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Post by travis on Aug 9, 2019 17:51:12 GMT -5
From what I've heard, TOHO has been pretty difficult working with Criterion. They only want the Japanese versions and are specifying which remasters Criterion can use. The American cuts are absent from the release aside from King Kong vs Godzilla which oddly has the American cut as the main feature and the Japanese cut as a bonus. Criterion will do additional retouching to the supplied remasters and will be handling the subtitles which should be accurate unlike past releases. So I very much doubt this moves the needle on MST3K releases. The Criterion set has stirred up quite the discussion in the Godzilla fandom RE: packaging artwork and the lack of U.S. versions/English dubs. I'm just happy to get the rest of the Showa series on Blu-ray, but it's a real shame Criterion couldn't use Sony's superior transfers for GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER, SON OF GODZILLA, VS. HEDORAH, VS. GIGAN and VS. MECHAGODZILLA and especially for not being able to use Toho's new restoration of KING KONG VS. GODZILLA! Alas, it's Toho doing their same-old same-old thing. The MST3k version is extra noteworthy as it uses the American direct-to-TV release version (with the fan-beloved original dub) augmented with FVI's not-so-subtle video credits over some footage from SON OF GODZILLA. I wonder if anyone out there has seen the unMSTed version that FVI made? Perhaps shown in syndication on local networks? All of FVI's alterations look super cheap and shady, almost like a bargain bin bootleg video label.
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Post by travis on Aug 8, 2019 20:16:21 GMT -5
Woot! I didn't participate in the pledge drive, so I'm excited!
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Post by travis on Jul 9, 2019 9:40:14 GMT -5
I pointed to Manos as an example that repositioning the SD theater seats over a new HD print is possible. Obviously the difficulty varies from episode to episode. Honestly I agree that MST3K on blu-ray is unlikely. I just think you guys are overselling how STAGGERINGLY IMPOSSIBLE it would be. There are a number of films featured in episodes that have HD masters available. It's not necessarily impossible, but it wouldn't be worth the time and effort (not even as a fan project IMO). Standard def theater silhouettes rotoscoped over 16:9 HD (keeping in mind films shot in 2.35:1 would have to be cropped) would look like crap. Plus one would have to CG extra theater seats in, and some films (like the Gamera films) have many edits/missing frames/alternate titles, etc. All of this just to still have standard-def host segments? The end result wouldn't be releasable by a company like Shout. MST3k is very much a product of the "videotape era."
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Post by travis on Jul 6, 2019 14:49:28 GMT -5
Woot! Nice to see Shout Factory finally catching up on the ole Rhino sets. I still haven't picked up any of their reissue sets, but probably will down the road.
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Post by travis on Jul 6, 2019 14:42:17 GMT -5
Yeah, classic MST3k will forever be a DVD-only show. The Rhino/Shout DVD transfers reveal how low-definition of the original movie broadcast tapes that BBI used were.
Putting 4 episodes on 1 Blu-ray might save some shelf space, but I don't see Shout ever doing that.
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Post by travis on Jun 13, 2019 16:05:04 GMT -5
VARAN also has one of THE best soundtracks ever. It's ridiculously good, you can see why Ifukube re-used so many themes from it in later Toho films.
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Post by travis on Jun 13, 2019 6:01:28 GMT -5
My theories: Fathom and RiffTrax might have an agreement to prevent Fathom from airing similar events that could eat into RiffTrax events sales. Joel might worry such a broadcast could cannibalize ticket sales for the live shows. Netflix might have a restriction preventing Joel from creating new MST3K content for another service/outlet. I would bet on this being the most likely. I may be wrong. That’s why I create lots of theories. This. Plus the live shows are MUCH more profitable, especially when you factor in the meet and greets and merchandise sales.
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Post by travis on May 31, 2019 5:57:57 GMT -5
Ok peeps, GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS WAS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMINAL. The hell with critics, youtubers and doom-and-gloom trolls... it's truly a Godzilla epic the fans deserve.
Thank you Godzilla, for making us laugh about love. Again.
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Post by travis on May 30, 2019 5:33:11 GMT -5
Awesome! Both films should be a lot of fun to see riffed, wasn't expecting the JCVD flick.
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Post by travis on May 27, 2019 22:17:16 GMT -5
I don't think I've ever been so excited for a new movie, GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS looks like it's going to be absolutely amazing. Thursday can't come soon enough.
