SpinnerX,

Your point about purchasing quality products first and foremost regardless of source - completely reasonable.

I don't think that this thread is suggesting anything more than a place to discuss the products of Blue Underground.

I do think we need as many producers of quality DVDs (of quality films) that we can get. If Blue Underground chooses to go that route - I don't mind some advocacy.

For me, it might lead to learning about some interesting films I've never heard of.

I'm working on getting all the MM titles!! RobCa is the king there!! anyway, thanks for the support. it's the same way for the Something Weird titles. I know a few people who have everything from them. hmmmm...theres another idea...:lol:

I like that gut is collecting all the BU titles. I myself thought about it for awhile, but I realized that I probably wouldn't watch all the sexploiters often enough, so I traded them.
I have a gut instinct, if you will, that gut will watch all of them and cherish them. :up:

As for contamination. The extras are great, but I couldn't make it through the film. Looks like I will be getting in by october, so I will give it another try.
Perhaps I will be a BU non-sexploiter film completist.

I'm also considering to collect all the mondo macabro titles, that guy does a great job with the dvds.

Hopefully he will continue it and release more stuff soon.

But my point was that if The Valley, The Night Porter or Nada were on Blue Underground, then you would already own them all. This illustrates my point about prioritizing the label above the movie.

But of course I am a dvd/film collector. I'm just not a label collector. I appreciate good work from any company and I don't see the need to collect every single title on a certain label just to support them or just to complete the collection. This only serves the company, and I prefer to serve my own tastes. You, on the other hand, have said that you didn't like Venom, but bought it anyway and will continue to buy every BU release. I just don't get it, that's all.

Again, I really wasn't trying to single you out, gutwrencher, and I'm sorry that you took this so personally. I didn't want the discussion to get bogged down in this sort of "If I have to explain it to you, you'll never get it" type of argument.

ctyankee, thanks for recognizing the point I was trying to make. As for this thread being a place to discuss the products of Blue Underground, I'm all for it.

Except for Death Walks at Midnight, which was transfered at the wrong aspect ratio. It's 1.85 and should be 2.35. Even the opening credits are cropped off. Just goes to show that with this sort of subscription buying/collecting, you'll end up with more clunkers than if you just pick and choose among a label's best releases.

:lol: hey...nothin' wrong with that. the important thing is, you are getting titles that appeal to you. your needs from BU are all that matters....not what everyone else thinks you need or dont need. I'm not asking anyone else to go out and buy every title...thats insane. I'm just an over-passionate freak I guess-wink-.

getting back to Contamination....I agree that it's a pretty lame film. depends on how you look at it. taking films too seriously can be damaging-wink-. I look at it with Ed Wood eyes. you know....so bad it's good kinda thing. I love cheesy and gory Italian films and I thought this was hilarious and appealing. but then I'm a huge fan of Bruno Mattei and Hell Of The Living Dead!!

No. I bought the dvd THEN saw the film for the first time. I didnt buy it knowing I would be dissapointed with 1 thing. that was the bummer for me. I like obscure films with Kinski and Reed...and I like heist/crime films. just so theres no confusion...I would have bought the film even if it was on another label. it was all in the timing. BU put it out and brought it to my attention at just the right time.

Ok...
It's official.

Anyone who collects BU's is the cool kid in school.
Everyone else...Blah!!!

SpinnerX raises a good question: why look for a label rather than a movie title? After all, we collect movies, not production companies don't we?

Being a collector of a couple of series (Midnight Movies, Roan titles and Criterion to a large extent, Disney animation, and Kino silent films, though not BU. (Although I did get Sunday Morning's copy for Salon Kitty....so who knows, I might start soon.)) I'd like to give my take to the question.

There are a couple of reasons I pay close attention to what certain companies release. First, let me put this question out there: Do you own any Madacy DVDs? What about Front Row or Telefilms? Good Times? All of these companies have very good movies that they have released for really low prices. (You can often find them for $5/DVD or LESS.) So why don't you own any? That's right, because they suck. Horribel transfers, rotten audio, and no extras. Now, if you were looking for a movie, say Fritz Lang's Metropolis, and you saw the Madacy release at Best Buy for $7 would you buy it? No, most of us wouldn't. We avoid companies that put out inferior product, even if the price is right and it's a move we want.

So why shouldn't the opposite apply? If we avoid substandard DVD publishers, shouldn't we seek out those that do a superior job? I do. I'll gladly pay for quality. That's why I don't mind paying for Criterions of Kinos.

The second part of my answer has to do with the fact that I'm a film buff, not an expert. I am not familar with every movie made, even in smaller genres that I'm intersted in (50's SF/Horror films, film noir) much less the larger genres (forgien films.) So, when Criterion puts out a new DVD that I haven't heard of, I immediately consider buying it. I give it much more thought than I do releases by most other companies since Criterion has a track record of putting out many films that I like, and only a couple that I dislike. I can't say that about many publishers. It's similar to a friend with similar taste reccomending a DVD. I'm not going to run out and buy it, but I will look into it.

