Oscilloscope Pictures

Vinegar Syndrome, Deaf Crocodile, Imprint, Cinema Guild, and more.
Post Reply
Message
Author
Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#276 Post by Oscilloscope » Mon Sep 21, 2015 4:50 pm

Hey y'all,

Just wanted to pop in and let you know about some of the current goings ons at the Lab, and to thank you for your current support (or at least interest in) our company. We work hard to be one of the more interesting distributors in the game, but it ain't always easy being green. Nah mean? We do have a ton of great new releases out this year and hope you'll catch up on films like BUZZARD, GABRIEL, CATCH ME DADDY, THE SECOND MOTHER, and upcoming titles like THE WONDERS,WHAT OUR FATHERS DID, and EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT.

We've been hearing your comments for years now and have slowly been working on a new and improved interface. I invite you all to visit oscilloscope.net to see what I mean! Check out our new 'films' page: an interface that serves as a true statement on our commitment to physical media and the heyday of the video culture. We also have a new, FUNCTIONING store page that is easier to use and prettier to look at.

I'd also like to introduce a new feature called MUSINGS, a blog/journal that we set up as an outlet for film writers that we admire and respect to write about the things that other outlets won't let them (or won't pay for). Here, writers can shine new light & perspective on under-seen or under-appreciated film gems, rather than cranking out the same old speculative gossip about new releases that is so prevalent in "film journalism" these days. We're super proud of this and hope you'll follow! We try to put out 1 or 2 new essays a week.

As for the lack of new blu-ray discs on some current titles, well..that's just how this crazy capitalist system sways sometimes. If we could put out beautifully packaged, high-quality blu-rays packed with amazing bonus features for every single title, we absolutely would. We want to! Unfortunately for smaller titles where the demand just does not exist, a blu-ray isn't economically feasible. If it's any consolation, we do sometimes package digital releases on VHX with HD bonus content.

As a way of celebrating the re-launch of our site, we're currently running a sale on the store for 30% off EVERYTHING, including apparel, posters, blu-rays, and dvds, including pre-orders of our upcoming limited edition releases JAMEL SHABAZZ: STREET PHOTOGRAPHER and STATIONS OF THE ELEVATED (only 500 of each available). Just enter code: Relaunch.

As always, please feel free to send questions, comments, kudos, ideas, or bugs you might find on the new site to info@oscilloscope.net, and thanks again for being a fan!

Much love,

O-Scope

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#277 Post by Oscilloscope » Thu Oct 22, 2015 3:24 pm

New on Musings:

The Truest Frights of J-horror Classic “Jigoku” are Existential by Charles Bramesco

Image

http://musings.oscilloscope.net/post/13 ... or-classic

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#278 Post by Oscilloscope » Thu Oct 22, 2015 3:44 pm

Oscilloscope Laboratories presents

La Ciudad, a film by David Riker

Image

Newly Restored and Available now on DVD

“A movie to treasure. One is reminded of ‘The Bicycle Thief.'”
Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

"It is very simply a great film."
Harlan Jacobson, THE WASHINGTON POST

"WCan take its place beside such postwar neo-realist classics as Rossellini’s “Paisan” and Bunuel’s ‘Los Olvidados'."
Glen Lovell, VARIETY

"Indelible, deeply disquieting. Its understatement makes it all the more devastating."
Stephen Holden, THE NEW YORK TIMES

"A sensitive, beautifully expressive film."
Kevin Thomas, LOS ANGELES TIMES

"Wrenching...it humanizes an often ignored subculture."
Lewis Beale, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Special Features:

-New high-definition 2K transfer and digital restoration supervised by David Riker

- Cinema From Below – a 28 minute documentary about the making of LA CUIDAD

-Fifiteen Years Later - a new video discussion between director David Riker and some of the original cast

Check out the official site here: http://laciudad.vhx.tv/ and buy at our official store: http://store.oscilloscope.net/collectio ... cuidad-dvd

User avatar
Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#279 Post by Gregory » Thu Oct 22, 2015 4:47 pm

I'm sure the new La Ciudad DVD will look better than the fairly crappy New Yorker release I bought, but I don't really do DVD-to-DVD upgrades anymore. I will suggest that my local library purchase it.

Weren't the Kickstarter backers who pledged over $15k to restore this and put it back in circulation promised a Blu-ray release alongside the DVD?