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Post by travis on May 26, 2019 5:55:18 GMT -5
I heard about this a few months ago, hopefully we'll indeed be getting the Paramount/Olive titles and maayybeee DELTA KNIGHTS!!
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Post by travis on May 17, 2019 6:48:42 GMT -5
People can say what they will about Wade Williams, but at least the guy has been relatively reasonable about licensing his titles to Shout. Even if we never see ROCKETSHIP X-M, we at least have the rest the titles he owns officially. Susan is taking this sh*t far too seriously. While Williams has come to terms with Shout over the MST titles he owns (other than Rocketship), he has not been reasonable about licensing overall, most companies won't deal with him because (1) he tends to ask high prices, like Susan Hart, and (2) he has a history of entering into negotiations, spending months on back and forth, and then pulling out of the negotiations without warning. Perhaps he is slightly more reasonable than Susan Hart, but only slightly -- and he has said that she is behaving reasonably and everybody is always trying to rip her off, so I'm not even sure about the slightly. Yeah, it's to the point where I highly doubt we'll see any of his library released on Blu-ray unless he tries to self-distribute. I try to look on the bright side when it comes to MST3k releases.
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Post by travis on May 13, 2019 9:34:01 GMT -5
Well, using my handy, dandy PACER login which I am most assuredly not supposed to be using for this... It appears that Susan sued Shout, Ballyhoo and Daniel Griffith for their AIP documentary, "It Was a Colossal Teenage Movie Machine" included in Volume XXXIV, in which she alleges that clips of her "creepy sci-fi and horror films" (her exact words on the filing) are being exploited without her direct consent. She claims that because they use clips of these movies in the documentary, she is owed 100 grand. Shout claims fair use. Discovery should've been finished last month. Both parties want a trial if settlement isn't reached. Looks like it was sent to Mediation. Well, that's Susan Hart for yah. People can say what they will about Wade Williams, but at least the guy has been relatively reasonable about licensing his titles to Shout. Even if we never see ROCKETSHIP X-M, we at least have the rest the titles he owns officially. Susan is taking this sh*t far too seriously.
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Post by travis on May 2, 2019 13:50:38 GMT -5
I'd also really like to see the show get back to its roots and go the "artisan" lower budget production route. Yeah, I feel like they've stretched this format, this way of making the show, out to its limit. If you can't get the whole cast together long enough to make more than 6 episodes, or if you can't AFFORD to make more than 6 episodes, and you can't even get the green light to make more than 6 episodes every 18 months, then what's the point? Actors will move on to other projects. Your writer's room will fall apart. There's no incentive or money to innovate your sets or props or anything else in the downtime. And it'll be more expensive to put these pieces back together every year and a half. And for what? 6 episodes that Netflix will put stricter and stricter controls and demands on? That they'll restrict you from putting out on DVD and syndicating? That they won't pay the whole cost for? At the beginning of the Kickstarter, nearly 4 years ago, everyone knew that Netflix was the target. That Netflix was the golden ticket to mass market exposure. Know what's happened in those 4 years? Netflix original content has EXPLODED. In 2015, Netflix had fewer than 25 original programs. Now? There's nearly 100. This year, Netflix is trying to make 700 original episodes of their own shows. 700. Versus 6 episodes of a show that comes out more than a year apart. Unless your show is a cultural phenomenon on the level of Stranger Things, it WILL GET LOST in all that clutter. Period. That Netflix exposure means NOTHING anymore. So what do you do? Dump Netflix. You don't need it. The point isn't exposure anymore, it's survival and propagation. Find a network that will CARE that you're on it, set up a stable shop, and pump out season after season while you can. This is Peak TV. Dozens of shows have multiyear runs I'm sure none us here have ever seen. The point is that they get MADE. Its not about the prestige anymore, its about survival. You make some good points here. We'll be lucky if we get another season on Netflix, since their trend now tends to be cancel a show after 2 or 3 seasons.
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Post by travis on May 2, 2019 13:27:26 GMT -5
I'd really like to know who they licensed OCTAMAN from. Retromedia released it on Blu-ray/DVD fairly recently, but the rights (from what I've read) should be with MGM. Kino Lorber announced they were releasing OCTAMAN to Blu-ray/DVD but must've canceled it after seeing Retromedia's release. I haven't seen Retromedia's Blu of OCTAMAN, but the transfer RiffTrax used was sharp & pristine so I'm leaning more towards MGM? If anyone noticed anything in the credits I'd love to know.
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