THE RAYGUN NEWSLETTER :: WEEK ENDING JUNE 22 2024

SCARECROW LAUNCHES CROWDFUNDER…

US STORE AIMS TO PROTECT 148,00-PLUS FILM LIBRARY

UK RENTAL UPDATE: EVOLVE OR DIE

STORES GET IMMACULATE

ROBOT MOVES INTO STORES…

…AS DO CRAZY FAMILY

HONEY IN THE MONEY AGAIN

101 SENDS IN INCENDIES

RADIANCE UNVEILS NEXT BATCH…

…AS ARROW OFFERS MORE OF A SHAW THING

NEW IMPRINT OFFERS TREASURE…

…WITH NEW SLATE UNVEILED

“BIGGEST” ILLEGAL STREAMING SERVICE IN US COURT…

…AS DODGY UK BOX SELLER JAILED

TRAILERS OF THE WEEK

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It was a good week for… Pixar sequel Inside Out 2, which took more than £11.3 million in its first weekend, making it the biggest opener since Barbie…

It was a bad week for… dodgy streamers and illegal box sellers, facing courts on both sides of the Atlantic (see below)…

We have been watching… The Exorcism, Vertigo’s latest Russell Crowe in demonic possession saga, as the actor this time plays an actor playing a priest in a film… Lots of fun, with a great jump scare with strong theatrical and home ent pedigree…

For those in the know, VHS heads, genre fans and more, the name Scarecrow Video is legendary. With a history stretching back almost 40 years as a physical store, it’s one of the last remaining rental stores left in the US (if not the world) and has become almost as synonymous with the idea of renting – VHS tapes and latterly discs on film, from DVD to 4K UHD – as the likes of Blockbuster for diehard film fans. Its reputation has spread thanks to its vast library of films, many long deleted, disappeared and forgotten, different titles spanning numerous formats. Current estimates of the size of its catalogue put the total number of titles in its library at more than 148,000. After its last funding crisis a decade ago, the store was rescued by its staff, who turned it into a not-for-profit venture that also operates as a community hub and place for film fans, students and more. And now, with the Seattle, Washington-based store facing closure and hibernation, it is appealing once more for help from customers and rental fans around the world. It is aiming to raise some $1.8 million, which will enable it to renew its lease and keep going.

In its communication, Scarecrow Video said: “Sadly, all of our valiant efforts to keep things going at Scarecrow have stalled. Rentals and sales revenue, which were a huge part of what has sustained us, especially in those early years, are now 40 per cent less than what they were in 2015. In the same timeframe, our major expenses have increased by 25 per cent. The final tipping point has been a nationwide decrease in private and institutional funding along with delayed after-effects of the pandemic, and thus we find ourselves in a dire situation. Simply put, our fundraising is not keeping pace with our needs; and though we’ve already cut staff hours and reduced expenses, and our supporters have donated what they can in our spring drive, none of it is enough. We’ve weathered the extraordinary challenges of the pandemic and the rise of streaming video, and we haven’t had to renew the SOS call – Save Our Scarecrow – from 10 years ago.” The cash, which it acknowledges is “an unusually large ask and an ambitious goal”, will enable it to “stay in our current location for as long as possible; provide our existing staff with a living wage; hire the permanent leadership we will need to break out of this cycle of scrambling just to keep our heads above water; and provide the working capital we would need to allow our new team time to stabilise our organisation”. Its appeal noted: “Our situation is urgent and the stakes have never been higher. If we are unable to raise this money, our ability to keep our doors open will be jeopardised, and we will be forced to move out of our space and go into “hibernation” while we plot a new future for Scarecrow. Keeping one of the world’s largest publicly-available video collections intact and accessible is our utmost priority, and though there are still some uncertainties on our path forward, we are not going away.” You can go here for more, to bung in a tenner or just have a look at its vast library…

