The Top Home Media Releases in 2019

The Top Home Media Releases of 2019

Initial Thoughts: 2019 was a busy year in Home Media releases onto BluRay and 4KUHD BluRay. There are some stunning restorations that deserve a look at as well as mega boxsets that should be considered. I have broken this down to a few categories that will include Best Overall release for BluRay and 4K, Best Documentary, Best Video Restoration, Best Sound Restoration. As well as notable releases to check out.

Best Sound Restoration of 2019:
Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut

Apocalypse Now is always a great film, but honestly the film has always suffered in the audio category. I have watched multiple versions of this film and in the theater. My biggest issue was always feeling a vibration in my seat and sound after the explosions go off.

Coppola and Lionsgate have gone in and gave us the Cut he wanted along with an in sync audio that matches the action of the film. The video is gorgeous, but doesn't improve much from the BluRay. With the theatrical cut, Redux at nearly 4 hours cut, and this Final Cut along with the documentary Heart of Darkness you can't ask for much more.

Maybe for the 50th we will get the 5 hour workprint version. Disney will probably step in and say no.

I would say this is the best sound restoration since Universal's Dracula BluRay.

Best Video Restoration of 2019:
Der Golem Wie Er In Die Welt Kam

This was the easiest pick of the list. Der Golem had the most to gain from the previous home media restoration. F.W. Murnau always knows who to turn to get the best restoration done. Eureka! released as part of their Masters of Cinema series. The UK equivalent of Criterion.

With 3 scores to choose from and watch. The US Version to watch. A nice video essay Where Are the Jewish Horror Films? by Jon Spira included. A nice bang for your buck release.

This release is region locked and may not play on most US players.

Best Documentary of 2019: 
Severin's All the Colors of Giallo Mega Boxset with the Italian Giallo film All the Colors of the Dark

To be honest this for a long time in 2019 was my overall favorite release. 4 hours of Giallo trailers with Audio Commentary by the Queen of Giallo Kat Ellinger giving a history of these films was fantastic. You throw in a 3 hour Krimi history on top of that. A CD soundtrack of great Giallo songs from greats like Morricone you can't ask for much more unless you preordered Black Friday of 2018 and got Black Gloves to go along with this and the film All the Colors of the Dark with a brand new commentary from Kat Ellinger.

Best Overall 4KUHD Release of 2019:

Suspiria The Ultimate Edition by Koch Entertainment 

This is honestly a Suspiria fans wet dream. In one boxset you got Suspiria 1977 and 2018 on 4K UHD, BluRay, soundtracks for both films, and a grab bag of goodies that leave you on the verge of overdosing from too much I love it. This was the best release overall for 2019.

Best Overall BluRay Release of 2019:

Santa Sangre by Koch Entertainment

Another superb release that gives any Santa Sangre fan just about everything they would beg for in a Santa Sangre release the soundtrack, new interviews with Jodorowsky, and possibly the greatest horror/suspense film ever made in one package. One thing is for sure Koch Entertainment set a new bar with their releases this year that all labels should look at.

Notable Mentions for 2019:

2019 was a great year for obscure and legendary films for restorations. So much so that by not mentioning  a few companies I feel like I did them injustice.

Mention #1: Flicker Alley

Flicker Alley put out alot of great releases this year including The Last Warning and a film relatively unseen since the days of Cinerama The Golden Head a 70mm film that is filled with gorgeous colors and a scenic view of Europe in the 1960s

Mention #2: The Shining 4KUHD release

What can I say when a sequel comes out some companies go back to their back catalog and do a new restoration. The Shining's restoration almost made me vomit in the opening sequence from motion sickness. A vast improvement from the previous release surprisingly video wise.

Mention #3: Arrow's Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

This is a fantastic boxset from Arrow UK. The only thing is nothing really new since Arrow releases them separately before. You might be disappointed his best Giallo is not in this set Blood and Black Lace. Don't let that stop you if you are a Bava fan and live in the US with the ability to play region B discs. The cost is vastly cheaper than if you bought the region A discs from Kino here.

Mention #4: Second Run's BluRay releases

I think Second Run is not getting the love they deserve. They put out alot of fantastic releases by filmmakers from Europe not as well known to us for various reasons. It's always a solid product with great commentaries, video essays, written essays and more.

