VCI
- Caligula
- Carthago delenda est
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 2:32 am
- Location: George, South Africa
- Scharphedin2
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 7:37 am
- Location: Denmark/Sweden
Upcoming releases from VCI in May:
Cockfight - starring Wilford Brimley and Alex Meneses
Scouts to the Rescue - starring Jackie Cooper
The Royal Mounted Rides Again - starring Bill Kennedy
The Moon and Sixpence - starring George Sanders and Herbert Marshall
Click here to read more.
Cockfight - starring Wilford Brimley and Alex Meneses
Scouts to the Rescue - starring Jackie Cooper
The Royal Mounted Rides Again - starring Bill Kennedy
The Moon and Sixpence - starring George Sanders and Herbert Marshall
Click here to read more.
- ltfontaine
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 3:34 pm
Bill Kennedy! The name will mean nothing to anyone who lived beyond the range of a Detroit TV signal in the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies, but to the rest of us, in the Motor City, he was more than the local movie host for thirty years—he was our entrée to cinema, a cultural hero. There was one in every big town, but Bill was the greatest.The Royal Mounted Rides Again - starring Bill Kennedy
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
- Scharphedin2
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 7:37 am
- Location: Denmark/Sweden
Lucky you! My copy just left DVD Pacific today along with another batch of VCI titles. It will be apx. 2 weeks before I have it in my little hands.HerrSchreck wrote:BLONDE ICE in hand for 7 bucks via brick & mortar!
Further to the post above detailing VCI's upcoming releases, I have created a new thread for the Special Edition of Moon and the Sixpence in the hope that someone around here may have seen the film and can comment on it.
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
- Scharphedin2
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 7:37 am
- Location: Denmark/Sweden
Did you have a chance to look at the extras, Schreck? On paper at least, it looks like VCI put a lot of effort into this release.HerrSchreck wrote:BLONDE ICE an enjoyable if thinly rehearsed (in spots at least) programmer with lots of nice camera moves and an otherwise convincing cast handling the material decently in tight sets. An interesting little film.
At my end, I finally viewed three of VCI's Allan Dwan westerns. I have posted some comments on these in the Allan Dwan on DVD thread.
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
-
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:25 pm
The new VCI release of David Bradley's experimental Peer Gynt (1941/65, with Charlton Heston) isn't recommendable, unfortunately. One scene of the movie was tinted in various colors, but this transfer is black & white throughout (or rather very dark gray & very light gray, as the tonal palette is somewhat limited -- though that in itself wouldn't be a major problem, and the general image is very crisp & detailed for a film originally shot in 16mm).
I also suspect that some footage may be missing. VCI's transfer plays for 84 mins 10 secs, whereas standard reference works give the length of the 1965 revision used by VCI as 100 mins; and there are some remarkably abrupt jumps of continuity, though in a freewheeling non-realistic extravaganza of this sort, it's hard to be sure whether such jolts are due to lost footage or were present in the original. (Imagine trying to judge whether footage is missing from Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus!)
In 2005 Indiana University issued a "digitized restoration", which is available on inter-library loan to academics elsewhere in the USA. No doubt that would be preferable for those who have access to it and who don't need to own a copy.
I also suspect that some footage may be missing. VCI's transfer plays for 84 mins 10 secs, whereas standard reference works give the length of the 1965 revision used by VCI as 100 mins; and there are some remarkably abrupt jumps of continuity, though in a freewheeling non-realistic extravaganza of this sort, it's hard to be sure whether such jolts are due to lost footage or were present in the original. (Imagine trying to judge whether footage is missing from Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus!)
In 2005 Indiana University issued a "digitized restoration", which is available on inter-library loan to academics elsewhere in the USA. No doubt that would be preferable for those who have access to it and who don't need to own a copy.
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
-
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:25 pm
Yes, I personally find that my ability to cope with Bradley's Gynt depends on my state of mind. The first time I ever tried to watch it, I lasted only about 10-15 mins; it seemed to me a historically interesting curiosity, nothing more. The second time was magically different; everything, absolutely everything, seemed to "work", and I was spellbound from start to finish. That's the trouble with writing one review of a movie. Some movies don't stay still; they look different every time you watch them.
