Transmission, Raro, Arbelos UK and other sublabels

[Peacock]

for various health reasons I've been alcohol-free for the better part of two years.

I was wondering why you mysteriously stopped slurring your speech two years ago during your commentaries Michael

[MichaelB]

Taxidermia marks the debut of Chasm FIlms, a spin-off label "dedicated to curating a catalogue of under-seen, under-appreciated and underground world genre cinema."

[Finch]

In Hungary during World War II, Vendel Morosgoványi (Csaba Czene) indulges his outlandish sexual fantasies while stationed at an isolated military outpost. Decades later, his illegitimate child Kálmán Balatony (Gergely Trócsányi) has become a professional speed-eater who dreams of consuming his way to fame and fortune. Instead, he grows old and immobile, cared for by his son Lajoska Balatony (Marc Bischoff), a taxidermist determined to leave behind a great work of art when he dies. Written and directed by perhaps Hungary’s greatest working filmmaker, György Pálfi’s Taxidermia blends body horror, black comedy and astonishing aesthetic beauty to paint a fascinating portrait of Hungary from the 1940s to the twenty-first century.

BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES

World Blu-ray premiere
High-definition digital transfer
New interview with director György Pálfi
New audio commentary by writer and film historian Michael Brooke
The Making of Taxidermia (2006)
Shaman vs Icarus (Táltosember vs Ikarus, 2003) and The Fish (A Hal, 1997) – two short films by György Pálfi
Erdő (2006) – music video by Hollywoodoo presented in original and director’s cut versions
Géza Szöllősi’s Artbook – extensive image gallery of work by art designer Géza Szöllősi
Deleted scenes
Trailer
Newly improved English subtitles
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Anna Batori, author of The Extreme Cinema of Eastern Europe (2023) and Space in Romanian and Hungarian Cinema (2018)
Limited edition of 3000 copies, featuring an O-card slipcase with new artwork by John Dunn, full-height Scanavo packaging and reversible sleeve featuring original artwork by Géza Szöllősi and alternative artwork by John Dunn

[MichaelB]

Sometimes I spend a bit of time wondering if I'm really up to taking on a commentary commission.

And sometimes I say "yes" within seconds.

You can probably guess which category Taxidermia fell into.

[BoltzmannBrain]

What's the point of introducing new partner labels when they basically all release one title and then disappear?

The only label that put out more than a couple releases was Raro, but they have now finished too. If Radiance doesn't want to fully commit to these labels, then don't do the whole hosted label thing at all. The guy behind Mawu could just work producing Brazilian and African films for Radiance, maybe that would be a more efficient way of getting those films out (Black God, White Devil already looked like a Radiance release in every way except for the label logo).

I don't really want to start collecting these labels that have one or two releases and I wonder why Fran didn't want to do Taxidermia under the Radiance brand.

[Calvin]

As far as I can make out, Radiance just assist with distribution rather than anything editorial so presumably if anyone approaches them with a release they would like to support and willingness to pay whatever Radiance charges, it doesn't make much sense to refuse just on the grounds that they don't have future plans. Probably.

..Maybe this is how this forum gets a Deville or Mouret out there! (I jest, maybe)

[MichaelB]

If I remember rightly, Mawu predated Radiance.

[ryannichols7]

I don't really want to start collecting these labels that have one or two releases and I wonder why Fran didn't want to do Taxidermia under the Radiance brand.

I think it's very obvious Fran is trying not to bring in overly genre stuff to Radiance (hence why Raro was separate) so that way another Arrow situation is avoided. that's probably the whole reason we have Radiance in the first place. if you notice how Transmission is totally its own thing too...

[MichaelB]

Like Raro and Mawu, Chasm Films is an entirely separate outfit run by different people.

My understanding is that this is purely a distribution arrangement, along the lines of what Second Run used to have with Arrow—which, come to think of it, led to similar confusion about whether Second Run was an Arrow subsidiary.

[TMDaines]

Is Raro even finished? There's a lot more films I was hoping to see come across.

[Aspect]

I’m concerned about the Raro relationship too. It’s been a while since there’s been a release. I would appreciate some indication that more releases are in the works.

[rapta]

It would be a shame if they had ended things with Raro, as I was starting to enjoy collecting them. My biggest frustration so far is with Fun City Editions, who Radiance seem to have stopped working with after just a few releases, and they (Radiance) have since put out their own edition of one of the titles (Cutter's Way). There are several FCE titles I would've liked to have seen released in the UK as well, but I suppose if they're not interested in collaborating, I hope Radiance just release them as their own titles. Same goes for Canadian International Pictures and Altered Innocence, who I'm surprised we didn't see more of as well. Did the titles just not sell well enough?

As for Chasm, coincidentally the guy helming it seems to live local to me (he works at Exeter Uni, after studying there; I was actually considering doing something similar once I'm settled). He has written books on Lanthimos, modern horror and Re-Animator, so those may signal the direction he plans on going with Chasm's output.

PS: Anyone know why Mawu are taking so long between releases? I'd have expected at least one title a year but we haven't had a single title from them in over two years now...

