Second Run General Chitchat

[What A Disgrace]

Yup, they're numbered. Though it certainly doesn't play as large a part of their packaging as Criterion or MoC.

I still order them by number; the same as the other two.

[Telstar]

Just curious if Amazon or any other etailers ever have sales on Second Run DVDs. Don't think I've ever seen any Second Run titles listed for anything other than £10 or slightly under.

[peerpee]

What do you want? The moon on a stick?

That's an all-year-round bargain price that we should be eternally grateful for. Second Run's prices knock me out. I don't know how they do it.

[HerrSchreck]

That really was a pretty funny post. How much ya wanna pay for a premium dvd? Alpha prices?

[MichaelB]

That's an all-year-round bargain price that we should be eternally grateful for. Second Run's prices knock me out. I don't know how they do it.

Agreed - I ordered my first Second Run discs back in summer 2005 with some trepidation, because although the label was obviously worth supporting on principle, the prices were so suspiciously low that my expectations were at rock bottom. I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised.

And those very early releases didn't come with the booklets that are now pretty much de rigueur - and invariably well worth reading.

(Is it just me, or are booklets still an amazingly underrated part of the whole DVD experience? Many reviews gloss over them in a couple of sentences, if that, as though they were some kind of irrelevant afterthought)

[colinr0380]

(Is it just me, or are booklets still an amazingly underrated part of the whole DVD experience? Many reviews gloss over them in a couple of sentences, if that, as though they were some kind of irrelevant afterthought)

I really like booklets being included with DVDs. From a practical point of view they are very handy to take along with me on short journeys or to have a quick read through while waiting around for a train or bus, and they are also good to flick through to get a quick idea of what the film is about.

From a content point of view though, they are very important for providing extra points of view in an easier form than producing lots of video interviews or text essays. I also find being able to read essays in book form much easier than reading them onscreen and flicking through the screens. It is also great to have a physical thing to look through, even if it is only a folded four page essay, as the early Criterions were.

I wonder if the lack of mention of the booklets is something to do with reviewers only getting discs and not the packaging to review? Do some companies not send the full package? Or perhaps they aren't seen as something to be seriously considered compared to talking about the quality of the film' s image or the extra features on the disc itself. I think I underestimated booklets myself above, treating them as time passers, rather than recognising that the writing is often of a very high standard.

Perhaps the other reason that booklets are not mentioned is that very few Hollywood releases have them or, if they do, their booklets are no more than chapter selections and adverts rather than actual content. So perhaps people just aren't used to mentioning what is in a booklet, or it gets lumped in with comments on the packaging.

If that is the case, it is maybe a comment on the excellent quality of a booklet that it gets mentioned in a review at all, even in passing.

Until recently the best booklet (and now book) producer was Criterion, and we are just getting some competition to compare it to with the Masters of Cinema, Second Run, BFI discs (and the occasional Treasures from the American Film Archive hundred page book, or in depth booklet on other releases), so there is competition but it is spread out between different DVD regions and as has been pointed out in other discussions there are many more consumers just limited to only one DVD region.

[MichaelB]

I wonder if the lack of mention of the booklets is something to do with reviewers only getting discs and not the packaging to review?

In a word, yes. The problem is, the printing stage (in terms of both booklets and packaging) is generally the last production stage of all, and so a distributor is faced with the choice of either sending an incomplete version (usually a crudely labelled check disc) or delaying the review by a month or so.

The former is clearly preferable to the latter - especially as only a tiny minority of reviews will be detailed enough to mention the packaging. Let's face it, if it's not going to be any longer than a 200-word capsule review - which will be the case in the vast majority of publications - it really doesn't make any difference.

Thankfully, online sites like DVD Times, who I do try to send the full package to, also have pretty fast turnaround times, so the fact that they have to wait a bit longer for review copies doesn't ultimately have much impact. And PDF copies of booklets can be sent out a few days before the final printed versions, which often happens as well.

In many ways, this situation is directly analogous to film trailers featuring footage and (especially) music not in the final film - because for similar reasons, they have to be completed and circulated before the film has finished production.

[Telstar]

Give me a nice, juicy booklet any day... and frankly, I had no idea that Second Run even did them (much less did them right). Up until just recently I'd simply been renting all of the Second Run titles (at NicheFlix, who have now gone belly up) - so I had no idea what sort of packaging the discs originally came with. In any event, forced to finally bite the bullet, I have finally placed an order for my first batch of Second Run's, and am now eagerly awaiting Passenger, Party and the Guests and My Way Home.

Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers, by the way, with my previous post inquiring about Second Run prices. I'm well aware that the basic price point of each and every Second Run title qualifies it as a bargain... but seeing as how amazon.uk from time to time does discount various AE or BFI titles by as much as 70% - and considering how pathetically little the dollar is currently worth - I was just hoping against hope that I might be able to save a few pennies on my overseas orders. No reflection on the quality of the product, I assure you.

[Gregory]

These are almost always a bargain even at full price but I'd add that for anyone paying Amazon £10 plus shipping for these, it's well worth considering ordering them directly from Second Run's own site where the pricing is comparable, particularly with the special offers they have on multiple titles. I don't have the figures, of course, but I'd hope that these direct sales contribute in some small way to Second Run's chances longterm survival.
At the same time, CD-Wow's prices on these are sometimes extremely good and for those on a tight budget it still helps to save even a bit.

