Likelihood For Shout Factory Release List

[travis]

Hiya fellow MSTies, welcome to the "Likelihood for Shout! Factory Release" thread!

UPDATED 12/21/2019

Shout Factory'S 2017 annoucement:

Despite our best efforts to include the remaining unreleased episodes, due to licensing issues, it is very likely that Volume 39 will be the last collection of never-before-released episodes, and that these remaining episodes may never get a legitimate release.

So while it looks as if the rest of the unreleased episodes may remain that way for the near future. This list will still be maintained for the remaining and out-of-print titles as clearly Shout Factory is still interested in releasing the remainder episodes and rights situations change all that time!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Likelihood Grading System:
<EXTREMELY-LIKELY>
- Public domain or rights are easily available.
<LIKELY>
- Rights will possibly be available soon.
<NOT LIKELY>
- Rights situation is complicated.
<EXTREMELY UNLIKELY>
- More or less confirmed that rights can't be obtained for monetary or other reasons.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


201- Rocketship X-M
Wade Williams.
Mr. Williams has a sentimental attachment to this particular film, and has given a firm "NO" to licensing out for the MST3k version.
<EXTREMELY UNLIKELY>



213- Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Criterion (licensed from Toho).
<EXTREMELY UNLIKELY>



309 - The Amazing Colossal Man
311 - It Conquered the World
418 - Attack of the The Eye Creatures
807 - Terror from the Year 5000
809 - I Was a Teenage Werewolf

Susan Nicholson-Hofheinz (Susan Hart).

Widow of AIP founder James Nicholson who has claim to some of AIP's early films (the rest being with the Arkoff estate). She has yet to be interested in any offers from multiple home video labels regarding her library of AIP titles. Word is she wants far too much money to license them. After a few rumors this past year, it's sadly been confirmed that nothing has changed RE: her stance on licensing her film properties.

<EXTREMELY UNLIKELY>



416 - Fire Maidens from Outer Space
905 - The Deadly Bees
906 - The Space Children

Olive Films (licensed from Paramount).
I've heard from different sources that Olive has 5-year deals with Paramount on their catalog titles (for example, THE DEADLY BEES is set to expire in 2020). The other two titles should be expiring soon or have already expired., which should be expired or expiring soon. Assuming Olive films doesn't renew their license with Paramount, this would clear the way for Shout Factory to obtain them for a future MST3k box set.
<LIKELY>



913 - Quest of the Delta Knights
CURRENT RIGHTS HOLDERS DISCOVERED!!! - Shout Factory has found (thanks to fellow fan Joshua Murphy) the rights holders and now has this episode available for streaming! Hopefully a DVD release won't be too far behind.

Copyright registered under Ramsway JC/LTD. Originally released on VHS by Hemdale Home Video, reissued by Plaza Ent in 1999.

I have found *several* foreign DVD releases despite the movie never getting released stateside: a Region 0 [PAL Format] by Flashback Entertainment (OOP), a Region 4 DVD released in Australia/New Zealand by Payless Entertainment, a Czech Region 2 DVD release by Blesk/Hollywood Classic Entertainment, and even a South Africa Region 2 DVD by Impact Video AND a VCD (yes, VCD) release in the Netherlands!.
Wow.
<LIKELY>

LIKELIHOOD FOR RE-RELEASE LIST:

212- Godzilla vs. Megalon
Criterion (licensed from Toho).
Rhino made the mistake of licensing this from the wrong rights holder and Toho was quick to put a stop to it.
<EXTREMELY UNLIKELY>

910 - THE FINAL SACRIFICE
Either the rights holder wanted too much money for Shout Factory to renew or is simply not interested in extending their license.
<EXTREMELY UNLIKELY>

1001 - SOULTAKER
Either the rights holder wanted too much money for Shout Factory to renew or is simply not interested in extending their license.
<EXTREMELY UNLIKELY>

Volume 21: GAMERA, GAMERA VS. BARUGON, GAMERA VS. GYAOS, GAMERA VS. GUIRON & GAMERA VS. ZIGRA
Arrow Video (licensed from Kadokawa).

STREAMING RIGHTS CURRENTLY RE-LICENSED BY SHOUT FACTORY!

The first Gamera set was a miracle because Shout Factory didn't have to license the films directly from the Japanese rights holders but rather a "middle man," the company JoyPlex. The Japanese powers-that-be do not approve of their properties being made fun of (it's a cultural thing) so it is extremely unlikely we'll see them reissued in the near future. Shout Factory has said they wanted too much money to renew their license.
<EXTREMELY UNLIKELY>




This list has been researched by Travis Hosey, professionally certified FanboySuperNerd.
Many thanks to those fellow fans who have contributed information!
Keep circulating the tapes!

[Unsavory]

Van Hagar has almost this exact same thing, but he says he's given up on it so I guess it's cool. Nice list, though you accidently called season nine season ten.

[travis]

intestinal said:

Van Hagar has almost this exact same thing,

Not really, quite a bit of his information was wrong/out of date. (Which is by no means trying to insult Van Hagar of course).

[Torgo]

travis said:

intestinal said:

(Which is by no means trying to insult Van Hagar of course).

If you won't, I will.

Van Hagar is a doo-doo head!

[ChrisDalek]

Rhino destroyed Van Hagar.

They just didn't care.

[XerxesTheCat]

Um... WHY did you right "unlikely" for Godzilla Vs. megalon, when Rhino announced it'd be out in August.

[vanhagar3000]

travis said:

intestinal said:

Van Hagar has almost this exact same thing,

Not really, quite a bit of his information was wrong/out of date. (Which is by no means trying to insult Van Hagar of course).

