Indicator

[Costa]

As soon as there’s an announcement about stock levels anywhere on social media, I’ll post it here.

And the upcoming Jack Nicholson titles do not include existing/announced ones.

Ok, thanks.
Decided to leave getting the Sinbad now, but I assume we're far from this title being OOP.

Makes me a tad hopeful one of the deals they have might be for the ABC Pictures titles

Oh, I would really hope so too so that I could see Spacecamp from Indicator!

[fdm]

Well, maybe Carnal Knowledge will finally make its blu-ray appearance.

[rapta]

Hoping for some Monte Hellman myself!

And since they've done Arthur Penn, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando and Randy Quaid before, The Missouri Breaks also seems pretty likely.

[Costa]

And since they've done Arthur Penn, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando and Randy Quaid before, The Missouri Breaks also seems pretty likely.

But if it's like the scan Kino got, it doesn't look very good.

[M Sanderson]

I’ve bought several Indicator release and have been impressed by the quality. They’re mostly using outstanding or at least very good masters (Bunny Lake, Christine, Body Double, Hardcore, Joe Egg, Deadly Affair) although like all labels, not all they’re given are great, suffering fading, such as Castle Keep, The Reckoning, etc. What they’re supplied with they give the highest level of treatment, and I’m impressed by their choice of titles, surprising given so far they’re licensing from only one company, Sony. I think they can only get better, and look forward to the day when they can produce their own restoration jobs, as well a slicence from different studios.

Very much looking forward to The Pumpkin Eater, another outstanding choice and great commitment to British cinema, especially the 1960s, when so much bold work was done.

I rewatched Christine recently, and am enormously impressed by the presentation. I found it better than the German release I used to have. But, I heard there were audio issues with the first pressing. And, for the first time I noticed dialogue missing from the Alexandra Paul character, just before Christine is captured and crushed. When she’s guiding the John Stockwell character in his Caterpillar vehicle. Is there a replacement program, and has anyone else noticed this problem?

[MichaelB]

I’ve bought several Indicator release and have been impressed by the quality. They’re mostly using outstanding or at least very good masters (Bunny Lake, Christine, Body Double, Hardcore, Joe Egg, Deadly Affair) although like all labels, not all they’re given are great, suffering fading, such as Castle Keep, The Reckoning, etc. What they’re supplied with they give the highest level of treatment, and I’m impressed by their choice of titles, surprising given so far they’re licensing from only one company, Sony. I think they can only get better, and look forward to the day when they can produce their own restoration jobs, as well a slicence from different studios.

Deals have been signed with two more rightsholders, and the first fruits of that will be unveiled in January. Although the overwhelming majority of Indicator's 2018 releases will continue to be drawn from the Sony (Columbia) catalogue, as they still have plenty to get through.

As for producing their own restoration jobs, this is already happening to a certain extent - although a full-on 4K original-neg scan is way beyond Powerhouse's budgets, quite a few recent titles have been cleaned up. In fact, you can see this illustrated on the Fanatic disc because for logistical reasons the extras had to use the original master, complete with white spots-a-go-go that have been pretty much entirely eliminated from the feature presentation.

In fact, I was unexpectedly impressed with how well the Hammer titles spruced up: unavoidably, Powerhouse had to use the same masters as were furnished to Mill Creek, but the combination of a general clean-up and a vastly higher bitrate has paid very noticeable dividends - Mill Creek crammed two titles onto a single-layer disc, while Indicator's individual titles take up more than half the capacity of a dual-layer one (and they're all under 100 minutes and three are under 90, so don't need any more than they get). Restoring the original British credit sequence of Fanatic took a fair bit of effort (not least matching the overall appearance to Sony's master of the US version), but was also well worth doing, and I very much hope that future Hammer titles will similarly offer options to play either the British or American release versions. (Sony invariably supplies the US version, which is why all previous video releases of Fanatic have been called Die! Die! My Darling!.)

I rewatched Christine recently, and am enormously impressed by the presentation. I found it better than the German release I used to have. But, I heard there were audio issues with the first pressing. And, for the first time I noticed dialogue missing from the Alexandra Paul character, just before Christine is captured and crushed. When she’s guiding the John Stockwell character in his Caterpillar vehicle. Is there a replacement program, and has anyone else noticed this problem?

The replacement programme was launched within weeks of the original release a year ago - if you think you have a faulty copy (if I remember rightly, the one of the rear channels in the 5.1 mix was silent), contact [email protected] to see if they can still replace it.

