Last time I asked you about companies releasing horror films on digital, it was 2007 and companies like NoShame, Dark Sky Films and Image were pumping DVDs out at a regular clip. It's 2014 now and the landscape certainly has changed. Some new companies have entered the fold, while others have folded up. So where do you stand now, which is your favorite label putting out horror movies today?
Shout (Scream). I know that their tools for restoring films are controversial, but I feel that they show the most affection for the films they release. Synapse is up there as well.
Definitely Synapse. Theamount of titles they put out might not be as substantial as Scream Factory or Arrow, but the quality of what they do put out is unmatched in my opinion. Vinegar Syndrome is another quality distributor.
I'm torn between Synapse and Grindhouse Releasing; would probably go for Synapse after some thought. Runner ups would be Kino for their Bava/Rollin/Franco eurohorror output, which has slowed too much recently.
Arrow definitely. Love the films, the packaging, the quality, and their customer service is top notch. If Synapse could up their output they could be in the running. Vinegar Syndrome is rising in the ranks, and I cannot wait to see what Slasher Video has in store.
Definatly Arrow for me. Great titles, packaging and now AV. Blue Underground would probably come second for me as I have a substantial amount of their titles and I'm already eagerly awaiting their new BD of Companeros in a few weeks followed by Shock Waves.
Scream Factory. Love the films they release, the supplements, and the packaging. Although looking at that list, we certainly have an abundance of great companies putting things out now.
Although they have yet to release many major films in the horror genre, I voted Vinegar Syndrome simply because they go all out for even the small stuff. Savage Water coming to DVD was a WTF in a good way, and Graduation Day looks better than pretty much any other slasher film in my collection. So them. Hopefully their Madman release is a combo pack.
I'm not sure whether to vote Scream Factory for the caliber of the titles they put out, or Synapse for the overall quality of the presentation.
That's the weird thing about the poll. What do we grade by? Scream released a lot of greats, but their transfers leave much to be desired. Synapse's are few and far between, but when they come out with Prom Night and Curtains, the presentation is stellar.
Difficult choice! A month ago, I would probably have gone with Scream Factory for the sheer amount of retro horror they've released. However, with the slew of downer announcements they've made this October, I'm not sure what to expect from them in the future. I went with Synapse for quality. Arrow is really gaining ground in terms of quality as well. I also appreciate companies like 88 Films, Scorpion Releasing, and Vinegar Syndrome daring to release some pretty obscure titles. I'm glad Blue Underground is still around putting out titles like Shock Waves and God Told Me To, though they started losing momentum some time ago. Code Red I appreciate for bringing Grindhouse titles to Blu, but the way the man runs his shop is mystifying to me. Anchor Bay...? Let's wait for that corrected H4 disc.
I choose Arrow for now. Synapses has been amazing lately though. Scream factory has the quantity but they are too hit or miss on A/V.
Arrow for me, prolific & eclectic output, no DNR, no cheap ass BD25's, nice in house restorations, booklets, nicely produced extras. Reward points, free T-shirts etc...
Arrow is my favorite. Their presentation of films is first rate and their catalog is eclectic. Some of the Arrow releases I have are comparable to Criterion in terms of quality. I would probably rank Shout/Scream Factory second, followed by Scorpion.
Synapse has some great releases and amazing quality, but Shout Factory has them beat by shear volume of incredible releases!
I'll go with Arrow. They always have the best packaging, booklets, extras. Shout/Scream Factory could rise to being on par with Arrow, if they'd just put a little more quality time in their transfers/encodes.
it seems like every second film i buy is put out by scream factory. there are several really stellar companies on that list, but i feel like i'd be lying if i voted for anyone other than scream.
Shout! deserves a lot of credit for the volume of attractive titles they release and the effort they devote to extras. But for me, it all comes down to the presentations of the actual films. And that's where Synapse can't be topped. They take a long time with their releases. That's OK by me because I know Don May keeps working on his titles until they look and sound just right. Synapse titles always seem to look very film-like. Shout! slathers on the DNR with too heavy a hand for my tastes. Just talking about this is making me giddy about Synapse's upcoming release of Suspiria. That disc is one of my most anticipated titles ever.