At any rate, Bradley was clearly alert to the danger of monotony, and the film's style varies markedly from scene to scene. Peer's first appearance is straight out of Reinhardt's Midsummer Night's Dream; Aase's last scene is profoundly influenced by Kane; the start of Act IV looks very like Bunuel (though not in a way that suggests any direct influence). The Anitra scenes are told almost entirely in visual terms, whereas Aase's first scene is full of intertitles. One character, in one scene, is heard speaking (in the 1965 revision); all the others are silent. Etc., etc. This diversity is one thing that can't be indicated by the Unseen Cinema excerpt, though it's well chosen, thoroughly representative, and gives a clear idea of the film's basic tone and stance.
At any rate, Bradley was clearly alert to the danger of monotony, and the film's style varies markedly from scene to scene. Peer's first appearance is straight out of Reinhardt's Midsummer Night's Dream; Aase's last scene is profoundly influenced by Kane; the start of Act IV looks very like Bunuel (though not in a way that suggests any direct influence). The Anitra scenes are told almost entirely in visual terms, whereas Aase's first scene is full of intertitles. One character, in one scene, is heard speaking (in the 1965 revision); all the others are silent. Etc., etc. This diversity is one thing that can't be indicated by the Unseen Cinema excerpt, though it's well chosen, thoroughly representative, and gives a clear idea of the film's basic tone and stance.
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
That's absolutely on the money, and an insight unfortunately lost on most. I've yammered on at length about this over on Renoir's RIVER thread, and also on the "Addictive Nightlights" thread, how repeated watching of the same film yeilds dividends not anticipated upon first viewing.Forgotten Goldfish wrote:The first time I ever tried to watch it, I lasted only about 10-15 mins; it seemed to me a historically interesting curiosity, nothing more. The second time was magically different; everything, absolutely everything, seemed to "work", and I was spellbound from start to finish. That's the trouble with writing one review of a movie. Some movies don't stay still; they look different every time you watch them..
I think that folks capable of discipline, hindsight, and of course long-term relationships will be most disposed to this concept, as they see it in action in their personal lives (how your view of an individual can change favorably over time, for example, leading to unexpectedly fabulous relationships with unanticipated souls). Those able to wrestle with the deceptive pollution of the overblown "first impression" myth within their own heads, also.
- foggy eyes
- Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:58 am
- Location: UK
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
- Scharphedin2
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 7:37 am
- Location: Denmark/Sweden
I received another batch of VCI titles last week, and took a quick look at each disc in the interest of science. Here are a few initial comments on each disc:
Classic Film Noir Double Feature: The Scar/The Limping Man and Western Film Noir Double Feature: Rimfire/Little Big Horn – Price is not really a big concern of mine, but I have been extremely positively surprised by these combo packages that VCI appears to excel in turning out at prices that really amount to a pittance, only to discover really very strong presentations of quite old films that in most cases I never even knew existed. All the films on these sets look quite exciting, being of course B-exercises within their respective genres.
The Tall Texan – A few moments sampled from this western indicate a clean image, and the film itself looks pretty intense, with Lloyd Bridges and Lee J. Cobb heading the cast. Elmo Williams directed both this film and the excellent little documentary The Cowboy (mentioned below).
The Return of Chandu, Tim Tyler's Luck and Terry and the Pirates – I picked up three of VCI's releases of serials. Each disc contains a complete serial of 12-15 episodes (apx. 4-5 hours). The prints of these serials are not in the best shape, as could probably be expected. There is generally a lot of dirt and scratches, even splices, in the source material. Again, viewing only a few minutes of each, it is difficult to make any definitive comments. In a way, it would almost feel wrong, if these particular films appeared in pristine condition, however, I will save further comments and return later with a thread dedicated to these particular films, which were produced in the hundreds during the thirties and forties, and were an integral part of the movie-going experience.
Whip and the Body – The couple of scenes that I sampled on this disc looked stunning. I do not have much viewing experience of Bava's work, although I have stockpiled a number of his films lately (and am waiting for the proverbial rainy day), but the colors and general mood of this film came across as euphoric – there was especially a moment with a young woman getting out of an ornate bed, bathed in colored lights and blackness, and embarking on a walk through a gothic style mansion, her eyes resembling a pair of cat's eye glass marbles, and shadows accentuating every line and feature of her feminine beauty. The disc includes a commentary by Bava expert Tim Lucas, as well as a pair of deleted scenes that are hidden in the menus.
Horrors of the Black Museum – Here is another elaborate special edition from VCI with a host of extras. The few moments I viewed of the film itself gave the impression of a somewhat faded color palette, although I did not notice any other flaws in the print. The film is from 1959, and was directed by Arthur Crabtree and produced by Herman Cohen.
