What's new

Shout Factory and Werner Herzog Film announce multi-film pact (1 Viewer)

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,553
Real Name
Ronald Epstein
shout.jpeg
SHOUT! FACTORY AND WERNER HERZOG FILM GMBH
ANNOUNCE MULTI-FILM PACT FOR CROSS-PLATFORM DISTRIBUTION
Internationally Acclaimed Werner Herzog Film Classics Include
FITZCARRALDO, AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD, NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE,
THE ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER, WOYZECK, HEART OF GLASS, COBRA VERDE, STROSZEK,
FATA MORGANA, LITTLE DIETER NEEDS TO FLY, LESSONS OF DARKNESS,
BALLAD OF THE LITTLE SOLDIER, LAND OF SILENCE AND DARKNESS and more

Los Angeles, Calif. and Vienna, Austria – August 20, 2013 – Shout! Factory and Werner Herzog Film GMBH announced an exclusive, multi-picture alliance to bring a coveted library of classic films by legendary writer/director/producer Werner Herzog, currently being re-mastered in high-definition for new edition releases in North America. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory’s founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos, and filmmaker Werner Herzog.

This multi-year alliance provides Shout! Factory extensive rights to 16 highly sought-after Werner Herzog films and documentaries, including digital distribution, home video and broadcast for cross-platform releases. Award-winning and critically acclaimed features include FITZCARRALDO, AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD, NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE, THE ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER,WOYZECK, HEART OF GLASS, COBRA VERDE, STROSZEK, FATA MORGANA, LITTLE DIETER NEEDS TO FLY, LESSONS OF DARKNESS, BALLAD OF THE LITTLE SOLDIER, LAND OF SILENCE AND DARKNESS, as well as several other acclaimed titles.

“Werner Herzog is a filmmaking icon and a celebrated master storyteller. He holds an incredibly rich legacy in cinematic history worldwide. Many of his memorable classics have been long-out-of print in the North American home entertainment marketplace. We are honored with this opportunity to bring these iconic films to movie collectors and legions of fans on digital entertainment platforms and at retail,” stated Shout! Factory’s founders in a joint statement.

"I am very proud to start this new collaboration with Shout! Factory and, given the outstanding reputation of Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos, I am confident that our joint efforts to bring my films to the North American public again in brand new HD quality will be hugely satisfying and rewarding." Werner Herzog

Shout! Factory plans an aggressive rollout of these cinema classics through physical home entertainment releases and a variety of digital entertainment distribution platforms. As excitement builds for these new home entertainment releases, Shout! Factory and Werner Herzog Film will announce additional news later this year.
 

Ernest

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 21, 1998
Messages
849
This is great news Aguirre is such a terrific movie After conquering the Incas Pizzaro sends a group of his soldiers into the Amazon Jungle looking for the famed city of gold El Dorado. Little did they know what they were getting into. Being Europeans and around 1631 or so they had no idea what life was like in a Jungle let alone the Amazon where it rains almost everyday.

Some of these titles have been available for some time now on Blu-ray in Region B. Nice to see we are getting a North American release.
 

Ruz-El

Fake Shemp
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2002
Messages
12,539
Location
Deadmonton
Real Name
Russell
Nice! They posted that Nosferatu will be in 2014, but any other details are to be announced. Hope they include both versions as well. If Herzog controls the films, and it sounds like he does, then there is no real reason not to include both versions were applicable.
 

David Wilkins

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jul 5, 2001
Messages
967
The only Shout! Factory releases I'm directly familiar with are classic TV, such as 'You Bet Your Life'. Any opinions here on their track record, as it relates to a big feature film project of this sort? Especially since most of the films are older, and likely to need some restoration.

But, hey...this is great news, no less. I hadn't even bothered to dream about such releases, aside from the possibility of a couple via Criterion, across a stretch of who knows how many years.
 

Jari K

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
3,288
Great news IF they're doing proper restorations and add old/news extras.

Anchor Bay included audio commentaries for e.g. Cobra Verde, Aguirre, Fitzcarraldo and Nosferatu (German version). PLEASE include those, Shout. Then there's of course "Burden of Dreams" documentary (for Fitzcarraldo) and e.g. "My Best Fiend" (about Kinski). Most of those older releases also included both German and English audio, and Nosferatu had both German and English versions.

I have to be frank: If these are "bare bones" with mediocre transfers, I'll pass.
 

David Wilkins

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jul 5, 2001
Messages
967
I agree, and remain cautiously optimistic that Shout! will do it right, since Herzog seems to be involved...though I wonder to what extent.
 

Winston T. Boogie

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 31, 2004
Messages
11,601
Location
Agua Verde
Real Name
Pike Bishop
I think everything looks in place for this to happen in a very good way. Plus I've never grabbed the dvds for Fitzcarraldo and Aguirre: The Wrath of God thinking they would arrive on blu-ray at some point. Honestly I thought Criterion was a lock for these.
 

David Wilkins

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jul 5, 2001
Messages
967
It was posted elsewhere as part of another discussion, but this is the proper place for it anyway.

I wonder if the BFI and Shout! Factory transfers will be the same. Ordinarily I'm not one to put emphasis on packaging, but I really like the idea of Aguirre and Nosferatu releasing separately in steel-book packaging. I hope they show up in the Shout! Factory offerings. I don't have a region-free player, and don't expect to go that route.
 

David Wilkins

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jul 5, 2001
Messages
967
It will be released here as part of the deal with Shout! Factory, there simply isn't a release date yet. Nosferatu has a May 20th U.S. release date. I'm just hoping for steel-book issues of those two, as in the U.K., though it isn't terribly important.
 

Jari K

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
3,288
It feels a bit odd if two companies are remastering these at the "same time". I would assume that these are from the same masters. But who knows for sure.I just hope that they will add those old AB audio commentaries. People can then throw away those old DVDs! ;)
 

David Wilkins

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jul 5, 2001
Messages
967
You'd think so. I know near nothing, but have heard that Shout! Factory uses what is supplied to them, and don't do in-house clean-up or restoration. Question is, who is supplying them with the material?

The only date I've heard is for Nosferatu, and that comes from Amazon pre-order, not from a Shout! Factory press release that I'm familiar with. But if BFI will release all these titles at once, will Shout! Factory still dole them out one at a time, perhaps months apart, as they see fit?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,810
Messages
5,123,583
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
1
Top