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DrewReiber wrote:Anybody know if it's likely that Anchor Bay could re-release their 2nd disc of The Wicker Man Limited edition boxset, the extended director's cut?

It's hard to say. They should, but Anchor Bay are pretty fickle when it comes to putting Limited Editions and OOP titles back in print, for some reason - TV cut of Halloween, etc.

The UK edition featurig both cuts is currently £3.97 ($6.80) at Amazon.co.uk

This edition also features an audio commentary with Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, director Robin Hardy and moderated by Mark Kermode and also a 25-minute interview with Christopher Lee.

Order it now - it must be a mis-price!

"OH, GOD! OH, JESUS CHRIST!"

. . .

DrewReiber wrote:I would very much like to put money into Anchor Bay's pockets but they are forcing me to find less scrupulous ways of scoring a copy of that cut.

Welcome to the world of Anchor Bay! They approach two-disc editions bass-ackward: If you came to the world of DVD late or just didn't know about a great movie until it was too late, then you missed out on what may be a definitive release simply because AB wanted to make it a numbered "collector's edition" or some such nonsense. I'm in the same boat when it comes to their OOP release of Two-Lane Blacktop, a movie I just discovered in 2005 but I'm not going to pay $100+ for it.

To answer your question, there have been long-standing rumors that AB will re-release the far superior extended cut of Wicker Man, but nothing definite has ever been confirmed. Perhaps the one good thing about the remake will be the re-release?

The UK edition featurig both cuts is currently £3.97 ($6.80) at Amazon.co.uk

This edition also features an audio commentary with Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, director Robin Hardy and moderated by Mark Kermode and also a 25-minute interview with Christopher Lee.

Order it now - it must be a mis-price!

Gordon, this is not a misprice. The UK edition can be had dirt-cheap. Unfortunately, it's a piss-poor NTSC->PAL port of the Anchor Bay transfer. The combing/ghosting is so bad it's nearly unwatchable on even a tube TV! To enjoy the film properly, you need the Anchor Bay release, but UK release might serve as a good stop-gap. It contains all the same extras as the Anchor Bay, and it has the commentary, which the AB lacks. If you want to hear the commentary, it's worth picking up at the current low price.

Gordon McMurphy wrote:It's hard to say. They should, but Anchor Bay are pretty fickle when it comes to putting Limited Editions and OOP titles back in print, for some reason - TV cut of Halloween, etc.

Only the gods know what Anchor Bay is thinking with the Halloween editions. If you want the cool supplements, you have to own the new 2 disc. If you want the proper transfers and/or all the cuts, you have to own the original 2 disc. It's like having to buy a 4 disc box set in installments. They've gotten better since that rough patch of stupidity inbetween Bill Lustig's departure and the better days of Perry Martin, but those horrible editions of Halloween and Evil Dead are still littering the market.

This edition also features an audio commentary with Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, director Robin Hardy and moderated by Mark Kermode and also a 25-minute interview with Christopher Lee.

Well, the supplements sound cool but the transfer isn't worth it and I don't have multi-region. In the meantime I'll just be forced to something evil, because Anchor Bay and region coding combined is frustrating enough to lead me there. Again, I will gladly put money in their hands if/when they're smart enough to reintroduce it. It would be especially nice if they found a way to Divimax it as they did with that poor quality director's cut of Manhunter.

"OH, GOD! OH, JESUS CHRIST!"

Mwahahahahah.

tryavna wrote:I'm in the same boat when it comes to their OOP release of Two-Lane Blacktop, a movie I just discovered in 2005 but I'm not going to pay $100+ for it.

I don't think that is their fault. From what I can tell, all the existing Monte Hellman films of note went out of print at both Anchor Bay and VCI simultaneously. It looks a lot like someone has the rights to most of his library now and just hasn't done anything with them.

To answer your question, there have been long-standing rumors that AB will re-release the far superior extended cut of Wicker Man, but nothing definite has ever been confirmed. Perhaps the one good thing about the remake will be the re-release?

Well, then my next question is, who is going to release Cowboys for Christ
(the followup) once finished? I figure a movie like that is going to go straight to video in the states, but I don't know who handlles British releases of that nature. As Anchor Bay has Wicker Man, it might be in their interest... but that sounds a little far fetched an assumption.

Shit, I didn't know that the UK transfers had ghosting. Damn. I jumped and ordered the set and it is now being packed by Amazon. But I have wanted to hear the commentary for quite some time so £4 seems more than a bargain.

I'm looking forward to Hardy's re-imagining of the story. The Hollywood remake could go either way, of course.

