Consistently good DVD "labels"

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So, sometimes music labels give you an idea of the style and/or quality of what you're getting (4AD, Sarah, Too Pure, Factory, Dischord, etc.) - what about some video equivalents?

Of course, Criterion is without equal. I like Kino, also, and Anchor Bay has a varied (where else can you get the Herzog/Kinski boxed set, Army of Darkness Boomstick edition, and fitness videos?), sometimes great selection. A friend told me about Milestone which has a killer collection. I've made some good discoveries simply by browsing the catalogs of these companies. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Friday, 6 June 2003 12:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Kino release a lot of good stuff, but their transfers are sort of here and there. For my money, Wellspring (as of late, maintly due to a line of extremely well-done Fassbinders) is the company that's getting really impressive.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 6 June 2003 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks for the tip! I found their web presence here: http://www.wellspring.com/homevideo/

Wow...lots of good French stuff...and Japanese...and...

*eyeing those Rohmer DVDs...*

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Friday, 6 June 2003 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

MK2! MK2!

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 6 June 2003 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Is that the same company that runs the awesome MK2 theatres in France amateurist?

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 6 June 2003 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

yep. www.mk2.com

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 6 June 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

You should really check out the MK2 Quai de Seine when you're in Paris, right on the Canal St-Martin (just by Stalingrad metro). It's great, and right around the corner from where I used to live in the wasteland of the 19e.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 6 June 2003 19:37 (twenty-two years ago)

i think i'm gonna be in the 10e arrondissment which is right next door.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 6 June 2003 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

ahh, the "waiting room" of paris

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 6 June 2003 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

i know that this is a terrible comment, but cant wellspring do a little better on their cover art, it looks terrible. i know the transfers are good, but i always second guess them when i see the cover.

― todd swiss (eliti), Monday, 9 June 2003 17:29 (twenty-two years ago)

i hate most dvd covers because they're plastered with blurbs and advertisement copy. One reason I like MK2 and Criterion. No blurbs on the covers.

― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 9 June 2003 17:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I like when they use the original poster.

(And Criterion is super-swank in the art direction dep't)

― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 9 June 2003 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

sometimes. alphaville had pretty mediocre packaging.

some of the nicest dvd packaging i've seen, aside from one-off experimental music and similar-type things, has been mk2's iranian film series:

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000069B9R.08.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00008LSR5.08.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00008LSR8.08.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 9 June 2003 19:06 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, but the ones that have world cinema classic down the side just make me wince. but yeah, i guess i am spoiled with my criterion purchases, so i want similar quality from all releases. have you seen the new kurosawa cover? its amazing. i sometimes want to buy the movies just for the cover.

― todd swiss (eliti), Monday, 9 June 2003 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

The Antoine Doinel package is really nicely designed too.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 9 June 2003 23:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Speaking of nice packaging, the cover art for the new Criterion release of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is pretty awesome. I've never seen the movie, but I'm almost tempted to buy the DVD just for the package.

― Anthony (Anthony F), Wednesday, 11 June 2003 00:41 (twenty-two years ago)

six months pass...

I just found this website for 5 Minutes to Live - can anyone vouch for them? I have some issues with buying bootlegs, but damn, if there aren't a couple dozen movies they're selling that I want to see. Lots of cult/underground stuff (El Topo, Superstar, The Apple, Turkish remakes, Mr. T's Be Somebody or Be Somebody's Fool, etc.)

Hmm...there's a film called Emperor Tomato Ketchup...didn't know that before.

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Sunday, 21 December 2003 07:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Dodgy, mostly, but we've come to expect this of our bootlegs now haven't we?

btw, you can watch Superstar at www.illegal-art.org

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 22 December 2003 06:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Plexifilm is good, for the most part. Fairly nice, simple packaging too. There's a British label that I cannot remember the name of ... Empire? They're always in Sight and Sound.

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Monday, 22 December 2003 22:27 (twenty-two years ago)

That 5 Minutes site is extremely impressive looking. I'm curious if anyone has bought from them before. Their TV Carnageesque clip DVDs look great too. God. If only we get bonuses when it wasn't a holiday too.

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Monday, 22 December 2003 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

three weeks pass...

5 Minutes To Live, 5 Minutes Online ||| C/D? S/D?

I posted this on ILF to get a larger response, since it seemed that no one (of the 4 people) who reads ILF had ordered from 5MTL.

― dean! (deangulberry), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

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