As ever, when we run a story on rental stores anywhere in the world, we thought we’d report on how things are doing over here. Dave Wain’s library may not be as vast as Scarecrow Video’s, but his Snips store on the Wirral in the north-west of England still boasts an enormous library of titles, including scores not available anywhere via streaming or digital outlets. This year alone has seen him covered in numerous national publications such as The Guardian, as well as launching his own in-store podcast via YouTube (the latest episode is here). The weekly update as to what’s happening in his shop – Inside The Video Store – already has its own offshoot, with social media proving to be an invaluable tool in helping him connect with customers. Wain said: “I've always had an uneasy relationship with businesses doing crowdfunding campaigns. Essentially in most cases it's the equivalent of a sticking plaster that's simply putting off the inevitable. Scarecrow Video is different though. It's a cultural institution that must be protected at all costs. Among those 150,000 titles are some of the sole surviving copies of certain films, and we facilitate the demise of this store at our peril. Snips has more than 10 per cent of Scarecrow's library, edging a little over 16,300 titles, but I'm in the fortunate position where the outlook has rarely been rosier. Rental revenue is averaging double what it's been the past two years, and I've been inundated with a wealth of new - and more importantly *regular* - customers. They're split fairly evenly between folk that have only discovered the store exists, and people who have decided to move away from increasingly expensive streaming platforms. Either way, Inside The Video Store seems to be playing its part in maintaining a cyberspace footprint, while articles in The Guardian and such like have certainly raised the profile of my business. Evolve or die has been the mantra I've been adhering to in 2024, and with all the old video store policies ripped up and discarded (late fees, rigid rental periods), the video store is a much more attractive proposition. My next project is a partnership with a group of rabidly ambitious film students from John Moore University in Liverpool, who have asked to use the shop as a space to flex their creative muscles during the summer break in order to create some social media content for me. Just this week we spent an afternoon filming a short promo spot which they'll then animate through rotoscoping to create something truly unique. Running a movie rental store certainly has its challenges, but there's always opportunities around every corner that enable you to continue, and go on proving that this kind of establishment has a role to play in today's society."

With the industry calendar shifting slightly this year and the BASE Awards now taking part in September – the trade’s big night out is taking place on Wednesday September 25 at its usual home of the Roundhouse in north London – the event will be on us before we know it, and organisers at BASE have now opened the long-list voting for one of the key new awards on the night. The Hidden Gem gong, backed by Discussing Film, aims to reward not necessarily the biggest film of the previous 12 months, but rather celebrating a smaller, less obvious title that managed to capture the audience’s attention and get them talking. You can go here to cast your vote, and, speaking to The Raygun, BASE chief executive Liz Bales said: “We’re excited to bring back the Hidden Gem Award for 2024, which is voted on by members of the industry and followers of DiscussingFilm! Our industry is made up of so many dedicated professionals who also happen to be film and TV fans. Hidden Gem is a brilliant addition to the BASE Awards because it allows everyone to share their favourite, regardless of sales, spending, expectations, or box-office performance. Even if your title doesn’t get the most votes, you still get the chance to share that you loved it. There can be real surprises and much debate, but that’s what makes it fun!”

New releases now and one of the week’s biggies comes from Black Bear, via Elevation, in the shape of Immaculate, which, fresh off its spring theatrical release, arrived on June 17. It stars Sydney Sweeney, social media’s current film star favourite and an instant boost to any release, and blends classic nunsploitation alongside the likes of The Omen and others. It arrives with a wealth of positive reviews behind it, with The Guardian calling it a "fun and nasty little throwback to Rosemary’s Baby and giallo films like Suspiria”, while Film Stories said it was “the first great horror film of 2024”, before concluding: “I can see myself revisiting Immaculate time after time. It may not be remembered as the best horror film ever made, but it should be remembered for Sweeney’s incredible, believable performance and that bloody, gutsy, bonkers ending.” Sweeney’s presence is one of the main draws here, as it will naturally pull in horror and genre fans but is given added spice and a wider appeal thanks to her acclaimed turn as the young nun.

