Indications of Incoming Indicator Entertainments

[yoloswegmaster]

You should probably temper your expectations as the description on the Indicator release doesn't state that it's a from new 4K scan and is likely the same master that Kino used.

[ryannichols7]

Glad to see so much Dorothy Arzner coming to disc. I've been wanting to see all of these films for years, and now I...well, get to do so.

I've never seen any, and Honor Among Lovers seems to have the least buzz of any of the titles on Indicator's social media, so I'm curious to learn more. incredible cast, and I'm pretty sure I enjoyed the Eloise Ross commentary I've heard? (EDIT: just realized Criterion has already released two..)

I did get the Kino disc when it was released, which had two commentaries.

The Kino presentation, from a "brand new 2K master," was quite good, but the Indicator posting says 4K, so it might be worth a double dip anyway? If we were to get something like the Twentieth Century Indicator release.

thank you for taking one for the team. when I saw that Indicator dropped the first commentary I figured no big loss - that person is not nearly as compelling a commentator by themselves, I must admit. Indicator don't generally keep the "book report" tracks, and I'm glad. the one they kept seems listenable at least, but good to know to temper expectations. either way, very glad to see them release this one, as it wasn't hinted and they haven't put out a Borzage title before.

Well if this is what happens right after I say they seem to be on the long slow road to Vinegar Syndromedom, I'll say it again.

I was gonna say, they announced this slate just at the right time! so that's three really great months of classic Hollywood this year (March, July, December), all of which is Paramount (via Universal). seems they aren't done mining this well at all either, which I really appreciate.

I really want to see Easy Living, Midnight, and By Candlelight come from Indicator, all three very much seem like titles they'd go for.

Lubitsch's Angel would also very much fit the bill. that one I did buy in the Kino sale..hearing it's a more effective take on Lubitsch doing drama than Broken Lullaby, and comes with a McBride commentary and all.

[Maltic]

thank you for taking one for the team. when I saw that Indicator dropped the first commentary I figured no big loss - that person is not nearly as compelling a commentator by themselves, I must admit. Indicator don't generally keep the "book report" tracks, and I'm glad. the one they kept seems listenable at least, but good to know to temper expectations. either way, very glad to see them release this one, as it wasn't hinted and they haven't put out a Borzage title before.

Kent Jones (others too) seems to suggest it's mainly a Lubitsch film (he produced). I don't agree with that, but Lubitsch' presence is certainly felt. Meanwhile, the Cooper/Dietrich pairing gives you a Sternberg vibe occasionally. A funny mix, but the movie's all the better for it, imo.

I was exaggerating a bit regarding that commentary. I would be interested to hear a Nathaniel Bell solo track, though. I don't know that he's done any, it seemed to be a "guest appearance."

[Matt]

re: Love Me Tonight

You should probably temper your expectations as the description on the Indicator release doesn't state that it's a from new 4K scan and is likely the same master that Kino used.

I will probably take a chance anyway. The commentary and other extras look promising and the encode has got to look better than the Kino.

[andyli]

re: Love Me Tonight

You should probably temper your expectations as the description on the Indicator release doesn't state that it's a from new 4K scan and is likely the same master that Kino used.

I will probably take a chance anyway. The commentary and other extras look promising and the encode has got to look better than the Kino.

In what way was the Kino release (which was based on a recent 4K restoration) a step down from that ancient dvd? Also, contrary to what yoloswegmaster said, the indicator is from a 2019 4k restoration according to the press release and probably will use the same master as Kino's.

[yoloswegmaster]

I think you've misinterpreted what I said, as I'm essentially saying the exact same thing.

[Matt]

There is undoubtedly more “information” in the image in the Kino Blu-ray due to the higher resolution of both the scan and the HD format, but to me it looks overall softer, darker, and weaker in contrast than the DVD. The framing also chops off the top of the image leaving noticeably little headroom in some shots.

I may be misreading what you all are saying, but it’s my understanding that a restoration “master” can still be fine-tuned in terms of contrast, grain management, bitrate, and (to a small extent) framing. It wouldn’t be a “disc master” identical to Kino’s that just gets dumped directly on the disc. With Fidelity in Motion likely providing the encode for Indicator, I would expect there to be some room for improvement over the Kino.

[andyli]

I think you've misinterpreted what I said, as I'm essentially saying the exact same thing.

Ah yeah, I read it again and realized that you meant a second 4k master was not produced for the Indicator release. True. I guess the bottom line is that the first one is good enough and if better encodes further improve upon the Kino then we are all set.

As for the comparison with the dvd, I thought the dvd was interlaced to begin with (hence the occasional combing effects), and then the contrasty look was due to digital boosting(?).

[Matt]

That’s the mystifying thing to me, too: how does a dated, flawed, boosted SD image seem to have more detail and balance than a newly restored HD image from a 4K scan? It doesn’t make sense, but when I compare screen caps and the discs themselves on my TV, that’s what I see. Maybe no one agrees with me, and that’s fine.

The Kino Blu is less than $10 on their site right now btw

[colinr0380]

Guest House Paradiso was released in the UK by Universal, I think, which might account for the Indicator interest. I can't remember a thing about it now other than a long tracking shot of Ade on a motorbike at the start.

