New 4K transfers of titles from Something Weird library

https://drafthouse.com/austin/news/...film-releases-in-collaboration-with-something

The American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) is excited to announce its initial slate of theatrical and home video releases in collaboration with Seattle's Something Weird. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2015, AGFA purchased a 4K film scanner to create new digital transfers of titles from the Something Weird library. AGFA will begin distributing their new transfers theatrically and on home video in the summer of 2017.

Each home video release will feature a main title, a "b-side" bonus feature, and trailers and shorts from the Something Weird archive. Select releases will include interviews and commentary tracks with Something Weird’s Lisa Petrucci, filmmaker Frank Henenlotter (BASKET CASE, FRANKENHOOKER), filmmakers involved with the movies, and more surprises along the way. Mike Vraney founded Something Weird in 1990. Sadly, he passed away in 2014 after a long, heroic battle with lung cancer. Legendary exploitation warlock David F. Friedman deemed Vraney "the forty-first thief," which was the ultimate compliment to this exploiteer, who dedicated his life to unearthing and preserving the most radically insane exploitation and horror movies of all time.

AGFA has partnered with Something Weird’s Lisa Petrucci, Mike Vraney’s widow and partner, to redistribute titles from the massive 35mm film collection.

"Our mission hasn't changed, it has evolved," says AGFA Director Joe Ziemba, "AGFA will always be dedicated to preserving and sharing 35mm film prints. But by scanning these fragile elements and distributing them as new digital transfers, we are making the movies even more accessible than ever. At the same time, we are helping Lisa Petrucci of Something Weird ensure that Mike Vraney's legacy will continue to grow."

Read about the first wave of releases:

THE ZODIAC KILLER
Made in hopes of capturing the real-life Zodiac Killer, but the plan didn’t work. Instead, we got the most outrageous and compelling "tabloid horror" vortex in the history of the universe. Paired with ANOTHER SON OF SAM, a lo-fi proto-slasher that has nothing to do with Son of Sam, let alone another Son of Sam.

THE CURIOUS DR. HUMPP
If FRANKENSTEIN was re-imagined by Kenneth Anger as a softcore body-horror epic with a monster who plays guitar, it still wouldn't be as wild as this legendary Argentinian mind-melter. Paired with ROOM OF CHAINS, a sick-o-delic black mass perversion party from the foothills of France.

POT! PARENTS! POLICE!
This is an After School Special gone bad about a teenager's slow descent into weed-fueled mania. FYI, this was the first -- and last -- movie made to play exclusively at Jerry Lewis's chain of theaters in the 1970s. Paired with THE DEVIL’S JOINT, a bizarro anti-weed documentary that was definitely made by art school drop-outs.

FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET
A gender-bending NYC smut-opera and accidental masterpiece, and also the greatest film from infamous no-budget wildman Andy Milligan. Paired with GURU, THE MAD MONK, Milligan's unhinged, DARK SHADOWS-inspired gore opera.

SATANIS, THE DEVIL'S MASS
Unseen and unbelievable cinéma vérité expose on Anton Levay, America's favorite leader of the Church of Satan. Paired with VOODOO BLACK EXORCIST, a grunge-horror mind-blast from Spain that is as good as it sounds.

SHE MOB
The greatest girl gang sexploitation gutter-epic that John Waters never made. Filmed in Texas, where life is cheap! Paired with HOTTER AFTER DARK, a gutter-noir private eye sex-party that was filmed in Florida, where life is cheaper!

Future releases include:

AROUSED paired with FLY NOW, PAY LATER
THE ELECTRIC CHAIR paired with THE GUY FROM HARLEM
THE GODMONSTER OF INDIAN FLATS paired with THE LEGEND OF BIGFOOT
LOVE AFTER DEATH paired with SEX ON THE GROOVE TUBE
THE LOVE FEAST paired with NECROMANIA
THE MONSTER AT CAMP SUNSHINE paired with PROFESSOR LUST
SATAN’S CHILDREN paired with THINGS TO COME
TALES OF A SALESMAN paired with VOICES OF DESIRE
THE VIOLENT YEARS paired with ANATOMY OF A PSYCHO

 

Something Weird Video changed my life and I will continue to support them for as long as I can.

 

Never in a million years did I think these titles would get 4k transfers. Can't wait to see them all!!!

 

Of course I just bought the three pack dvd that has The Zodiac Killer on it. Oh well there's still two other movies.

It just seems wrong to me that they're not pairing "The Monster at Camp Sunshine" with "The Beast That Kills Women". I've been watching them as a double feature for years. It just isn't the same one without the other.

Not that I'm really complaining. Something Weird on 4k. Wow!