Under "Special Features" "CUIDAD" should be "Ciudad" if you'd care to correct that on your site.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#280 Post by swo17 » Wed Nov 11, 2015 2:41 pm

A Kickstarter update suggests that the restoration of Reichardt's River of Grass will be debuting at Sundance in January.

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#281 Post by Oscilloscope » Thu Nov 19, 2015 5:33 pm

NEW ON MUSINGS:

Chris Evangelista of CutPrintFilm writes about the undeniable influence of THE GODFATHER on Shekhar Kapur's 1998 Cate Blanchette starrer ELIZABETH. Enjoy!

Image

http://musings.oscilloscope.net/post/13 ... h-by-chris" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.cutprintfilm.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#282 Post by Oscilloscope » Thu Nov 19, 2015 5:51 pm

NOW ON DVD

Oscilloscope Laboratories Presents

STATIONS OF THE ELEVATED and The New York Films

Image

Newly Released on Limited Edition DVD - Only 500 Made!

SPECIAL DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES

Disc one:

- New interview with director Manfred (Manny) Kirchheimer

- Writer’s Bench– new video discussion about graffiti in the film with artist Lee Quinones (Lee) and artist/historian David (Chino) Villorente

- Stations Locations –video update

- Film Treatment and Script Notes (downloadable PDF)

- Old Timers Day at 5Pointz – artists come together to paint a legendary wall

-A Brief History of Manfred Kirchheimer – short video by one of Kirchheimer’s many students



Disc two:

- THE NEW YORK FILMS – COLOSSUS ON THE RIVER (1965), CLAW (1968), SHORT CIRCUIT (1973), BRIDGE HIGH (1975)

- New interviews with director Kirchheimer about each short film

High Praise:

“The accidental magic of reflections and shadows meshes with the pure forms of architecture and the overlooked artistry of advertisements to conjure a feeling of unrelenting sensory adventure.”
Richard Brody, THE NEW YORKER

"Manfred Kirchheimer's Stations of the Elevated(1981) is a 45-minute proto-hip-hop bliss-out, a masterpiece of train- and tag-spotting dedicated to memorializing the extravagant graffiti on its era's MTA trains and how those trains rumbled across Brooklyn and the Bronx, bearing not just exhausted New Yorkers but gifted artists' urgent personal expression."
Alan Scherstuhl, THE VILLAGE VOICE

""Stations of the Elevated” is about how beauty is discovered and made in unpromising circumstances"
A.O. Scott, THE NEW YORK TIMES

"The Classic Graffiti Doc You Need to See."
David Fear, ROLLING STONE

"A gentle, lyrical meditation on the way the city used to look and feel."
John Sherman, BROOKLYN MAGAZINE

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#283 Post by Oscilloscope » Fri Dec 11, 2015 4:45 pm

The Raging Bull of Albert Brooks’ “Modern Romance” by Scott Tobias

Image

http://musings.oscilloscope.net/post/13 ... oks-modern

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#284 Post by Oscilloscope » Thu Dec 17, 2015 5:29 pm

I’ll Help You Be Popular: “It Should Happen to You” and the Thirst for Fame by Daniel Carlson

Image

New on Musings: The absurd pursuit of fame in 1954's IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU has become inevitable in today's selfie society, by Daniel Carlson.

Read the full essay, now up on Musings.

http://www.danielwcarlson.com

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#285 Post by Oscilloscope » Tue Jan 12, 2016 1:11 pm

NOW ON DVD

Oscilloscope Laboratories Presents

THE SECOND MOTHER

Image

*2016 Critics' Choice Awards Nominee, Currently at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes*
An excitingly fresh take on some classic themes and ideas, THE SECOND MOTHER centers around Val, a hard-working live-in housekeeper in modern day Sao Paulo. Val is perfectly content to take care of every one of her wealthy employers’ needs, from cooking and cleaning to being a surrogate mother to their teenage son, who she has raised since he was a toddler. But when Val’s estranged daughter Jessica suddenly shows up the unspoken but intrinsic class barriers that exist within the home are thrown into disarray. Jessica is smart, confident, and ambitious, and refuses to accept the upstairs/downstairs dynamic, testing relationships and loyalties and forcing everyone to reconsider what family really means.