He is absolutely correct, although I was in the process of changing after you gave me some more info. My list was off. WAY BETTER and more accurate job I'm sure. Good job man.

[travis]

vanhagar3000 said:

travis said:

Not really, quite a bit of his information was wrong/out of date. (Which is by no means trying to insult Van Hagar of course).

He is absolutely correct, although I was in the process of changing after you gave me some more info. My list was off. WAY BETTER and more accurate job I'm sure. Good job man.

Thanks VH.

Do you think this could be stickied? That way it doesn't get lost in the ocean of threads.

[Torgo]

travis said:

vanhagar3000 said:

He is absolutely correct, although I was in the process of changing after you gave me some more info. My list was off. WAY BETTER and more accurate job I'm sure. Good job man.

Thanks VH.

Do you think this could be stickied? That way it doesn't get lost in the ocean of threads.

The thing about our current sticky situation is that there are a few admins that feel that Gen has too many stickies as it is. That why a few were moved to Torgo's Trades a while back, because it was getting a little too crowded in here (plus they seem a little more at home there).

What does everyone else think?

[jetjaguar15]

Sticky it!

[donmac]

Isn't there possibly still a problem with all of the so-called Sandy Frank movies due to the English-language dub? For instance, Gamera's original U.S. release was by a film distributor (can't remember which one) in 1966. Their rights ran out after 20 years in 1986 (BTW, this version is the one getting PD releases), so Sandy Frank Entertainment acquired the U.S. rights and released their own version with their own English dub. This is the version MST3K used, so there are two possibilities I can see:

(1) Even though Sandy Frank Entertainment doesn't have the rights to Gamera anymore, the dubbed soundtrack is their property, so unless it can be licensed from them, Rhino cannot release this episode (or any other Sandy Frank episode for that matter).

(2) Once Sandy Frank's rights to Gamera expired, their rights to their dub soundtrack also automatically expired too, allowing the dub track to be released by anyone now. (This possibility seems reasonable given that the 1966 dub is getting the PD-like releases without paying anyone royalties.)

Distributor-created dubs really seems to be a bit of a gray area in the copyright world.

[travis]

donmac said:

Isn't there possibly still a problem with all of the so-called Sandy Frank movies due to the English-language dub? For instance, Gamera's original U.S. release was by a film distributor (can't remember which one) in 1966. Their rights ran out after 20 years in 1986 (BTW, this version is the one getting PD releases), so Sandy Frank Entertainment acquired the U.S. rights and released their own version with their own English dub. This is the version MST3K used, so there are two possibilities I can see:

(1) Even though Sandy Frank Entertainment doesn't have the rights to Gamera anymore, the dubbed soundtrack is their property, so unless it can be licensed from them, Rhino cannot release this episode (or any other Sandy Frank episode for that matter).

(2) Once Sandy Frank's rights to Gamera expired, their rights to their dub soundtrack also automatically expired too, allowing the dub track to be released by anyone now. (This possibility seems reasonable given that the 1966 dub is getting the PD-like releases without paying anyone royalties.)

Distributor-created dubs really seems to be a bit of a gray area in the copyright world.

Sandy Frank only produced the dubs for GAMERA and GAMERA VS. ZIGRA, (and maybe for GAMERA VS. GUIRON). BARUGON and GYAOS used Daei's international dubs. Zigra didn't have a dub before this, since it hadn't received a US release. Also, the uncut version of the first Gamera did not have a dub. I think Daei at the time did not have a copy of the NTA release, hence why SF just created a new dub that (except for the beginning/end credits) synced up to the Japanese version.

Even though SF produced some of the dubs, he wouldn't own them forever. Once the movie rights reverted, the dubs would either be sent back or destroyed (example: The Titra studio dubs used on the Godzilla films released by AIP). It wouldn't make sense to own materials for a movie you couldn't release (or didn't want to renew rights to).

If the dubs did become public domain, it wouldn't matter, since the movie was still copyrighted/owned by someone else. Neptune Media would license/eventually buy the Gamera films from Hearst Entertainment. They choose to find the original US version for the first Gamera films ("Gammera the Invincible"), likewise.. they used the AIP-TV dub for their widescreen VHS of Gamera vs. Guiron. The third title (each title had a seperate English version and a Japanese version tape) Neptune Media put out was Gamera vs. Zigra, which used the SF produced dub.

So, the myth that Sandy Frank owns the actual dubs is pretty much null and void. Hearst Entertainment would have owned them, and then Daei (or whoever bought the rights next) would have them.

The cheapie companies started releasing the old AIP-TV verisons of the Gamera films, assuming their were PD. This started with Retromedia, followed by Alpha, and many many others. Diamond Entertainment put out two of the SF versions (the quality is worse than an EP VHS).

As for Time of the Apes, Fugitive Alien I/II, and Mighty Jack... those dubs were produced by Sandy Frank (as far as I know). Their original creators, Tsuburaya Productions, have them now. Rhino could go to them and license those, which would be great.

[XerxesTheCat]

Here's a thought: Rhino could hire people to do NEW dubs for the MST3K releases with permission from the company.

If that won't work, well, shove a pie in my face, cause I'm running out of scenarios.

And, Travis, please change 212 from "No Likely" to "Likely."

No better yet, just remove the whole entry. Thank you.

[Dave Walker]

Well done, except for 212. I don't see a sticky being necessary as this thread will evolve and you can bump it with updates.

[travis]

Updated Deathstalker III and Escape From the Bronx.