Tartan USA is out of business... :(
#26
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I found this older article noting that the Tartan USA line was distributed by Genius/Weinstein. Was this still the case recently? Probably no connection to today's news, but one wonders . . .
http://www.geniusproducts.com/PressR...?releaseid=157
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http://www.geniusproducts.com/PressR...?releaseid=157
.
#27
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Originally Posted by saoirse
Um... sorry if I have no idea, but does this affect Asia Extreme? Is the whole Tartan thing done?
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Originally Posted by Peep
Can you provide a pointer for what's going on at Blue Underground? They are a favorite of mine. I just bought a handful of their new releases.
Too bad about Tartan but, like another poster said, a lot of titles came out and not many had great buzz.
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Originally Posted by Sean O'Hara
And yet Roan, Alpha, Goodtimes, etc. survive.
I'd say the problem with No Shame and Tartan is that they were too specialized -- the market for Italian and Asian cinema isn't big enough to support companies that deal in nothing else. Anchor Bay is just as much a specialty publisher, but their catalogue is diverse so they aren't tapping the same segment of the market with each release.
I'd say the problem with No Shame and Tartan is that they were too specialized -- the market for Italian and Asian cinema isn't big enough to support companies that deal in nothing else. Anchor Bay is just as much a specialty publisher, but their catalogue is diverse so they aren't tapping the same segment of the market with each release.
Originally Posted by Peep
Can you provide a pointer for what's going on at Blue Underground? They are a favorite of mine. I just bought a handful of their new releases.
Pro-B
Last edited by pro-bassoonist; 05-28-08 at 02:33 PM.
#30
Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist
For a number of reasons I believe that in the next year to 18 months you will see a sizable restructuring of the DVD market.
#31
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Does anyone have a list of their releases? Or at least their Asia Extreme titles? Their website and Myspace hasn't been updated in a while so it's kind of a pain to figure out what was and wasn't released in the last few months. I had been collecting all of their Asia Extreme and other horror titles over the last few years and I think I have the majority of them. I guess now's the time to really get on after the rest of them. It's a shame they're going. The small niche companies like Tartan, Noshame, and Panik House are the primary companies I buy from and more and more of them are disappearing, and I really don't see 95% of their products ever making it to Blu-Ray.
#32
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist
Peep, if you are asking for an article I am afraid I don't have one.
#33
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i wonder, if dragon dynasty was around in 04, do you all think that they would have distributed 'oldboy' and maybe even have given it a decent theatrical release.
#34
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Originally Posted by Rypro 525
i wonder, if dragon dynasty was around in 04, do you all think that they would have distributed 'oldboy' and maybe even have given it a decent theatrical release.
Originally Posted by dcrw6
, and I really don't see 95% of their products ever making it to Blu-Ray.
Last edited by Brian T; 05-29-08 at 12:51 AM.
#36
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Originally Posted by visitor Q
pro-B - Based on your observations, do you believe there will a move to further consolidate or will an outright disappearance of the niche labels be a real possibility?
I think that depending on how the economy moves forward some will either severely limit their operations or follow up Tartan.
Pro-B
#37
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is it really just an economic thing? ive suspected failings in the promotion of these niche companies releases for several years, long before there was a general sense of economic woe in various countries.
I can also remember mentioning that there was a potential mismatch in how aware people seemed to suddenly be of what were once much harder to find out about and see and how frequently they purchased all but the most popular of them in any supportable quantities. ultimately I sensed when (if) companies failed, that the buck would be passed and little said of how much hard work fans needed to put in to become initially aware and attempt to spread the word on these releases in compensation of a system youd expect to be able to such work itself. this, when, in patches, there were also examples of good PR from companies too... I still spend many more hours in preparation of my choices than in watching them if I buy them.
I'm just not convinced its clearly an "out of their control" situation.
I can also remember mentioning that there was a potential mismatch in how aware people seemed to suddenly be of what were once much harder to find out about and see and how frequently they purchased all but the most popular of them in any supportable quantities. ultimately I sensed when (if) companies failed, that the buck would be passed and little said of how much hard work fans needed to put in to become initially aware and attempt to spread the word on these releases in compensation of a system youd expect to be able to such work itself. this, when, in patches, there were also examples of good PR from companies too... I still spend many more hours in preparation of my choices than in watching them if I buy them.