Closing Thoughts:

These are a few of my favorite releases from 2019 based on the hard work that went in to puta great product. What were some of your favorite 2019 home media releases?

Avengers: Endgame an Inside Look

Opening Thoughts: You are not going to meet much bigger of a Marvel fan than myself when it comes to comics. Now as far as the Marvel Cinematic Universe goes well Endgame equals the 22nd film in the series. That means we have had our fair share of great films, soso films, and duds in the bunch. Chances are if your favorite character has had more than one sequel then they have been in a terrible film. All I am hoping for is that the makers of this film can send off of some of the actors with well deserved send offs, but at the same time try avoiding unneeded filler cameos that distract from the plot or taking a certain mix tape too far.

Plot: Half the world's population is gone. Half of the Avengers no longer exist at the snap of Thanos's fingers. The remaining Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nebula, and Rocket Raccoon) each take the loss differently. Iron Man is disturbed  by the loss of Spider-Man and puts the sole blame on Captain America. The two have a lovers' quarrel, honestly they should just really get a hotel room together. Thor goes on a rampage to take out Thanos. Hawkeye becomes a vigilante that will kill everyone evil. Black Widow she wants to redeem Hawkeye's soul. Nebula well she is as cunning as ever. Hulk well he became a softy. Rocket Raccoon seems to have found a new home.

Five years have passed and the world looks like a scene put of Escape From New York. Instead of rebuilding the world seems content with dying. It all becomes a shock when a rat somehow pulls Ant Man out of the time vortex. Ant Man's ability to survive gives Cap an idea of how to save the Universe. The thing is he'll need the help of Tony Stark, who wants nothing to do with the Avengers.

Cap's idea is what if they can go back in time grab the Infinity Stones and snap their fingers to bring everyone back alive. It's a monumental task that will only work if all the surviving Avengers come back together. Will Cap be able to convince Iron Man to comeback? Can the teams collect all the stones? Will something get in their way? What will be the outcome? Watch for yourself to find out.

Review: Jokingly leading into this film all I heard were jokes about it is the longest Avengers film to date. So long that we should all get Depends if we want to make it through the film without defecating on our clothes. I can safely say that I didn't feel the urge to get up once and did not defecate myself. That said 22 films in leading up to what is really the finale of the first era of the original core Avengers left alot of ends to be tied up and can they give us a suitable ending worthy of watching 22 films.

The film started off a little slow for me, but that was to be expected. That said the emotions, the story, and everything leading up to the climatic final battle sequence was spot on. Mini films within the film in which was part The Longest Yard, part Indiana Jones, and part Doctor Who's Curse of the Fatal Death. I had alot of fun watching each team try to complete their mission and return with the stones. Honestly that is the best part of the whole movie. Right there though was where this film started going downhill in various ways. 

The main issue for me was the writers' extreme liberty they took with the original source material. They replaced Warlock with Captain Marvel, hello Warlock is the key good guy in the comic series he is as essential as Thanos is to the storyline. Then honestly they made Captain Marvel so powerful that the writers didn't know how to use her and she honestly became an afterthought you forgot about by the time the final battle sequence is happening. Only to show back up in what I would call bad timing that just takes away from the film. I am not going to say her convenient appearance ruined the film for me, but I will say that appearance in that final battle sequence took alot of the drama and suspense out of the film for me. I honestly think they could have left out both Warlock and Captain Marvel and the film would have been infinitely better. The reason is they are just too damn powerful.

With that in mind, the writers also had one scene in the battle sequence that was so forced in your face and blatantly obvious  I wanted to scream at them. I get it Disney wants to be cute and politically correct. It's the we've got this sequence in which the entire Avengers team is trying to get the Longest Yard for a touchdown. When all else looks like it is going to fail and Spidey looks like he is going to die. All of a sudden comes the line "We've got this!" screamed by every women Avenger who are now all standing  behind Spidey. It was done for laughs and cheers, but honestly unlike Ghostbusters this felt wrong like that is going to happen in a battle sequence with everyone spread so thin.

