Grindhouse Releasing

Vinegar Syndrome, Deaf Crocodile, Imprint, Cinema Guild, and more.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Grindhouse Releasing

#1 Post by L.A. » Thu Sep 12, 2013 3:52 pm

An American Hippie in Israel (1972) BD @ DVDBeaver

Anthony Thorne
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 3:45 am

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#2 Post by Anthony Thorne » Thu Sep 12, 2013 10:17 pm

I'm keen on Grindhouse's promised Blu upgrades of much of their back catlogue over the coming year or so, which should therefore include Blu remasters of Cannibals Holocaust and Ferox, Pieces and Cat in the Brain. It'll be good to see them bringing out releases on a timely basis.

User avatar
manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#3 Post by manicsounds » Fri Sep 13, 2013 1:25 am

They have such a tiny catalog, and it seems to take them forever to release anything on dvd or now blu-ray. There STILL isn't a release for "Gone With The Pope", is there?

User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#4 Post by L.A. » Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:15 am

Review for Corruption (1968) @ Mondo Digital.

User avatar
manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#5 Post by manicsounds » Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:43 am


User avatar
colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#6 Post by colinr0380 » Mon Sep 30, 2013 4:26 pm

Here is a description of Cushing's performance in Corruption from David Kerekes' review in the book Offbeat: British Cinema's Curiosities, Obscurities and Forgotten Gems (essential reading for any fan of the BFI's Flipside series), that both makes the film sound interesting and makes it sound as if it will be upsetting to watch!:
Poor Peter Cushing. The gentleman of horror has never looked as crestfallen as he does here...An amorous Cushing canoodling at a party is alarming enough a sight, yet it is nothing next to our very own 'Baron Frankenstein' wrestling with a topless prostitute and stabbing her mercilessly on the floor of a Soho knocking shop. Cushing gives his all, of course, throwing himself around as might a younger man, but he is desperate, as if by flailing hard enough he will disengage himself from the whole sordid business. By the time the second victim comes around Cushing can no longer hide his disdain. Sizing up a lone woman on a train, he sweeps his eyes from his bag of murder tools to fix the camera a gaze quite unlike any Cushing we have witnessed before.

...

According to veteran director Stanley Long, with whom the actor would work next on The Blood Beast Terror, Cushing in truth was "deeply ashamed" of his part in the film.
Last edited by colinr0380 on Tue Oct 01, 2013 5:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#7 Post by knives » Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:37 am

Ashamed is a bit of a strong reaction as there is lot of good parts to the film, it runs on TCM sometimes, but the attempts at being edgy definitely fall flat in an off putting way.

User avatar
feihong
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:20 pm

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#8 Post by feihong » Tue Oct 01, 2013 2:09 am

I saw this picture at the Egyptian theater as part of an American Cinematheque program, and I enjoyed it a great deal. It's creepy in a clammy, uncomfortable way, and a number of sequences are hilarious. The audience at the Egyptian was in stitches at the conclusion.

I think Cushing was probably ashamed of having to inhabit what he thought of as a role for a younger man. I remember him making similar comments about Madhouse during the section where he was to be seen in flashback as a younger man. He was very self-conscious as an actor; he wore gloves when he smoked so that nicotine stains wouldn't show up on his hands. You don't really hear him disparaging the subject matter of the films he was in too often, as far as I know.

User avatar
dwk
Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 6:10 pm

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#9 Post by dwk » Fri Oct 04, 2013 12:38 pm

The Big Gundown Blu-ray is available for pre-order at amazon. It is limited to 3000 copies, so, if you are interested, get your pre-order in.
Four Disc Deluxe Limited Edition Combo Pack - Two Blu-rays, One DVD And One Bonus CD
Individually Numbered And Limited To 3000 Copies
Spectacular New 2K Digital Restoration Of The Original Uncensored English Language Version, Newly Expanded With Three Additional Scenes
LA RESA DEI CONTI - The Complete, 110 Minute Director's Cut Presented In Italian With Optional English Bubtitles And Special Musical Subtitles
Bonus CD - THE BIG GUNDOWN - Original Soundtrack By Ennio Morricone
Compelling In-Depth Interviews With Director Sergio Sollima, Star Tomas Milian And Screenwriter Sergio Donati (ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST)
Audio Commentary By Western Film Experts C. Courtney Joyner And Henry C. Parke
Liner Notes By C. Courtney Joyner And Euro-Music Expert Gergely Hubai
Extensive Still Galleries, Trailers And TV Spots
AND OTHER SURPRISES!

