have a great time. And I heard they're great when it comes to subtitles.

Eureka: This is the most classics company to ever classic'ed. Although there some vibe outliers. Like, they're releasing a special feature packed edition of Valley Girl.

Imprint/Via Vision: My first. It's where I got my boutique blu ray copy of Danger Diabolik (not to say I never had blu rays or DVDs before then, just that this was the first I got with this awareness of boutique blu rays). And they're Australian, lots of copies are found in JB Hi Fi. So, yay, affordable boutique blu rays of old school movies and TV shows without shipping BS for us.

Indicator/Powerhouse: Stunning blu ray collection of underrated vintage gems, cult films, and kitsch films. They got film noir. They got Ray Harryhausen. They got William Castle. They got the best edition of Sweet Charity. All packed with as many special features as Arrow, sometimes maybe even more. And honestly, this is the one boutique blu ray company I would recommend getting directly rather than through a middle man. The blu rays that aren't boxsets are pretty affordable. And they provide region free copies.

Kino Lorber: Hit or miss when it comes to inclusion of special features, but they are expansive in what films and such they have, from all over the world. Films that were once forgotten because they weren't box office hits or artistic classics? Yep (What A Way To Go, Modesty Blaise, there was Dr Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine which was out of print...I managed to get that white whale). Lesser known silent films? Yep. Documentaries? Yep. 1950s PSAs? Apparently yes. There's just so much. And because of that, there's overlap of subjects I think will interest you. Like it's where you will find queer silent films, or queer documentaries like The Queen.

Network: They've recently shut down, being liquidated at the moment. But hopefully you'll find copies on eBay and such. Blu Rays of British movies and shows. Was the go-to for British sitcoms and Gerry Anderson shows.

Olive Films: I just learnt today they aren't selling anymore, but you might still find them through the middle men. They would just be rarer now. Overlooked vintage cult films around the world. Bit hit or miss when it comes to inclusion of special features. Eg: a lot in A Bucket of Blood, barely any on The Great Spy Chase or The Brain (1960s French one, not '80s horror one). I mean, the original French DVDs of the latter do have special features, but those special features don't have subtitles so I went with Olive Films' editions since I do like the films anyway.

Second Run: High quality and artistically fascinating world cinema, you can find them with decent prices on BFI's shop. I don't know how many people would've heard of the films they distribute, believe me, I'm in the same boat. But I think this is a good opportunity to check out films that intrigue you, but you never heard of. Like, seeing these has gotten me intrigued about checking out Karel Zeman's work.

Severin Films: Into video nasties or films similar to video nasties? That's what they do with high quality and special features that you rarely got to see back when these were on VHS. They also do relevant documentaries and a few outliers that are still cult films.

Shout Factory/Scream Factory: Shout Factory distributes a lot of cult TV shows (including cartoons, lot of Nickeloden shows) on blu ray and DVD, MST3K fans like me are very familiar with it. Scream Factory is pretty much to America what Arrow is to Britain, providing special feature packed blu rays of horror cult films.

Vinegar Syndrome: The most cultiest of cult films, to the point where they include vintage porn. They restore them as well as distribute them, so this will be the clearest you'll ever see Hobgoblins, Killer Condom, and Sex World.

A honourable mention is collectively the 'studio vaults' of the original big studios. They do still have blu rays, usually with special features, especially commentaries, of their vintage and classic films. Under labels like thd Warner Archive Collection.

And since a lot of labels have distributed the same film from time to time, I recommend checking DVDCompare to see which edition has more special features or more of what you specifically want.

I welcome any other collectors out their to recommend labels they know, it's more than likely I missed some due to inexperience.

You know the biggest loss of the decline of physical media and the rise of streaming? DVD special features.

[misterveeare]

Movie showcase: Yakuza Graveyard (1976) Blu-ray Radiance edition. A blind buy for me but this label shows promises!

[dirtythi3f]

Showgirls (1995) 4K remaster box set by Vinegar Syndrome. What a great presentation for such a crappy film. Love it!