We then come to the finale of the film after the battle sequence. It's honestly the worst part of this film. The amount of time spent on the aftermath  which the story is already overwith and really just tying up loose strings while the band breaks up and all goes their own way could have been done in one sequence.

Closing Thoughts: Infinity War was a tough act to follow. The reason I am so tough with this review is because Endgame was supposed to be the bookend to a 22 film saga. Yet while I got a satisfactory closure, I just think the film could have been so much more with better script writing and weeding down the aftermath sequence. The final battle sequence is what it is while borderline good to ok the removal of Warlock/Captain Marvel character altogether would have helped this film out immensely. There is nothing wrong with the acting, comedy, and the first two thirds was great. It is just that last act left a bad aftertaste in my mouth. Where do I rank Endgame in the Marvel Cinematic Universe probably around 10 out of 22 films. As far as rating this film maybe it will warm up to me in the future if I fast forward through most of the aftermath sequence. The film is a 7 out of 10. 22 films in the fans deserved better.

Spotlight Look: In Reality (2018)

In Reality 
Directed by Ann Lupo
Starring 
Ann Lupo as Ann Lupo
Kimiko Glenn as Lallie
Miles G. Jackson as John

Opening Thoughts: I knew next to nothing about this film going into it other than what I saw in a trailer. The trailer showed scenes of the main character being interviewed, that she wants to tell the story of a past relationship, and at times scenes may go in and out of reality in a fantasy sort of way. The film looked enjoyable. I just hope we don't get another Izzy Gets the F**k Across Town type film.

Plot: Ann Lupo is talking with her friend John. All of a sudden she lets a bombshell out to John that she wants to make a film about their relationship. John becomes dumbfounded not sure what to think one thing is for sure he no longer has a poker face.

A few moments later we see Ann preparing a film for edits and suddenly we are thrown back in time three years. Ann is an film editor for a talent group  she seems to enjoy her job, but at times seems insane in the head. The only that might cure here is to find true love. Love conquers all and lifts us up to where she belongs in her mind.

Unfortunately in the love department she is not doing well except a relationship with a man to which she is nothing more than a F Buddy. Her life is so messed up that she goes in and out of it with visions in her head. It is almost as if different emotions like in Disney's Inside Out take over and screw with her to make her feel certain things she is not supposed to. One thing is for sure Hopelessness the Game Show host wants her to die alone.

The thing is Ann has a wonderful support group around her like her friend Lallie. Lallie is qwirky funny Asian girl who just wants to have fun, possibly a free love relationship with Ann, and loves sleepovers. You know sleepover you might see in Grease. The issue is Ann tests their relationship.

A test in which Ann never meant to test her in. The type of test that happens when a man enters a woman's life and friend gives every detail to her bff. What makes it worse it was an arranged date by a family member. That man is John.

John finds Ann cool and great to hang out with, but the problem is likes Ann just doesn't want to be her boyfriend. Ann believes she can convert John into loving her. The issue is everyone around Ann sees the relationship with John is killing her on the inside. So much so that they may be willing to end their own relationship with her.

Does Ann find true love? Is Ann able to salvage her relationships with her friends? Or does Ann become the crazy old cat lady?

Review: Ann Lupo's telling of her true life story is brave and inspiring. Not the kind of inspiring where we all get a happy ending, but the kind of inspiring that relationships in life all around around are just messy. You might view one thing going one way in life, but you are embarrassed when you misread a situation. I can count on one hand how many films I think get relationships right. On that one hand In Reality is one of those films that just stands out.

One of the clear reasons the film stands out is the dream like sequences you could see in Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or in Baz Luhrmann film. Ann beautifully is able to take the fantasy sequences in her daydreams and is able to make a beautiful Haiku out of those sequences while seemlessly able to combine them with the real world.

Yet the other reason the film stands out is the onscreen chemistry of Kimiko Glenn and Ann Lupo they just seem like they have been bffs for life. They remind me of French and Saunders or Fey and Poehler. Able to deliver comedic moments that seems like only they can. I don't laugh often in film, but these two made me laugh.

