Amazon and Synergy Bootlegs

[dvdfan]

I just came across a couple of films that are being put on the Synergy Entertainment label through Amazon. According to the Amazon description page, they come on DVD-Rs. I have seen many different bootleg companies (Jef Films, etc.) on Amazon before, but none so bold as to actually put DVD-R in the description. Some of the films I found are:

Funeral Home

Savage Weekend

I checked the Synergy website and they don't list these films, but the films they do list link to Amazon and are all DVD-Rs.

[Mutilated Prey]

Synergy is definitely bootleg poo VHS rips.

[KR~!]

Please send Amazon an e-mail informing them of this.

[X-human]

Originally Posted by KR~!

Please send Amazon an e-mail informing them of this.

Why won't you?

Synergy also has some stuff out on Movies Unlimited, like their Giant Spider Invasion disc which Amazon did take down (because of Retromedia request). It's fairly easy to get this stuff listed online, and even on real store shelves, as a seller is not going to check the copyright on every film they sell.

[Katatonia]

Originally Posted by dvdfan

Funeral Home

Savage Weekend

Those two are also in some Mill Creek 50-pack sets, and I'm sure the quality is similar to these.

And never before have I seen so many "boom mic" booboos in a movie before as with Savage Weekend...even if it is open matte!

[dvdfan]

Originally Posted by Katatonia

Those two are also in some Mill Creek 50-pack sets, and I'm sure the quality is similar to these.

I'm sure the quality is about the same, but at least Mill Creek and the other low budget companies (Brentwood, Simitar, Madacy, etc.) are pressed discs and not DVD-Rs. Your not even supposed to sell movies on DVD-Rs on eBay, it's one of their selling policies, although many people do.

I don't really see the point in contacting Amazon. Here's the explanation on the web page:

CD-Rs and DVD-Rs (the "R" stands for "recordable") look like the discs you're used to and offer the same audio and image quality. This recordable media is used to manufacture titles on demand, as fully authorized by the content provider.

Through manufacturing on demand, CreateSpace, part of the Amazon.com group of companies, enables Amazon.com to offer music and video content that might not otherwise be available. Each disc comes fully packaged, with artwork, in a standard jewel case for audio and an Amaray case for video, although for reissued products the artwork may differ from the original.

CreateSpace works with many of the leading music labels, television networks, film studios, and other distributors to make these titles available to Amazon.com customers. All products are manufactured from original source materials (e.g., for audio products, uncompressed CD-quality audio).

By eliminating inventory, waste, and inefficiencies in the distribution system, on-demand manufacturing provides the added benefit of helping preserve the environment.

When shopping, you'll see CD-R or DVD-R on the product detail page for such products. Amazon.com's standard return policy applies to these purchases.

[Katatonia]

Originally Posted by dvdfan

I'm sure the quality is about the same, but at least Mill Creek and the other low budget companies (Brentwood, Simitar, Madacy, etc.) are pressed discs and not DVD-Rs. Your not even supposed to sell movies on DVD-Rs on eBay, it's one of their selling policies, although many people do.

It's not really a huge deal though, Amazon sells many on-deman DVD-R releases. I have gotten "official" DVD-R's from Tempe and Alternative Cinema before. And then there's Warner Archive releases, which are strictly DVD-R.

Ebay are anal about practically anything you can sell there these days.

[HAEMORRHAGE]

There's 4 bootleg versions of Savage Weekend out there, 2 of em are both Synergy and JEF Films. I want to pick this up but I have no idea which to get. I just want an uncut copy and they all seem to have different lengths listed.


Oh, and yes, I do hate buying bootlegs but I also want a copy of Savage Weekend and I don't see anybody officially releasing that anytime soon.

[dvdfan]

Originally Posted by HAEMORRHAGE

Oh, and yes, I do hate buying bootlegs but I also want a copy of Savage Weekend and I don't see anybody officially releasing that anytime soon.