Just out in stores, landing on Monday June 17, is Robot Dreams, the Oscar-nominated 2D animated tale from Curzon, which lands on the back of an acclaimed theatrical release weighed down with numerous strong reviews. Among those was a five-star notice in The Observer, which said: “Pablo Berger’s exquisite, bittersweet, Oscar-nominated buddy movie about the bond between a dog and a robot matches Spike Jonze’s Her as one of cinema’s most devastating and profound studies of loneliness and the fragility of emotional connections. If any further evidence were needed to support the theory that we are enjoying a new boom time for quality animation, then this is it.” Another glowing review, this time in Empire, concluded: “Who needs humans? This is visual storytelling at its finest, a traditional animation of gentle, unshowy genius. Sometimes the very best love stories go deeper than words can say.” Further comment on the release came from Curzon’s Damian Spandley, who said: “It's fair to say that Robot Dreams has melted the hearts of critics and theatrical audiences on its cinema release in March, after a well-deserved Oscar nomination for best animation. We have no doubts Pablo Berger's beautiful, bittersweet and funny buddy movie will charm audiences again on its physical home entertainment release this summer, featuring campaign artwork from the movie, of course, complete with behind-the-scenes featurettes and an interview with the director.”

Another release that landed in stores on Monday June 17 was the latest from Third Window, a Japanese cult classic from 40 years ago that is getting its first ever physical release in the UK courtesy of the independent. The company’s Adam Torel said: “I’m ecstatic to finally give Sogo Ishii's 1984 cult classic The Crazy Family its first ever physical release in the UK, just as the film celebrates its 40th anniversary. Following on from releases such as Door and Typhoon Club, Sogo Ishii's seminal work continues on with Third Window Films' releases of films from Japan's 80s production company The Directors Company. From a director who has decades of unique films to his name (Electric Dragon 80000v, Burst City, Angel Dust to name a few), Crazy Family is one of the best Japanese films of its time and up at the top of Ishii's filmography. So it's amazing to bring it to UK audiences, sporting a brand new HD master and loads of great bonus features!”

We’ve not had an update from our old pals at Altitude for a while and with the second outing for its Winnie the Pooh-based horror franchise Blood and Honey currently in cinemas ahead of home entertainment, and a high profile feature-length documentary about Britpop stalwarts Blur, we thought we’d get an update from the label, Here’s the company’s Adam Eldrett, who said: “It’s been a busy Q2 for us with new releases The Last Kumite, which went into the top five physical chart in week one and recently bringing Butcher’s Crossing to physical and TVOD for the first time. Titles like Deliver Us and Dogman have performed very well for us as well, true direct to video releases appealing to genre fans. Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey 2 is currently in cinemas, we have continued our relationship with the Prince Charles Cinema which has been a great partner for us theatrically, we have also seen home entertainment sales of the first film have rising exponentially in the last month ahead of release of Winnie 2 on June 28, ahead of the physical on July 1. Among many things the distribution team are currently working hard on Blur: To The End, coming to cinemas from July 19 and will be part of our Q3 line up.”

With Dune: Part Two still sitting atop the Official Film Chart and performing particularly well as an ultra high definition option, what better time for 101 Films to announce the latest addition to its roster as it brings Dune director Denis Villeneuve’s early outing Incendies to its Black Label imprint. The package includes the first ever worldwide 4K UHD version of the film, which has been overseen by Villeneuve himself, alongside raft of extras. 101 Films’ Tim Scaping said: “Now one of Hollywood’s biggest names, Denis Villeneuve gained an international reputation in 2010 when Incendies was released to critical acclaim. The harrowing story of Canadian twins who travel to the Middle East and uncover the truth about their late mother's past, this powerful and heartbreaking tale is presented here on 4K UHD from a new 4K master, supervised and approved by the director himself. This limited edition release includes a behind the scenes documentary and archive commentary and interview with director Denis Villeneuve, enclosed in a slipcase featuring newly commissioned artwork and a booklet with new writing on the film. With interest in Villeneuve's work at an all time high following the success of Dune, now is the perfect time to revisit the director's early work, of which Incendies is an undoubted highlight.”

