Home of the "Cinerama" travelogue restorations! (Just got an order of them in, and am thoroughly impressed)

Yeah MVD has some cool stuff. I don't have too many of their titles, but I'd like to get more of their stuff in my collection. Love their nostalgia angle!

Yeah that's exactly the way I was too man! Very similar. When I first got back into collecting, I was focused on the best deals, and how to get the movies I wanted for the lowest price. At first, it was harder for me to stomach the boutique prices. But then I discovered those limited edition rigid "chunky" box sets (my favorite type of editions too), and my attitude started to change. I fell in love with those types of editions almost immediately. It's amazing what having even just a couple of those editions in-hand can do for one's mindset and perspective LMAO! Thanks for watching and commenting brother!

Without a doubt, boutique labels and their unique releases have kept physical media alive.

Same here. I really only care about Boutique Limited Editions these days.

@@modestyblaise4167 hell yeah! 🤣 I have some videos that show off some nice limited editions

I agree with you guys just started back collecting last April thanks to Fuzz and other KZfaqrs found out about the boutique labels the picture quality and I think the packaging is a lot better quality than studio labels wasn't a big horror fan but have really enjoyed second sight and others

Yeah I'm right there with you on preferring catalog releases over newer films. I mostly watch older titles these days myself, and I always want to see more titles from the 70s-90s released on 4K (and maybe a few films from the 2000s as well). And yep, I do love Arrow... i don't think I've ever been disappointed by the quality of any of their restorations. They do such great work. And their chunky boxes are my absolute favorite type of editions, on either side of the pond. Thanks for watching and weighing in!

That's great to hear! Yeah, that's exactly why I made this video... to kind of help out other collectors learn a bit more about the different boutique labels. There are some great labels out there that really deliver the goods. Welcome back to the collecting scene! And thanks for watching!

Very cool to hear! That was my hope... that maybe new collectors could benefit from this. Thanks so much for watching!

I need to explore those labels a bit more. I have a couple 88 Films releases, but I've only dabbled a bit with them if they had something I wanted. I haven't even heard of Curzon Films yet, so I'll be looking into both labels and seeing what they have. Thanks for the tip, and thanks for watching!

88 Films’ 4K UHD Italian Collection is fantastic. They’re releasing the 80s semi-classics Antropophagus and Absurd soon. Their recent releases of Witchfinder General and Blood on Satan’s Claw are also superb. Their packaging is great, with hard outer shells, posters, reversible cover art etc. Highly recommended. Curzon are a partner label for Criterion I believe, and will next month be releasing a 4K of the Korean masterpiece Memories of Murder.

Yeah I agree, they've done some pretty good work over there, from what I've seen (which isn't a lot, but I do have some Warner Archive titles, and they're decent). Thanks for watching!

Agreed. In part because they have had the most-clever business model of the major studios. TCM is a corporate affiliate of Warner, with basically unfettered access to the Warner back catalog. TCM both needs watcheable restored prints in order to broadcast them, but it also has served as a way to then market that back catalog to home viewers and keep it visible. ("That movie you just saw? You can enjoy it anytime on disc! Old movies are so cool!") Thus they have long understood how to tap the long-tail economic value of a century of films, and not just double down on the last 30 years or so. And we as film enthusiasts are so much better of for it.

Thanks my friend! Yeah VS and Arrow are among my favorites for packaging. Hey it looks like Turbine just restocked on one of the Barb Wire 4K editions (same steelbook art, different slipcover art than mine). So you can still get it if you want. But it's low on stock, so I'd recommend jumping on it quickly if interested. Here's the link: turbine-shop.de/en/Barb-Wire-Limitierte-Steelbook-Edition-mit-Full-Slip-B-4K-Ultra-HD-Blu-ray-Unrated-Blu-ray/6961235

Oh good point... I always forget about the TV cuts on these things (since I never watch them). And yeah, I totally hear ya on the budgeting for this stuff. I find I do have to prioritize/pick and choose sometimes, depending on the boutique, title and edition in question. Some boutiques can get pretty pricey for their limited editions. Right now I'm getting stoked for the Vinegar Syndrome Halfway to Black Friday sale this coming weekend (I usually wait for VS sales to pick up most titles from them).