I was just reading that Anchor Bay is releasing a new edition of Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark in March. Can anyone comment on this film? Unfortunately, the only Bigelow film I've seen is Point Break--but this one sounds like a cross between some crazy western and the Evil Dead. Would that be accurate???

Near Dark is one of the best horror films of all time. A timeless classic. Easily her best film. New DVD edition would be great!

Agreed- Near Dark is great fun. But what's wrong with the current 2-disc DVD that's out?

THX1378 wrote:... the Bay had got the rights to a ton of Mario Bava films. Most of these have been out on dvd before, but there going to go back and redo them as special editions. One that they talked about was Kidnapped, which came out over here as Rabid Dogs with some new scenes that were added.

Well, is there any news regarding these?

rwaits wrote:I was just reading that Anchor Bay is releasing a new edition of Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark in March. Can anyone comment on this film? Unfortunately, the only Bigelow film I've seen is Point Break--but this one sounds like a cross between some crazy western and the Evil Dead. Would that be accurate???

It's a UMD version: SEE HERE

It's a superb film. The Lost Boys stole its thunder back in 1987, but it has remained a cult favourite over the years. Anchor's 2-disc is one of their best efforts.

$12.80 and currently in stock at: www.dvdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=41338

Well, I'm definitely going to have to check it out. What's UMD??

And great news about Mario Bava!! Where did you hear that, and do you know if their schedule includes Black Sunday? I was kicking myself for not picking that one up after it went out of print a few months back.

It's known for quite a while now. Fangoria had the scoop.

rwaits wrote:What's UMD??

Discs for Sony's PSP.

kekid wrote:

cinephrenic wrote:Tokyo-ga is being released from Anchor Bay.

In our lifetime?

Looks like Kinowelt (Germany) is releasing this (together with Chambre 666) on the 17th of this month with English, German narration.



yum, looks like a sale.

OK, I somehow completely missed the boat that Anchor Bay had acquired the rights to the Bava films. What was the original source on this, and was there any indication on when they might be expected?

FYI for all, the Herzog/Kinski box & the Herzog Nosferatu 2-disc now listed as OOP. I wonder what the deal is? Maybe they had limited rights on that one?

From DVD Savant:

Savant was handed an honest no-BS scoop yesterday afternoon, at a real J.J. Hunsecker-type lunch social: According to a company insider, Anchor Bay has licensed Mario Bava's Erik the Conqueror (Gli invasori) to be part of its slate of remastered Mario Bava films, now being outfitted with new extras and featurette docus. No release date has been announced for the Conqueror disc (or any of the Anchor Bay Bavas, to my knowledge) but the title has definitely been secured and will go into DVD production.

Originally made by Italy's Galatea Films, 1961's Erik the Conqueror is a Viking epic. It stars Cameron Mitchell, George Ardisson and Andrea Checci and is known for its intense use of color and creative stretching of a modest budget.

Well-spotted, Zumpano. This is great news, as I was getting worried about the Anchor Bay deal to release Bava titles, since the news first broke years ago, with no follow-up. Erik the Conqueror is a lot of fun, but I'd love to know what else AB will be releasing.

Fangoria on the Anchor Bay edition of Cemetery Man:

http://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=5896

[quote]Fango just got word from Anchor Bay about the specs for the long-awaited DVD of 1994's CEMETERY MAN, Michele Soavi's modern-classic zombie film a.k.a. DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE, streeting June 13. The movie, based on a Tiziano Sclavi novel and starring Rupert Everett as a graveyard keeper who has to deal with undead “returners,â€

DVD Maniacs review of Cemetary Man HERE.

Comparison with the Italian Medusa edition HERE.

Gary Tooze also compared the German and Italian transfers HERE.


I have to say that the Anchor Bay transfer looks a little blown out, contrast-wise in those captures and the colour looks a little desaturated, although the Medusa looks over-saturated. Great to finally see an NTSC release, though.

I guess this all comes down to a question of personal taste, so I'm keeping my Medusa. It just looks better overall.

The fact that the Anchor Bay is English-only is no problem, right?

Narshty wrote:The fact that the Anchor Bay is English-only is no problem, right?

I'm not sure, as I have not seen this film. Is the Italian track superior?

Well, the English track is the only one where you'll hear Rupert Everett's performance.

Narshty wrote:The fact that the Anchor Bay is English-only is no problem, right?

I watched the German version with the English soundtrack just two nights ago, and it looked like most of the lines were originally spoken in English. The actors are still dubbed, though Everett voices his own lines. So the English version is as authentic as the Italian.

It was the first time I've seen Anna Falchi - I'm surprised that Rupert didn't turn...

As far as I know Everett voices his own lines in the italian version too.