Final Thoughts: Director Ann Lupo is making her tour across country screening In Reality. I really think you should watch this film at a screening she will be at. Ann is funny and qwirky in a Mayim Balik or Aubrey Plaza type way. This film is clearly a must own film for me and is my favorite I have seen in 2019 so far. I hope to see more films from Ann Lupo in the future. I will warn you though this film might not be for everyone. I am giving this film a solid 9/10 for a fantastic story, acting in which I don't want to replace a single actor, magical sequences that shows just how fun film can be, and on the on screen chemistry of Lupo and Glenn.

The Day the Rock Hall Got it Wrong

The Day the Rock Hall Got it Wrong!?!?!

Last week the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame made herstory by making Stevie Nicks the first women to be put in the Hall twice. On the onset to the casual music listener that seems great. Stevie always had a lot going for her with listeners of all genres and outside of music as well.

The one thing Stevie never had going for her was a great solo career made up of prolific great songs that was the stuff of a legend. Instead most of Stevie's solo career success actually relied on her taking Fleetwood Mac songs putting her own touch on them for tours and throwing in one fantastic song "Edge of Seventeen". One great song in her solo career does not equal that she should be in for her solo work.

I am not saying she shouldn't be in the Hall, but she already is in the hall with Fleetwood Mac. Stevie got her recognition already and in a Hall lacking the presence of famous women she took away a more worthy candidate's spot. I am sorry I want the Hall of Legends not the Hall of Good.

Is Stevie Legendary? Yes in a mysterious way that leaves you in awe. A fashion sense that seems like only she can pull off. A spirit that makes you think she is the good witch in Oz. Should she be looked up at? Yes no issues.

I'll be the first person to admit Stevie gets more airtime than most artists do, but  it is mostly Fleetwood. She was recognized for Fleetwood.

By the logic the voters of the Hall used. We might as well throw in bands like Iron Butterfly and Steppenwolf for putting out one phenomenal song. You are not going to throw a sports player in for one phenomenal performance and you shouldn't do that for music either. Now Canton does recognize individual moments and put those moments in the Hall of Fame.

I think this is where Stevie should have been recognized a 2nd time. The Rock Hall placing individual songs that were so influential that it was a moment in time that should be remembered.

Edge of Seventeen is worthy of being in the Hall of Fame as a song by itself just as much as Steppenwolf's Born to be Wild and Iron Butterfly's InDaGaddaDaVida. Yet to recognize the bands themselves for more than that and say they deserve to be talked about in the same breath as  Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and The Doors os ludicrous.

There were alot of women shafted by the Rock Hall with Stevie getting in twice who have not yet been recognized or possibly were better suited to be the first two time women inductee.

Yeah I said it there was at least one women who defied the odds and should have been the first two time inductee who better represented America than Stevie ever could.

Tina Turner should have been the first two time woman inductee into the hall of fame. Tina is currently sharing the spotlight with Ike "Wife Beater" Turner. I'm sorry, but to escape conflict like that just to become broke then get back up on your feet to have a solo career that eclipses your duo career that says alot. Then to become arguably one of the three best women performers of the 80s on her own songs I have nothing, but the upmost respect for her.

If you came to me ten years ago and said Kate Bush should be in the Hall I probably would have laughed at you. Alot of things have happened between then and now. One of those things is that certain sounds of the past have become retro so much to the point that they are being copied today. Kate Bush in the last 10 years has became the most influential artiston female rockers of today. 

Lorde, Sia, Bats For Lashes, Florence and the Machine, and Lady Gaga are heavily influenced by Kate Bush it is about time we recognize her for her amazing career. Kate Bush is the most deserving lady currently not in the Rock Hall.

Ummm Hello!!!!! Houston we have a problem!!!! I'm baffled at how Stevie got in for her solo career before Whitney did. Whitney was a solo artist that for almost 15 years dominated the charts being played on multiple type of music stations. Whitney is a talent yes you may say she is R and B, but somehow she is in alot of people's collections who normally hate R&B. If 2Pac is in then Whitney should be in. Nothing Stevie can ever do whether in Fleetwood or as a solo artist ever measured up to the greatness of Whitney.