User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#10 Post by L.A. » Sun Oct 06, 2013 9:32 am


User avatar
chatterjees
Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2013 6:08 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#11 Post by chatterjees » Sun Oct 06, 2013 11:47 am

dwk wrote:The Big Gundown Blu-ray is available for pre-order at amazon. It is limited to 3000 copies, so, if you are interested, get your pre-order in.
Four Disc Deluxe Limited Edition Combo Pack - Two Blu-rays, One DVD And One Bonus CD
Individually Numbered And Limited To 3000 Copies
Spectacular New 2K Digital Restoration Of The Original Uncensored English Language Version, Newly Expanded With Three Additional Scenes
LA RESA DEI CONTI - The Complete, 110 Minute Director's Cut Presented In Italian With Optional English Bubtitles And Special Musical Subtitles
Bonus CD - THE BIG GUNDOWN - Original Soundtrack By Ennio Morricone
Compelling In-Depth Interviews With Director Sergio Sollima, Star Tomas Milian And Screenwriter Sergio Donati (ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST)
Audio Commentary By Western Film Experts C. Courtney Joyner And Henry C. Parke
Liner Notes By C. Courtney Joyner And Euro-Music Expert Gergely Hubai
Extensive Still Galleries, Trailers And TV Spots
AND OTHER SURPRISES!
This is an excellent news. It is one of my all time favorite Western, but never bought anything from this company. I hope the quality of the production is up to the mark. This package does look very impressive and can't really expect anything more (don't really know what to expect from "OTHER SURPRISES"). Thanks for the notice, I just placed a pre-order :)
I was already happy with My Name Is Nobody BD announcement in USA. Now, I just wish somebody can announce Death Rides a Horse (1967) BD here in USA (after the latest German release has just been announced).

User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#12 Post by L.A. » Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:27 pm

The Big Gundown review @ Mondo Digital.

User avatar
feihong
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:20 pm

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#13 Post by feihong » Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:52 pm

Does the Grindhouse version look degrained and then regrained to anybody? It seems in the captures as if significant detail is lost between the German transfer and the U.S. version. To point out a couple of things, the hems on Lee Van Cleef's shirt in the first capture disappear in the Grindhouse version, as does the definition in Lee Van Cleef's cheeks.

User avatar
Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#14 Post by Finch » Sat Dec 07, 2013 6:54 am

It looks "waxy" compared to the German disc but the reviewer says the German disc has issues of its own (haloing and sharpening) and it's marginally cropped at the top compared to the US release, and the Grindhouse has more info on the left. So neither are ideal but the US disc has more extras. My copy is shipping very soon so I'll have a look when it arrives.

User avatar
pro-bassoonist
Joined: Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:26 am

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#15 Post by pro-bassoonist » Tue Dec 10, 2013 7:22 pm

Finch wrote:It looks "waxy" compared to the German disc but the reviewer says the German disc has issues of its own (haloing and sharpening) and it's marginally cropped at the top compared to the US release, and the Grindhouse has more info on the left. So neither are ideal but the US disc has more extras. My copy is shipping very soon so I'll have a look when it arrives.
Hello Finch :)

The German disc, which is actually a Swiss release, definitely has the haloing you mention. However, it is very light, and even when projected it is far from distracting. As far as the "sharpening" is concerned, it is actually not a post-transfer sharpening (meaning done in a lab). It is a byproduct of the old scan that was used for the transfer. On a side note, the gentleman who works on these releases is very, very passionate and is well aware that digital tinkering isn't a good thing.

Also, Finch, there is a nice release in France from Wild Side Video. The encoding on it is better than that of the German release. The two issues noted above are virtually unnoticeable in motion.

All in all, despite the limitations, the German and French releases definitively have the organic look you would want. At times they could look slightly dated, but they are fine releases.

I have not seen the U.S. release yet and cannot comment.

I hope you are well :)

rwaits
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:24 pm

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#16 Post by rwaits » Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:37 pm

Is this company still planning a release of The Swimmer?

User avatar
dwk
Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 6:10 pm

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#17 Post by dwk » Tue Dec 10, 2013 10:28 pm

Yes. They were asked about The Swimmer on their facebook page and they said
Grindhouse Releasing wrote: It's coming soon - we will post the info here as soon as we've got it all confirmed.
Apparently, they have a short license on their Sony titles and they want to get them out first, so I'd guess The Swimmer is going to be their next release.

User avatar
chatterjees
Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2013 6:08 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#18 Post by chatterjees » Wed Dec 11, 2013 5:52 pm

I received my copy of The Big Gundown today, and this set is very impressive. This is the only release by them I own. There is a nice thick booklet inside in addition to the discs. I can't wait to watch the director's cut.

User avatar
Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#19 Post by Finch » Thu Dec 12, 2013 7:07 pm

Svet, thanks for chiming in (by the way, I was merely quoting the Mondo Digital reviewer as I don't own either the Swiss or French disc). Do let us know when you get a chance to review the Grindhouse disc. My copy hasn't shipped yet so I can't comment either.