[thewisestwizards]

The prices were too good! I had to place a second order from the Kino Lorber Winter Wonderland Blu-ray sale.

[antiphotogenicfilmographer]

wanna know why cinephiles like buying fancy boutique blu-ray versions of films? it's because they're just k-pop albums (film version). like look at my new limited edition mean streets album!

look at the photocards i got!

look at the photobook!

like tell me that that's not exactly how a k-pop album looks!

and i don't just have one fancy mean streets blu-ray,

I'VE GOT TWO!!!

[nurseshannansreviews]

🖤💜🖤 Have you watched Bettlejuice Bettlejuice yet? My friends at Warner Bros Home Entertainment & boutique publicity sent me this on behalf of the 4k UHD, Blu-Ray + DVD release of "Bettlejuice Bettlejuice" November 19th! Relive the spooky, kooky, and absolutely iconic moments of this classic. Don’t miss your chance to own this classic in the Best quality yet!

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Night of the Demons (Tenney, 1988)

Nice '80s movie you got there. Would be a shame if we made most of the characters really fucking annoying for no reason.

There's some choice having your cake and eating it too with respect to satirizing the male gaze. The cake being Linnea Quigley's ass, which it lingers on appreciatively for a questionably long time until you realize she's jutting it out on purpose to distract the cashiers so her friend can shoplift assorted goodies. Yeah, the joke was on me the whole time. I love satire.

Anyway, Quigley is fun to watch in this scene and elsewhere because she exudes a certain confidence and imbues her line readings with wit where one might not expect it. (Exhibit A: "Do you guys have sour balls?") So she owns the material and doesn't let its more questionable aspects demean her.

Too bad about the rest of the cast. I've increasingly resisted the party line that '80s horror films are full of cardboard cutouts because I've definitely enjoyed some on the basis of their characters. Probably the closest comparison to this is Return of the Living Dead, which similarly presents itself as goofy fun, but lets its characters surprise you with their moments of vulnerability and courage. I'm at the point where I get teary eyed when I rewatch these things, and that's one that's definitely made me cry just a little.

The characters here, Quigley aside, range from totally bland to actively unpleasant, mostly the latter. Seriously, some of these characters are so fucking shrill. I was rooting for the demons. I will say that there's one unexpected moment when the female lead is comforting her tearful male friend, a flip on the usual gender dynamics if not as aggressive as what Kevin Tenney did in Witchboard, but that's about it.

So I had a hard time engaging with this from the get go, and I can't say I was won over by the end. Tenney's style has an endearing handcrafted jankiness to it, like a cruder, lower energy Sam Raimi, and he does get in some good moments, like the 360 demon cam and the goth girl's dance number. But these are nowhere near frequent enough, and it takes way too long (fifty minutes into a ninety minute runtime) for the first real scare. Before that it's just a bunch of grating characters wandering around a dark house rendered with little atmosphere. Actual dead air, you know, the silent kind, would be preferable.

Anyway, if you told me a boutique blu-ray company made this movie up, I'd believe you. I guess it's a sign of maturity that '80s aesthetics are no longer enough for me to give a movie an automatic pass.

[hotwaterandmilk]

Following up on this post about bargain shoujo/josei (and sapphic magical hijinks) titles from Sentai, the items I ordered have arrived and aside from the damage to the Princess Tutu blu-ray spine (seen above) I'm pretty happy.

As with all standard Sentai releases these are barebones blu-rays with little more to offer than the series and some clean OPs/EDs. Princess Tutu is the exception as it has had several previous quality releases and features more on-disc goodies like commentaries, outtakes, and some ballet-focused features.

(Though full disclosure, I only got the standard version of Tutu. Sentai does have a far more elaborate steelbook release for the title that die-hard fans may prefer over this normie set. I like the series but I'm not that keen so I settled for this version.)