Well it is tough to put Siouxsie Sioux in as a solo act, but one thing is for sure she should be in with Siouxsie and the Banshees. Siouxsie love it or hate it is the Queen of Punk Rock and with the Banshees and ability to evolve with each album made a discography as years go by that is getting more noticed. Her influences can be felt through bands like Metric and Garbage. 

Pat Benatar was like no other lady in the 80s. Pat was unafraid to pick up the guitar and play in your face riffs one moment with a song like Hell is for Children and then the next moment deliver an anthem for women of all ages with Love is a Battefield. Unapologetic, rough, and a breath of fresh air she accomplished more in that time span as the female rocker than any other lady did including Joan Jett who is already in. You might not like her style, but you can't say she doesn't deserve to be in.

Rock Hall Voters take your jagged little pill and get over yourselves. Alanis Morrisette is a rock goddess that by far dominated the 90s. Untouchable really is the gap between today's women and the women rocker of the 80s. Stevie's solo career again is nothing on this caliber.

Sinead OConnor the lady who chose to sacrifice everything to make a statement about the social injustices of the world. Oh people remember that SNL incident like it was yesterday. They turned their backs on her only to find out she was right years later. Yet people seem to forget Sinead was that artist who bridged the gap between Pat Benatar and Alanis Morissette. She gave us songs Bout social injustices with a fantastic sound that even made Bono jealous. Yet her career didn't end that night she continued to deliver us fantastic music for years sure she had a few bad albums in there, but her comeback this decade despite her health issues is fantastic.

This is the top of the surface of women who have been shafted by the Hall and got shafted by Stevie's 2nd induction.

Captain Marvel Afterthoughts

Opening Thoughts: Captain Marvel is a film I wanted to see earlier, but to be honest both sides the Brie Larson haters and the unapologetic trolls who wanted to rub in the haters faces hey look what she has done in box office numbers really put a bad taste in my mouth. I almost refused to watch this film because of both sides actions. That said I had no vested interest in seeing the film either way other than some plot elements may affect Avengers Endgame.

That said let me make one thing clear and I will be unapologetic about. Do not jump on the bandwagon in support of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel if you refused to see Ghostbusters (2016) or the new Doctor Who. You are a hypocrite and a pos in my book and you can't have it both ways when it conveniently works for you.

Plot: Vers (Brie Larson) is a Kree desperately wanting to go into battle to prove herself and fight for her people, but her inability to control her anger makes her a liability to her team. So as a result she is still in training with her master Yon-Rogg. Yon refuses to take her on a mission until the great intelligence says she is ready.

That day finally comes in which Yon's team has to infiltrate the Skrull planet and get his agent back. The thing is Skrulls are shape shifting aliens that will fight to the end. The mission as General Ackbar will put It's a Trap. Nothing goes right and Vers finds herself stuck to a machine on a Skrull spaceship. That machine's sole goal is to bring the past out of Vers mind and lead the Skrull to Lawson and her secret weapon.

Vers escapes with limited knowledge about her past, but has to get to planet C53 before the Skrulls invade the planet and take Lawson's weapon for themselves.

Vers finds herself on Earth with no one to trust and being the last line of defense. Will Vers find an ally? Will Vers unlock the secret of the past? Can the Skrull Invasion be stopped? Watch and find out for yourself.

Review: Captain Marvel is alot of things, but one thing is for sure the film is not good and especially not great. The film is what you call a mediocre piece of a bunch of things thrown into a blender by writers hoping the public will just buy it. Not to mention a few actors completely misused who are capable of performances that can leave your jaw on the ground.

Let's just get the cat out of the bag and focus o  Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Vers/Carol Danvers. I will be honest she is a great actress, but miscast in this film and let down by terrible writing. The film takes place in the mid 90s and once the film got to that point all I could say to myself was why does Captain Marvel have to look like DJ Tanner (Candace Cameron) of Full House. I couldn't buy her as Captain Marvel. Then we get into the writing of her character as a naive, weak most of the film, and mostly uncaring woman terrible. Carol Danvers is like the Wonder Woman of DC Comics. She is supposed to empower women yet they wrote her character so out of character for 90 percent of the film that not even Meryl Streep could have made her likeable to comic fans.