As a result of that, I now routinely circulate graphical maps of all multichannel soundtracks to the production team prior to sign-off - obviously, those don't do more than confirm that something is happening on every channel, but it does at least offer instant visual assurance to team members without surround setups that there's something there. (They can also be quite revealing in other ways - The First Men in the Moon has 3.1 and 5.1 options, but the subwoofer channel is noticeably louder in the 5.1 version.)

[Ribs]

Castle Keep, to me, is an incredibly impressive release because it is very visibly a dated master with serious problems but the presentation is nothing short of impeccable and looks really wonderful. It's hard to describe, but the encode job squeezes out every last morsel of detail you can out of that master. It's a great Blu-ray, in my opinion, and lends serious weight towards my enthusiasm towards any new Indicator titles regardless of relative obscurity/master scarcity. I'd not say that the rendering of the Reckoning was quite so impressive but I'm glad to have it all the same.

[M Sanderson]

I’ve bought several Indicator release and have been impressed by the quality. They’re mostly using outstanding or at least very good masters (Bunny Lake, Christine, Body Double, Hardcore, Joe Egg, Deadly Affair) although like all labels, not all they’re given are great, suffering fading, such as Castle Keep, The Reckoning, etc. What they’re supplied with they give the highest level of treatment, and I’m impressed by their choice of titles, surprising given so far they’re licensing from only one company, Sony. I think they can only get better, and look forward to the day when they can produce their own restoration jobs, as well a slicence from different studios.

Deals have been signed with two more rightsholders, and the first fruits of that will be unveiled in January. Although the overwhelming majority of Indicator's 2018 releases will continue to be drawn from the Sony (Columbia) catalogue, as they still have plenty to get through.

As for producing their own restoration jobs, this is already happening to a certain extent - although a full-on 4K original-neg scan is way beyond Powerhouse's budgets, quite a few recent titles have been cleaned up. In fact, you can see this illustrated on the Fanatic disc because for logistical reasons the extras had to use the original master, complete with white spots-a-go-go that have been pretty much entirely eliminated from the feature presentation.

In fact, I was unexpectedly impressed with how well the Hammer titles spruced up: unavoidably, Powerhouse had to use the same masters as were furnished to Mill Creek, but the combination of a general clean-up and a vastly higher bitrate has paid very noticeable dividends - Mill Creek crammed two titles onto a single-layer disc, while Indicator's individual titles take up more than half the capacity of a dual-layer one (and they're all under 100 minutes and three are under 90, so don't need any more than they get). Restoring the original British credit sequence of Fanatic took a fair bit of effort (not least matching the overall appearance to Sony's master of the US version), but was also well worth doing, and I very much hope that future Hammer titles will similarly offer options to play either the British or American release versions. (Sony invariably supplies the US version, which is why all previous video releases of Fanatic have been called Die! Die! My Darling!.)

I rewatched Christine recently, and am enormously impressed by the presentation. I found it better than the German release I used to have. But, I heard there were audio issues with the first pressing. And, for the first time I noticed dialogue missing from the Alexandra Paul character, just before Christine is captured and crushed. When she’s guiding the John Stockwell character in his Caterpillar vehicle. Is there a replacement program, and has anyone else noticed this problem?

The replacement programme was launched within weeks of the original release a year ago - if you think you have a faulty copy (if I remember rightly, the one of the rear channels in the 5.1 mix was silent), contact [email protected] to see if they can still replace it.

As a result of that, I now routinely circulate graphical maps of all multichannel soundtracks to the production team prior to sign-off - obviously, those don't do more than confirm that something is happening on every channel, but it does at least offer instant visual assurance to team members without surround setups that there's something there. (They can also be quite revealing in other ways - The First Men in the Moon has 3.1 and 5.1 options, but the subwoofer channel is noticeably louder in the 5.1 version.)

Thanks for the help regarding Christine.

Great to hear Fanatic is looking good; it’s the reason I’ve bought the Fear Warning set. I read about this in Pirie’s Heritage of Horror and admire this strange ensemble piece quite a lot.

[M Sanderson]

A title I really hope to see released is Geronimo: An American legend, which I remember having the Columbia Tristar logo when I had the VHS and which I’m presuming is held now by Sony.

Some feel it’s great late Hill and Hill seems to be trending a bit following TT’s Wild Bill, SF’s Trespass & the recent restoration of Long Riders...