DVD Extra Features:
- Deleted scenes

- Behind the Scenes of THE SECOND MOTHER – featuring interviews with director
Anna Muylaert, producer Caio Gullane, and actors Regina Casé (Val) and Camila Márdila (Jessica)

- Director Anna Muylaert interviewed by French journalist Pierre-Michel Meier

-Theatrical trailer

PRESS

“A deeply moving examination of the essence of family.”
Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

"Regina Case delivers a stunning performance…in Anne Muylaert’s riveting drama."
Boyd Van Joeij, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"This densely-layered yet fast-paced drama…dissects with both chilling precision and humor such matters as class differences, real mothers vs. caretakers, and whether privilege and one’s own station are things that can be questioned or changed."
Boyd Van Joeij, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"One of the most accomplished, sure-handed films of the [20015 Sundance Film] festival."
Sydney Levin, INDIEWIRE

"Regina Casé shines in this warm character study. Brazilian filmmaker Anna Muylaert spins a culturally specific tale with universal appeal."
Geoff Berkshire, VARIETY

"Casé’s ace comic timing mines plenty of humor from... Muylaert’s tightly written and structured screenplay."
Geoff Berkshire, VARIETY

"The Second Mother is easily one of the best films I’ve seen this year. It’s deeply satisfyingly to see a story so deceptively simple unfold with such thoughtful and thought provoking resonance."
Sasha Stone, AWARDS DAILY

"The Second Mother is a smart yet subtle portrait of the incalculable riches of a good relationship between parents and children."
Monica Castillo, PASTE

"It smartly uses its little moments of humiliation to open our eyes to a world of delicate, but deep, injustice."
Bilge Ebiri, VULTURE

"A magnificent drama about the charged relationship between household help and the household."
Dana Stevens, SLATE

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

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#286 Post by domino harvey » Thu Feb 18, 2016 4:53 pm

Gregory wrote:Weren't the Kickstarter backers who pledged over $15k to restore this and put it back in circulation promised a Blu-ray release alongside the DVD?
At least River of Grass will honor its backers by actually coming out on Blu-ray

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Flash sale on the O-Scope store! 50% off through 2/29

#287 Post by Oscilloscope » Fri Feb 26, 2016 7:01 pm

FLASH SALE AT http://store.oscilloscope.net!

50% Off All Material Goods (so no digital downloads or pre-order)

Use discount code #Embracethediscount at checkout.

All Blu rays, DVDs, apparel, posters.

Get it now through Monday, 2/29!

Image

allusory
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 11:07 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#288 Post by allusory » Sun Feb 28, 2016 11:19 pm

Oscilloscope wrote: As for the lack of new blu-ray discs on some current titles, well..that's just how this crazy capitalist system sways sometimes. If we could put out beautifully packaged, high-quality blu-rays packed with amazing bonus features for every single title, we absolutely would. We want to! Unfortunately for smaller titles where the demand just does not exist, a blu-ray isn't economically feasible. If it's any consolation, we do sometimes package digital releases on VHX with HD bonus content.
I'd be curious to hear a bit more about the economic infeasibility of this.

It's really disappointing to be unable to find a Blu-Ray of a film like Alice Rohrwacher's The Wonders which had quite a lot of success on the festival circuit but didn't get the US theatrical release it deserved.

Extras and packaging are great and all, but are not nearly as important to some viewers as the difference simple picture quality between Blu-Rays and DVDs. HD releases on iTunes and VHX are fine but are hardly consolation, due to the low bitrate of these encodes, the real-world, subjective video quality of these films is often worse in some ways than a properly encoded DVD9.

Are there high fixed costs associated with printing very limited limited runs of Blu-Rays for films which you don't see high demand for?

Have you (or any other smaller independent distribution labels) explored printing in small batches based on demand and shipping these without fancy packaging? Since all these current films have HD masters available, I'm curious what the potential problems with this sort of model would be.

User avatar
MichaelB
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
Location: Worthing
Contact:

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#289 Post by MichaelB » Mon Feb 29, 2016 1:53 pm

There are indeed high fixed costs associated with producing very limited runs. Which is why labels like Second Run fought shy of Blu-ray for years, and are only now dipping an ultra-cautious toe into the market.

