174 Matador

[Lowry_Sam]

My one gripe with the limited edition model is that if you jump on the release to make sure you get a copy, you are also more prone to receive a disc with a mistake than had you waited for the standard edition when said mistake has possibly been fixed & hence paying a premium for a defect (or hassle to replace). Alternatively, my other complaint is when a label isn't clear when something really noteworthy (like an alternate cut on a bonus disc) is exclusive to that edition & disappears when a standard edition materializes.

[tenia]

It’s embarrassingly selfish to throw a tantrum over an increased print run.

I think it also sadly is revealing about why some people are buying these releases. I couldn't think less about those people, the kind who'll send death threats to labels increasing the print run during the pre-orders. People should buy LEs because they want the extra tat (or just the movie, when even the main disc is limited), not because it'll make them part of a small group of people that they want to be the smallest possible because they always have reselling with a margin in a corner of their mind.

[Finch]

Personally I find booklets much less of an incentive to buy the LE for. The exceptions are Indicator and Radiance, and sometimes Criterion but their foldout stuff has always annoyed me. Keep the posters separate and staple your booklets! I find most other labels booklets not worth the extra expense but I still buy LEs for the additional on disc content, because I find the scanavo keepcases more aesthetically pleasing than the standard ones and because I often don't want to wait for the LEs to sell out. I give credit to Second Sight for releasing both editions simultaneously but I understand why it's not the norm.

[Aunt Peg]

I only buy limited editions because there is no guarantee that there will be any further release of the film. I want to ensure I don't miss out. I think it is great news that Matador sold out so quickly and I hope the demand keeps up and Radiance has to print's out thousands of extras copies.

The success of some films enables boutique labels to take some chances with less commercial films that may not otherwise get released on physical media.

I purchased my copy in late January from Zavvi and it arrived a few days ago. Have not seen the film since it's cinema release in the 1980s. Watched it tonight and it's a fresh, vibrant and fun as it was the first time around. Also, a beautiful restoration. One of the best releases of the year for me.

[tenia]

Personally I find booklets much less of an incentive to buy the LE for. The exceptions are Indicator and Radiance, and sometimes Criterion but their foldout stuff has always annoyed me. Keep the posters separate and staple your booklets! I find most other labels booklets not worth the extra expense but I still buy LEs for the additional on disc content, because I find the scanavo keepcases more aesthetically pleasing than the standard ones and because I often don't want to wait for the LEs to sell out. I give credit to Second Sight for releasing both editions simultaneously but I understand why it's not the norm.

To each its own, obviously, but what I meant is that nobody should buy a LE just because it's limited : they should because it's providing a content that'll be absent of future releases. I too like that some labels release straight away both versions (though I wish they'd do a standard UHD/BD combo instead of locking this in their LEs, especially since I find their books to have much less content than the page count lets you believe), so that each consumer can get the adequate version, but people hating when a release goes from 1k to 1.2k because the preorders sold out in 5 minutes, this hate tells straight away that they aren't in for the content : what they want is limited limited limited, happy few stuff, "oh look I have this one and you don't", "I paid $30 for it but now it's sold out and going for $100 on eBay".
Screw them.

[Lowry_Sam]

I too like that some labels release straight away both versions (though I wish they'd do a standard UHD/BD combo instead of locking this in their LEs, especially since I find their books to have much less content than the page count lets you believe), so that each consumer can get the adequate version

I actually think this is a good use of the limited edtion, since their raison d'atre is to make a few bucks. An additional disc does cost more money so providing both in limited packaging (esp. steelbooks) is a perfectly reasonable way to please the fanboys and make a few bucks. Howver just an insert with an essay or two is not really value added. I think part of the problem is that indie labels are releasing (because they feel compelled to?) all of their releases in limited & standard editions even if the material or title doesn't really warrant it...Of course, that opens up another can of worms, namely which titles a label licenses should receive the deluxe treatment & which titles to give a basic treatment to.

[tenia]

Oh sure, it totally makes sense financially, I just wish the Dual Format wouldn't be tied to books I find not to be worth their oncost to me.
But I think it's a logical editorial scale : standard single-format releases, plus the all-cylinders LE.

I also agree with you regarding what's released in limited versions, but considering what some labels have made their core catalogues, I'm clearly not in a position to figure out what might be a good choice or not.