[M Sanderson]

Wow, I didn’t see this until I went on their website. January 22 2018 release date for:

The Fortune

The Border

Blue Collar

& Charley Varrick

[MichaelB]

January's discs have just been announced:

BLUE COLLAR
(Paul Schrader, 1978)
Release date: 22 January 2018
Limited Blu-ray Edition (UK Blu-ray premiere) - pre-order here

After writing Taxi Driver for Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader made his directorial debut with this profane and profound drama about life on the factory floor of a Detroit car manufacturing plant. With explosive performances from the great Richard Pryor (Silver Streak, Stir Crazy), Harvey Keitel (The Border, Pulp Fiction) and Yaphet Kotto (Live and Let Die, Alien), Blue Collar presents one of the most authentic portraits of working-class life in all American cinema, and is one of the finest films of the 1970s.

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Audio Commentary with writer/director Paul Schrader and author Maitland McDonagh
• A new filmed appreciation by filmmaker and actor Keith Gordon (2017, tbc mins)
• Interview with Paul Schrader (1982, tbc mins): an interview with film expert Tony Rayns
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by author and critic Brad Stevens, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and historic articles on the film
• UK premiere on Blu-ray
• Limited Edition of 3,000 copies
...AND MORE!

#PHILTD068
BBFC cert: 18
REGION B
EAN: 5037899071359

THE BORDER
(Tony Richardson, 1982)
Release date: 22 January 2018
Limited Blu-ray Edition (UK Blu-ray premiere) - pre-order here

Jack Nicholson (The Last Detail, Wolf) gives one of his finest and most subtle performances as a hard-working but deeply disillusioned Mexican border-guard in this tough thriller from renowned British filmmaker Tony Richardson (Look Back in Anger, A Taste of Honey).

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Audio Commentary with critic and film historian Nick Pinkerton
• The Guardian Lecture with Tony Richardson (1991, tbc mins): archival audio recording of an interview at London's National Film Theatre
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by author Scott Harrison, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and historic articles on the film
• UK premiere on Blu-ray
• Limited Edition of 3,000 copies
...AND MORE!

#PHILTD069
BBFC cert: 18
REGION B
EAN: 5037899071366

CHARLEY VARRICK
(Don Siegel, 1973)
Release date: 22 January 2018
Limited Blu-ray Edition (UK Blu-ray premiere) - pre-order here

Charley Varrick (Walter Matthau) is a former stunt-pilot who makes his living robbing small banks in the American Southwest. His latest heist sees him unwittingly steal from the local mafia, setting a psychotic hit-man on his trail and unleashing a maelstrom of violence and destruction.
Directed by the great Don Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Dirty Harry), Charley Varrick is one of the best thrillers of the 70s: action-packed, memorably lurid and gleefully unsentimental

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of ‘Charley Varrick’ (2015, 72 mins): a feature-length documentary on the making of the film
• The Guardian Lecture with Don Siegel (1973, tbc mins): archival audio recording of an interview conducted by Tony Sloman at London's National Film Theatre
• The Guardian Lecture with Walther Matthau (1988, tbc mins): archival audio recording of an interview at London's National Film Theatre
• Super 8 version: original cut-down home cinema presentation
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by author and critic Richard Combs, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and historic articles on the film
• UK premiere on Blu-ray
• Limited Edition of 3,000 copies
...AND MORE!

#PHILTD067
BBFC cert: 15
REGION B
EAN: 5037899071342

THE FORTUNE
(Mike Nichols, 1975)
Release date: 22 January 2018
Limited Blu-ray Edition (UK Blu-ray premiere) - pre-order here

This high-concept, big-budget screwball comedy directed by Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Wolf) stars Warren Beatty (Mickey One, Bonnie and Clyde) as a slick con man and Jack Nicholson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Border) as his dim-witted sidekick trying to get their hands on the fortune of a hapless young heiress played by Stockard Channing (Grease, The West Wing). A commercial failure on its initial release, this buoyant and beautifully staged madcap comedy is ripe for rediscovery and reappraisal.

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Audio Commentary with critic and film historian Nick Pinkerton
• Mike Nichols and Elaine May in Conversation (2006, tbc mins): the two friends and filmmakers in discussion, recorded at New York’s Walter Reade Theater
• A new filmed appreciation by professor Kyle Stevens, author of Mike Nichols: Sex, Language, and the Reinvention of Psychological Realism (2017, tbc mins)
• Isolated Music and Effects Track
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Martyn Conterio, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and historic articles on the film
• UK premiere on Blu-ray
• Limited Edition of 3,000 copies
...AND MORE!

#PHILTD071
BBFC cert: 12
REGION FREE
EAN: 5037899071397

A quick footnote: the sharp-eyed amongst you will doubtless have spotted that the first three discs are locked to Region B. This was unavoidable, I'm afraid: unlike all previous Indicator releases these were sourced from Universal, which has a mandatory region-locking policy with regard to third-party licenses. However, the overwhelming majority of Indicator releases will continue to be region-free (as was everything released in 2016 and 2017), and I'll make sure to highlight any other exceptions.