Treasure of the Amazon – This disc looks the way many well-preserved ‘70s color films look – slightly worn perhaps, but otherwise pretty much like I remember films of this ilk to look at the time. The film was clearly designed to cash in on the Raiders craze of the time, and I am sure I will have fun viewing it one day. In fact, I had a strange sense of déjà vu, looking at a couple of scenes from it; I may have actually seen it back in the early eighties, as it would have been just the kind of thing to capture my pre-teenager imagination.
Blonde Ice – See Schreck's comments above. It is a disc with an extensive array of extra features (that has to be accessed through some very spiffy animated menu screens that are possibly a little well fond of themselves), and the image is solid, but a little more wooly than most other B&W VCI releases that I have seen. However, it is an old film that was apparently thought lost, until this DVD release.
Target Earth – I went through a period of viewing the '50s sci-fi classics with great glee, when I was in my early twenties. Then I moved on, not realizing that I had never ventured into the basement of this genre. With the availability on DVD of so many strange and previously obscure films, I have gone back and taken a second look. This film is one that I would think Schreck would be scavenging through the back alleys of his neighborhood for – I mean, it has clumsy tinfoil robots with catode tubes for brains tumbling around, shooting death rays from their cyclops eyes, a psychopathic killer on the lam, and plenty of nerdy scientists postulating ways of stopping the robot threat from outer space. The image looked remarkably good on this film with nary a scratch throughout (I viewed the whole film in this case), which really amazes me considering the age and non-reputation of the film. On top of the fine image quality, the DVD is pretty stacked, including a commentary with producer Herman Cohen, and a tribute to same with clips from several of his films that look really fun – I Was a Teenage Werewolf?! Is that available anywhere?
The Cowboy I also viewed in its entirety, and I already raved about it over in the ‘50s discussion thread, so no further comment here.
Classic Film Noir Double Feature: The Scar/The Limping Man and Western Film Noir Double Feature: Rimfire/Little Big Horn – Price is not really a big concern of mine, but I have been extremely positively surprised by these combo packages that VCI appears to excel in turning out at prices that really amount to a pittance, only to discover really very strong presentations of quite old films that in most cases I never even knew existed. All the films on these sets look quite exciting, being of course B-exercises within their respective genres.
The Tall Texan – A few moments sampled from this western indicate a clean image, and the film itself looks pretty intense, with Lloyd Bridges and Lee J. Cobb heading the cast. Elmo Williams directed both this film and the excellent little documentary The Cowboy (mentioned below).
The Return of Chandu, Tim Tyler's Luck and Terry and the Pirates – I picked up three of VCI's releases of serials. Each disc contains a complete serial of 12-15 episodes (apx. 4-5 hours). The prints of these serials are not in the best shape, as could probably be expected. There is generally a lot of dirt and scratches, even splices, in the source material. Again, viewing only a few minutes of each, it is difficult to make any definitive comments. In a way, it would almost feel wrong, if these particular films appeared in pristine condition, however, I will save further comments and return later with a thread dedicated to these particular films, which were produced in the hundreds during the thirties and forties, and were an integral part of the movie-going experience.
Whip and the Body – The couple of scenes that I sampled on this disc looked stunning. I do not have much viewing experience of Bava's work, although I have stockpiled a number of his films lately (and am waiting for the proverbial rainy day), but the colors and general mood of this film came across as euphoric – there was especially a moment with a young woman getting out of an ornate bed, bathed in colored lights and blackness, and embarking on a walk through a gothic style mansion, her eyes resembling a pair of cat's eye glass marbles, and shadows accentuating every line and feature of her feminine beauty. The disc includes a commentary by Bava expert Tim Lucas, as well as a pair of deleted scenes that are hidden in the menus.
Horrors of the Black Museum – Here is another elaborate special edition from VCI with a host of extras. The few moments I viewed of the film itself gave the impression of a somewhat faded color palette, although I did not notice any other flaws in the print. The film is from 1959, and was directed by Arthur Crabtree and produced by Herman Cohen.
Treasure of the Amazon – This disc looks the way many well-preserved ‘70s color films look – slightly worn perhaps, but otherwise pretty much like I remember films of this ilk to look at the time. The film was clearly designed to cash in on the Raiders craze of the time, and I am sure I will have fun viewing it one day. In fact, I had a strange sense of déjà vu, looking at a couple of scenes from it; I may have actually seen it back in the early eighties, as it would have been just the kind of thing to capture my pre-teenager imagination.