Bottom was one of the most influential of UK sitcoms, not least in school playgrounds of the early 90s! The slapstick violence was imitable but the Waiting for Godot-style set-up was what really stood out. "How much meat can you get off a Womble?"

I particularly liked the entire episode that was set on a stalled ferris wheel!. As radical in its own way as the traffic jam episode of One Foot In The Grave!

[Peacock]

I would love Indicator to do a better job than Kino but look at the Beaver caps for the other titles they have both put out using the same master and they are usually pretty much identical, sometimes Indicator is slightly lower in nitrate due to the single layer.

But still, with a nice booklet and some good extras they may still be worth a double dip.

[alacal2]

Not sure if already mentioned but Vinegar Syndrome is releasing 'Paradiso' under its VSL series.

[yoloswegmaster]

A listing has been found for a 4K release of Richard Franklin's Patrick coming from Powerhouse.

Another listing has been found, this time for Snapshot.

[M Sanderson]

Will be nice to have two Richard Franklin films on 4k, Arrow's Psycho 2 and Indicator's Patrick. Always held back from buying Patrick on blu ray due to dated/above average remaster available.

Actually really tempted to track down the widescreen dvd of Franklin's late career psychological thriller Visitors, which I regard as his best film.

[What A Disgrace]

Cloak & Dagger is also out on 4K, from Vinegar Syndrome.

[GaryC]

Glad to see so much Dorothy Arzner coming to disc. I've been wanting to see all of these films for years, and now I...well, get to do so.

Worth mentioning that Honor Among Lovers is the first main feature in the Indicator series to have been directed by a woman, though Ishtar would have been if it hadn't been cancelled. (There are several short films in the series directed or co-directed by women.)

[GaryC]

A listing has been found for a 4K release of Richard Franklin's Patrick coming from Powerhouse.

Another listing has been found, this time for Snapshot.

Those preorder pages have been taken down.

[rapta]

A listing has been found for a 4K release of Richard Franklin's Patrick coming from Powerhouse.

Another listing has been found, this time for Snapshot.

Those preorder pages have been taken down.

Yes, obviously they weren't meant to be up this early, but I believe they've since been confirmed as two of the eight Australian titles Indicator have planned (another being Turkey Shoot, which was teased at in a newsletter).

[willoneill]

All three of those are in Umbrella's Ozploitation Classic series. I wonder if the Indicator deal is going to be a UK arrangement similar to Umbrella's US arrangement with OCN.

[rapta]

All three of those are in Umbrella's Ozploitation Classic series. I wonder if the Indicator deal is going to be a UK arrangement similar to Umbrella's US arrangement with OCN.

Perhaps, or they're just licensing from them as other UK labels have done in the past, at least through passive means. From memory, Indicator previously worked with Umbrella on Mad Dog Morgan (via Screenbound, who held the rights), and Eureka worked with them on The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (again, also via Screenbound). It doesn't say on the back of releases of Walkabout, Long Weekend or Next of Kin, but I imagine Second Sight worked with them on those too (in some capacity).

No coincidence they're all from the Ozploitation Classics series from Umbrella though. I'm particularly hoping for Money Movers especially, but intrigued by A Dangerous Summer, Fair Game, The Chain Reaction, Nightmares, Thirst, and Frog Dreaming so would be happy with any of those too. Supposedly they've licensed 8 in total, so we'll find out soon enough, and I think they'll be in 4K as well.

Whether they'll do The Last Wave is another matter. I've wanted to see it for years now and was very nearly going to import the Aussie edition, but now there are lots of licensing deals
with Umbrella popping up I'm going to wait a little longer to see if someone gets it. UK rights may well be locked up with MGM, and if that is the case that might prevent Indicator from doing it (they seem resistant to licensing from them for some reason), but hopefully if they pass on it then Eureka or Radiance will step in and rescue it for UK distribution (maybe even BFI or Second Sight, but they haven't licensed from MGM for a while). Heatwave is another possibility, as is Breaker Morant, should they want to do a couple of non-Ozploitation films.

[Finch]

I don't know who owns the Republic Films catalogue in the UK but Allan Dwan is the sort of director that would be nice to see curated by Indicator. Woman They Almost Lynched for example, or Manhandled with Gloria Swanson.

[jlnight]

Republic Films? I think that would be Paramount. I noticed that a BFI title I was looking at had a Paramount logo on the back and I was trying to figure out the link - it had a complicated production history - and Republic was the key, apparently.

[M Sanderson]

excited to hear about more Australian films, and hope there will be surprises as welcome as Patrick.

Last Wave would be high on the list.

[M Sanderson]

I don't know who owns the Republic Films catalogue in the UK but Allan Dwan is the sort of director that would be nice to see curated by Indicator. Woman They Almost Lynched for example, or Manhandled with Gloria Swanson.

Dwan would be nice. I have no idea who owns the rights but Slightly Scarlet and Silver Lode are my favourites.

[MichaelB]

Right now, the titles under licence are all unambiguous Ozploitation - Patrick, Snapshot and Turkey Shoot have all been confirmed in one form or another.

Although I’m always tickled by the way that these forums keep trying to shift things in an artier direction - we had this with the Mexican genre stuff too, despite the fact that Powerhouse said upfront that their mission was to rescue neglected genre titles!