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Universal Horror for 2009..............

#91
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6/23/09 at 3:29pm
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Re: Universal Horror for 2009..............

Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelEl
I wasn't really denouncing those films, but it's understandable why they haven't been released. They're unfamiliar and likely have limited cult appeal, even among the sort of people who used to scour TV listings for old horror films. On the other hand, the ones I listed from the 60s and 70s were shown on TV quite a lot in the 80s and 90s and have more of a built-in audience. For example, THE SATAN BUG stills airs occasionally on cable and has a cast loaded with familiar character actors. One would think a film like that or a Vincent Price picture would be a more likely candidate for release than THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE or THE MAD GHOUL.

I don't see that it has to be "either/or", though ("only 30s/40s/50s" or "only 60s/70s/80s"). I'd also suggest that Vincent Price is just as "obscure" in today's market as the old Universal films are.

If it's true that some of the older Universal titles are more obscure, then all the more reason to get them released ASAP; because the unfamiliarity can only grow worse as the older core audience who remembers and grew up with them dies out. As it stands already there is a built-in audience for those films; heck, just look at the support here in this thread!

UNIVERSAL CLASSIC HORROR ARCHIVES VOLUME 2 is a catchy-enough title that might sell these films on their own, even if nobody heard of "THE MAD GHOUL" before (I've heard of THE MAD GHOUL while THE SATAN BUG is a rather unfamiliar title to me, but then again I'm not everybody).
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#92
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6/23/09 at 3:40pm
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Re: Universal Horror for 2009..............

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Theakston
I'm looking forward to Universal's Mediocrity Collection, including such gems as THE MAD GHOUL and CURUCU, BEAST OF THE AMAZON.
!! and punctuate it with a ! and a !!
If I see "Universal Mediocrity Collection" on a DVD box-set I'm buying it instantly! Likewise if I saw the officially released "The Worst of John Wayne," as they used to call his 1930s programmers on late-night TV, I'm buying it instantly!
http://www.3dfilmpf.org/
"... little by little the look of the country changes because of the people we admire."
dialog in HUD (1963)
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#93
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6/24/09 at 2:47pm
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Re: Universal Horror for 2009..............

Quote:
Originally Posted by John_S
For those that have mentioned "Svengali (1931)", it was recently included as a bonus feature on the VCI release of "Svengali (1955)".

The 1931 transfer looks MUCH better than the old Alpha edition.

Does it look better than the old OOP and hard-to-get Roan Group release?

After hunting it down for months I finally got a copy at ebay for a reasonable price last year. Don't tell me I could have waited for VCI to simply use the Roan transfer for one of their new releases.
If I remember correctly the titles on the Roan edition were windowboxed as well. So it could be the same transfer after all...
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#94
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6/25/09 at 5:18am
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Re: Universal Horror for 2009..............

I hate to disappoint you but my Spanish boxed set including ISLAND OF LOST SOULS arrived today.

Well, almost everything looks splendid. It's a colorful set containing three DVDs in slim cases housing two movies each.
It's bathed in original poster art and has a marvellous 38 page booklet (in Spanish language).
DVDs are region free and in the PAL format. Each feature has Spanish and French subtitles. There are trailers for THE DEVIL DOLL and THE UNDYING MONSTER.

Transfers of THE BLACK ROOM, THE UNDYING MONSTER and THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE are excellent, probably on par with their North American counterparts. THE DEVIL DOLL is ok but worse than the Warner RC 1 release and is missing the MGM lion. THE VAMPIRE BAT looks ok for a PD transfer.

The big disappointment (yes, I was coming to that) is, sadly, the transfer of ISLAND OF LOST SOULS!
It's really murky, blurry, interlaced, and suffers from bad contrast and a bad audio track. What a mess! Even my digital recording of a TCM broadcast looks better!

I'm sorry for stirring up expectations, but at least I pioneered. This boxed set could have been a winner, but sadly it isn't. For those who haven't got most of these movies yet and like the thought of owning ISLAND as a bonus feature - even in a substandard form - go ahead! All others beware.

Information on the status of THE UNINVITED, contained in "Volumen 2", follows as soon as I recieve it.

I prepare for the worst....
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#95
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6/27/09 at 7:18am
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Re: Universal Horror for 2009..............

No better news for THE UNINVITED.

Although the transfer is progressive this time and a bit better than that for ISLAND, it's still fuzzy, dark and suffers from heavy video artefacts. Most likely it's an 80s transfer badly transferred to the PAL standard.

With the exeption of KING OF THE ZOMBIES all other films have ok transfers.

The package is lovely again with a lot of original poster artwork and a 34 page booklet, but too bad the main attraction is in such a bad shape...
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#96
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6/30/09 at 1:59pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fabian Kusch View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by John_S
For those that have mentioned "Svengali (1931)", it was recently included as a bonus feature on the VCI release of "Svengali (1955)".

The 1931 transfer looks MUCH better than the old Alpha edition.

Does it look better than the old OOP and hard-to-get Roan Group release?

After hunting it down for months I finally got a copy at ebay for a reasonable price last year. Don't tell me I could have waited for VCI to simply use the Roan transfer for one of their new releases.
If I remember correctly the titles on the Roan edition were windowboxed as well. So it could be the same transfer after all...

I'm not sure, as I haven't seen the Roan transfer.  But I will say it looks quite decent.
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#97
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10/25/09 at 5:36pm
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Criterion confirmed they have the rights to Island of Lost Souls on their Facebook page.
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#98
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10/25/09 at 5:45pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IanUngstad View Post

Criterion confirmed they have the rights to Island of Lost Souls on their Facebook page.
 




Great news if true!
My Movies
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#99
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10/27/09 at 8:54am
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Where did you see this?  I've been looking on their Facebook page and can't find it.
BARBARA WRIGHT: You're from Earth?
MORTON DILL: No... no, ma'am, I... I'm from Alabama.
Doctor Who: Flight Through Eternity
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#100
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10/27/09 at 10:02am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Tucker View Post

Where did you see this?  I've been looking on their Facebook page and can't find it.

You have to go back several days to find it:

Facebook member
What are the chances of Island of Lost Souls being in the pipeline? It's a classic horror film that fans have been wanting to see on dvd ever since the medium began. I'm sure you guys could do the title right
October 20 at 8:25pm

The Criterion Collection
Didn't someone already ask about this? It's a super challenging title from a mastering perspective, so don't hold your breath, but don't give up hope either.
October 21 at 3:40pm

No, I wouldn't be holding my breath just yet either...

So many films, so little time...
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Harold Shand: What I'm looking for is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world: culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than an 'ot dog, know what I mean?
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#101
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10/27/09 at 10:24am
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That's heartening news.  I just hope that the final result is better than their disappointing Scarlet Empress.
BARBARA WRIGHT: You're from Earth?
MORTON DILL: No... no, ma'am, I... I'm from Alabama.
Doctor Who: Flight Through Eternity
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