So, I'm sitting in a production facility today working on PATRICK and I figured I'd give you all a bit of an update. We have remastered PATRICK in anamorphic widescreen and we will be releasing it in October or November of this year. The remaster looks fantastic and our new transfer seems to have more picture information on all four sides when compared to the older out-of-print Elite version (just so you know).
A few of you that have heard about this release have asked us about the "Goblin" score version. The version we are releasing is the original uncut Australian version without the English dubbing. The "Goblin" scored version of PATRICK is indeed shorter and does not represent the original version. I did inquire about this version with the licensors and, while they didn't give me all the details, they said that the "Goblin" score version was problematic for them and that we wouldn't be able to do it. For those of you who WANT the "Goblin" score, you could certainly buy the excellent CD soundtrack that's currently available and listen to it along with our version of the movie! :)
We are also working on re-releases of the following films (to come out within the same month or so of PATRICK): SYNGENOR, DARK FORCES, THIRST and STRANGE BEHAVIOR. And, as Synapse Films, we absolutely PROMISE to have better cover art on these than the previous now out-of-print Elite versions! :)
9 comments:
I'm very glad and quite excited that you'll be revisiting these horror favorites that are in definite need of new presentations. I'm mildly sad that a couple other old Elite titles, Simon Wincer's SNAPSHOT and THE SURVIVOR with Robert Powell, aren't getting the Synapse treatment, but one can't have everything.
Might you consider releasing DARK FORCES under the original HARLEQUIN title? I always thought that set a more ominous mood to the first-time viewer. And will PATRICK feature the U.S. trailer that was omitted from the previous release but presented on EXPLOITATION EXPLOSION?
The masters of DARK FORCES all have the DARK FORCES title cards. I like it better as well, but the DARK FORCES name is certainly more marketable. We haven't started authoring the PATRICK DVD yet, so we'll try and fit the US trailer on there.
The Goblin version (which I think is something like 98 minutes long) is available on a dubbed Italian DVD. To be honest, I've always felt the preferred version of Patrick was too overlong and have always wanted to see the shorter cuts (there's a German one that's 82 minutes!) but have never been able to due to the lack of an English soundtrack.
Well, while we can't have the Goblin score, maybe an interesting idea would be to recreate the shorter cut of the film from the existing master, in the similar manner that Synapse was able to take the hard edition of THRILLER and recreate the U.S. "THEY CALL HER ONE-EYE" edit of the film. Put both versions on the disc and let the viewer decide.
The shorter cuts of PATRICK have various/different music and audio voice dubs and we just don't have access to those things.
And, besides, the market is so terrible right now for all us indie DVD companies, it would not be wise to budget this sort of expensive edit (not to mention the extra DVD authoring and/or possible extra discs it would require in the package that would raise the price). If this was 5-6 years ago, it may have been a possibility, but not with the market the way it is now.
We have to be conscious of where the market is and our releases (and how much we spend on those releases). We don't want to go by the way of Panik House, Casa Negra, Subversive, No Shame, etc.
Oh dear, I love indie DVD companies, but why oh why are you trying to commit financial suicide.
Patrick is not a good genre film. Far too long and drawn out, with very little pay-off for the audience. Much better is Pupi Avanti's Sender. WHat with dreck like Lucker I'm worried I'll never get to see better films like The Kindred, which you guys are working on. Please don't go bust, releasing movies like Patrick.
I recommended you guys take a look at British cult mobvies from the 1970's there are some real lost gems that would sell far better on DVD than Patrick.
Thanks for releasing great movies like Bizarre, Brain Damage, Long Weekend, Night Train and Maniac Cop and Street Trash.
T.Rivers
Rockin'! I'm also glad to hear that you're doing what you can to stay in the game despite the rough market.
To ANONYMOUS above:
One man's meat is another man's poison, sir...(or is it ma'am?). We can't please everybody all the time. To us, PATRICK is a GREAT movie and we love it and certainly worth of a new transfer upgrade. Also, we've received quite a few emails and calls regarding the title, so it does have quite a fan base.
Regarding your comment on LUCKER... again, it's not for everybody but, honestly, it's sold more copies so far for us since it's release than BIZARRE, LONG WEEKEND and NIGHT TRAIN... And those have been out for years now. LUCKER is an underdog and we knew it when we bought it... and the fans of Synapse seem to be digging it pretty hard and it has been quite the success.
T. Rivers:
To me, Lucker and Bizarre could both be considered dreck. Neither is a good film, overall, but each succeeds as an exploitation experience in its own way. I'm happy that both have been released on DVD.
Furthermore, the director's name is Avati, not Avanti, and he didn't direct The Sender. That honor goes to Roger Christian, who will forever be known as the poor sap who "directed" Battlefield Earth.
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I'm looking forward to Patrick, The Kindred and the other titles whispered about-but not named-in the SGM interview.
On a side note, I hope Synapse is in the running to release Henenlotter's Bad Biology on DVD, after what will probably be a limited theatrical run.
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