User avatar
FrauBlucher
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
Location: Greenwich Village

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#290 Post by FrauBlucher » Mon Feb 29, 2016 4:33 pm

allusory wrote:
Oscilloscope wrote: As for the lack of new blu-ray discs on some current titles, well..that's just how this crazy capitalist system sways sometimes. If we could put out beautifully packaged, high-quality blu-rays packed with amazing bonus features for every single title, we absolutely would. We want to! Unfortunately for smaller titles where the demand just does not exist, a blu-ray isn't economically feasible. If it's any consolation, we do sometimes package digital releases on VHX with HD bonus content.
I'd be curious to hear a bit more about the economic infeasibility of this.

It's really disappointing to be unable to find a Blu-Ray of a film like Alice Rohrwacher's The Wonders which had quite a lot of success on the festival circuit but didn't get the US theatrical release it deserved.

Extras and packaging are great and all, but are not nearly as important to some viewers as the difference simple picture quality between Blu-Rays and DVDs. HD releases on iTunes and VHX are fine but are hardly consolation, due to the low bitrate of these encodes, the real-world, subjective video quality of these films is often worse in some ways than a properly encoded DVD9.

Are there high fixed costs associated with printing very limited limited runs of Blu-Rays for films which you don't see high demand for?

Have you (or any other smaller independent distribution labels) explored printing in small batches based on demand and shipping these without fancy packaging? Since all these current films have HD masters available, I'm curious what the potential problems with this sort of model would be.
We went through this same discussion a few years back when Cinema Guild didn't release Lav Diaz' Norte, The End of History on Bluray. They pretty much said the same thing Oscilloscope said. In terms of the Diaz film thankfully New Wave* released in the UK. I think anyone who loves the Bluray format should opt for multi region players just so the options are greater.

I wonder if Kickstarter and other fund raising campaigns would benefit small companies to help cut some costs on such releases.

TY SWO
Last edited by FrauBlucher on Mon Feb 29, 2016 6:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#291 Post by swo17 » Mon Feb 29, 2016 4:48 pm

New Wave, not Artificial Eye

User avatar
JamesF
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2010 1:36 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#292 Post by JamesF » Tue Mar 01, 2016 6:14 am

Someone registered on the Blu-Ray.com forum to ask in the Soda thread why we didn't release The Wonders on Blu-Ray at around the same time as allusory's post above. Assuming this is just a coincidence, I'll just cross-post my response from that board (which I should assert only applies to Soda and not Oscilloscope, but might be insightful to some anyway):
The Wonders is a beautiful film we're very proud of, and worked very hard to get the DVD (which contains some great bonus features, including deleted scenes) just right. Unfortunately, as with Jauja and other films discussed in this thread, we can't release every foreign-language film on Blu-Ray because the numbers show that audience support is not sufficiently there for this type of film on Blu-Ray, and the costs would not justify the return. In this risky climate, we can only make exceptions for films like Phoenix, Gemma Bovery and Rams, where higher-than-average box office results show there might be a Blu-Ray audience for these too - but even then, this is a potential gamble.

I can't speak with authority for Oscilloscope, but I would imagine their reasons are similar.

User avatar
TMDaines
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:01 pm
Location: Stretford, Manchester

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#293 Post by TMDaines » Tue Mar 01, 2016 6:37 am

It does suck how the best way to watch the film is through an iTunes download and not through a disc.

allusory
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 11:07 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#294 Post by allusory » Tue Mar 01, 2016 8:49 pm

Thanks for the response and the pointer to that other thread, James. Helpful to get the perspective of someone on the distribution side of things.

I am still curious to get some more detail on the breakdown of the high fixed costs for a Blu-Ray run vs a DVD run vs digital distribution from you or from someone from Oscilloscope. Obviously, some of these are operational details and totally understand not wanting to be too explicit on a forum, but I'm really interested in trying to understand what the break-down is and whether there's any better way to get some of these films distributed in a very high-resolution format for those who might be interested.

User avatar
JamesF
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2010 1:36 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#295 Post by JamesF » Wed Mar 02, 2016 12:36 pm

Again, only really speaking for my own experiences at Soda and not on behalf of Oscilloscope...

Firstly, authoring and mastering (especially for BD-50 as opposed to BD-25) costs, while more affordable now than they've ever been, are still obviously higher for Blu-Ray than they are for DVD. Factor in less obvious costs like manpower time spent QCing - which takes longer for Blu-Ray due to its increased interactivity - and the costs rise still. Despite this extra expenditure, with rare exceptions Blu-Ray copies typically sell a smaller market share of units than their DVD counterparts*, and while you could claim that a Blu-Ray of an acclaimed yet niche title like The Wonders might make its costs back over the years Soda has it licensed, titles that are seemingly more likely to make those costs back faster (due to box office, or the talent involved, or genre) are generally privileged.

