New Wave Films (UK)

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

At last. Hadewijch is official. May 6.

Hope that's not the final cover

[Calvin]

I asked them regarding a Blu-Ray of Mysteries of Lisbon a while back and they said "We don't know yet - but will have to be after the DVD release date whatever happens". New Wave seems to have a bizarre business model where they judge whether or not to release a Blu based on the DVD sales. ](*,) They said roughly the same thing ("depends on how they do") for the Dumonts.

Though, to give them their due, they did do Blus of Uncle Boonmee and Le Quattro Volte. Maybe they didn't sell well?

[peerpee]

It's a real problem, because they won't sell many on DVD (going off LA VIE DE JESUS sales!) -- yet, the hardcore who really want to view and own these films, would pay double for Blu-ray. I'd pay £25 for a book of on-set photographs (which I grabbed from the French website 3 years ago) and a Blu-ray in the back. Instant collector's item, instead of a £6.50 discounted disc in a plastic box, that's competing with TINTIN.

New Wave have only done two Blu-rays (BOONMEE Blu-ray is just £6.47 at Amazon), and it's unreasonable to expect them to pop out Blu-rays all the time. It's very, very difficult to work out what to do when you're in this position.

I wish Sony would get MUCH cheaper on the manufacturing - they really have a lot to answer for when it comes to the smaller labels trying to put out niche stuff. It's still 4-5 more expensive than DVD, and you have to pay annual licences for the privilege, etc. If this could be sorted out, I'm sure other labels like Second Run would come onboard also.

btw. I just ordered LE QUATTRO VOLTE Blu-ray, and reluctantly pre-ordered the HADEWIJCH DVD, wishing it was Blu-ray.

[Calvin]

With sales on the rise, we can only hope that Sony reduces the costs soon. Being outside of the industry, it seems ridiculous that Blu-Ray is still cost prohibitive 6 years after its introduction.

[peerpee]

I'm afraid Sony don't have a very good history in this regard. Look at BETAMAX, MiniDisc, and how they annoyed Apple. Frankly, whoever's making the big decisions at Sony must be a clown, because I'm convinced they've left it too late now.

[TMDaines]

New Wave seems to have a bizarre business model where they judge whether or not to release a Blu based on the DVD sales

Raro US seem to do the same unfortunately.

[MichaelB]

I wish Sony would get MUCH cheaper on the manufacturing - they really have a lot to answer for when it comes to the smaller labels trying to put out niche stuff. It's still 4-5 more expensive than DVD, and you have to pay annual licences for the privilege, etc. If this could be sorted out, I'm sure other labels like Second Run would come onboard also.

Second Run certainly would, and indeed almost did - but the costs ultimately proved prohibitive.

Mind you, they had another reason for not going Blu - they were genuinely worried (and I can absolutely see where they were coming from) that if they put out one BD, sales of subsequent DVD-only releases would drop as people would assume that there'd be a BD upgrade somewhere along the line, even if this was a logistical impossibility thanks to the lack of HD materials (which would be the case with the vast majority of their catalogue, including future as well as past releases).

And when you factor in the likelihood that Blu-ray releases would be less profitable, because of the higher manufacturing costs, typically tiny sales of ultra-niche titles and the need to keep the RRP as low as possible because of the label's reliance on people's willingness to blind-buy...

...well, they just couldn't get the numbers to add up.

[peerpee]

It's a tremendous drain having to create and manufacture two formats - then decide whether to bundle them as a Dual Format or separate them. It's not at all practical.

I think the answer, ultimately, is to stop pretending that Blu-ray is going to take over from DVD. Treat it differently, and price it accordingly.

It's a high-end product, and for niche films that are going to have low sales anyway, we probably need to head back towards laserdisc pricing.

There's definitely room in the market for collectible, limited edition Blu-rays (MoC have proved it with the SteelBooks). Unfortunately, this goes against Second Run's very-nicely-priced-ethos and the desire for their films to be seen by as many people as possible on the most popular format (DVD).

I completely understand how difficult the whole Blu-ray problem is for small labels. It's really very frustrating for everybody that wants to see films look their best in 1080p.

[Dazza]

Is the MoC La vie de Jesus OOP? I notice on Amazon it's currently only available from third party sellers.

Not sure if it's been mentioned anywhere else, but Hors Satan came out in France last month on DVD only. No English option, but a couple of interesting-looking extras.

[aewb]

Looks like Once Upon A Time In Anatolia is dvd only.

[peerpee]

The Cinema Guild Blu-ray will be out a few weeks earlier: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FDT0LU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and, like John Shuttleworth, "I can't go back to savoury now".

[peerpee]

ANATOLIA now announced for Blu-ray in the UK? (Not listed at Amazon yet though) - but I'll certainly be ordering it if it's true:

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=8597" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TheDoman]

I emailed Cinema Guild just over a week ago, and they informed me that Once Upon a time in Anatolia will be on Blu-ray as well as DVD, so it seems the reports are true

I can't wait for this release, and I'm glad I held off preordering the CinemaGuild as this should work out a lot cheaper.

[Peacock]

Guys.... are your memories so short lived?