Blonde Ice – See Schreck's comments above. It is a disc with an extensive array of extra features (that has to be accessed through some very spiffy animated menu screens that are possibly a little well fond of themselves), and the image is solid, but a little more wooly than most other B&W VCI releases that I have seen. However, it is an old film that was apparently thought lost, until this DVD release.
Target Earth – I went through a period of viewing the '50s sci-fi classics with great glee, when I was in my early twenties. Then I moved on, not realizing that I had never ventured into the basement of this genre. With the availability on DVD of so many strange and previously obscure films, I have gone back and taken a second look. This film is one that I would think Schreck would be scavenging through the back alleys of his neighborhood for – I mean, it has clumsy tinfoil robots with catode tubes for brains tumbling around, shooting death rays from their cyclops eyes, a psychopathic killer on the lam, and plenty of nerdy scientists postulating ways of stopping the robot threat from outer space. The image looked remarkably good on this film with nary a scratch throughout (I viewed the whole film in this case), which really amazes me considering the age and non-reputation of the film. On top of the fine image quality, the DVD is pretty stacked, including a commentary with producer Herman Cohen, and a tribute to same with clips from several of his films that look really fun – I Was a Teenage Werewolf?! Is that available anywhere?
The Cowboy I also viewed in its entirety, and I already raved about it over in the ‘50s discussion thread, so no further comment here.
-
- Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:59 pm
- Location: Columbus, OH
- Contact:
No. At least, not yet. I'm told a deal was recently struck with the rights onwer that will finally bring this movie to DVD, along with some other key early AIP films such as NOT OF THIS EARTH, IT CONQUERED THE WORLD, INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN and TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN. It's a third-hand source, so take this news with a grain of salt. However, this source is very reliable.Scharphedin2 wrote:I Was a Teenage Werewolf?! Is that available anywhere?
THE VCI WHIP AND THE BODY is very good. I had a screener copy of HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM but it must have been a defective copy because it refused to play. No great loss, really, because the movie stinks.
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
Holy SHITE.. I excavate this thread to do some long overdue duty rhapsodizing THE SCAR, and I find news about two of my most long anticipated B-Films... I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF as well as IT CONGUERED THE WORLD (the little PupTent Affair immortalized in Zappa's CHEEPNIS which celebrates perfectly the love that guys like me & Tooze and Hare have for cheap schlocko 50's sci fi). Since I was a little kid I usedta stare at pics of Michael Landon in his werewolf getup... and never managed to see the film. I knew it was ttied up in rights hell, so hopefully the news above is true. And IT,. I'm actually surprised hasnt come out in R1.. it's cheeseball sci fi from 50's, it's Roger Corman.. what more does a label want from a vintage pic? Have it be shot in Bronson Canyon like all the rest? Well.. it IS shot in Bronson Canyon like all the rest.
Now back to THE SCAR. I absolutely love this movie, and for seven or eigght bucks, the price I usually pay for these VCI noir sets which are loaded to the bad teeth with extras.. you just cant go wrong. This is actually a fabulous movie, tightly made, with absolutely mesmerizing cinematography by John ALton in his very best year (1948), extremely rich direction with some great embellishment, and fantastic performances.
The doppelganger routine has been played so many times but this movie never sinks into type, and the reason is the genuine interest in the characters by all involved, so that the movie is richly atmospheric, wonderfully grim and masculine (like all of the Brian Foy-overseen gangster pics at Eagle Lion), and full of soul. Joan Bennett pulls of the absolute coolest character I've seen her play in all of her B appearances-- she is in fact one of the deepest, most authentic, richly represented female characters I've seen in any crime film. She's absolutely sublime. Paul Henried who produced this little gem for Eagle Lion, does a good enough job, but the film is really a sum of it's parts, all of which exhibit great care about the end result. See Sekely's wonderful montage of gambling faces during the richly suspenseful heist sequence; the short co-attendant in Clover Garage going on about his ideas about overcoming his atrophied height and making it in Ballroom Dancing-- it goes on and on-- and of course Alton. When I watch his films I often tempt myself into thinking "This man was the greatest cinematographer of the sound era".. at least in terms of b&w. In terms of 1.33 b&w image, he'sthe only gent who could consistently match the genius of Karl Freund, of the previous, silent, era.
