International Arrow Films/Arrow Video - DVD distributors of classic, world, horror and cult films, and TV series (1 Viewer)

[WaveCrest]

DVD Savant review of Arrow's Blu-ray only release of The Funhouse (1981):


The Funhouse (Arrow Video Blu-ray release) - DVD Savant review


A new news article on Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix about some of Arrow Video's upcoming DVD releases of Midnight and Pieces:


Arrow DVDs: Midnight and Pieces - Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix news article


and a couple of new Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix news articles about Arrow Video's upcoming Blu-ray releases of Cat O' Nine Tails and Maniac Cop:


Cat O' Nine Tails (UK BD) in September - Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix news article

Maniac Cop (UK BD) in October - Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix news article

 

[cineMANIAC]

DVD Beaver have posted a review on their website for Arrow Video's DVD release of Slaughter High:


Slaughter High (Arrow Video DVD release) - DVD Beaver review

I kept Lionsgate's DVD of Slaughter High to compare it to Arrow's version and the differences were astonishing. For starters, Arrow used a better print, film-based, where Lionsgate just dug up an old tape master. And, of course, Arrow's version was widescreen. A lot of people are curious why Lionsgate gets crapped on so much. Well, folks, this is why.

 

[WaveCrest]

I agree, the Arrow Video transfer is very good. There is grain, but on the other hand this is something I'm not too bothered with. And seeing Slaughter High in widescreen is great.

What you said in an earlier post in this thread about Midnight's aspect ratio has stuck in my mind. I would have thought it was originally filmed in widescreen and presented in widescreen for theatrical release. If it went straight to video it could have been filmed in fullscreen. I'm not an expert on aspect ratios for films and TV shows, but it will be interesting to read a review/reviews of this Arrow Video release.



Quote:

Originally Posted by Luisito34 arrow-films-arrow-video-dvd-distributors-of-classic-world-horror-and-cult-films-and-tv-series#post_3828766
So Arrow is releasing Midnight? That makes two Lionsgate-owned titles coming out from them. Makes me wonder what else might be on tap from the Gate through our friends across the pond, who obviously are bigger fans of these movies than we are. I always like Midnight and was horrified at the quality of the Lionsgate disc. I hope Arrow utilizes a fresh transfer. The fullscreen listing has got me concerned because I recall watching this in a theater. Looking forward to more news.


Have checked on the main IMDb page for Midnight (1982), and beside 'Aspect Ratio' it says "1.33:1". Now the aspect ratio for films on the IMDb isn't always reliable.

 

[cineMANIAC]

The specs on Arrow's press release for Midnight say Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1. Lots of films were shot Academy Standard and matted for theatrical presentation so I'm not worried about winding up with a fullscreen transfer of something that was shot wide. Besides, Arrow isn't Lionsgate - they actually care about presentation (for the most part, anyway . Looking forward to getting this.

 

[WaveCrest]

Originally Posted by Luisito34
The specs on Arrow's press release for Midnight say Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1. Lots of films were shot Academy Standard and matted for theatrical presentation so I'm not worried about winding up with a fullscreen transfer of something that was shot wide. Besides, Arrow isn't Lionsgate - they actually care about presentation (for the most part, anyway . Looking forward to getting this.

How much of your post is meant to be in bold? I thought I'd bring up what you previously said, because you seemed worried about the aspect ratio of Midnight stated.

Arrow's DVD release of Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) is good, but the picture looks soft and blocky. Tenebrae (1982) looks very good though.

 

[cineMANIAC]

Sorry about the post in bold - I was using the computer at work and didn't have time to fix everything. Just meant to highlight the title Midnight. It looks like Arrow may have acquired at least some of the Vestron titles distributed by Lionsgate in the U.S. Cliff Mac mentioned another Vestron title, Chopping Mall, that Shout would like to release but Lionsgate still has the rights, implying that the library could soon become available. I hope it does because there are literally dozens of good cult titles that remain in limbo that Lionsgate can't be bothered with.