Then let us focus on the real problem of the film trying to tie this film into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure the last few cameo scenes after credits were fine, but the meat and potatoes of the story is the problem. Hey writers we want you to somehow fit in Captain Marvel so it connects multiple films together to tie up loose ends and questions before Avengers Endgame happens. The thing was I have no questions going into Endgame  before seeing this film. So I am now watching a film that is a cross between Green Lantern and Dragonball Z that somehow is a prequel to Guardians of the Galaxy and I am seeing the main villain of Guardians working with Yon. Where is my element of surprise instead of saying really did we have to go this route?

That is the other issue the villain is mediocre and to be honest to make up for shortfalls we had to Disneyfy this movie making characters seem useless and unimpressive like Nick Fury. This is honestly the worst Marvel film since Doctor Strange.

I don't hate the film, but would never buy it. After multiple homeruns in a row with the MCU we get a strikeout. I rate this film in the 14th place out of 20 Marvel films. The only reason this film is not lower is because those films are real stinkers and this was a nice to see film that gets a 6/10 from me.

That said hats off to Annette Benning for delivering a performance that is the one shiny light on an otherwise completely hot mess of a film.

Closing Thoughts: When it comes to comic films I am the harshest critic you will meet. So you can take my review with a grain of salt. What I will say is this to the writers of MCU films. Get your head out of your butts and stop focusing on how many cameos you can get in film, how many films can we attach this too, and how can we Disneyfy this film for kids. Focus on giving us story that is solely on the hero and make that story about them if another character pops up fine, but don't do it to the point it is distracting.

Suspiria Ultimate Collector's Edition

Wow two weeks without a post from me has the film industry been that boring with nothing to watch, view, or report? Nah life just gets in the way and sometimes you need a small break from posting and some huge announcement is needed to make you post.

Well possibly the best announcement and yet controversial at the same time came out this weekend. The Suspiria Ultimate Edition UHD BluRay release details have finally came out. I knew about this release in December, but with a 90 pound price tag and no details I was questioning my own preorder til this weekend.

The only thing keeping me attached was the Koch release is one of two releases of Suspiria 2018 that featured UHD BluRay and my love of Suspiria in which this film was by far my favorite horror film of 2018.

That wait was worth it. Here is the juicy details that came out over the last three days.

1. This set is massive at 10 discs.

What set needs 10 discs you ask yourself? Obviously Suspiria does.

Disc 1 Suspiria 2018 UHD
With 7.1 Dolby Atmos English
English and German Subtitles
Disc 2 The Film on BluRay
Disc 3 Bonus BluRay including a MasterClass in English  with Luca Guadagnino
Disc 4 DVD of the Film
Disc 5 Thom Yorke's Suspiria Score Disc 1
Disc 6 Thom Yorke's Suspiria Score Disc 2
Disc 7 Suspiria 1977 UHD
Disc 8 Suspiria 1977 BluRay
Disc 9 Suspiria 1977 DVD
Disc 10 Suspiria Goblin score

Throw in posters for both films, artwork cards, and a nice book this set has alot going for it. Not to mention alot of the special features are in English.

Outside of the redundancy 4 discs are unnecessary for me this release has been the best kept secret of 2019 andis going to be a contender for best home video release of 2019 which for me currently belongs to All the Colours of the Giallo with fantastic commentary by Kat Ellinger. Figures it would take this behemoth of a release to knock out the Severin's release.

Samsung Calls It Quits can Physical Media Survive

On February 15th this year Samsung officially announced they were going to quit production not only of the 1080p Blu Ray players, but also the 4KUHD players as well. Why Samsung are you doing this to us? Do you want physical media to die?

I can see why in their eyes they would like physical media to stop because if you walk into a Best Buy, Target, Barnes and Noble, and more their selection seems to be getting smaller and smaller like they plan on phasing it out like most of them have done with music.

This may be happening as a result of pressure from the elite studios who wish they could stop production altogether on physical media and push their will onto masses. It is not Shatner or Friedle they are trying to push on us. The studios seem to want us to watch an inferior product through downloaded material or stream it.

The problem is there I have not seen a good digital source or stream yet without some kind of problem. Whether your movie that you watch cuts midstream in the middle of you watching it or the film just looks a step above DVD quality, but you get something inferior looking to BluRay. Now this can be an issue I own the WWE Network and have never been able to watch a Live Event without it breaking up or even a movie without some pause.