I'm just not convinced its clearly an "out of their control" situation.
Last edited by logboy; 05-29-08 at 01:48 AM.
#38
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I mentioned earlier that it was a number of reasons that will likely cause some of the smaller players to close shops. Clearly some, as you point out, have failed to market their product and their business as they should have. But really, what it all comes down to is that sales have been progressively getting smaller and smaller. And with a market where the margins are already so small that you really have to watch what you release I think that it will be incredibly difficult for some to become more flexible...and survive.
You probably know that I was incredibly vocal in supporting No Shame as I thought that they captured a niche no other English-friendly distrib had targeted and last year it was very hard for me to see them go away (I am also fond of PictureThis, I love their DVD releases). Some of these smaller distribs are one, maybe two, -man-shows and I know/knew a lot of these people by name, we often exchanged info about titles, releases, etc. As I said, no one is lying or exaggerating with the current picture. This is simply a very difficult time for a lot of people in the business.
Pro-B
You probably know that I was incredibly vocal in supporting No Shame as I thought that they captured a niche no other English-friendly distrib had targeted and last year it was very hard for me to see them go away (I am also fond of PictureThis, I love their DVD releases). Some of these smaller distribs are one, maybe two, -man-shows and I know/knew a lot of these people by name, we often exchanged info about titles, releases, etc. As I said, no one is lying or exaggerating with the current picture. This is simply a very difficult time for a lot of people in the business.
Pro-B
Last edited by pro-bassoonist; 05-29-08 at 02:09 AM.
#39
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Apropos of nothing, really, I just received an email tonight advertising Magnolia's version of Bong Koon-ho's THE HOST available for download from Jaman (though not in my country yet, sadly). I know downloads aren't the be all and end all yet, nor can they ever replace the comfort of my big couch and my big TV and my big sound system, and I've "rented" a grand total of three to date (all old Shaw brothers films licenced from IVL), but I have to wonder if a lot of this niche product won't be better suited to this kind of legal downloading in the near future, since the replication and packaging costs drop significantly, and back catalogues are already available for a lot of these companies that are stuggling. Sure, a $2 or $3 rental isn't the same as a $15.99 DVD, but $2 or $3 (I think this particular site charges around $5 to own a film) might tempt more people to give some of this stuff a shot, and they won't be out too much money if a particular movie fails to live up to its poster (which was often the case with Tartan stuff). Just a thought.
Last edited by Brian T; 05-29-08 at 02:18 AM.
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noshame are probably the best example of just two or three that get things generally right in their marketing, but, youre right pro-b, these are small companies that inherantly live hand-to-mouth.
I would suspect many don't expect or understand that's ever going to be the case in the cash rich perception of the film world that we more directly live within.
still, putting aside personal taste and looking at how I personally perceive what people are more predominantly buying or reacting positively to, there would still be possible choices for licenses companies could pick up without drawing too much attention that encourages inflated license costs.
I imagine that the rejig of the market - particularly with anime - will see a continued battle to get people to realize what small business failures should already be highlighting : both in how companies work and how fans react to it by laying down their cash.
I would suspect many don't expect or understand that's ever going to be the case in the cash rich perception of the film world that we more directly live within.
still, putting aside personal taste and looking at how I personally perceive what people are more predominantly buying or reacting positively to, there would still be possible choices for licenses companies could pick up without drawing too much attention that encourages inflated license costs.
I imagine that the rejig of the market - particularly with anime - will see a continued battle to get people to realize what small business failures should already be highlighting : both in how companies work and how fans react to it by laying down their cash.
#41
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Originally Posted by dcrw6
Does anyone have a list of their releases? Or at least their Asia Extreme titles? Their website and Myspace hasn't been updated in a while so it's kind of a pain to figure out what was and wasn't released in the last few months.