Cinema Guild are one of the greatest labels working today, up there EQUAL to Criterion and MoC. New Wave have had various problems through the years, don't seem to send their disks for review and likely won't compete with CG's extras, booklet or encoding.

Don't get me wrong, I own several New Wave releases - and one of them (the Straub/Huillet set) is amongst my very favourite DVDs... but I wouldn't be so quick to assume the New Wave will be identical in quality to the Cinema Guild... let's wait and see what the reviews say... (if there are any!)

[What A Disgrace]

What Peacock said. I'd be surprised if the New Wave release can match the bounteous extras being prepared for Cinema Guild's release.

[colinr0380]

And don't forget the aspect ratio issues with the New Wave release of The Headless Woman.

[bigP]

June releases:
Surviving Life - June 11th
Conspirators of Pleasure - June 25th
Lunacy - June 25th

[BrokenFace]

June releases:
Surviving Life - June 11th
Conspirators of Pleasure - June 25th
Lunacy - June 25th

Brilliant news. Been wanting to see Conspirators and Lunacy for a long time. Caught Surviving Life at the cinema and it reminded me how much I love Svankmajer's stuff.

Wonder if Faust and Little Otik will follow in the future? Then I think everything Svankmajer's done would be available on DVD in UK (blu-ray for Alice)

[Finch]

The New Wave Films logo was in front of Miguel Gomez' TABU at the EIFF premiere last night but hopefully they won't leave it on their shelves for over a year as they did with the Dumont. I hope it gets a BD release somewhere with English subs as there are frequently spectacular compositions in the film.

[aewb]

The New Wave Films logo was in front of Miguel Gomez' TABU at the EIFF premiere last night but hopefully they won't leave it on their shelves for over a year as they did with the Dumont. I hope it gets a BD release somewhere with English subs as there are frequently spectacular compositions in the film.

Will be released in September. Can't wait to see it, really loved The Face You Deserve and Our Beloved Month of August.

New Wave are still sitting on Aurora, Hors Satan, Elena and Puzzle plus they've aquired the new films by Kiarostami and Loznitsa.

[Finch]

New Wave will be releasing the fabulous Nostalgia for the Light on UK BD on Oct 27

[RossyG]

22nd, to be picky.

[newwavefilms]

Have not looked at this forum for some time as it's a bit dispiriting sometimes...But (like the grumpy pessimism on Anatolia extras for instance) rather than speculate about extras why don't you just ask us? The blu-ray question is always going to be difficult - if the people who really want a Dumont blu would pay an absurd price per disc then it gets feasible, but in reality even a DVD only release of his films just loses money, but we do them nonetheless. We are not releasing back catalogue, so to get the films noticed we have to wait for theatrical dates, and that can take a long time if cinemas are not particularly keen to play them as opposed to more obvious titles.

[peerpee]

If I may be frank, I think things are moving pretty fast, we're not in 2002 anymore. You're putting so much emphasis on theatrical and you must be losing money on that too? (HADEWIJCH?) What for? The broadsheet reviews? To qualify for distribution funding to pay for subtitling? Hardly anyone reads the broadsheets. Hardly anyone saw HADEWIJCH in cinemas outside London.

...and then you're losing money on the DVD, "but you do them nonetheless".

Marginal films are playing to almost empty, subsidised, arthouse cinemas up and down the land (pretty much only in cities), usually on DCP. It's not at all enticing for those who don't live in cities - and friends who do would rather wait for the Blu-ray. What used to be a thriving and interesting arthouse scene is actually now just a BFI-subsidised communal Blu-ray screening (DCP = Blu-ray = digital = not 35mm). It's a wasteland, like subsidised local theatre productions outside London.

This forum is full of enthusiasm for Criterion, BFI, MoC, Second Run, etc -- but you don't visit the forum because you find it "grumpy" and "dispiriting". There's a reason for that.

We love your films and your taste, but it's not fun waiting a year or two for you to go through the motions, and then deliver only a DVD (which you lose money on).

Anyone back me up?

[Oedipax]

if the people who really want a Dumont blu would pay an absurd price per disc then it gets feasible

How absurd are we talking? I'd be interested in seeing if the Kickstarter model could work for funding blu releases on films that aren't typically expected to sell enough - Dumont's would be a great example. If the funding level isn't reached, at least us cinephiles have our confirmation that the interest and money just wasn't there to make it feasible.

I'd be willing to throw down a decent chunk of change if it meant getting Hors Satan, Hadewijch or any of Dumont's other features on blu - maybe $100 or so. Obviously it would have to be the first HD release in any territory to make it worthwhile.

A bit more transparency in general would be refreshing from many of the labels we care about here - I have no idea whether it would gibe with smart business practices, but knowing for instance that sales were lagging on certain titles relative to others might conceivably lead people to target their purchases accordingly. Seeing an old film with a limited audience lovingly restored, only to underperform in the first month or two, might lead to people rethinking before they click on the torrent, too.

Maybe I'm overestimating people's level of engagement with these things, but if blu-ray is going to be increasingly a specialist/niche format, I think it makes the most sense to talk directly to your customers and build a sense of back and forth rather than just the diminishing returns of making the safe bet all the time w.r.t. DVD or blu. And with Dumont's recent films, surely an HD master already exists? So it's not like paying for a whole new scan and restoration...