Petshop of Horrors is an old title and thus only SD, so what we have in this release is about what I was expecting. Flip Flappers! is pretty disappointing though as the individual Japanese blu-rays featured gorgeous illustrations for the packaging (by tanu and Kojima Takashi both), commentaries on disc, and deluxe settei booklets. I understand not being able to bring over some of this more elaborate content for what is obviously a minimalist release, but the use of one of the promo anime images for the cover over some of the lovely OG art is a shame.

Similarly Anonymous Noise had really plush individual disc releases for its anime adaptation featuring Fukuyama's distinctive art on each cover. US releases don't tend to worry about goodies for all but the biggest anime titles these days, so a stripped back release was about all anyone could expect for a niche Hana to Yume title adaptation. But I feel it's a tad disappointing that, like with Flip Flappers!, the generic promo image for the series on a thin wisp of paper is all you really get in terms of packaging.

In saying that though, the actual episode content for all releases is solid. The actual transfer of newer titles like Flip Flappers! and Anonymous Noise = good and the Princess Tutu remaster looks lovely. Petshop of Horrors is the lowest quality video of the bunch but for $4 USD I've been more than satisfied watching Count D fuck with dumbasses in SD.

Ultimately none of these releases feels as considered as the titles I've purchased from Discotek Media recently, they just don't have that boutique, fan-focused touch. However, I do still think they are worth owning if you are interested in the series mentioned.

Physical media is something I feel very strongly about so I'm obviously biased about buying things when you're in a position to do so, but given the way streaming has stripped back our ability to possess modern titles, rewatch them, and even preserve them, I'm always thankful when I can grab a physical bargain for my collection.

[lizardsfromspace]

Last year, I watched a Halloween-themed horror film for every day in October. I was going to do that again this year, but it turns out I watched all the good ones - and most of the good bad ones. So here's the new challenge for October 2024: each day, watch one horror movie I haven't seen from each year, starting today with 1970, and ending on the 30th with the year 2000.

Day 1: 1970

EQUINOX

Directed by Jack Woods & Dennis Muren

In 1984, the second laserdisc ever released by the Criterion Collection was released by the Criterion Collection: 1933's King Kong. This laserdisc was notable for the first commentary track in history. Criterion has had an occasional flirtation with monster movies ever since: putting out 1958's Fiend Without A Face, and most famously the box set of every Showa Godzilla film, declaring everything from the original to the late period flicks produced for a Toho kid's film festival collection-worthy. This made some people very mad for some reason about what "deserves" to be recognized by a boutique blu-ray line we've elevated to be the primary arbiter of cinematic taste for some reason - I'm sure they really wanted a Heisei boxset too

Equinox is also famous for being A Monster Movie in The Criterion Collection, but probably the least known one. It's also famous for being a proto-Evil Dead; though one of the key differences is that in this one, the cabin was destroyed before they even got there, so the film takes place entirely outdoors. It features apex doofy horror protagonists, the kind who note weird footprints so they go into a creepy cave where they find a skeleton, and then they dismiss stories about the skeleton while they meet a creepy old man who hands them a book hidden beneath rocks, and who then unlock the book - it's locked - and read it even though it smells like sulfur & is full of arcane sigils, and then, several scenes later, realize: wait, is this a evil demon book?

But you're not here for set-up or plot. You're here for one thing: STOP MOTION. The last act of this movie is full of Good Ass Creatures. You've got tentacles. You've got giants. You've got demons. You've got stop motion and creature effects of all kinds. As always the one rule of film viewing is, Keep Watching For The Stop Motion Beasts

🎃🎃🎃.5/5

Also Considered for 1970: Oddly enough the challenge's first year was the most paltry selection. I did also consider Hatchet for the Honeymoon, Witchhammer, and The Wizard of Gore. What else is there that's not either not Halloween-y straight horror or something I've seen before (like Bird with the Crystal Plumage or Robin Redbreast)? Trog??? I wasn't going to start this off with Trog

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

Because I'll be moving out soon, I spent the night packing my DVDs, Blu Rays, and boxsets (took a lot of time because I organised my non-Doctor Who-and-MST3K ones in chronological order so I can just shelve them as that). After all that...aaaaaaaaaargh.