 

I was a little confused, but apparently The Legend of Bigfoot is not the same movie as Sasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot, which Code Red has just released. But what about The Electric Chair (which Bill has slated for late November, 2016)?

I'm a little bummed that The Child is not among the movies listed. Hopefully that means some other company is doing something with it.

 

The Child would be perfect if Arrow does another American Horror Project set.

I have The Zodiac Killer sitting on the DVR from when TCM aired it about a week ago. Have never seen it.

 

I noticed that too. Code Red's release is being presented as a 98 minute director's cut, but I'm not sure how long SWV's previous releases of the film were.

 

I am hoping that future 4K transfers from the Something Weird library include: Asylum of Satan, Carnival of Blood (1970 film, not to be confused with Malatesta's Carnival of Blood), The Toy Box, and Rattlers.

 

Watching The Zodiac Killer now, and can't say I'm especially into it. Apparently Zodiac was a satanic disgruntled postal worker.

 

Aren't they all?

 

Anyone have updates on this? I need the Milligan ones.

 

I have the rather cheesy double bill one sheet with this title.

 

Anyone know if these will be released on 4K UHD blu rays? Or will they be available on 4K downloads to own on the SWV website? I mean otherwise a 4K transfer really means nothing if they are only going to be distributed on DVD and blu ray. I am hoping many companies realize that they should be offering their movies for download to buy in 4K transfers on their websites. I mean I'd rather buy movies that way. That way I can just get the movie easier than waiting 8 days for it to arrive in the mail, and can watch it the night I purchase a download to own, and it can be in 4K resolution, when it might not be possible to offer it in 4K any other way, I mean I don't see much showing up on 4K blu ray at this point.

 

Lots of movies are remastered in 4K these days... But as for physical 4K UHD Blu-rays, it is still very much a niche market, and these films are all pretty niche as well, so there probably aren't many buyers that fall into both niches.

 

Highly doubt these will be available in actual 4K directly to the public out of the gate or anytime soon. As Kim Bruun mentioned, the market for 4K viewing (also having to be set-up to actually view 4K with a 4K TV etc.) is an extemely niche market still and as we know most consumers are still happy with DVD and streaming Netflix without a clear understanding of the difference between SD and HD. And with Blu-ray already a niche market as it is, especially with cult films, the only way you'll see these films available on say UHD Blu-rays is if collectors are willing to shell out probably around $50 to $100 for one movie. We already have $30 to $50 Blu-rays, and the fact is UHD is exponentially higher to produce. Sure, digital downloads might be an option but server space/download sizes for 4K for features are not going to be cheap/manageable at this time, especially on the consumer end and streaming in 4K is just as niche as UHD. The reason these are mastered in 2K, 4K, or 8K is first of all, for future archive/use when the technology is there to distribute economically, but also because the higher the resolution the more latitude for proper restoration which most of these films require.

 

I go along with everyone else who mentioned The Child. It's a really atmospheric little zombie flick and the old SW DVD looks pretty nasty now.

 

I am not surprised at this news in the slightest.

When I got my Blood Feast DVD for my Birthday, I was utterly shocked that a DVD from 1999 could look THAT GOOD. Especially of a low budget, drive-in exploitation horror gorefest type title. A film that is still to this day genuinely obscure outside of cult film appreciation circles and the online horror community. That DVD might be the single best transfer of any title I own on DVD from that year. And DVD was only 2 years old at that point. Hollywood did not routinely do brand new films better than Something Weird / Image Entertainment did that film. I would love to know who did the work on that transfer. Even though it was almost 20 years ago...

 

I think 4K downloads are doable right now, many porn companies are already doing 4K downloads, if they can do porn in 4K they can certainly do 4K of real movies. And I didn't expect they'd do the 4K UHD discs, but mainly 4K downloads, hard drives are cheap now, you can get a 5 TB hard drive for $125 I mean that'll store a lot of downloads I just think they should offer it, I mean with all the movie studios throwing around 4K this 4K that, but in reality you can basically only get a few movies on 4K UHD, and I don't have plans to get a 4K player, because I think it will be a dead format in a year or 2, I think 4K downloads are the future, but Netflix is doing 4K streaming, but I don't like the streaming so much, I'd rather they just let me buy the movies I want, I guess that's from all the years of buying movies, I guess younger movie viewers are okay with streaming though, but Netflix doesn't really offer the kinds of movies I want, now if Severin, Blue Underground, Arrow, Synapse, Vinegar Syndrome, started doing 4K downloads now those I'd buy

 

You should see the new Blu Ray!

 

I only got to see Blood Feast because it was the only HGL movie available to me at the time. I'm gradually moving away from blind-buying now. So: I'm not buying Hershell Gordon Lewis films at this time unless I watch them first.