On the disc is also THE LIMPING MAN, which is okay, as well as an Eddie OBrien television episode starring a way too charming and young JoAnne Woodward, and the episode is very enjoyable itself, damn near a cross between noir and the Twilight ZOne.
In terms of cinema, if you can think of a better way to plunk 7 bucks down on a shop counter, I'm all ears.
Now back to THE SCAR. I absolutely love this movie, and for seven or eigght bucks, the price I usually pay for these VCI noir sets which are loaded to the bad teeth with extras.. you just cant go wrong. This is actually a fabulous movie, tightly made, with absolutely mesmerizing cinematography by John ALton in his very best year (1948), extremely rich direction with some great embellishment, and fantastic performances.
The doppelganger routine has been played so many times but this movie never sinks into type, and the reason is the genuine interest in the characters by all involved, so that the movie is richly atmospheric, wonderfully grim and masculine (like all of the Brian Foy-overseen gangster pics at Eagle Lion), and full of soul. Joan Bennett pulls of the absolute coolest character I've seen her play in all of her B appearances-- she is in fact one of the deepest, most authentic, richly represented female characters I've seen in any crime film. She's absolutely sublime. Paul Henried who produced this little gem for Eagle Lion, does a good enough job, but the film is really a sum of it's parts, all of which exhibit great care about the end result. See Sekely's wonderful montage of gambling faces during the richly suspenseful heist sequence; the short co-attendant in Clover Garage going on about his ideas about overcoming his atrophied height and making it in Ballroom Dancing-- it goes on and on-- and of course Alton. When I watch his films I often tempt myself into thinking "This man was the greatest cinematographer of the sound era".. at least in terms of b&w. In terms of 1.33 b&w image, he'sthe only gent who could consistently match the genius of Karl Freund, of the previous, silent, era.
On the disc is also THE LIMPING MAN, which is okay, as well as an Eddie OBrien television episode starring a way too charming and young JoAnne Woodward, and the episode is very enjoyable itself, damn near a cross between noir and the Twilight ZOne.
In terms of cinema, if you can think of a better way to plunk 7 bucks down on a shop counter, I'm all ears.
- Scharphedin2
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 7:37 am
- Location: Denmark/Sweden
Here is a chance to catch up on some of the many excellent releases from this label. Their titles are usually very reasonably priced to begin with, so this additional rebate should make for some excellent bargains.
VCI Newsletter wrote:From Wednesday November 28th to Sunday December 2nd , VCI will offer everyone 50% off on website orders by using the following coupon code: XDNIVM
We are talking every single DVD at VCI is 50% off for 5 days! This is a great deal for anyone planning on purchasing any DVDs this holiday season. Still trying to figure out what to get Dad or that one family member you just can't quite figure out what to buy them! Well look no further! Everyone loves movies and VCI has the largest amount of hard to find cult and classic hits that Hollywood has to offer!
VCI has set the coupon up to expire on Sunday December 2nd at 11:59 pm (central time). As always nothing is 100% perfect and if something does happen, our customer service department is available for assistance M-F 8:30 am to 5:30 pm central time – 800.331.4077
*This is a website only special only available at www.vcient.com*
With the 50% off, VCI Entertainment is offering the lowest prices on the following DVDs (all prices are after 50% discount)…For Example:
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: Ultimate 2 DVD Collector's Edition - $7.49 (An absolute must for any fan of the Charles Dickens story. Not just meticulously restored, we've poured out hearts into a complete package of entertainment and history! This is simply the finest presentation of all time!)
HAMMER FILM NOIR Collector's Set 2 - $19.99 (set contains: Terror Street, Wing of Danger, Paid To Kill, The Glass Tomb, The Black Glove, The Deadly Game, The Unholy Four & A Race For Life)
DARK STAR – Directed by John Carpenter - $3.49
THE GREAT JESSE JAMES RAID & LEGENDARY OUTLAWS COLLECTION - $9.99 (This collection contains the following: Great Jesse James Raid, Renegade Girl, Return of Jesse James, Gunfire, Dalton Gang & I Shot Billy the Kid)
ITALIAN GIALLO COLLECTION: Blood & Black Lace, Bird With A Crystal Plumage & Watch Me When I Kill - $14.99
Remember to get the 50% discount you must enter the coupon code XDNIVM on your CHECKOUT page.
All sales over $50.00 qualify for free shipping (only in the continental United States does this apply!)