[mariocki]

hi! apologies for the long ask but i read your tags on that post about physical media and i thought you might like to know my experience with 4ks versus my experience with other physical media

i''ve seen that post about all 4k discs requiring access to the internet to work before and i've never encountered that, i have a decent collection of 4k discs both from boutique distributors and mass releases from regular stores at the mall. i play them on a 4k player that has never been connected to the internet in any way, only plugged into a power outlet and my dumb tv which is not connected to the internet in any way either, and they all work perfectly.

the only time i've ever been denied access to a disc was when i put a regular blu ray in a ps4 that had never been connected to the internet and it said i had to connect to enable bluray playing (it plays games offline fine so i thought this was weird). i said fuck that and put the same disc in my blu ray player and it worked fine.

i've never connected any of my disc-playing machines to the internet in any way and the only one that has ever shown limitations like that is my ps4 (it can't play some newer games or download things or upload stats etc but who cares lol i just use it to play older games as they are). my regular blu rays and my 4ks play perfectly in their respective completely offline players. maybe it's an issue with PS5s? i've never had one but i know they can play 4ks (unlike the ps4), and maybe they exhibit similar limitations when it comes to playing movie discs vs games?

i love my regular blus, and have a lot more of them than 4ks, so i'm not one of those people that think upgrading is necessary, but i've had a lot of fun getting into 4k so far and they can look incredible if they're done with care (there's heaps of enthusiasts on youtube that scope out releases and let you know which ones make the most of the format and are worth spending money on)

so if you're curious about 4ks, don't be discouraged by the idea you can never "own" one in the way you can with standard bluray, because like i said, i buy them regularly from multiple sources and watch them all 100% offline and have never once encountered this problem so it's definitely not a format-wide issue at all.

Ooh OK, thank you! Truly appreciate the input.

Tbh I don't see myself getting into 4k personally, but that's mostly bc I already have a too big blu ray collection and my bf would kill me

Plus the backbone of my collection is shitty Italian horror films from the 70s, and I'm not convinced they really require the upgrade. I have one 4K disc, from a dual format set, of Ark of the Sun God, a film that probably looks at its best on battered VHS. That being said, I've no prudish notions or anything about the format and fully appreciate what it can potentially do for, yknow, genuinely beautiful films. Eh, maybe one day. I swore off blu ray at first... come to that, I swore off DVD initially too!

[tremendously-exhilarated]

Regarding this post, I decided to hell with it. Why not write an email to the Criterion Collection and ask for a release of Rope? I don't know how many people in the fandom here are DVD/Blu-Ray collectors, but for me it would be amazing news to finally have a high quality release by a great label. I copy-pasted the mail in case anyone wants to read it.

Dear Criterion Collection Team,

I believe that the 1948 crime thriller 'Rope'. directed by Alfred Hitchcock, would make a fantastic addition to the collection. 

I'm not saying this just because it's my personal favourite movie of all time, but for a great variety of reasons. First off, it's an incredibly influential and fascinating movie that has the ability to amaze audiences with its inventive filming techniques to this day. Yet, it has never had a proper release by a boutique label, unlike many other of his movies, some of which released by yourself (e.g. Classic Hitchcock box set). I think it deserves a proper restauration even better than the ones currently on the market, maybe even in 4k. 

I'm not sure how much material exists that could be included as special/bonus features, but I'm sure there's at least some things that haven't been released to the public yet. A 30-minute documentary called 'Rope Unleashed' that has been featured on DVD sets since the 00s exists already, which could be upscaled in case that's possible. More special features (inspired by other Criterion Hitchcock releases such as 39 Steps, The Lodger, and several more) could be interviews, video essays, or an audio commentary with film scholars or people who studied/were involved in the making of the film, as well as behind the scenes footage (I know there's a considerable amount of pictures, I sadly don't know anything of video footage), short informative videos about the lives and work of Farley Granger and John Dall (who were both incredibly underrated actors and mistreated by the industry, especially John Dall), a look into the history of Rope the stage play and possible recordings of performances, and lastly the BBC Radio 4 adaption from 1983 featuring Alan Rickman. Another option would be the 1947 version of the film starring Dirk Bogarde, although I couldn't find any information whether those tapes have been preserved. I don't know how realistic some of these are, but it's every possible idea I could think of. 