Radiance Films continues to go from strength to strength, with the independent imprint regularly adding titles and building an impressive library of titles from around the world. The company just unveiled its titles due in September and, as ever, here’s Radiance founder Fran Simeoni on its forthcoming slate. He said: “We are delighted to announce a host of world and local premieres on Blu-ray for September. With Tattooed Life we usher in our first Seijun Suzuki title with Tattooed Life, a milestone work for the director, an entertaining crime film but one which shows the unconventional style which would make him the celebrated director we know today. The gorgeous release comes with eye-catching artwork showing off those stunning sets and an audio commentary by the director's biographer William Carroll and rare archival interviews with Suzuki and his regular production designer Takeo Kimura as well as a booklet with new and archival writing. Next up we have our fifth Damiano Damiani release with his 1979 crime thriller A Man on His Knees. Newly restored in 4K this gripping film features stunning performances and comes with a host of archival interviews with cast and crew as well as a new interview with Damiani expert Alberto Pezzotta. Then we have two releases from Elio Petri who is the director of Radiance spine #1. Two of his finest works we are delighted to be presenting UK premieres of We Still Kill the Old Way, a 1967 Mafia thriller with Gian Maria Volonte and Irene Papas as well as his later horror with real-life couple Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave in A Quiet Place in the Country. Both releases are newly restored and come stacked with extras. Finally we are pleased to present Grindhouse Releasing in the UK, the celebrated label started by Oscar-winning editor Bob Murawski and actor Stage Stallone debuts in the UK with the brilliant Death Game. Audiences will know the film for its remake as Knock Knock, the release comes with a host of extras, including an epic interview with Eli Roth.”

And also unveiled over the past few days, as an addendum to its already revealed September titles, was an extra special additional announcement from Arrow. And it’s a doozy too – for the company is adding a third volume to its Shawscope series celebrating the best of the legendary production powerhouse of martial arts cinema. The company’s James Flower said: “After a year off (though producing the monumental Bruce Lee at Golden Harvest boxset was hardly a break), Arrow Video has once again delved into the Shaw Brothers studio archives to bring fans the long-awaited Shawscope Volume Three, released on November 25^th. This time we’ve listened to fans’ requests and are presenting every film in a brand new, never-before-seen restoration from the original negative, and every film comes with an expert’s commentary to boot. Our plan with the Shawscope series is to try and explore the studio’s eclectic range with each volume, and this time we’ve moved away from kung fu to highlight the wuxia genre: extraordinary tales of sword-wielding, high-flying knights errant that made martial arts a box office powerhouse in the first place, with fourteen examples of the best, starting with the iconic One-Armed Swordsman trilogy and climaxing with the absolutely bonkers Buddha’s Palm. Coming soon in 2025: Shawscope Volume Four, spotlighting its horror/sci-fi/fantasy output!”

Interesting to note that there are still new distributors looking to enter the home entertainment market with physical releases and more. One of those more recent entrants is boutique imprint Treasured Films, which has released a clutch of titles over the last couple of years, mainly focusing on old VHS favourites, many of which were caught up in the video nasty debacle of the 1980s, taking in the likes of Satan’s Little Helper, The Last Hunter and Mausoleum, as well as dipping in to the vinyl arena too, with the release of the score to The King Of The Ants on coloured wax. In its mission statement, the label says: “Treasured Films is a new independent, boutique label, dedicated to releasing some of our favourite cult films on Blu-ray. Aiming to please the most demanding of film buffs, we will take our time in carefully selecting choice titles, lovingly restoring them whenever possible, to produce an impressive physical media ‘treasure’, that fellow collectors can proudly display on their shelves. We will be offering desirable Limited Editions that consist of (at a minimum) quality packaging, impressive artwork, critically informing booklets and of course, well-produced extras - contributed from esteemed critics who really know their films.”