 

[WaveCrest]

Thanks for clarifying what you said in your post before last. The artwork for Arrow's release of Midnight (1982) is on a par with their other titles released to date.

Very intriguing about the Vestron titles. I'm hoping (if the rights were available once the Vestron library is available, assuming that's the case) Double Exposure (1983) is in the Vestron library.

 

[WaveCrest]

Trying to get an idea of which films could be in the Vestron library. So they've got to have Lionsgate under the Distributor heading on the IMDb company credits page for each of these titles? Slaughter High was distributed theatrically in the US by Vestron Pictures and released on VHS in the US by Vestron Video.

EDIT: Think it must be titles Lionsgate distributed on DVD in the US and not theatrically. So anything with either Lionsgate Home Entertainment or Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (US) under the Distributors heading (Chopping Mall, Midnight and Slaughter High are three of them).

 

[cineMANIAC]

The Vestron library is actually all over the place, with some titles landing distribution deals through partnerships with companies like HBO/Thorn EMI, New World Pictures and even MGM. The lions share of the Vestron catalog is owned by Lionsgate through their acquisition of the old Live/Artisan studio. Lionsgate also owns titles from Vidmark, who distributed Midnight on VHS. I paid $79.99 for a copy of Midnight in the mid 90's, which I should've kept - it actually looked better than that godawful dvd Lionsgate released. Several of the Vestron titles have made appearances on DVD through Media Blasters (Scream '81), Squirm (MGM), Splatter University (Elite Entertainment) and others. Mortuary, The Mutilator and The Final Terror were titles distributed by Vestron. If anybody can do justice to these titles today it will be Arrow. There's too much preoccupation with Eurohorror (not necessarily a bad thing) - more attention needs to be paid to these classic American slashers, some of which feature highly recognizable names. If my instinct pans out I think we'll see an explosion of titles beginning next year so we'll see.

 

[WaveCrest]

I'm not going to go so far as to say it's a resurgence of slasher horror films being released on DVD, but what has been released so far and what is to come in the next few months, feels like an increased interest in slasher horror films being re-released on DVD (and Blu-ray) or making their DVD/Blu-ray debut.

Scream (1981) has been re-released on DVD by Code Red, but is getting a re-release later this year. It seems like Mortuary (1983) is stuck in DVD limbo, so if it was possible for Arrow to release it that would be great.

 

[cineMANIAC]

It doesn't look like Arrow will be releasing much of anything for a while - a fire destroyed a warehouse where they kept much of their stock. Thankfully no one was hurt. But it does appear that their release plans will be on hold indefinitely.

 

[WaveCrest]

Thanks for this news. I knew that Network DVD's releases had been delayed. Like Network, Arrow will be back to normal eventually.

 

[bgart13]

Arrow announced in their newsletter that SPIRITS OF THE DEAD is now OOP and is being re-released shortly as a bd/dvd combo with the booklet losing the Poe stories.

 

[WaveCrest]

At the time of writing, Amazon UK are still selling copies of Arrow's separate DVD (and Blu-ray) releases of Spirits of the Dead (1968).

 

[bgart13]

And once it's gone...

 

[WaveCrest]

But what if those copies aren't sold straight away? It may be OOP but wouldn't copies only be available on Amazon UK Marketplace if they were OOP? And what is this fascination with ending posts with three dots? Questions, questions...

 

[WaveCrest]

Reviews of Pieces (1982) up on Review (via DVD Compare) and DVD Beaver.

 

[cineMANIAC]

Any word on whether this or Midnight are still coming August 29th?

 

[WaveCrest]

Have checked on Amazon UK and Midnight and Pieces still have a UK release date of Monday 29th August and Monday 5th September respectively. I'm assuming in around a weeks' time Amazon will update their listing page or send emails out if Midnight is delayed, and the same with Pieces, around two weeks' time. However, on Arrow's website the release date for Midnight is also Monday 5th September.

 

[WaveCrest]

DVD Beaver review of Midnight (1982):


Midnight - DVD Beaver review