Topic: The Movie Thread

@JohnnyShoulder @Ravix I already own the US steelbook of "Starship Troopers" from Sony released a few years back (2022, I think), so I haven't been paying attention to subsequent releases. It does require my imported 4K/Blu player for the Blu-Ray bonus features, so I may consider double-dipping there, depending on what's on the discs. Thanks for the heads up

@Matthewnh Agreed, there are couriers out there that make me worried when I realise they are responsible for getting a Limited Edition of something or other to me. And I don't think package thieves are all that surgical in their precision when targeting packages worth pilfering, I think they more or less see it as a lottery, as a rule.

In my case, three packages from the cosmetics company where I order my deodorant and after shaves from were stolen in a row and they have their branding on the packaging, so I don't think that was a coincidence. I believe the "Kingdom of Heaven" steelbook that disappeared were a casualty of that, as it was scheduled to be delivered at the same time with the same courier. That courier was a "leave on the doorstep" type thing and I think that lowers the bar for the deliveryperson to make off with the parcel themselves, as they can simply claim that they left it on the doorstep and someone must have come along and took it. In the case of my missing deodorants and after shaves, the third package to go missing was supposed to be sent to a pickup point and it still went missing somewhere between leaving the courier warehouse and the pickup point, so strong indicators that someone who worked for the courier liked my chosen brand of deodorants there...

In those cases it's more of a hassle than a real problem; the courier pays for the shipper to replace or refund the missing package and are probably insured for it as well, but when something that cannot be replaced go missing then it really hurts.

To @GirlVersusGame and all that may be interested!

American Psycho is receiving an uncut 4K UHD and a VHS re-release for its 25th anniversary

The 4K UHD includes art parodying Huey Lewis’s Sports and features Dolby Vision HDR

The release is packaged with replicas of Patrick Bateman’s business cards and a fake credit card

I'm going to be keeping my eyes peeled for anything else that may be cooked up. I know France have their own Steelbook release due out, too.

What was the last thing I said I watched in here, Puppet Master 3? Well your boy been eating (mostly) good since then. I watched Dangerous Animals (bad). Smile 2 (I liked the first one, LOVED the second one. Naomi Scott, the woman that you are). And Terrifier 3 (keep waiting for the wheels to fall off, but these just get better and better. Sienna Shaw is truly an all time Final Girl. Hoping the Eurohorror elements introduced in this are used in full for the fourth one and it just goes bonkers).

@Ravix This interests me greatly, I've been to the musical etc too and a modern VHS release sounds too good to pass on. Thanks Ravix! I was actually looking at some 4K movies yesterday to see if the bug might catch, no such luck... yet. I think it's the artwork, I the original key-art for so many movies and a lot of 4K boxes (for horror at least) look like they were created for deviantart or etsy. It's like they force the imagery to pop too much when the movie itself can stand on it's own merit. I guess I'm worried that the original imagery would eventually disappear over time, if that makes sense?

This! 100% this!

@FuriousMachine It is a shame horror movies dont really get award nods, cause that was one of the best performances I've seen in anything. I actually thought the story was kinda bland, there is so much trauma horror these days and plenty of films at this point that explore the horror of stardom, but Scott just elevated every second of that film by putting every fibre of herself into it.

@GirlVersusGame Yeah, I thought it would interest you 😄

Arrow Video are having a sale at the moment for all their horror content, and they are a company that usually prints reversible cover art from what i've seen, so you usually get a mix of original and new art with those releases. You'd probably have to look up which do have it, but it is definitely a thing they do!

I think for you to get into 4k it might be worth focusing on the specialist and boutique labels to start, as that would probably interest you the most.

For me I just went for the overall best looking transfers i'd heard of, the odd new release, some classics and mostly movies I love anyway. But there are a tonne of super obscure movies that get releases on boutique labels.

Second Sight & Arrow are probably the most popular UK independents and may be worth a browse 😄

@Ravix I know Arrow Video well, they've been in the game for a very long time. If it wasn't for them there would be a lot less horror and low budget horror making it's way into the UK. They did for horror what Tartan did for Asian cinema. I'd never have seen Oldboy or Battle Royale if it weren't for them, maybe even The Ring. It's a shame they dissolved.

@Pizzamorg Yeah, which is why I never put much stock in any of the awards that are being handed out. Even in the cases when they actually seem to be based on merits, so much body of work is being ignored that it diminishes the validity of said award for me. And don't get me started on the randomness of the Academy Award voting, where they will happily hand the Oscar to, for example, a director of a lesser movie than other nominees simply because it is felt they "deserve" it on the basis on earlier movies they [i]should]/i] have won one for. Devalues the whole thing, IMO.

@GirlVersusGame @Ravix I hate Arrow Video... they keep putting out excellent versions of movies I love that are typically superior to any other releases which forces me to buy them. That is pure evil, that is.
I can't afford all those releases and they know it, those bad, bad people.
For example, they are soon dropping an insanely beautiful version of one of my all time favourites In the Mouth of Madness and I have absolutely no other option than to buy it, because it is unthinkable that such a thing exists without me owning one
The b**tards...