And Treasured Films has just announced a clutch of new additions to its catalogue, with the August releases of You Might Be The Killer (a “hilarious and gory exercise in meta-slasher, loaded with extra features in this much-treasured special edition”) and Dawn Of The Mummy ( “much in demand from cult film collectors - but with the original film elements considered lost in some unknown sarcophagus… a former Section3 video nasty, fully complete and uncut and making its UK Blu-ray debut”). And literally as The Raygun was due to be sent, it added a third in the shape of The Island, which, it said: “Making its UK Blu-ray debut, Treasured Films is proud to present this outrageous, bloodthirsty hybrid of action and horror from director Michael Ritchie (Fletch) and author/ screenwriter Peter Benchley (Jaws, The Deep).” Commenting on its journey so far as well as the new titles, the company's co-director Tom Lee Rutter said: ''We are pleased to be doing what we are doing here in the Black Country, West Midlands. It’s not every day you have a new boutique label set up around these parts. We're approaching it from a fan and collector's perspective, and curating a diverse selection of films in stunning editions any collector would be proud to have on their shelf. Regardless of genre and origin, if we like the film and think it will sell, we'll put it out. Simple as!''

We’ll end with a dual blast of anti-piracy news from both sides of the Atlantic. First, in the US, the team behind an illegal streaming service which offered more content than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and Amazon Prime Video combined, have been convicted. Jetflicks, which charged $9.99 a month and featured more than 183,000 episodes of TV fare, trawled the internet to find pirated and torrent versions of TV shows and uploaded then on to its service. It was, the US Office of Public Affairs noted, one of the biggest illegal streaming services in America. Five men, Kristopher Dallmann, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Jared Jaurequi, and Peter Huber, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. US officials added: “The jury also convicted Dallmann of two counts of money laundering by concealment and three counts of misdemeanour criminal copyright infringement. Courson, Garcia, Jaurequi, and Huber each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and Dallmann faces a maximum penalty of 48 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.” The defendants operated Jetflicks, an illicit streaming service they used to distribute hundreds of thousands of stolen television episodes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their scheme generated millions of dollars in criminal profits, while causing copyright owners to lose out. These convictions underscore the Criminal Division’s commitment to protecting intellectual property rights by prosecuting digital piracy schemes and bringing offenders to justice.”

In the UK, justice was finally served in illegal set-top box seller Michael Hornung, of Hyde, Greater Manchester. He was jailed for four years and is months for selling device which “allowed unlawful access to subscription services from Sky, BT, and Virgin Media, as well as thousands of on-demand films and pay-per-view content”. He had fled to Cyprus to avoid a sentence handed down two years ago, before authorities caught up with him and he was extradited. He was given an additional three months for violating the Bail Act and must also pay back £258,642. FACT CEO, Kieron Sharp, said: “The collaborative efforts of FACT, the National Crime Agency, and Greater Manchester Police were instrumental in bringing Michael Hornung to justice. We would particularly like to thank the NCA for facilitating Hornung's extradition to the UK. Hornung’s criminal business provided customers the means to access premium TV without compensating broadcasters or those with intellectual property rights. This conviction underscores our commitment to tackling fraud and piracy at all levels and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.  The extradition of Michael Hornung serves as a reminder that no one is beyond the reach of the law. FACT will be relentless in our pursuit of individuals who profit from illegal activities, regardless of where they seek refuge.” Tom Dowdall, Deputy Director International from the NCA, said: “Hornung thought fleeing overseas would mean he would never have to face his crimes. However, the NCA’s international network regularly shares intelligence and works closely with overseas partners to apprehend those on the run. After liaison with law enforcement officers in Cyprus, Hornung has been returned to the UK to serve his sentence.”

TRAILERS OF THE WEEK