Thank you for taking your time and reading my suggestions. If you considered giving this masterpiece the astonishing release it deserves, you would make a large number of film fans very happy.

Sincerely, 

-X-

[thewisestwizards]

I went with 100% blind buys for my Severin Black Friday order.  I hope I chose well!

[ragnarokproofing]

i wrote a big long response to a post that made me angry. it was saying that people love to complain about not being able to find new media because they aren't willing to "do the work" to go deep and find the things that they want that don't exist in the popular sphere.

i don't think that this is a particularly fair criticism because today's media landscape is incredibly difficult to navigate if you're looking for anything except for what is Within The Zeitgeist.

like, there's this book series that i love, skybound by alex london. it's a YA gritty dark fantasy series that's actively queer. it's fantastic, highly recommend. but the thing is, it's impossible to find. I got the first book at barnes & noble a year or two after it came out. after i read it, i went looking for the second book, and couldn't find it. the series disappeared from the barnes & noble shelves at some point. i looked at a local independent bookstore, well-known for its huge LGBT section - an entire room of the store. they have a big wall that's all queer YA. well, they don't have anything by alex london at all, presumably because his books aren't advertised as queer at all; they're stealth, dark, serious, and inaccessible, not something easily marketed on social media, and shelf space in these little bookstores is at a premium, because the stores are struggling to survive. these books don't have any sort of fandom or cult status, and they were never particularly popular, so they're not likely to ever end up in used bookstores. so because i already knew about them, i was able to order copies of the rest of the series - but if i didn't, i would never have stumbled across them. how would I have?

this is especially true of movies. despite living in the golden age of remasters, with old, forgotten movies finding new life through AGFA, vinegar syndrome, alamo drafthouse, etc, there are many, many wonderful movies that are still completely under the radar. but most people don't really have access to these - 4K blu-rays are expensive, and how would anyone find out about them if they're not already involved in the space? it's not like there are many video stores around anymore - and all of these streaming services are circling the drain, their catalogues scattering to the winds. shudder is great if you want horror, but movies and franchises come and go, and while they have a lot of gems their catalog isn't that big, and anyway, that's another subscription. so how the hell are people supposed to find the offbeat movies that they want?

the answer that i would give is in-person screenings, but those sure as shit aren't accessible. they're only really a thing in cities, and unless you're a college student and your school has film clubs they're probably at boutique theaters and tickets are pretty pricey, and besides, learning about screenings at the Music Box Theater means joining their mailing list, or following them on facebook or instagram, and you can't do any of those things unless you already know that they exist. if you're already passionate about film, then you know about the resources in your city, but if you're just a rando with a passing interest, you never learn about them.

i don't like this criticism because it doesn't acknowledge how fucking hard it is to find new things. people on social media who talk about not being able to find what they want aren't stupid or lazy, they literally don't know how, because nobody ever taught them. i'm lucky enough to have been able to go to free film screenings for several years in college and now i have an extensive library of hard discs that i screen myself or lend to my friends, and i have a pretty deep knowledge of the genres that i prefer - and i still have a miserable time finding anything new that i'm interested in, because that process fucking sucks, and none of this even acknowledges that a lot of media was/is actively repressed because of its controversial nature.

so, instead of bitching about how people are lazy and aren't willing to do the work because they're not as serious about art as you are, why don't you roll up your sleeves and give them actual advice, you prick.

discovering media is a skill. the way that people learn and refine skills is not by being berated. it's by being taught.

[riotatthemovies]

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