**This coupon code is valid once per customer**
Coupon expires at 11:59 pm central time December 2, 2007.
Thanks for Visiting and Tell Your Friends!
- starmanof51
- Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 3:28 am
- Location: Seattleish
- Contact:
-
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:09 pm
- Location: here and there
- Scharphedin2
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 7:37 am
- Location: Denmark/Sweden
Starman, without having had an opportunity to see either of these two discs all the way through, I think they are both nice releases (as long as you do not expect Criterion-level image quality). From Maugham (author of the novel) to Albert Lewin (director of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman and Picture of Dorian Grey) to Sanders and Marshall in the principal parts, The Moon and the Sixpence in particular has a lot of things going for it.starmanof51 wrote:Thanks Scharp!
I'm hovering around the $50 free shipping mark and am vacillating on a couple blind buys. Horrors of the Black Museum or The Moon and Sixpence? Your opinions, please.
If I remember correctly, Black Museum has a number of nice extras, if that is important to you. With Sixpence, the added value is that you get both the BW and Color versions of the film.
There are many releases worth looking at in VCI's catalogue. I have detailed quite a few of them in posts earlier in this thread, and I have just purchased the second Forgotten Noir collection and the second Hammer Noir collection based on the quality of the first entries in these series.
I recently viewed City of the Dead, and as a low budget gothic horror film it completely delivers, the image quality is top notch, and it is packed with extras (Schreck has huffed and puffed about this title all over the place, so just reiterating its quality). Target Earth is similarly stacked and good-looking in this case for a true basement sci-fi flick.
Chu Chin Chow (also mentioned above) is a real class A special edition. Lots of material, nicely presented in a multiple-disc package.
And there are the Dwan pictures and the Cowboys, which is perhaps an acquired taste, but I just love these discs. There is Buñuel's Robinson Crusoe, the double feature Film Noirs (again, mentioned in more detail above), the Western noir double feature, Bava's Whip and the Body, Losey's King & Country, and just buckets and buckets of really interesting and fine releases.
- starmanof51
- Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 3:28 am
- Location: Seattleish
- Contact:
Thanks, I went for both, along with several others you mentioned. Most but not quite all blind buys. I aready had Whip and the Body and just bought City of the Dead last week. With Moon and Sixpence I ended up with three(!) George Sanders titles, although I expect at least one to be of pretty hideous quality (Strange Woman, in the PD Hedy Lamarr twofer they offer). No matter what they all end up looking like, there's no complaining about price and it will be interesting diving into some unknown treasures. Chu Chin Chow in particular I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around - it sounds a little nuts, probably the one I'm most looking forward to spinning. Again, thanks for the find!Scharphedin2 wrote:Starman, without having had an opportunity to see either of these two discs all the way through, I think they are both nice releases (as long as you do not expect Criterion-level image quality). From Maugham (author of the novel) to Albert Lewin (director of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman and Picture of Dorian Grey) to Sanders and Marshall in the principal parts, The Moon and the Sixpence in particular has a lot of things going for it.
If I remember correctly, Black Museum has a number of nice extras, if that is important to you. With Sixpence, the added value is that you get both the BW and Color versions of the film.
There are many releases worth looking at in VCI's catalogue. I have detailed quite a few of them in posts earlier in this thread, and I have just purchased the second Forgotten Noir collection and the second Hammer Noir collection based on the quality of the first entries in these series.
I recently viewed City of the Dead, and as a low budget gothic horror film it completely delivers, the image quality is top notch, and it is packed with extras (Schreck has huffed and puffed about this title all over the place, so just reiterating its quality). Target Earth is similarly stacked and good-looking in this case for a true basement sci-fi flick.
Chu Chin Chow (also mentioned above) is a real class A special edition. Lots of material, nicely presented in a multiple-disc package.
And there are the Dwan pictures and the Cowboys, which is perhaps an acquired taste, but I just love these discs. There is Buñuel's Robinson Crusoe, the double feature Film Noirs (again, mentioned in more detail above), the Western noir double feature, Bava's Whip and the Body, Losey's King & Country, and just buckets and buckets of really interesting and fine releases.