@FuriousMachine duuuuuude. I just typed "steelbook" into amazon Italy for funsies, and the first two results were Kill Bill 1&2 for dec 25th release! Sign of a European wave of reprints? Thought I'd let you know either way 🙌

@Ravix Supersweet!! Pre-order made, so now I wait and see what comes of it, and while I'm waiting I can figure out which family member(s) who'll be missing out on Christmas presents as I'm spending all my money on steelbooks this year. I'm thinking my grandnephew and/or grandniece, they're too young to know what's going on and won't remember to hold any grudges either

Thanks for looking out once again, buddy! That vol. 1 missing from my collection stung a bit

@FuriousMachine Humbug! They have to learn the harsh realities of the world at some point, so it might as well be while they are young and innocent and incapable of action 😂

You can actually give them the gift of being allowed to look at the steelbooks you bought with money previously earmarked for them. There's probably a lesson in there somewhere that will be more valuable than any physical gift 😁

No problem, you and ser Johnny of Shoulder have helped nudge me towards spending unseemly amounts on little metallic movie boxes, it's only fair to return the favour!

Latest watches:

• Bring her Back (I know Grief / Trauma horror is hitting the true nexus point of total burnout, but I thought this was really well done and enjoyed this a lot. In A24 we trust).
• Clown in a Cornfield (not bad when taken in the context of the low floor that exists for Slasher films, but this is from the guy who made Tucker and Dale, and its like... how does Clown keep getting things wrong Tucker got right years earlier? Just rewatch Tucker and skip this)

Just got the fresh 4K release of Severance in the post. Not the recent TV series, but the rather excellent British black comedy/slasher from 2006 where a bunch of office workers gets "laid off" in rather brutal ways at a corporate retreat. Haven't seen it in a long time, so now I need to find the time to actually sit down and watch it. That may, however, be easier said than done these days. Maybe this weekend?

@FuriousMachine I did think because of how much I have changed politically and like in my general views and values over the last fiveish years I wouldn't like Severance any more, after loving it as a kid. I rewatched it though a couple of years back and Danny Dyer still remains gut bustingly funny in that movie. He really kinda saves the whole thing for me, cause it isn't like a great pure horror movie, but Dyer's schtick through the whole thing is just great.

@FuriousMachine I didn't know Severance made it outside of the British market, I liked it at the time but I'm bias when it comes to Danny Dyer. I've seen him around town a couple of times and I'll watch him in pretty much anything. Have you watched Outlaw?

@Pizzamorg Clown IAC was based on a series of books so when they announced a screen adaption I did take notice. It did try to go for the classic slasher feel but I think they made it all a little too predictable and played it too safe with the script.

I just sat through all four of the Jeepers Creepers movies (there's 4 now) with a friend and it's a perfect example of a franchise quickly eroding over time. Four isn't worth talking about and three is set between the first and second movie. The first movie will always be special to me, it's the first movie reel I learned to lace through 35mm projector. Watching it each time felt really satisfying. We just booked The Running Man too, I was hoping for a Predator Badlands event but so far it's not looking likely. Premiers are slowly dying off, venues have to charge more and travel/accommodation costs too much for the talent.

@FuriousMachine is that the Danny Dyer one? I have vague memories of seeing this on tv or something. (Just seen the other comments confirming this) also surprised it has found you in Norway. But I suppose a bunch of Brit stuff did make its way to other countries, especially after Guy Richie found big success and created this kind of movement in UK film making, I guess.

@Pizzamorg @GirlVersusGame

It's weird to think at some point that lad was a pretty popular movie actor (in a weird UK chav way) and now he hosts tv game shows 🤷‍♂️

This and The Business stick in my mind, and I have no idea why. I think that one was like our very own Scarface, in a way 😂

But I think Dyer was genuinely alright in some of these movies. Even though in most he had to play up to a certain type of fanbase (angry chav)

@Ravix Did you ever see a wild show he hosted on TV one night, maybe Sky? It featured 'hard men' (not the show where he meets people like Vic Dark etc) who would compete in challenges like kicking through multiple doors, smashing up cars, and trying not to be pulled out of a prison cell by a riot squad. The contestants were a mix of ex British soldiers, Legionaries and so on. I saw it on Russian TV years later too but haven't seen it since. If it's on Youtube I can't find it. It was absolutely ridiculous but really funny at the same time, maybe Bravo made it. Chav movies are kind of like football/firm movies, I'll watch them and find them entertaining but in real life I'd avoid them like the plague. Kidulthood and Harry Brown are perfect examples, really interesting subject matter but nothing I'd want to be personally involved in.

Edit: I found it and it's not Danny Dyer it's some random guy but the rest was accurate. One of the contestants uploaded it to Youtube. I know what I'll be doing for the next hour.