Shout! Factory / Scream Factory

[criterionsnob]

I pre-ordered it today and it's already shipped.

Same.

[therewillbeblus]

Shout just announced a site exclusive edition of Cockfighter.

I did not see this one coming.

I wouldn't know if 1,500 units is merely few or very very few...any educated guesses on how long that would last?

I don’t know what makes this edition exclusive with zero special features… are we to assume it’ll just get marked up in price or they’ll not print more discs? What a weird and underwhelming way to promote an “exclusive”

[dwk]

It is exclusive in that it is only available from Shout's website and only 1500 copies were pressed.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

Wasn't there already a Japanese Blu-ray of very poor quality? Hopefully this isn't just a port of that

It's been a few years since I saw my copy, but recall it wasn't as bad as an upscale. It IS in an incorrect aspect ratio as it's open-matte. Too bad there's no special features as if I recall, the old Anchor Bay edition has a Monte Hellman commentary.

[knives]

Using "produced by Roger Corman" as a somewhat misleading selling point like they did back when it failed at the box office.

How is that misleading?

[Maltic]

You know, if people thought they were going to see something like a biker movie or a women-in-cages movie

[Finch]

A Blu-Ray.com user got their copy of the Shout Factory BD of Cockfighter and confirmed it is from an old scan which makes this release even more frustrating. I've not seen the film but presumably it would run afoul of the UK's animal cruelty laws so rendering a UK release moot?

[therewillbeblus]

I mean, I think that was all but guaranteed when they pushed the release like this- all signs (announced days before release, no features, no buildup) pointed to getting rid of it by putting the stress of the limited run on the customer. And it worked, I bought it too knowing this- at least it’s in the correct AR this time, right?

[swo17]

presumably it would run afoul of the UK's animal cruelty laws so rendering a UK release moot?

Correct

Cockfighter on Bluray? Yes please! This will never be out in the UK so I hope Shout make it Region free so no one has an excuse here.

[Finch]

Maybe Imprint will come to the rescue. That way, if it is still the same source (likely), they'll at least give it some more love than Shout.

[therewillbeblus]

Wait, is it in the correct AR now? IMDb says 1.85:1 and Shout!'s site says 1.78:1, though I realize they're basically the same

[swo17]

I can compare to the Anchor Bay DVD but my copy isn't scheduled to arrive for another week

[pistolwink]

Hellman's name isn't anywhere on the back cover promotional copy. They really spent about 10 minutes prepping this one and getting it out. Oh well -- fantastic movie.

[swo17]

The 1978 Dr. Strange TV movie announced at the same time as Cockfighter was so popular (it sold out of pre-orders) that they're increasing its limited run from 1500 to 2000. Communion, The Big Bust-Out, and The Brain Eaters are also close to selling out

[hearthesilence]

Hah, I've seen that Dr. Strange movie, recorded off weekend or late night TV back when I was a comics fan who would pick up on that kind of thing in the listings. Even as a comics-obsessed kid, I didn't feel like watching it again and erased it, but I guess Marvel fandom has been taken to new heights these days.

Marvel had a lot of low-budget and straight-to-video movies that came out not that long before they hit the jackpot with X-Men - ones I remember seeing were Captain America (with Matt Salinger, the famous author's son) and The Punisher (with Dolph Lundgren). All terrible, but maybe worth putting out in similar fashion.

[beamish14]

Hah, I've seen that Dr. Strange movie, recorded off weekend or late night TV back when I was a comics fan who would pick up on that kind of thing in the listings. Even as a comics-obsessed kid, I didn't feel like watching it again and erased it, but I guess Marvel fandom has been taken to new heights these days.

Marvel had a lot of low-budget and straight-to-video movies that came out not that long before they hit the jackpot with X-Men - ones I remember seeing were Captain America (with Matt Salinger, the famous author's son) and The Punisher (with Dolph Lundgren). All terrible, but maybe worth putting out in similar fashion.

I think Albert Pyun was selling his cut of Captain America directly through his website, and there is a longer cut of The Punisher that Goldblatt preserved and has screened on rare occasions

[knives]

I quite like that version of The Punisher. It’s stupid fun.

[hearthesilence]

To be honest, I have no desire to revisit the Punisher in any form, and I read dozens, maybe even a hundred issues back in the day, from his guest appearances, to the limited and monthly comics published around him to even his appearances in 'Nam. I just read everything back then, but there's just a lot to the concept of that character that I find thoroughly repulsive now.

[dwk]

Hah, I've seen that Dr. Strange movie, recorded off weekend or late night TV back when I was a comics fan who would pick up on that kind of thing in the listings. Even as a comics-obsessed kid, I didn't feel like watching it again and erased it, but I guess Marvel fandom has been taken to new heights these days.

Marvel had a lot of low-budget and straight-to-video movies that came out not that long before they hit the jackpot with X-Men - ones I remember seeing were Captain America (with Matt Salinger, the famous author's son) and The Punisher (with Dolph Lundgren). All terrible, but maybe worth putting out in similar fashion.

Shout did release a Blu-ray of Captain America (and a DVD that had a couple Captain America TV movies) a few years back . I guess they were piggybacking on the first Marvel Captain America. The releases are OOP now

[hearthesilence]

I wonder if it sold well? I actually saw that with two other Marvel Comics fans from school - we all had a lot of Captain America and Avengers comics - and even with that strong bias, we didn't like the film. The only thing that stuck out for me was that running gag of a passenger held captive pretending to be car sick in order to ditch the other person and drive away with said car.

[beamish14]

I wonder if it sold well? I actually saw that with two other Marvel Comics fans from school - we all had a lot of Captain America and Avengers comics - and even with that strong bias, we didn't like the film. The only thing that stuck out for me was that running gag of a passenger held captive pretending to be car sick in order to ditch the other person and drive away with said car.

Do you enjoy Punisher War Zone? It’s so ludicrously excessive that it’s essentially a piss-take on the character.

[hearthesilence]

For a second, I thought you meant the comic (or rather one of the multiple publications of the same title) but then I remembered there was a movie which Patton Oswalt really liked. I haven't seen it, but it's probably not something I'd enjoy. When I was a kid, I found excessive violence hilarious, but it was much easier to enjoy partly because that sort of thing was so abstract and completely removed from anything I witnessed or experienced in life.

[dwk]

Species UHD has popped up for pre-order from a Canadian retailer.

[black&huge]

YES!!!!

[swo17]

I can compare to the Anchor Bay DVD but my copy isn't scheduled to arrive for another week

Here's my comparison of the two Cockfighter releases:

1. Yes, the BD has an ever so slightly wider aspect ratio, filling up the entirety of a 16x9 screen. I don't consider this a material difference.
2. The BD image is clearly brighter and more detailed. The DVD looks dull in comparison. The print has not been cleaned up. If I get close to the screen I can tell that compression on the BD isn't top notch, but from a normal viewing distance I think it looks pleasing.
3. It's unfortunate that the BD is barebones, when the DVD has an hour-long Warren Oates doc and a commentary with Hellman and a couple other people.
4. If for some reason you prefer the title "Born to Kill" the BD has a reversible sleeve.