88 Films to Launch 88 Italian Line

Exactly, I have emailed companies about releasing films on blu ray and they say the same thing, no HD master exist, well they are blu ray companies why don't they create a HD master, I thought that's what they were in the business of doing? Maybe I'm missing something. I mean companies like Vinegar Syndrome they scan the films and release them on blu ray and DVD, they create 2K and 4K masters, I don't understand what these other companies are doing.

 

In order to create a Blu-ray - or something of HD quality - you need a source capable of providing the clarity of the format when scanned/converted. Obviously this is not an issue with modern films, as most are shot digitally in full HD already, but when you're resurrecting older films the available sources need to meet those quality standards. Film itself can be scanned and restored in HD because of the dynamic range and latitude of the medium, but there are plenty of older movies out there - shot on film - where the FILM elements no longer exist or are not suitable for restoration. Either the negatives have been lost or destroyed, no 35mm theatrical prints exist anymore, or the condition of the film elements is unusable or damaged/decayed. Then what you're left with for possible materials to use - if these also exist - are broadcast or archive-quality masters (ie. Betacam, DigitBeta, etc.). Some of these tape formats have an HD version, but only if they were made in the last few decades. With most of these older films, if on a tape master, most are only likely to be SD, and again these are also eligible to wear-and-tear over the years depending on storage/usage conditions. You can up-convert, yes, like Olive/Slasher is doing with the Prior flicks, but they won't be true HD masters.

 

DVD Beaver reviews Spasmo: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_68/spasmo_blu-ray.htm

 

10K Bullets reviews Blastfighter: http://10kbullets.com/reviews/b/blastfighter-88-films-bluray/

 

The Zombi 3 disc is stellar. Best 88 Films release, in my opinion, to date.

And I actually enjoyed this time around.

 

I think X-Ray and Zombi Holocaust are there best. Zombi 3 is like you said stellar, great release. Looking forward to getting my hands on Evil Speak this week.

 

Watched the 88 Films Blu-ray Burial Ground last night, and it looks great and sounds even better. But... what a mess of a movie. First of all, it has some of the worst zombie makeup I have ever seen. We see noses and ears sticking out through the appliances, and the initial wave of zombies is really inconsistent. Some of the Etruscans are mummified husks, while others are just pasty-faced regular Joes. The zombies also act pretty inconsistently, going from mindless shamblers with no sense of self-preservation to using missile weapons, modern machinery and even disguises to thwart their enemies. The acting, while never believable, is weighed down further by the poor dubbing: "I'm terrified!" a woman says as a zombie slowly advances on her. You'd think she'd somehow ACT on that terror rather than merely informing us of her state of mind. Now, I totally enjoyed Zombi Holocaust, and while the two movies are probably in the same tier, at least ZH kept me entertained. All I saw in BG was the imperfections. That said, based on the technical merits of the release, I'd recommend it to any fans out there.

 

And all of this, is why I love this horrible little movie

 

Don't get me wrong, I am by no means averse to bad spaghetti splatter - like Zombi Holocaust and Contamination. I just couldn't get into BG - guilty pleasures are subjective, and while I get the whole so-bad-it's-good thing, this one just crossed straight back to bad again for me.

 

I have the U.S. blu-ray release for this movie but as I want to support 88 Films and there are lots of extras on the UK release I will double dip.

 

I want this but Severin is rumored to be putting out a stateside version so I'm torn between ordering it now or waiting for a (possible) eventual US release. If both had been released at the same time I would've went with 88's version because of the cool packaging. Can't stand the blandness of those generic blue plastic cases, especially the clasp enclosure types that Severin uses. Maybe I'll just order the UK release.

 

88 Films' quality is usually very consistent, whereas Severin's has been all over the place. I'm placing my bets with the 88 Films release, especially since they did the restoration work on the film from the original negative.

Some comparisons can be seen here: http://www.dvdexotica.com/2016/03/the-burial-ground-restoration-is-here.html

 

Wow!
Those screens from the new transfer, looks better than expected.
My disc is arriving on Monday

 

You didn't get a few sick laughs from the "child," Kim? The scene where his Oedipal desires reach critical mass is an all-time cinematic landmark like the shower scene in Psycho.

 

Burial Ground is my one true love. I adore every single horrible weird sick minute of it.

I need to order that 88films disc.

 

I did, but they were pretty mild, and not enough to save a disengaged viewing experience.

 

The caps of the new scan from dvdexotica look great. Sadly it seems they did not rescan the deleted scenes. They have the same poor quality as the Shriek Show Blu which is a noise mix of green, pink and brownish pixels.

 

I'll wait for the Severin disc and compare the two before I make a decision on which to buy.

 

The current US Blu-ray is pretty much worthless at this point. 88 Film's release appears to be the one to get. I was going to wait for Severin's (supposed) upcoming release but Katatonia made a good point about the 88 transfer possibly being the best this film will receive. 88 restored the film themselves to the best of their ability, I don't see them sharing their work with Severin and I don't see Severin coming up with a better release unless they've uncovered the original negs and plan to do a 4K master. Um, no. Besides, I hate waiting. Severin - you snooze, you lose.

 

I just received confirmation from Amazon UK that the Burial Ground blu-ray was shipped. Final cost with shipping only $13.47.