[Ribs]

The no region-free thing is a bummer, but I’m really happy that Universal is the first other licensor regardless. These first titles are fantastic regarflrss. I skipped out on Charley Varrick as the second half of a late-running Matthau double bill just two weeks ago, but will probably rectify that by picking this one up!

[nitin]

I came home about 45 min ago to find that my Blue Collar and The Border blu rays from Germany had been delivered....

But I think I will double dip on at least Blue Collar, the extras look great on that one. Will probably just keep my german blu of The Border as well as my TT disc of The Fortune. Charley Varrick I will pick up if the overall transfer is better than the german disc.

But the Universal deal gives me hope for plenty of overlooked noirs for next year! At least The Big Clock, Criss Cross, Black Angel and Phantom Lady.

[Costa]

What can we expect from this Universal deal? What does it have that it doesn't want them and will licence to others?
Also, what other label has a Universal deal?

(I'm blind concerning rights etc.)

[HJackson]

Universal has their own titles, early Paramount stuff, and RKO if I remember properly. Would love to see some Sternbergs coming out of this!

[Drucker]

Has anyone else had problems playing Indicator titles? My region-free Oppo won't play them, and I have to play them, instead, in my Samsung back-up. Which also means that I'm not sure I'll bother with region B titles, because I may not have a player for them.

Has any changes been made to anything that may make them work in older-firmware/older players?

[Drucker]

Universal has their own titles, early Paramount stuff, and RKO if I remember properly. Would love to see some Sternbergs coming out of this!

I asked Anthony from Arrow about this a while back, and he said Arrow had actually licensed the Paramount Sternberg titles but the masters weren't in good enough shape to release. Doesn't bode well for anyone but the likes of Olive, then, I suppose.

[MichaelB]

Has anyone else had problems playing Indicator titles? My region-free Oppo won't play them, and I have to play them, instead, in my Samsung back-up. Which also means that I'm not sure I'll bother with region B titles, because I may not have a player for them.

Has any changes been made to anything that may make them work in older-firmware/older players?

I'm slightly concerned to hear this because all Indicator titles bar the three newly-announced Universal discs should not merely be region-free but specifically authored to be compatible with every Blu-ray setup worldwide. The only exception I can think of is the trailer for The Stone Killer, which was accidentally encoded at 50Hz, although everything else on that disc is fine.

For what it's worth, I QC all these discs in a region-free Oppo, and I've never had any problems.

[Drucker]

My region-free Oppo is slightly older, Oppo-93.

I updated the firmware for the first time last year and suddenly a bunch of titles stopped working. All Fox titles I own now freeze and don't even reach the menu. Indicator I think plays the PH logo but I can't get the film to play.

OTOH my Sopranos box set did start to work. I figure I just have bad luck but did wonder if there was something happening in the menu that could be weird.

[Ribs]

What can we expect from this Universal deal? What does it have that it doesn't want them and will licence to others?
Also, what other label has a Universal deal?

(I'm blind concerning rights etc.)

Indicator has its niche, which is generally similar to Kino's if a bit more skewed towards the 60s-80s in particular- we can expect them to handle titles that are generally similar to what they've put out in the past, but inclusive of the Universal library which (a lot like Sony) has been somewhat explored around the world but nowhere near raided fully. A title I can easily imagine coming that seems totally up Indicator's alley is Melvin and Howard, for one. This first set of titles is very encouraging to me because unlike the Sony releases it's pretty much out of the gate with titles that haven't made it out in the US yet (it took the Columbia titles a few months to reach that point with much frequency).

[MichaelB]

That sounds like an individual player issue to me, I’m afraid: I’m not aware of this happening to anyone else. Obviously, I’d be very keen to know if I’m wrong, because these discs really should be universally compatible.

[Drucker]

Yep. Just bad luck on my part. Very disappointing though as I've never had a compatibility issue with a boutique label.

[swo17]

I have the same player as Drucker and haven't had an issue playing Indicator titles.

[swo17]

Hint for next month:

[rapta]

What can we expect from this Universal deal? What does it have that it doesn't want them and will licence to others?
Also, what other label has a Universal deal?

(I'm blind concerning rights etc.)

Arrow have an active Universal deal, as far as I know. Be interesting to see what Indicator got that Arrow didn't...of course, Arrow managed to wrestle The Thing for a brand new restoration (a rarity for Universal).