@@TheOriginalFuzz I am looking forward to the criterion sale coming up

I haven't picked up the Midnight Run 4K yet, but I think that's one I probably will add to the collection at some point. I used to watch it all the time years ago. Always got a kick out of that one. And yes, Streets of Fire was awesome. When I bought the 4K, it was the first time I'd ever seen the film (even though I remember the film growing up in the 80s... but never got around to seeing until the Shout 4K). I just love the music in this film. I don't have a Dolby Atmos setup yet, so I can't fully comment on that. But at the very least, I did notice the Atmos mix sounded great on my 5.1 surround system. Anyway, great to hear from you Chad! Thanks for taking the time to watch my crazy long video LMAO!

@@TheOriginalFuzz The Longer the better. Most of my offline friends aren't movie people. It's nice to have this channel. I feel like I've found a home here!

@@chadeldred3539 Yeah I'm kind of in the same boat... I don't have a lot of people around me who are into movies and collecting the way I am. This physical media collecting community on KZfaq has been awesome for connecting with others who share the same interest/passion for movies.

Thanks so much for watching! Yeah I originally wanted to talk about a few more labels in addition to these, but the video got so long, I had to cut it off LOL. Maybe I'll do a sequel video at some point. Because there are definitely others out there that could be mentioned. Thanks for commenting.

Thanks Frank! Yeah I have a few Severin titles, but I'm not the biggest fan. I mean, they're ok, and I don't disagree with you about their restorations (from what little I've seen, they do a good job). Occasionally they'll have something I really want, but they seldom have anything new that I can justify spending that much coin on. I'll buy from them if they release something I just have to have (like Dario Argento's Inferno and Mother of Tears on 4K, to complete the Three Mothers trilogy on 4K. Those I would pay the price for), but most of the time, there's nothing really that critical for me personally that's being released. In fact, I think the last thing I bought from them was that Four Flies on Gray Velvet 4K about a year and a half ago or so. Now if their prices were a little more reasonable and they had better packaging (at least, based on the limited experience I've had), then I might be more inclined to take a few chances with them on some blind buys. I keep an eye on their announcements in case they release something I really want. But it needs to be something pretty special for me in order to justify spending like $65 on a new 4K release (after shipping and taxes). Thanks for weighing in man! I'm glad you've had a good experience with Severin.

Got the UK Arrow (Blu ray )release , wasn't that impressed with the picture. quality. The 3 disc Turbine edition (4K & Blu ray) on the other hand has great colour and overall better picture quality (even on the blu ray).

@@stevealharris6669 Oddly enough, I never got around to buying the BD. I waited long enough, the 4K was announced and waited for it. I would like to find the Turbine 4K and compare it. I really like what Turbine does.

Oh yeah good point with the Amazon thing. I was referring to Amazon proper, not the third-party vendors that sell their items through Amazon (which is more or less like getting it from eBay or something). There are many third-party sellers on Amazon who may have some of the Vinegar Syndrome LE box sets (though presumably at a significantly higher price now for the ones that are out of print). But Amazon themselves only carry standard amaray case editions of VS titles in their inventory. Re: Synapse... I believe that's actually Don May Jr.'s company. He was either the founder or co-founder or something. Love the work he does. They're a great label! Thanks for watching and commenting! Appreciate it!

Lol! Yeah I definitely need to get more Second Sight titles in my collection. I just love what I've seen from them. Can't wait for The Hitcher! And of course, Arrow is probably my favorite. Thanks for watching!

@@TheOriginalFuzz Agree with you. Think the Hitcher will be a day one purchase for me. Rutger was absolutely brilliant in this movie. He always seemed to elevate every movie that he starred in 🌟

Yeah it's pretty glorious all the beautiful editions we're getting these days. That's the big benefit to seeing physical media shift to a more collector's niche market. The wallet can definitely take a bit of a hit. But at the same time, I really love finding out that some cool chunky box I bought two years ago is now out of print and quite valuable and sought-after. Thanks for watching my friend!

Thanks so much for watching! I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed it. Yes, this coming weekend is one of Vinegar Syndrome's big sales, so great timing. It's their Halfway to Black Friday sale, and most titles released prior to 6 months ago are 50 percent off the list price. So it would be a great time to dip your toes in their selection. They always shut down the site a couple days before a big sale. They are a very unique company, and they do things a little differently than other boutiques. You'll see what I mean once you start browsing their site and get familiar with them. But there's just something kind of special about them for me, even though I'm very selective in what I buy from them. My recommendation would be to set up a free account with them before ordering anything, and then make sure you're logged in when you order so you can get points (which can eventually be redeemed as cash discounts on your orders at certain intervals -- or you can use the points to buy fun little products, like re-printed variant slipcovers for certain releases). Just a heads up though... it can take Vinegar Syndrome quite some time to ship items out after a big sale like this, so expect to wait a few weeks or a month to receive items. They are really cool people over there with amazing customer service, but they are a small operation with a full-time shipping staff of only about 20 people during big sales, and they get totally slammed (they will get literally thousands of orders over the weekend, so it takes them a little time to fulfill orders). But they are a really fun company with lots of cool little bells and whistles.