[Bikey]

Our intention was always to try and keep our prices as low as we could without bankrupting ourselves. We figure that at those prices fans would be likely to buy more across the catalogue and, once they know that the Second Run name is reputable, hopefully be tempted by a director or film they didn't know. We would also hope that waverers faced with a Wall Of Disc in a store might be tipped into purchasing one of our titles as they may be cheaper than the 'competition'.

As we have to give approval for any discounting it is unlikely that you will see Second Run titles discounted any further than they already are.

Yes - we do make a little more on sales direct from our website (and every item is lovingly packed by our team of DVD elves).

[jbeall]

For prospective American buyers out there:

I ordered Intimate Lighting and The Party and the Guests a week ago (March 21) and received the dvds today. You should DEFINITELY order it off Second Run's website. I'm impressed with the service, given that I've placed domestic orders that have taken longer to arrive.

[rs98762001]

For prospective American buyers out there:

I ordered Intimate Lighting and The Party and the Guests a week ago (March 21) and received the dvds today. You should DEFINITELY order it off Second Run's website. I'm impressed with the service, given that I've placed domestic orders that have taken longer to arrive.

I did the same with Intimate Lighting and David Holzman's Diary a while back, and had a similar experience. Very quick, very reasonable cost.

[lazier than a toad]

Second Run discs going for £8.00, delivered I think, from www.fopp.co.uk

[Gregory]

It looks like they don't ship outside the UK.

[addz]

To those who have the Second Run discs, what are the essential titles/major discoveries of the series so far?

I've ordered The Cremator as that seemed too good a film to ignore and I've also been tempted by David Holzman's Diary, Interrogation, The Party and the Guests and The Third Part of the Night.

I'm concentrating on really fine tuning my DVD collection at the moment and really want it to consist of quality films. So, which films from the Second Run catalogue come highly recommended?

[colinr0380]

I'd definitely add Love to your list!

[MichaelB]

I'd definitely add Love to your list!

And The Ear and especially the marvellous Intimate Lighting.

In fact, if you just want to see one film that captures the entire spirit of the Czech New Wave, you can't go far wrong with the latter - it's a real tragedy that this was Ivan Passer's only Czech feature.

[foggy eyes]

Don't forget the terrific Blissfully Yours as well!

[Gropius]

I'm concentrating on really fine tuning my DVD collection at the moment and really want it to consist of quality films.

Why, do you have a quality inspector coming round?

Most of the Second Run titles are worth a gamble if you are interested in Eastern European material, although there were complaints about the cropped aspect ratios of the recent Munk and Ford discs (not that I've seen either).

[Lemmy Caution]

To those who have the Second Run discs, what are the essential titles/major discoveries of the series so far?

My breakdown of the eight titles I've seen:

Excellent films that shouldn't be missed:
1. Mother Joan of the Angels
2. The Cremator
3. The Ear

Very strong, definitely worthwhile films:
4. The Party and The Guests
5. Love

Good, interesting films:
6. Intimate Lighting
7. Portrait of Jason
8. Passenger

I've been very pleased with everything I've seen from 2nd Run.
I think they have been doing a fantastic job of resuscitating Central and Eastern European films. I hope folks here have been buying them or at least checking out their catalog. I have another six titles that I need to get around to watching. Also, David Holzman's Diary and Nighthawks sound like gems.

[addz]

Second Run discs going for £8.00, delivered I think, from www.fopp.co.uk

Picked up The Cremator and David Holzman's Diary in store today. My local store had an entire wall devoted to the Second Run catalogue which I found after i picked up the two discs of mine from the main section.

They also had selected MoC discs at £10 but I didn't get any of those unfortunately.

[Bikey]

Was that in one of the London stores? We always like to hear about how well Second Run releases are displayed in shops.

[Bikey]

Second Run Tuesdays – Free Film Night 10th July


Our next free film night takes place on Tuesday 10th July, at our usual venue:
The Fleapit, Columbia Road, London E2.

On that Tuesday we will be screening Avi Mograbi's remarkable documentary, AVENGE BUT ONE OF MY TWO EYES (NEKAM ACHAT MISHTEY EYNAY)

"Avenge but One of My Two Eyes is one of the great essayistic films of modern times" – Mark Cousins

"Documentary today should be constantly immersed in questions of this magnitude and always ready to tackle them with his astounding level of eloquence—anything less is a waste"
– Reverse Shot


Shot in the occupied territories, Avi Mograbi's controversial documentary film draws parallels between the Palestinian/Israeli situation today and the enduring myths of Samson and Masada. The film is a powerful and frequently chilling lament of the continuing cycles of violence rooted in the past and threatening to engulf everyone's future. With the roots of so much real-world conflict left unexamined by today's restless media, this film reminds us just how vital filmmakers like Avi Mograbi are.


Screening Details:
Tuesday 10th July – Avenge but One of My Two Eyes (100 minutes)
Free entry (please buy a drink at the bar)
Film starts at 8pm

The Fleapit
49 Columbia Road
London E2 7RG

www.thefleapit.com
0207 033 9986

[MichaelB]

Was that in one of the London stores? We always like to hear about how well Second Run releases are displayed in shops.

The Tottenham Court Road shop used to display them very effectively, but sadly not any more...

[rs98762001]

That's awful news about Fopp. Not just for Second Run, but pretty much for all independent film and music distributors.