User avatar
Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#20 Post by Finch » Thu Dec 12, 2013 7:13 pm

Slant's BD review of The Big Gundown
IMAGE / SOUND:

The English-language version of the film has been given a 2K restoration that results in the best-looking home-video release for a spaghetti western since Once Upon a Time in the West hit video. Flesh tones are captured in all natural tans, and colors pop as well as they can while coated in dust and sweat. A few image inconsistencies, such as hazy frames and an odd flickering effect in a shot late in the film, appear to be endemic to the print, not a fault of the mastering. The Italian cut of the film, placed on a separate Blu-Ray disc, has obviously been handled with less care, its colors not as pronounced and with a generally softer image. Nevertheless, it looks fairly strong in relation to some other westerns released on Blu-Ray. The mono track of both releases is solid, prioritizing Morricone's deafening cues over all else, but such is the nature of all westerns to sport one of his scores. It does make an included isolated score track feel somewhat redundant though.
EXTRAS:

A batch of interviews with Sergio Sollima, Tomas Milian, and screenwriter Sergio Donati touch on the film, spaghetti westerns in general, and, in Milian's case, an entire career. The best of them is Sollima's one that focuses solely on the production, a half-hour discussion filled with concise appraisals of Lee Van Cleef and Milian's strengths, a contention with the term "Italian westerns," and a smattering of smaller details, such as a confirmation of suspicion that Brockston's German henchman is modeled after Erich von Stroheim. An audio commentary with western enthusiasts C. Courtney Joyner and Henry C. Parke offers a wealth of detail about the production and the film's context among classic and contemporary westerns, as well as shrewd observations like Cuchillo's resemblance to Chaplin's Tramp. But the pair sometimes sound so giddy it's as if two fans just wandered into a recording booth and sat down; also, it's hard not to tense up when they laugh off some of the film's darker moments, such as dismissing the Mormon child bride as a "minx." Trailers and T.V. spots round out the package, along with some previews for upcoming Grindhouse releases that show the label, which has only just shifted to high-definition, has big plans. As one final, and most welcome, bonus, an included CD comes with Ennio Morricone's excellent score.

User avatar
feihong
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:20 pm

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#21 Post by feihong » Fri Dec 13, 2013 3:23 am

Got The Big Gundown today. It is an incredible set. The picture looks fantastic--it's crisp, sharp and it has lots of depth. The colors are especially beautiful--dvds I've seen of the film tend to make the palette look kind of treacly. The box is really fantastic, with the main characters embossed and given a glossy coat, while the background detail has a satin or a soft finish. And the set is super-packed with features. Magnificent!


Hopefully this does well, and inspires someone to release some other great spaghetti westerns on blu. It would be great to see nutty, eccentric spaghetti westerns like Matalo!, The Fury of Johnny Kidd and A Pistol for Ringo in high definition. I bet there are great visual revelations to be had seeing these pictures in high definition, just as there certainly are in The Big Gundown.

User avatar
pro-bassoonist
Joined: Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:26 am

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#22 Post by pro-bassoonist » Fri Dec 13, 2013 3:51 pm

Finch wrote:Svet, thanks for chiming in (by the way, I was merely quoting the Mondo Digital reviewer as I don't own either the Swiss or French disc). Do let us know when you get a chance to review the Grindhouse disc. My copy hasn't shipped yet so I can't comment either.
Hey Finch :D

Yes, I knew that you were quoting the reviewer, but the comments were correct. I don't have this U.S. disc yet and I won't be covering it. One of my colleagues will. But I have ordered a copy for my library as I really like the film and would like to have the CD as well.

Talk to you soon, Finch :)

User avatar
Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#23 Post by Finch » Sat Dec 14, 2013 7:02 am

Blu-Ray.com on Big Gundown, 4.5 for the video
The AVC encoded image (2.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation does an excellent job matching the picture's original theatrical condition. Some debris and faint flicker are detected, but this is a hearty viewing experience with a pleasing fullness of color, featuring crisp western hues, big blue skies, and accurate skintones. Fine detail is generous with squinty facial particulars, while costuming conveys fabric quality and exteriors expose natural textures. Shadow detail is supportive and expressive, maintaining distances and evening encounters without solidification. Grain is managed superbly, providing a filmic appearance. The BD event looks fresh and true, capturing cinematographic nuance. Featured on the disc are two cuts: the "Expanded U.S. Version" (94:56) and the "Italian Director's Cut" (110:18).

Orlac
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:29 am

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#24 Post by Orlac » Tue Dec 17, 2013 8:52 pm

What's going on in the scene 10min in where Van Cleef first sights Milian. Some of the shots look horribly zoomed-in and fuzzy. Were these from a different source?

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: Grindhouse Releasing

#25 Post by domino harvey » Sun Dec 29, 2013 1:02 pm

Which version of the Big Gundown is the one to watch-- the English or Italian version?

Post Reply