@@TheOriginalFuzz I appreciate the heads up about Vinegar Syndrome sale, I will definitely have to check it out, especially if it's supporting a small company!

@@Shuxy Oh no problem. I figured I'd warn you ahead of time, since sometimes people find it a little alarming when it takes a month to get a shipping notification from VS - Lol! But they are definitely on top of everything over there. Great little company. Btw, while you're waiting for them to open the site back up, check out their Halfway to Black Friday sale FAQ page. They always do this before a big sale... they try to answer as many questions about the sale as they can ahead of time. They're super informative and transparent. I love that about them. support.vinegarsyndrome.com/en-US/halfway-to-black-friday-2024---faq-508981

I don't have a whole lot of experience with Indicator. I think I only have like one title from them (Brian De Palma's Body Double on blu ray), and it's a standard edition blu ray. So I will have to look into them more and see what else they have in their catalog... especially if they have rigid slipcase editions. I love that kind of stuff! Thanks for the tip! And thanks so much for watching... I know this one got a little long LOL!

​@@TheOriginalFuzz they're also decently affordable, around 30-35 for a 4K release if you buy from the right place! A lot of their more recent releases come in rigid slipcases, so take a look and see if any interest you.

Thanks for watching and commenting man! It seems like a lot of the old Olive Films catalog may have been rolled over to Kino Lorber on the licensing... I've noticed Kino reissuing a number of titles that used to be under Olive's domain (although I'm sure there must be other labels who picked up some of Olive's catalog too). So I feel like we're probably in good hands with a lot of those Olive titles. I definitely want to get more MVD titles... I have a few, but there's lots more to explore! LMAO!

@@TheOriginalFuzz Yea there are a few MVD titles im wanting, Disturbing Behavior is at the top of my list to get. & yea I have noticed that too, im doing research for an Olive Films videos & ive noticed Kino & Criterion has picked up a lot of old Olive films & released them on Blu-Ray & a few have gotten 4Ks but speaking of 4K, have seen Kino is releasing The Generals Daughter on 4k! 🤯 I know your a huge Crimson Tide & The Rock fan, maybe im alone in this but I feel The Generals Daughter is a perfect triple feature with those 2 movies.

I only saw the General's Daughter once years ago, around the time it was a relatively new release. I don't even really remember it that well (knowing me back then, I was probably drunk when I watched it LMAO!). But I did notice it's coming to 4K... never really associated it with The Rock or Crimson, but I may have to revisit that one.

@@TheOriginalFuzz I may be alone in this but I truly consider Crimson Tide & The Rock brother/sister films that aren't sequels (if that makes sense). The Generals Daughter I would put in that same family but more of a cousin lol. I've always LOVED The Generals Daughter but ever since the Kino 4k got announced I realized my excitement isn't felt by everyone on KZfaq lol. It's amazing man! very high recommend! especially if you just got Barb Wire on 4k LMAO!

BFI? I'm not familiar with that one. Is that a boutique label?

@@TheOriginalFuzz British Film institute - I would consider it a boutique label,they do a lot of work restoring and conserving with (on occasion) chunky box sets. Not to sure how extensive their back catalogue is (if I went down that rabbit hole it would end up costing a lot 😎. All the best from Norfolk UK.

The Arrow 4K is a really good restoration. It looks amazing... way better than I've ever seen the movie look before. Beautiful colors that pop.