As for why someone would ask which movie by Company X should be purchased, I think that's a reasonable question. I don't think the question is asked to try and fit in or be cool, it's more from a monetary perspective. Most people have a very limited amount of money to spend on DVDs. A lot of film buffs are curious about movies they haven't seen. That means they can't buy everything they'd like, so they have to pick and choose. They are just asking for opinions to try to spend thier money as wisely as possible.

"But!" I hear someone say, "Why don't you rent the movie first and see if you like it?" Well, most rental places don't carry niche titles like we are discussing, and I don't like renting. I refuse to do it. I'd rather spend $15 to buy movie blindly than $4 to rent the same one. If I own it, I can watch it at my leisure, and if I like it, it's mine for ever and ever. If I don't like it, I can always trade it or sell it on ebay (and I always get close to what I paid, making it cheaper to buy and then sell than rent.)

Lastly, I don't think there are many people who buy a movie that they KNOW they don't like just because a certain publisher puts it out. (I'm not saying that SpinnerX is saying this.) I have seen people accused of doing it, but I've never seen someone say "Yep, I think this movie sucks, but I'm gonna buy it as soon as it's released." I bought Godfather III because I had no choice. If I wanted part 2 I had to get 3. Aside from box sets like that, I really have seen little evidance that this behavior exists. Now in other collectibles it certainly does. I met a lady once who bought Beenie Baby bears as an investment ("Because bears are so popular") even though she didn't care for them. I've known people who have bought multiple copies of comic books as an investment. And I've heard of people buying up soon to be OOP DVD to sell on e-bay, but I haven't heard of anyone buying a DVD solely to put on a shelf and never watch.

-Videophile, whose very tired and hopes what he wrote makes sense. He's too tired to proofread.

I love the Blue Underground label, but i've never been a completist with anything(except maybe Palahniuk novels).I've been a big fan of bill lustig ever since i read that he was a big help in getting Elite Entertainment of the ground(a company that i think doesn't get the praise they deserve in being the first company to do special editions of films that most people wouldn't touch). I picked up Dead and Buried and the Prowler(both on recomendations from this board). And i'm very happy with both of them. I also love Synapse(espicially since Don May is a really nice guy). Not to get off the subject of BU, but did anyone else pick up Synapse's "Stacy", great little asian film.

got it. like it.

I do agree, i remember couple of years ago, when everyone was Anchor bay crazy, and refuse to buy a B movie if it came out on Synapse, Elite, Something Weird, and actually soley concentrated on Anchor Bay (some horror exclusive boards was reviewing non horror DVD from Anchor Bay like DEATH ON NILE, FRANCES, RUCKUS, FOUR SIDE OF TRIANGLE on their "horror" board, while ignoring DVD from Shriek Show and Elite, and only recently started to review MGM DVD) I do agree with your comment. They kept wishing for JUNGLE HOLOCAUST, yto come out on Anchor bay, it came out on Shriek Show, and those fans of the film didnt say one thing.

Look at the recetn Shriek Show release of the improved ZOMBIE release. I am sure there is still people who refuse to upgrade their Anchor bay DVD of it. I remember when a guy kept begging Anchor bay to release THE GATE and LAT HOUSE ON LEFT on DVD, and when it finally came out on another label, guess what, he certianly didnt post his excitment!

Me, I dont care what label releases what, if I blindly buy everything I never heard of from that particular label, I would be stucked with alot of crap (found anyone happy with the recent release of SNUFF, or any recent Anchor Bay dVD?)

100% agreement. Yep, in the long run it hurts there newer lesser known companies to get rare good stuff that might be better, just becuause Anchor Bay or BU turned them down, doesnt mean it is a movie to avoid. Remember, they turned down THE WRATH! A movie everyone here grew up loving! Look at SURVIVE! a cult classic from 1976. had BU or AB released this, the buzz on the net will be huge, but since home vision is releasing it, not a peep.

Ditto for BLUE SUNSHINE, DAY OF THE DOLPHINS, JUNGLE HOLOCAUST ( the film that STARTED the cannibal jungle craze, yet its been ignored now) , LIZARD IN WOMENS SKIN, STARNGE BEHAVIOR, shame more people bought the awful SHAPE OF THING TO COME, STAR CRYSTAL, MOUNTAIN TOP MASSACRE just because BU or AB released it.

Oh yeah, those incredible positive reviews of TOOLBOX MURDERS, FEAR NO EVIL, SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME, movies that was on every horror fans worst film list is suddenly now on everyone of their favorite list. Funny how a DVD label can make everyone change their tune!

Like SUPERGIRL, had Columbia DVD released it, no one would care, but since AB released everyone gobbled up the limited 2 disc dvd of it!