And regarding the one release talked in this topic, I would never have guessed Matador would have sold out that quickly. It seems to be the fastest selling Radiance titles (without including Transmission titles), and that's definitely not the one I would have bet on.

[Zot!]

Hey, sorry I caused a fuss. My point was only if with the standard edition you're getting the same exact disc, but you're missing an OBI strip and a booklet, that feels like a decent compromise to "drive engagment". I'm not sure I would take a side between beanie baby types keeping this in the shrink wrap, and print obsessives who can't live without some scant writings (When there are absolutely multitudes of writings on Almodovar both academic and otherwise). I tend to focus my ire more on long-gone favorites I missed altogether, and I think we can all agree there are a lot of amazing films that made it to BD that have subsequently gone OOP. And while we laugh, yeah, I just sold my copy of Arrow's Hard to be a God for a tidy profit. But don't worry I'll just sink the proceeds into some other obscurity.

[malachi_lui]

Restock at Orbit right now in case anyone’s still looking for a copy. I’d panic ordered it from Amazon UK the other day but as soon as I saw that Orbit had it in stock, I cancelled the expensive Amazon order and also got a couple other 4Ks from Orbit that I’ve been stalling on.

[MichaelB]

And while we laugh, yeah, I just sold my copy of Arrow's Hard to be a God for a tidy profit. But don't worry I'll just sink the proceeds into some other obscurity.

I think Hard to Be a God was just about the biggest surprise hit that I was ever involved with; to say that Arrow's expectations were low would be putting it mildly, and the reason why the two main extras were self-filmed straight-to-camera pieces by Daniel Bird and me is that our extras budget was literally zero so it was either that or nothing—and with this film we didn't think "nothing" would go down too well.

[Zot!]

And while we laugh, yeah, I just sold my copy of Arrow's Hard to be a God for a tidy profit. But don't worry I'll just sink the proceeds into some other obscurity.

I think Hard to Be a God was just about the biggest surprise hit that I was ever involved with; to say that Arrow's expectations were low would be putting it mildly, and the reason why the two main extras were self-filmed straight-to-camera pieces by Daniel Bird and me is that our extras budget was literally zero so it was either that or nothing—and with this film we didn't think "nothing" would go down too well.

That's so funny, because I just gave it a farewell watch, and was thinking how low-rent the production value on those extras was. Don't get me wrong it is a beautiful disc and against the odds a definitive package and paired with Khrustalyov, My Car!, an amazing resource. Thank you for your contributions! I have to say I LOLed when his widow and collaborator was talking about how she was just as lost as the rest of us in understanding her husband's work. The reason I excised it from my collection was more the obvious that German is an eclectic taste but just not mine (probably my failing).

[MichaelB]

Not so much low-rent as literally no-rent!

[Lowry_Sam]

So is this in fact UK only? Amazon US has Pre-orders. This Title Will Be Released on May 1 2026.
Could a massive purchase by Amazon be the reason for the quick sellout?

[swo17]

That ASIN and cover image are from the UK edition

[PfR73]

DeepDiscount is doing the same, pre-orders on a 5/1/26 release date with the UK cover...

[Zot!]

So is this in fact UK only? Amazon US has Pre-orders. This Title Will Be Released on May 1 2026.
Could a massive purchase by Amazon be the reason for the quick sellout?

Interesting, I've not seen Amazon themselves do this kind of grey market reselling. Occasionally they will offer things from foreign Amazon warehouses shipped free of charge, but this doesn't look like that, and they've inflated the price quite a bit. The BD is region ABC.

[Lowry_Sam]

Interesting. I asumed the blu-ray would be Region B only. So Radiance wasn't required to region lock this title but only got rights for selling in the UK and so Amazon can sell it for 2x as much now?

[rapta]

Anyone know the status of other pre-Sony Classics Almodovar licensing in the UK? Hopefully this isn't a one-off for Radiance.

Most UK rights are with Pathé and StudioCanal, I think, though High Heels may be with Universal (it's not very clear with that, and Pepi, Luci, Bom as well). Optimum/StudioCanal released High Heels on DVD here - licensed via Universal judging by the back of the box - but it wasn't included in their eventual Blu-ray box set, so it's unclear if Universal still have them or not. Pepi, Luci, Bom wasn't in that set either, but dunno who the rights for that were with in the first place, and I'd be surprised if there was an HD master available.