A Tale of Two Sisters
Ab-normal Beauty
Acacia
Another Public Enemy
Apartment 1303
Arang
Bloody Reunion
Bloody Ties
Booth, The
Carved
Cello
Cinderella
Divergence
Doppelganger
Dorm
Election
Face
Ghost of Mae Nak
Ghost, The
H
H6: Diary of a Serial Killer
Heirloom, The
Heroic Duo
Hidden Blade, The
Koma
Lady Vengeance
Maid, The
Marebito
Memento Mori
Natural City
Oldboy
One Take Only
Perth
Phone
Pray
Red Shoes
R-Point
Shutter
Silk
Snake of June, A
Sorum
Spider Forest
Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance
Tetsuo: The Iron Man
Triad Election
Unborn But Forgotten
Victim, The
Vital
Whispering Corridors
Wishing Stairs
Last edited by EdTheRipper; 05-29-08 at 08:51 AM.
#42
I think your list is missing one title, but I am too tired to remember what it is. The cover was through a keyhole and it was the Brazilian answer to "Saw" and "Hostel", and I think it had a title like P2 or H9 or something.
EDIT: H6: Diary of a Serial Killer. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455115/
EDIT AGAIN: I guess you were talking about Asia Extreme titles. Never mind.
EDIT: H6: Diary of a Serial Killer. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455115/
EDIT AGAIN: I guess you were talking about Asia Extreme titles. Never mind.
Last edited by tylergfoster; 05-29-08 at 08:52 AM.
#43
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Originally Posted by droidguy1119
I think your list is missing one title, but I am too tired to remember what it is. The cover was through a keyhole and it was the Brazilian answer to "Saw" and "Hostel", and I think it had a title like P2 or H9 or something.
EDIT: H6: Diary of a Serial Killer. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455115/
EDIT: H6: Diary of a Serial Killer. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455115/
Edited to add it to the list.
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#45
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The bummer of all this is if these smaller companies can't make money off of their niche films on regular dvds, how the hell can anyone survive putting the same material on blu-ray?
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can anyone help me on this?...
should i get Mr Vengeance like right now, today?... or can i wait until June 6th?...
i'm wondering will they yank the DVD's after this announcement for legal reasons?...
should i get Mr Vengeance like right now, today?... or can i wait until June 6th?...
i'm wondering will they yank the DVD's after this announcement for legal reasons?...
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Originally Posted by Dr Mabuse
should i get Mr Vengeance like right now, today?... or can i wait until June 6th?...
Pro-B
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Thanks everyone for helping with the lists. It'll come in handy as I'm finalizing my Deepdiscount wishlist now. They also some great titles not part of the Asia Extreme line, like Sheitan. Still a horrible shame they're going. It's sad to see the companies that specialize in the products that have turned me into such a rabid dvd collector on their way out. I have to say that the future of nothing but mainstream titles on Blu-Ray just is not appealing to me at all, which is why I still haven't upgraded. There's maybe one out of ten of the Hollywood releases I might care about, with maybe one out of ten of those being ones I like enough to actually care about getting in high def. And downloading can go to hell. I'm just not liking how the market is going at all.
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Originally Posted by slop101
The bummer of all this is if these smaller companies can't make money off of their niche films on regular dvds, how the hell can anyone survive putting the same material on blu-ray?
Actually, OldBoy-BR has been Tartan's best selling title to date, including SDVD releases.
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6553582.html
Tartan is reducing BD production expenses by sharing promotional responsibilities and packaging design between its U.S. and U.K. outposts. The supplier already feels successful in its BD operations. Its single BD title, Oldboy, is currently Tartan’s top-selling release, trumping the company’s entire standard DVD product line.
#50
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Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist
Actually, OldBoy-BR has been Tartan's best selling title to date, including SDVD releases.
It'a also one of the best, and certainly the most prestigious and highly-known titles in their entire catalogue. It's hardly surprising that it got a Blu-Ray release over (nearly?) everything else. But if it sold so well, what kept them from releasing more? Surely the other titles in the OLDBOY trilogy might have been worth a look, despite them being less critically popular or financiallly lucrative all around than OLDBOY itself. A TALE OF TWO SISTERS is something of a forerunner in decent Korean horror, but no Blu there either. And the rest of their titles? Well, there's lots of just-OK stuff, but nothing that exactly cries out for hi-def treatment and a higher sticker price.