R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

R.I.P.

http://boingboing.net/2014/01/03/mik...of-someth.html

Re: R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

I idolized him. Introduced me to so much memorable stuff.

The VHS-SWV era bypassed me, but I was first introduced to the Something Weird world via Reel Wild Cinema

But once the DVDs came around (As I mentioned in the thread at the dvd-board) I got so hooked.

If you checked the vid in the OP-link, you can see how much great stuff he already had. But then he inherited all of Dave Friedman's treasures after Dave's passing. The Vraney estate definetly has to be the Disneyland of American exploitation-film.

RIP, Mike. Loved your label dearly.

Re: R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

Missed this. RIP.

Re: R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

I wish I can find that article when Mike and Frank Henenlotter uncovered all those lost films (Which were later imported to SWV) in an area "The size of a football field".

I doubt that cameras were rolling when those guys were unearthing that stuff, but filming was done when Friedman opened his vault to Mike on Cordova Street (This can be found as an extra on Notorious Daughter of Fanny Hill) There's also a taping of Mike's first visit to Harry Novak's office-building (Found on Hitchhike To Hell/Kidnapped Coed) Mike's like a kid in a candy-store when examining the titles on the film-reels in that clip (What vintage film-fan wouldn't be?)

Lastly, here's some recommended viewing
http://c3.cduniverse.ws/MuzeVideoArt.../60/220660.jpg
Mike makes an appearance near the end when he shows all of those Sonney/Friedman films being preserved in a storage vault. The shock on Sonney's face is genuine. A real touching moment.

Re: R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

I'll give the Something Weird Sampler DVD a spin in his honor.

Re: R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

I rented a lot of Something Weird videotapes in the 1990s. RIP.

Re: R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

The only thing I hated about them was the SWV watermark that sometimes appeared on the screen.

Re: R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

^I noticed that it was worse before. On vhs dupes that I've seen, the logo was in solid-lettering and was there all through the feature! In later years (On DVD) the logo was only on trailers & extras....But yeah, still a pain in the butt for that.

Re: R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

Yep, that's why I avoided their stuff.

Re: R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

I never blamed them for the watermark. They went through a lot of trouble to bring these movies to the public and it would suck for other distributors to sell copies of their stuff. Remember, this was in the days where we would have to PAY for oddball stuff instead of downloading it for free from the internet.

Re: R.I.P. Mike Vraney (Founder of 'Something Weird Video')
 

All I can say is that *I* would never do that.