Assuming Universal do still have it, and also assuming they didn't want to establish another major studio deal, Radiance could at least look into getting some Pathé titles - namely Live Flesh and Bad Education, maybe Talk to Her and Volver as well. Dunno how difficult Pathé are to deal with but a box set might be a good way of handling multiple licenses...*

*They might even be able to rescue Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher from obscurity in its native country whilst they're at it (and debut the 4K restoration on UHD, if they're quick enough). Bizarre how one of our greatest directors has been neglected in her home turf. I had to buy Fun City Editions' Morvern Callar and was grateful it was region free!

Radiance should start tagging the ears of its Blu-rays so it can sell tag protectors

In all seriousness, FWIW I'd be up for a Häxan-themed Beanie Baby.

Imagine getting one of those in a Happy Meal. Every child's dream.

[BoltzmannBrain]

Apparently this sold out quickly because third party sellers were placing big orders. It's good for Radiance that this sold out 4 days after release but it is a bit lame that they didn't bother increasing the number of LE copies.

They didn't increase the print numbers and they also didn't give any warning that it was selling fast, they just suddenly stated that it was completely sold out. This is not very customer-friendly from them, Radiance must be aware of how fast titles are selling and they could have done something if they had wanted.

Might as well complain here that I'm not happy they stopped doing separate Blu-ray releases, not interested in the useless UHD disc which only raises the price of the movie.

[TMDaines]

They couldn't increase the number of LE copies in good faith if it only sold out after being printed.

[MichaelB]

Yes, I think there's a general acceptance that increasing limited edition print runs prior to actual release is acceptable—for one thing, it shows that the label isn't scared of reviews—but doing it post-release is ethically more dubious.

Not least because pre-orders can always be cancelled if for some weird reason people take exception to the print run being increased (although I'd be intrigued to know if this has ever actually happened beyond a bit of harrumphing).

[TMDaines]

I thought this would very much be a case of an item being "sold out" rather than sold out everywhere, but it does seem like virtually all online retailers are struggling to restock it. I wouldn't be surprised though if a glut of items ends up at one or two big particular etailers in the weeks to come.

FWIW, Fopp in Manchester had loads in stock last week. HMV's stock checker shows there is a few left.

[TMDaines]

Yes, I think there's a general acceptance that increasing limited edition print runs prior to actual release is acceptable—for one thing, it shows that the label isn't scared of reviews—but doing it post-release is ethically more dubious.

Not least because pre-orders can always be cancelled if for some weird reason people take exception to the print run being increased (although I'd be intrigued to know if this has ever actually happened beyond a bit of harrumphing).

For me, it wouldn't be the item being more numerous than expected that would irritate me, but being pressured to buy the item earlier at a higher price point, if it then ended up sitting on shelves for years to come and eventually was available in sales.

[eerik]

I take more issue with the fact that so many copies were allocated to American resellers, many who don't ship orders outside of the US. (Though shipping it back-and-forth across the Atlantic would be stupid anyway.)

When Indicator released Sombra verde for the US only, I had to take extra steps to find a retailer who would ship it do me as Indicator themselves and Amazon US wouldn't do it, but now this UK-only release seems to be available "everywhere" in the US. Strange.

[tenia]

For me, it wouldn't be the item being more numerous than expected that would irritate me, but being pressured to buy the item earlier at a higher price point, if it then ended up sitting on shelves for years to come and eventually was available in sales.

Which is why, in the generally-accepted case suggested by Michael, the increase in print run only serve to cover for the demand obviously higher than calculated. It's not going to go to what you're saying, but merely allow for an upcoming release not to sell out during 24hrs of pre-orders, which is the sign of having significantly under-estimated the sales potential.
There might have been cases where the increase was too much, and some copies did end up staying on shelves until discounted, but I don't recall any. The ones I remember were LEs like Arrow's big Phantasm set, or their TCM2 LE, but that was because the ORIGINAL print run turned out to be too high.
What we see more often than an increased print run leading to discounted copies years later rather is some labels reissuing the LE almost identically (pretty sure some were 100% identical) once the original run sold out. THAT'S loathable.