[BoltzmannBrain]

As far as I can make out, Radiance just assist with distribution rather than anything editorial so presumably if anyone approaches them with a release they would like to support and willingness to pay whatever Radiance charges, it doesn't make much sense to refuse just on the grounds that they don't have future plans. Probably.

We don't know which label initiated all these collaborations, but because it was Radiance who actively made the Fun City and Raro releases happen I have assumed that the other hosted label releases originated from Radiance as well. I'm guessing that Mr. Simeoni specifically wanted Arrebato, Buster Keaton Rides Again, Life Is Cheap... etc. to have releases in the UK, that there were never any plans for other releases from those labels and that Altered Innocence, Canadian International Pictures and Arbelos weren't particularly pushing for the UK releases. But I could be wrong about that.

If I remember rightly, Mawu predated Radiance.

So during the time when Radiance has put out more than 150 films, Mawu has literally managed just one single film... Mawu is not exactly a flourishing enterprise, sorry to say. I think that if Radiance's money and resources can make a steady flow of Brazilian films a reality, the Mawu man (I understand that it's basically a one-man operation) should become a producer for Radiance, taking care of those Brazilian releases.

I don't really want to start collecting these labels that have one or two releases and I wonder why Fran didn't want to do Taxidermia under the Radiance brand.

I think it's very obvious Fran is trying not to bring in overly genre stuff to Radiance (hence why Raro was separate) so that way another Arrow situation is avoided. that's probably the whole reason we have Radiance in the first place. if you notice how Transmission is totally its own thing too...

But Radiance has released a bunch of pure genre stuff, titles that could have been easily put out by Arrow Video, such as The Horrible Dr. Hichcock, Scream and Scream Again, I vampiri, Takashi Miike's films and more.

[MichaelB]

But Radiance has released a bunch of pure genre stuff, titles that could have been easily put out by Arrow Video, such as The Horrible Dr. Hichcock, Scream and Scream Again, I vampiri, Takashi Miike's films and more.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here—but, to repeat, Chasm Films is an entirely separate outfit from Radiance, just as Second Run was (and is) an entirely separate outfit from Arrow; in both cases, the larger label helped the smaller label with distribution, but as far as I'm aware that's the sole extent of their relationship.

So the answer to the question "why didn't Radiance pick up Taxidermia?" is, very simply, "because Chasm already had the UK rights."

[Peacock]

the Mawu man (I understand that it's basically a one-man operation) should become a producer for Radiance, taking care of those Brazilian releases.

What monthly salary do you think Fran should offer him?

[Adam X]

I’m concerned about the Raro relationship too. It’s been a while since there’s been a release. I would appreciate some indication that more releases are in the works.

In the US, Raro’s releases have long (always?) come in fits and starts, with next to no communication about future plans. I’d be surprised to see them operate any differently in the UK.

[BoltzmannBrain]

But Radiance has released a bunch of pure genre stuff, titles that could have been easily put out by Arrow Video, such as The Horrible Dr. Hichcock, Scream and Scream Again, I vampiri, Takashi Miike's films and more.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here—but, to repeat, Chasm Films is an entirely separate outfit from Radiance, just as Second Run was (and is) an entirely separate outfit from Arrow; in both cases, the larger label helped the smaller label with distribution, but as far as I'm aware that's the sole extent of their relationship.

That was just a response to ryannichols7's statement that Fran is trying not to bring genre stuff to Radiance. I didn't say that Chasm is a sublabel of Radiance like Transmission, I realize that it's a partner/hosted label instead.

So the answer to the question "why didn't Radiance pick up Taxidermia?" is, very simply, "because Chasm already had the UK rights."

Obviously Chasm hasn't always had the rights.

the Mawu man (I understand that it's basically a one-man operation) should become a producer for Radiance, taking care of those Brazilian releases.

What monthly salary do you think Fran should offer him?

I've no idea how much money Blu-ray producers typically make, you should ask MichaelB.

[nicolas]

Screenshots from Transmission's BD of The Stunt Man.

[dwk]

Someone at the Blu-ray.com forum posted a link to a pre-order for a Transmission 4K UHD of Vampire's Kiss

[rapta]

Feels strange to say 'about time!' about a film as silly as that but I had wondered why it was never released here (thought at some point Arrow, Eureka or 88 Films might have done it). Didn't expect the 4K bump but will take it! A lot to talk about with this film, that's for sure.

[andyli]

According to their social media account, The Stunt Man is close to selling out and will not be restocked. I was gonna get one copy from Orbit but it's swiftly gone from my cart... Heading over to the Radiance site...

[rapta]

Yup, that was enough for me to panic order a copy (I was planning on pre-ordering stuff anyway so was handy as it meant free delivery).

[pzadvance]

and now Night of the Juggler is sold out on the Radiance shop?! Do they not give low stock alerts or did I just miss this, I had a cart waiting to pull the trigger and missed out without realizing it was a time sensitive issue

[swo17]

Their newsletters include low stock alerts. They sent one out two weeks ago that said Juggler was 95% sold out

[MichaelB]

Yes, I was certainly aware that stocks were running low—although, unusually for me, I bought this one pretty much as soon as I had the cash to spare; I had an absolute blast with the launch-party screening.