Compare that to, say, uploading the film in HD quality to iTunes, which is a much smaller one-time cost that can be recouped much quicker. Also, having the film available digitally in HD gives a distributor peace of mind that the film is future-proofed for when more and more people forego physical for digital as download speeds improve, etc.

As O-scope said in an earlier reply, obviously if Soda had the option of releasing everything on Blu-Ray, standard edition, limited or otherwise, we'd love to. (Though it would mean twice as much work for me, so maybe I shouldn't be too quick to say that!) But as physical media sales inevitably decline, and audiences' and consumers' buying habits become more conservative, it's unfortunately a less and less viable option. Though I should add that Soda are certainly still dedicated to releasing Blu-Rays whenever we can.

And with that, I should probably stop clogging up space in another distributor's dedicated thread!

* Just to clarify that I'm talking about "first-run" releases of contemporary films here; obviously with the collector's market for catalogue titles, there's more of a skew towards Blu-Ray. Also, my experience is just with the UK market - I don't know if the US DVD/BD market share is similar.

User avatar
MichaelB
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
Location: Worthing
Contact:

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#296 Post by MichaelB » Wed Mar 02, 2016 1:16 pm

I'm very happy to endorse everything said in the last post.

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#297 Post by Oscilloscope » Wed Mar 02, 2016 2:57 pm

Hi All.

Sorry to chime in so late and really happy to see that kind folks at Soda really went all in and addressed so much of this. Suffice it to say, yes, all the issues we're referring to mirror what is happening in the UK market, per James' rundown. I think we're all championing films we believe in, and we all want them released in the best possible ways across every format, but the realities of the existing audience for these films don't always make it feasible. There is a cost/benefit analysis and it rarely has a positive outlook. Sometimes we bite the bullet and hope for the best. Other times, the numbers are too daunting to justify taking that chance.

We do have some upcoming BD releases for River of Grass and Embrace of the Serpent, and hope to continue bringing more to you in the future. We hope the desire for them allows it.

And we are very sorry about the situation with La Ciudad. Unfortunately we did not run the Kickstarter campaign for that project.

We are always happy to address any concerns.

Thanks,
O-Scope

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#298 Post by swo17 » Wed Mar 02, 2016 3:21 pm

I wonder if these more borderline cases might be considered safer prospects for BD if backed by a Kickstarter project. Then again, I leapt at the opportunity to support River of Grass because I already know I like Reichardt and wanted to support her, but I don't know that I'd go out on the same limb for an unknown quantity like The Wonders.

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Re: Oscilloscope Pictures

#299 Post by Oscilloscope » Wed Mar 02, 2016 4:50 pm

I hope you are all keeping up with our Musings posts! We have a new one up today about the problematic allure of Bruce Willis as a seemingly-innocent action hero. Check it out, and check back often. If you are on Medium, you can also follow us there: https://medium.com/oscilloscope-presents-musings

White Guys Always Win: The Allure & Legacy of Bruce Willis by Anthony Kaufman

Image

http://musings.oscilloscope.net/post/14 ... -legacy-of

Oscilloscope
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:52 pm

REEFER MADNESS FLASH SALE

#300 Post by Oscilloscope » Wed Apr 20, 2016 12:22 pm

REEFER MADNESS FLASH SALE!

So Bruce Farnsworth woke up early today to celebrate 4/20,
when he had an idea...

Image

We're having a sale so crazy it can only be compared to some sort of...

....REEFER MADNESS!!


Image

For a VERY LIMITED TIME get select DVDs and Blu rays for only $3 + s&h!

We're honestly kinda freaking out about this...


Image

SO HERE'S THE CATCH:

Please email your order to info@oscilloscope.net.

This isn't going through our official store.
It's on the low-down.

Product is unwrapped "open stock" which basically means it's brand-spanking new but may show some wear.

Quantities are limited (1 of each title, please) so not all selections are guaranteed. Basically, send us your wish list and we'll confirm what we can send.

Call it the "secret stash."


PAYPAL ONLY PLEASE!


Alright, have at it! Enjoy!

Image

Post Reply