I agree. I'd even rather torrent a film than purchase a bootleg. Torrents seems to mostly get a bad rap, but when it comes to obscure/out of print/international version/ or uncut versions of films, I would much rather grab a torrent of the film from a place like Cinemageddon instead of purchasing a bootleg from a companies like Cinema-de-Bizarre or LFVW. Nowadays, these companies are probably just getting the movie from a torrent anyway and then making a DVD-R out of it.

[Mutilated Prey]

The movie really is like 85 minutes long. I have a cruddy rip of the Paragon VHS and that is how long it is. I also have the Substance DVD (on Amazon I believe it is labled as Mill Creek) and that is only like 81 minutes so that version apparently is pretty cut. I read somewhere if you don't wanna deal with the VHS you have to get the Mill Creek Drive-In Movie Classics boxset to see it uncut. It's only $11.49 on Amazon.

[CPT HOOK]

If both of these films are public domain, can these releases still be classified as bootlegs? I'm not trying to make a point or anything, I'm just curious as to where the line is drawn.


I'd love to see Funeral Home get the special edition it deserves, with a cleaned up transfer. Unfortunately, most notable companies won't waste their time with these public domain titles (with a few exceptions, such as Night Of The Living Dead, Carnival Of Souls, Deep Red, or Pieces).

[Cydeous]

I got a DVD-R of The Witchmaker through Amazon. The quality is far from great and the transfer was non anamorphic but it was the only way for me to see the film so I got it, anyway. I don't think it was illegal.

[Katatonia]

Originally Posted by Mutilated Prey

The movie really is like 85 minutes long. I have a cruddy rip of the Paragon VHS and that is how long it is. I also have the Substance DVD (on Amazon I believe it is labled as Mill Creek) and that is only like 81 minutes so that version apparently is pretty cut. I read somewhere if you don't wanna deal with the VHS you have to get the Mill Creek Drive-In Movie Classics boxset to see it uncut. It's only $11.49 on Amazon.

The exact Running Time for Savage Weekend on the Mill Creek set is 1:25:46 (85 minutes) so yeah, it must be uncut. I just went through that set and watched it a few weeks ago, and the A/V quality was actually pretty decent for the film. It didn't look like anything was cut while watching it...the nudity and violence/gore seemed intact.

[Mutilated Prey]

Originally Posted by Katatonia

The exact Running Time for Savage Weekend on the Mill Creek set is 1:25:46 (85 minutes) so yeah, it must be uncut. I just went through that set and watched it a few weeks ago, and the A/V quality was actually pretty decent for the film. It didn't look like anything was cut while watching it...the nudity and violence/gore seemed intact.

How is that set overall? I might grab it since it's so cheap.

[Katatonia]

Originally Posted by Mutilated Prey

How is that set overall? I might grab it since it's so cheap.

There's some decent films of course, and some really crappy films...about what you'd expect. Maybe 60% are horror/thrillers, and the rest are either comedy/action/drama.

A few highlights in the set...

Absolution - Richard Burton as a priest at a Catholic all-boy's school. Murder twists and the brink of insanity ensue, and the ending is a real shocker.

Going Steady - this was one of the many "Lemon Popsicle" sequels to come out of Israel from Golan/Globus. Raunchy Porky's-esque comedy/drama/romance.

Mama Dracula - Louise Fletcher (how'd she get in this?!?) in a "vampire comedy" that falls completely flat on its jokes, but is laughable and oddly enjoyable at just how bad it is. We're talking a major CHEESE factor here. The two Wajnberg brothers in this are just damn bizarre.

Prime Time - a 70's comedy skit film in the vein of The Kentucky Fried Movie, with quite a few known actors. Actually quite funny, though some of the skits are now very dated.

Spare Parts - a German film from 1979 (also known as "Fleisch") about organized medical organ thieves/body snatchers. It was filmed in English though, and shot in New Mexico and NYC. Has a few creepy parts.

Twister's Revenge - Bill Rebane does a redneck Monster Truck action/comedy that would feel right at home in Troma's vaults.