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| Blackhawk | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 13 2008, 07:48 PM (2,262 Views) | |
| The Batman | Jan 14 2017, 06:12 PM Post #31 |
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I was thinking if I really need to upgrade to this release. I have the AC Comics release of BLACKHAWK and the picture/sound are great. If anyone has that release and upgrades to this one, I'd love to hear if it is worth it. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| riddlerider | Jan 14 2017, 07:48 PM Post #32 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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The AC release would have to be "bumped up" from the Sony/Columbia VHS. Based on Mill Creek's Shadow, I'm sure they'll have access to the digital master, which is bound to be an improvement. As for upgrading...IMO, the best-looking DVD in the history of DVDs wouldn't make Blackhawk any better. But, as the saying goes, your mileage may vary. |
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| AndyFish | Jan 15 2017, 12:04 PM Post #33 |
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Movie Watcha Foist Class
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I upgraded from the AC Version-- the Mill Creek is sharper. The AC is just ever so slightly soft. The Mill is only one disc and (I think) the AC is two discs-- so if that's important to you. I'd recommend getting the Mill if you're on the fence, only if to encourage more releases and you'll have a nice copy. |
| www.andytfish.com | |
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| The Batman | Jan 15 2017, 06:06 PM Post #34 |
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I know, I was considering that "supporting future releases" angle, which I believe in. Thanks for the comparison of the releases, Andy, the Mill Creek is in my cart. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| rodney | Jan 16 2017, 04:39 AM Post #35 |
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My question about future releases is this: Did Columbia by chance do new masters in the 90's for any serials that they didn't release on VHS? |
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| AndyFish | Jan 16 2017, 01:21 PM Post #36 |
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Movie Watcha Foist Class
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I know nothing about the technology-- but I had THE SHADOW on VHS and I have the one on DVD and while I can't actually compare them since the VHS is long since gone every DVD I've ever seen is an improvement over the VHS version simply because of the platform change. So I'd assume (not always safe to do so) that a VHS to DVD transfer is going to be inferior to a film element to DVD transfer. The VHS base is just watery. I would prefer that Mill Creek put these out on 2 discs but I'm still happy they're doing them at all. |
| www.andytfish.com | |
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| The Batman | Jan 16 2017, 01:27 PM Post #37 |
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Mill Creek, and I love 'em, always try to cram as much as possible on each disc. Whether it's a serial, TV series, or what have you. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| riddlerider | Jan 16 2017, 06:17 PM Post #38 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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In a word, no. That's the short answer. Here's a longer one.... The folks running Columbia's home-video division during the VHS era had no confidence in the studio's library of "B" pictures and serials, which they considered (not without justification) of having no commercial appeal. During the '80s, the division's president was a guy named Rob Blattner, to whom I spoke regularly in my other identity as mild-mannered reporter for the leading video-industry trade journal. Like many video execs in those days, his main talent was negotiating choppy and treacherous corporate waters. He was highly proficient with the regards to distribution of consumer products, but he knew next to nothing about movies. There was always some down time at industry confabs like the Consumer Electronics Show (at which practically all the major studios exhibited during the '80s) and the Video Software Dealers Association show. Lots of evening cocktail parties, that sort of thing, where journalists like me could mingle with execs like Rob Blattner and enjoy casual, off-the-record conversations. At one such event I tried persuading him to bring out some of Columbia's "B"s and serials. "You own them outright," I explained. "You wouldn't have to pay licensing fees." Rob was amazed how much I knew about the studio's library, but he patiently explained the process of bringing movies to market in home video, outlining to me the costs and efforts involved. It was the first of several such lessons I got whenever I approached video execs about exploiting the old black-and-white titles in their libraries. I've repeated some of that information here in various discussions. To reiterate, guys like us who drool over Boston Blackies and Sam Katzman serials don't amount to a pimple on the ass of what those execs see as the American consumer market. Blattner and guys like him weren't interested in selling 500 units of a title; to them, sales of 5,000 units was about the minimum they needed out of a title to justify bringing it out. The three Columbia serials released on VHS in the '90s — Blackhawk, The Shadow, and Batman and Robin — were trial balloons. (I should point out that Rob Blattner had left the company by then and become president of MCA Home Video, where he held Universal's library in similar contempt.) It was felt that, being based on still-familiar properties, they stood the best chance of achieving real success. The fact that Columbia didn't send up any more trial balloons is a pretty good indication that the experiment was deemed unsuccessful. So no further serials were mastered, even though Columbia still holds original negatives and fine grains on most of them. |
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| Pa Stark | Jan 16 2017, 08:21 PM Post #39 |
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After the first release from Columbia, a serial magazine announced a second package, but as we know, nothing came of it. The only title I remember was FLYING G-MEN. |
| Honest and Lovable Pa Stark | |
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| The Batman | Jan 16 2017, 08:26 PM Post #40 |
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Great info, RR, thanks for sharing. So, if they couldn't expect to sell 500 copies of a serial back in the 80s, how many could possibly sell now, thirty years later? I have to think that a good chunk of the people who would want these have passed on. RR, any idea of the sales figures for the recent serial releases on Bu-Ray? |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| riddlerider | Jan 17 2017, 03:07 PM Post #41 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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No, but the industry has changed considerably since the days of Rob Blattner. As a rule the major studios still don't put much stock in serials, series pictures, and "B" Westerns — which is why Paramount licensed the Republic library to Olive. The "boutique" labels like Olive and Kino Lorber don't rely on huge sales to the big-box stores, like the majors still do. They don't have big overhead and therefore are better positioned to market niche product. They also count heavily on sales from internet outlets (which didn't exist back in the '80s and early '90s) that don't cost much to generate. Still, the fan base for serials is too small. As much as I hate to be a Debbie Downer — and as much as I want to be wrong — I don't see these upcoming Republic and Columbia serials being popular enough to warrant the release of others down the line. Especially if, like Daredevils of the Red Circle, they aren't based on recognizable characters or properties. I thought it was dumb for Olive to release Invisible Monster and Flying Disc Man from Mars, but in a way I understood the appeal: the science-fictional aspect of those serials had "camp" cachét. I see no upside to them releasing Panther Girl of the Kongo, which aside from being cheesy runs the risk of outraging those easily outraged by depictions of superstitious African natives. Again, I desperately want to be wrong about the profit potential of Blu-ray releases of serials, but I just don't see it. |
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| Laughing Gravy | Jan 17 2017, 05:58 PM Post #42 |
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"outraging those easily outraged by depictions of superstitious African natives" Years ago I spoke with somebody from Sony/Columbia about the serials and B-movies (I don't recall whom) who said the legal department's advice was that whatever sales they made wouldn't be enough to offset the ill-will they'd encounter by releasing "racist" old movies. |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| The Batman | Jan 17 2017, 06:07 PM Post #43 |
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Thanks, RR, it all makes sense. If you had to guess, would you say these recent Blu-Ray serial release each exceeded 500 units sold? |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer | Jan 17 2017, 06:15 PM Post #44 |
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Sapient Balconeer
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I bet there are a lot of folks /buyers who'd plunk down cash for serials but how would they know these serial upgrades are available? The members of this site know about these releases and I assume the members of Grood's site know as well although I haven't checked that site in years. |
| It's like Rodney King used to say, "Can't we all get a bong." | |
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| riddlerider | Jan 17 2017, 06:43 PM Post #45 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I'd be surprised if domestic sales exceeded 500 units. If you're talking about global sales, more than 500. How many more I couldn't tell you and would be afraid to guess. |
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