Yet the studios want to educate you streaming is the way go to go and that they can convince the majority of the population who don't care or try to see the difference in quality this is the best route to go. Honestly this irritates me because a 4K stream looks subpar to BluRay and BluRay is below 4KUHD. The Cinephiles are not buying it.

The Truth: The days of Physical Media as we know it did die and Samsung's announcement proves that. Is that a bad thing? At first glance yes, but in all honesty that may be the best thing happening at the moment in film the fall of studio handled releases.

What I am seeing in the last few years is the rise of boutique labels in the industry. Sure Criterion is the king when it comes to boutique labels that not only the Boutique Labels follow, but the big boys followed for quite a while as well. The thing is the big boys don't know how to handle their releases or even care on some if the film can get a release or not.

What this means for us not all films may see the light of digital or streaming or may just ne available for a limited time. What that has done is open a new market for boutique labels to say hey let us license the film from you and release it under our label.

The Result: Companies whose main goals are to restore older films with love get them and release them on to physical media for us. Sure they make a stream and digital copy as well, but these individuals who restore them actually love these films and went us to enjoy them as much as they do. That may be why on most top ten releases of 2018 onto home media the overwhelming majority of the picks actually came from Boutique Labels.

So what Physical Media has evolved into is the hipsters reason for vinyl. We want the best quality of video possible, but at the same time stay true as possible to the source material. What we also want is access to the films we fell in love with as kids or in our college years. The studios are not giving us that because they don't want to do small print runs of 300 to 2000 releases onto BluRay or 4KUHD they don't see the money they want. These boutique labels as long as their is a profit will deliver us the films we want. Here are a few you should research.

Twilight Times: They seem to mostly release the older catalog films 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures onto BluRay. This group takes the time to clean and restore the films they release. Some of the highlights include 9 to 5, Bob Ted Carol Alice, and more. So they tend to release popular films that are older and just might not have enough sells to warrant a release from the studio. I was shocked 9 to 5 was not released by Fox Studios directly.

Criterion: They are the kings, but the films they pick lately you have to ask are they Criterion worthy. That said they do a great job on restoration and release what they feel are the most influential films of their time. That said some people look at these films for snobs or the general public wont understand. I don't care if a film I like is getting a Criterion release I'll pick it up.

Vinegar Syndrome: They release B films of all genres thay fall under exploitation.  I'm not saying. If you like exploitation films this is your company. The odd thing is they clean up their releases, but leave some damage in to give the films a tough grindhouse look to them. For people who want to complain they hate the look BluRay gives to film, Vinegar Syndrome is your company. Stand out releases are Sex World and Penitentiary.

Arrow Films: If Criterion is the king of world, indie, and arthouse cinema, then Arrow Films are the king of important Cult, Grindhouse, and exploitation films across the world. Arrow in many ways is a gateway drug to a fantastic new world that once you are hooked you can't stop watching. Arrow's Restoration for older films is to give them the look, grain, and color the film deserves to be seen in. Alot of films from Japan and Italy are in this collection. Stand out films The Baby, Deep Red, and Shock and Gore Box Set.

Severin Films: As a Boutique Label Severin Films is all about the overall experience. Severin if you pre-order will include goodies with their releases which could be anything from collectable pins to sign films posters or even black gloves. They are probably the most fun company to buy an item from directly.

Other Indie Labels: Kino Lorber also specializes in cult films, foriegn, and indie films, but they mostly license from other companies that do the work. So as a result a film from the can be like a box of chocolates. I personally love the sexploitation horror line from them called Redemption Films. Issue is they don't get released on a regular basis. I would also check out Shameless from the UK. Raro Video is another company to check out that specializes in Italian Films.

The thing is while places said they had a loss in sales in 2018 with Physical Media these boutique labels said they had record sales by providing hard to get films, stellar restorations, and sometimes goodies that let you know these video companies care that there name is on the label. 

Don't let that Samsung article scare you, instead be happy that physical media is becoming hip again thanks to boutique labels and will now be thought of as fondly as vinyl is now.

Next Review: Faust