- Scharphedin2
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 7:37 am
- Location: Denmark/Sweden
I am sure this will be a lot of fun. When ordering from the bigger labels, the expectations are always adjusted to prior high standards, and mostly you know a lot about the films in advance. With a label like VCI, I have had many positive surprises, because I had no very great expectations either to the quality of the discs or the films.starmanof51 wrote:Thanks, I went for both, along with several others you mentioned. Most but not quite all blind buys. I aready had Whip and the Body and just bought City of the Dead last week. With Moon and Sixpence I ended up with three(!) George Sanders titles, although I expect at least one to be of pretty hideous quality (Strange Woman, in the PD Hedy Lamarr twofer they offer). No matter what they all end up looking like, there's no complaining about price and it will be interesting diving into some unknown treasures. Chu Chin Chow in particular I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around - it sounds a little nuts, probably the one I'm most looking forward to spinning. Again, thanks for the find!
Strange Woman I have in AllDay Entertainment's Ulmer Collection, so I do not know the quality of the VCI disc, but the film (and Hedy Lamarr in particular) is very good!
Some people would say that you can never get enough George Sanders on your shelf. Personally, his name has never convinced me to purcase a given film, but on the other hand, I have always felt that he was good in the films I have seen with him.
- Scharphedin2
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 7:37 am
- Location: Denmark/Sweden
VCI has a new issue of their "Gazette" online in pdf format.
A lot of bargains as usual, a new DVDr line, a couple of new serials released with Lugosi and Karloff, as well as a complete collection of the Karloff series of feature films Mr. Wong: Detective, which I am not familiar with, but it sounds intrigueing.
A lot of bargains as usual, a new DVDr line, a couple of new serials released with Lugosi and Karloff, as well as a complete collection of the Karloff series of feature films Mr. Wong: Detective, which I am not familiar with, but it sounds intrigueing.
- Scharphedin2
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 7:37 am
- Location: Denmark/Sweden
Newsflash from VCI wrote:NEW RELEASE FLASH!
April 9, 2008
VCI DISTRIBUTES FILMS FROM
JIM MCCULLOUGH PRODUCTIONS
Tulsa, OK –VCI Entertainment President Robert A. Blair announced that VCI has inked a deal to distribute films from Jim McCullough Productions.
Jim McCullough, Sr. (Producer/Director/Actor/Writer) has made twenty-eight movies, eleven filmed in Louisiana. His movies have had production budgets of $11,000,000 and have produced worldwide revenues in excess of $136,000,000. Best known for the family classic WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS: Parts I & II, currently he has titles in distribution with MGM, Lakeshore Entertainment, and 20th Century Fox. He has teamed with John Dean, managing partner of Shreveport-based CPA firm Heard, McElroy, and Vestal, in acquiring the multimillion dollar tax incentives for the recent films RUNAWAY JURY and RAY, both shot in Louisiana.
Jim McCullough, Sr. began his film career in Hollywood working at ZIV Studios in production (THE BLACK STALLION and HIGHWAY PATROL), following his student days at Centenary College and UCLA.
McCullough developed his first feature film project as an independent producer of the famous story, SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS, filmed on location in Branson, Missouri. McCullough assisted Howco Pictures in the distribution of this film, and consulted for Howco on several projects they developed thereafter. During this time, McCullough produced and directed the television film CRIME FILE.
Here is a sample of the MAC FILMS budget titles that VCI will be releasing from Jim McCullough Productions:
ALMOST (starring Rosanna Arquette, Jan Adele, Hugo Weaving)
BEYOND OBSESSION (starring Tom Berenger)
BORN TO WIN (starring Robert DeNiro, George Segal, and Karen Black)
CODE NAME: WILD GEESE (starring Lee Van Cleef and Ernest Borgnine)
CRAZY STREETS (starring Alec Baldwin and Deborah Harry)
CRY OF THE PENGUINS (starring John Hurt and Hayley Mills)
DEAD BEFORE DAWN (starring Cheryl Ladd)
DEADLY JUSTICE (starring Richard Crenna, Meredith Baxter Birney, Joanna Kerns)
THE FORMULA (starring George C. Scott and Marlon Brando)
HORRORS OF THE RED PLANET (starring Jon Carradine)
IT’S GOOD TO BE ALIVE (starring Paul Winfield and Lou Gossett Jr.)
STARCRASH! (starring David Hasselhoff and Christopher Plummer)
SUMMER CITY (starring Mel Gibson)
Click Here for the official New Release announcement in PDF. If the hyper link does not work copy and paste the following into your URL (www.vcientertainment.com/vci_files/MacFilm2008.pdf )
For Further Information Contact:
Christopher Rowe
crowe@vcientertainment.com