@@TheOriginalFuzzyes i agree with you

Thanks for watching! Good questions. The funny thing is, I originally had a section in this video talking about licensing, but I ultimately edited it out because the video was getting so long. Let me preface my response by saying I am not an expert on this stuff by any measure, nor do I consider myself to be a professional reviewer. I'm just an average collector with a KZfaq channel and a passion for movies and collecting, sharing my views and any bits of info I've picked up in recent years that might be helpful to new collectors. I really only have a laymen's understanding of how licensing works, but I think I may be able to shed a little light on your questions. Q1 -- From what I understand, licensing agreements/contracts can be very complex and detailed, involve lawyers and a bunch of legal stuff, etc. And I don't pretend to know the ins-and-outs of how it all works. But essentially, major studios (like MGM, Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros, etc.) will license out some of their movies directly to smaller boutiques for distribution. The boutiques then do all/much of the work (packaging design, restoration, etc.) and release the product on physical media, and the major studio gets a cut of the sales. This can happen for many reasons and in many ways, but perhaps one example might be if a major studio doesn't know how a title (or bundle of titles, as is often the case) will sell, it might not want to take the risk on releasing those titles on a particular format (especially with 4K, which is a much more expensive process/format to produce). But a particular boutique may come along with a niche customer base that might appreciate the title(s) in question, and will seek out a licensing distribution agreement with the major studio that holds the rights to the title(s). It can take time for this process to happen, from what I understand... sometimes even several years of negotiation. And when a licensing deal is inked, those rights are temporary... meaning, the boutique will only have the rights to produce the title for a few years at a time (like 4-5 years), and then they can either renew the license or maybe someone else bids for the license, etc. I think there are all kinds of different scenarios in play. Every agreement is different, specific, and unique. Usually these agreements are limited to a specific format, specific region of the world (i.e. U.S. vs. UK), and there may be all kinds of conditions the major studio places on the boutique in terms of how they allow a title to be released, what kind of artwork can be used (or if new artwork can be commissioned), whether the boutique is allowed to produce their own exclusive special features and bonus material (like retrospective documentaries), or do they have to use only what the studio provides to them, etc., etc. Like I said, it can get really complicated. But it all just depends on the title, the studio, and the boutique in question as to how it's handled from there. Some/many boutiques have their own in-house film restoration facilities/gear and/or partners they work with for some titles, while for other titles, the major studio may provide the finished restoration or maybe just a new scan (4K or 2K) of the original source elements, for the boutique to work with on the restoration, color timing, etc. Sometimes the studios will provide all the original source elements (camera negatives, etc.) and give the boutique carte blanche to work its magic from the ground up. Sometimes the boutqiues will even work with the directors or receive input from others who worked on the film to accurately restore a title. It really all just depends. Every movie and situation is different, and there are so many different variables. But in a nutshell, these are legally-binding, contractual licensing agreements between the boutiques and major studios for temporary distribution rights, in a specific region, on a specific format, for a specific period of time. Q2 - Q5 -- Because licensing agreements are so detailed and regionalized, yes you can have more than one boutique releasing the same title. But usually not within the same region (country). There is usually some exclusivity in the agreement that pertains to the region and format a title can be released in. A major studio may license out a title to one boutique in the US (like, say, Kino or Shout), but also have a different agreement with another boutique in the UK for the same title (like Arrow or Second Sight). The regional exclusivity of these agreements cuts down on the competition (in fact, to the contrary, some collectors will buy imports/multiple releases of the same title from multiple regions, just to get different packaging, artwork, treatment, etc.). And I think more often than not, we see boutiques working with each other to share resources more than we see them competing against each other. For example, boutiques will often share the same 4K scans of a film's original camera negative to cut costs, but then each perform their own individual work on the scans. But it's not usually a zero-sum game with most collectors... meaning, one boutique's gain is not necessarily another's loss in the same region, because those boutiques likely wouldn't have licenses to the same titles (on the same formats) within that region anyway. And collectors tend to buy from whatever boutique has the titles and collectible editions they want. However, sometimes there will be major studio releases and boutique releases of the same title on the same format (like blu-ray, for example). The major studio release might be an older, lower-resolution or lower-quality transfer, but then a boutique comes along and gives it a fresh scan, a new restoration treatment, and new bonus features, etc. So there are many different ways this stuff can play out. The example you brought up about 12 Angry men is a really good one. I looked it up, and it looks like Criterion previously had the rights to distribute the title in the U.S. back in 2011 when they released their blu-ray. But somewhere along the way, they appear to have lost the rights, and now Kino Lorber holds the distribution rights... and as such, Kino has released that film on both blu-ray and 4K (the 4K came out just in April). Another company might hold the license over in the UK or Australia, etc. But I'm not aware of those. As to why MGM would care to give the rights to Kino... my guess is, probably because Kino asked to distribute it, and it's no skin off of MGM's back to just sit back and take their cut, and let Kino do all the work. To my knowledge, MGM has not released a 4K of the title, but Kino has. Kino assumed all the risk of releasing it in 4K, so if it turned out to not be a good-selling title for them, it would hurt Kino Lorber, not MGM. Finally, most boutiques I'm aware of are based in Europe and the U.S., but there are some based in Australia too. Anyway, I hope this helps. I think I pretty much covered everything. I know my response is a little long here, but they were fairly loaded questions lol.