I do think that each of these independent cult labels have their faithful core group of devotees, so it's not specifically just a Blue Underground or an Anchor Bay thing. Shriek Show had people unabashedly praising them as their "favorite label" before they'd even released their first title. I think they've lost a lot of their following with the pile-up of defects and recalls (a tradition that started with their problematic Jungle Holocaust transfer), but I'm sure there are still rabid label fanatics who buy every Shriek Show release regardless of quality or merit.

A lot of the label enthusiasm we see on web boards like this seems focused on horror/sleaze/cult catalogs. I think that a lot of the reason that so many people have cooled on Anchor Bay is because that company's catalog has shifted toward independent and foreign arthouse films. The horror message board regulars bowed down at the altar of Anchor Bay when they were releasing Argento, Fulci, Mattei, etc., but notice that those same people don't get too worked up about Wenders, Herzog (except when Klaus Kinski is involved), and Dirk Bogarde.

I think the cult of Blue Underground seems to focus a lot on Bill Lustig as a personality and figurehead. I think that a certain amount of consumer devotion to labels like BU and Synapse is fueled by the fan's identification with, and accessibility to the owner. Somebody up above even cited Don May's "really nice guy" status as a reason to love Synapse. I'm sure that Mr. May's frequent posts to various message boards helps his company out a lot in that respect. Lustig of course already had a core group of fans because of his Maniac and Maniac Cop movies. His move into DVD production makes him seem like a fan's fan...one of us. That's some powerful fanboy fuel right there.

So anyway, I'm not trying to rile anybody up with all this. I just thought it was interesting, and I guess I like questioning stuff like this. I'm far from being anti-Blue Underground or anti-Synapse; I buy some of their stuff and I love it, but I think that my anti-corporate streak comes out when I sense any unblinking, unconditional devotion to any one company. Again, it's one thing to recognize and patronize quality (of course I'd buy a Blue Underground disc before I'd ever buy a Madacy disc), but it's another thing to serve a company with the fanboy "gotta collect 'em all" mindset.

And an afterthought: Weren't there a lot of Anchor Bay criticisms about their attempts to cater to the collector crowd with special packaging tins and multiple editions? I wonder if they pushed their fanboy following too far with all that.

I love those tins. now if BU would just do a tin...:lol::p

I have many, many labels aside from BU. putting BU in a pumped-up priority mode does nothing to taint my deep and ever growing collection of fav films and various gems. it takes a while to fill the holes when the range of what I like is wide. BU fits my taste. they fit my library.

btw...I've moved The Night Porter up on my list of needs. ordered it and should be here Tuesday:p.

Just to confirm, did someone mention 'Made in Britain' as a future BU release? Great film, watched it last night fact, nice exploited track to go with it too!

let me go on the record with saying, i've never loved every release from a certain company, whether its Anchor Bay,Elite,Synapse, or even Criterion. And i've never felt i've had to have every release from a company. I always had a special place in my heart for Elite, just because i started collecting Laser Discs in 95, just a year or two after they came out with Night of the Living Dead. And when dvd really started to boom, they kinda got left in the dust because of companies like Anchor Bay and the bigger name studios who finally got a clue that they could actually make money from these rare/cult horror or sleaze films.
Just to make my point again, whether its AB, Synapse, Elite, Blue Underground, MGM Midnite Movies or Something Weird, i just thank God that there are companies that put out films that 15 years ago i could only find a in one rental store in a 100 mile radius, and even then the quality was pretty much unwatchable.

Exactly.

You've got these already?!

I'll certainly be picking up Q and maybe one or both of the others.

Did you by chance own the AB version of Q? and if so how does this new release compare in terms of picture quality to the original?..i'd also be interested to know of your thoughts on the Larry Cohen commentaries if you've had chance to listen to them.

Thanks.

I was going to ask he same thing. I'm a huge Larry Cohen fan, I owned the AB version of Q, and a widescreen vhs copy of God Told me to. I'm looking forward to the BU releases.

fyi...here is artwork for the Lee collection. I'm trying to find art for the Mondo collection also.

C. Lee

The recent DVD pet peeves post reminded me of a couple things that Blue Underground can start doing in a heartbeat.

This refers to Dead & Buried DVD and I'm not sure this pertains to all of their releases. But as Dead & Buried is a new release - it is pertinent ...

If they really need to have the FBI notice (questionable) at least allow the option to skip past it like other companies do.

All these audio option choices and they disable the audio button on the remote ... people don't want to go back to the menu to change audio options. Many like to see which one audio option they prefer or to sample them or to just cut over to a director's commentary for a small portion of the film.

If they have an e-mail address at their site, I'll pass this on as feedback.

agreed. I like switching tracks on the fly as well. as for the FBI and not being able to skip past it...no big deal to me. I think as I get older, I find myself in no urgent hurry to get the ball rolling as fast as possible. when I pop a disc in...I'm usually not quite ready to begin anyway. you know...adjust the reclyner...twist up a fatty..that kind of thing.-wink-:D

I think if one criticism that can be levelled at Blue Underground's door then it has to be their failure to provide subtitles/closed captioning for those with hearing difficulties.