@@TheOriginalFuzz Wow, Thank you so much for that elaborate response to my questions. Really greatly appreciate it. It shows your passion for what you love to do, that's to collect and watch movies in their best possible format. That makes so much sense to me in this otherwise routine life. Your Boutique review was so interesting and informative and unique as a topic that those 'loaded' questions were inevitably triggered lol. It is a great intro and starter for anyone like me who is too much engrossed in buying movie titles but seldom cared much for who released it. As long as the movie is available, I'm happy until I saw your review and knew so much goes on behind the release of a movie on Bluray physical disc. You've got one new subscriber. Will look forward to more informative and interesting content like this one.

@@Gundeski Thank you so much for watching, subbing and commenting! I really appreciate that. Check out my "Back to Basics" series when you get the chance (there's a playlist for the series on my channel homepage)... the series is intended for those who are relatively new to collecting (or new to returning to collecting, as is often the case). You might find some of the topics interesting.

Thanks Sara! Appreciate you watching. I'll check out your channel too.

@@TheOriginalFuzzthat’s awesome thanks

Can you not yype stuff on here that is not relevant, you do not list any labels that you have bought from, too many ?

Yeah I almost included Studiocanal in my list (I even had a few titles pulled that I was going to talk about), but ultimately, this video got so long that I ran out of time. I may have to do a follow up video at some point to discuss some additional labels. Thanks for watching!

Are you talking about the digipacks that the discs are housed in? I don't mind those at all... in fact I kind of like them. I like the way they unfold to reveal the discs. As long as the discs are secured in actual trays (rather than cardboard/paper slots/sleeves), that's what is important to me -- that the discs are protected.

@@TheOriginalFuzz yes sir I think their cheap

It's because Shout/Scream are a U.S. company and they only ship to the U.S. But usually, someone in Europe has the rights to the same titles and ends up releasing a European edition, like you indicated. For example, I've noticed Arrow often gets a lot of the same titles as Shout/Scream do (like Carrie). Most of the Shout/Scream licenses are for U.S. rights only (or maybe North America only). So I assumed you'd probably get Point Break from another label over there. Do you know what label is putting out the steelbook on your side of the pond?

The 4K disc is region-free (4K is largely a region-free format). It's just the included blu-ray that is region A. But you should be able to play the 4K disc on any player. That said, I've heard good things about Magnatar players (although they do seem a bit pricey).

I don't think I own any Eureka stuff yet. I might have to look into them more. I do have a few 88 Films and Severin releases, but I haven't delved into those labels too much yet... Might have to do a Part 2 video at some point as I expand my boutique selection. Though I'm kind of on the fence about Severin. If they release something I really want and just have to have, I'll buy it. But their price point is pretty high for new releases (even for a boutique), and their handling of the Four Flies On Grey Velvet 4K debacle kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. And I'm less likely to blind-buy something from them because of their price point for many releases. But I like their restorations... they seem pretty solid from what I've seen. and I still keep an eye on their announcements, in case they release something I'm really interested in.

No I wasn't interested in that one. I may pick up the special edition version of Witness at some point... since I missed out on the LE box. I hear the transfer on that is excellent.

Yes they are region free at Vinegar Syndrome. That's another thing I like about them.

Why? From my pov, 4K does wonders for older, catalog movies shot on film. In most cases, the 4K transfers are usually the best the films have ever looked on home media (to varying degrees, of course... some films have a greater quality jump than others). I love the format. What don't you like about it?

@@TheOriginalFuzz I think it looks God Awful. I hate HDR. Over processed, over DNRd, over sharpened, over contrast, over saturated, etc. I don't like my Films to look like a bad video game.

​@mg-ThisHandleIsSoStupid Sorry to hear that. That has not been my experience. Quite the opposite, in fact. I could understand maybe feeling that way about a specific movie, depending on what it is and how it was filmed, restored, processed, released etc. But every movie is unique and handled/treated differently. So those seem like pretty broad strokes to paint across the entire format. For example, Jaws or The Godfather on 4K were handled in a completely different manner than something like Top Gun Maverick or the Avatar movies. Different animals from different eras. I'm wondering if maybe it has something to do with your TV picture settings. Like for example, do you turn up the image sharpness on your TV? Or do you have motion smoothing turned on? (I'm assuming you don't but I thought I'd ask anyway, just in case lol)