 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Jul 6, 2015 - 6:07 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
SchiffyM
(Member)
|
Is that why people are so outraged?
Because I really don't get it.
Townson posted a small notice on his Facebook page (meaning people who are "friends" with him will see it) saying, basically, stay tuned for one Club CD and some Limited Edition CDs. Was he guilty of overhyping, as some here have said? Is it his use of all-caps for "CLUB NEWS"? Is that it?
When Varèse has been silent, people post here "Why don't they just announce what's going on?" But then they do, and the response is essentially "They got my hopes up. They're dead to me."
Others complained "Why not lump the releases together, to save on shipping?" But Intrada doesn't do that. Neither does La La Land (though they generally announce a month at a time, so I suppose one can bunch orders within a month). Why don't people pick on them about this?
The Limited Edition series CDs are always obscure-ish films. Always. If you don't know that, you haven't paid attention. They're scores that would make the most sense to be downloads only, but Varèse presses some for CD die-hards. Many, many here proudly proclaim "CD or nothing!" So that's what they're doing. And yet…
Does it all boil down to some sense that Varèse is sitting on scores you'd like released expanded, and so anytime they release not-that, there's a sense of betrayal?
Are you already tired of "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" and "Outbreak"?
I'm not saying anybody has to be a cheerleader. Certainly, nobody has to buy anything. I'm not. But this constant sense of head-shaking "tsk, tsk" about Varèse is really baffling to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm not outraged at VS for releasing what they do and when they do it. But I am at a loss as to why they seem to carry themselves in a rather inflated way. They don't communicate with customers on a more informal level, via message boards and such, and are not responsive to e-mails. For example, I sent them a note asking if Gremlins 2 was complete and heard nothing. Someone else asked them the same question on Facebook and was told the new edition had forty more minutes. Exclamation point. Why the corporate brush off?
I am not terribly familiar with the label, as I came to this interest in the age we're in now where our needs (both products and service) are met by the friendly likes of LLL, Intrada, Kritzerland, etc, so there may be more to it than I know. But I'd surmise their posture, combined with slow speed on perpetuity titles that can come from no one else, may have at least something to do with negative reactions that seem oversized.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Jul 6, 2015 - 8:36 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
.
(Member)
|
Here goes. If you don't like the crap they are putting out these days, don't buy it. Maybe they will come to their senses. You can't stay in business if not enough people buy your product.
As I understand it, the Cutting Edge business model is about securing chunks of movie rights and ongoing extended involvement with producers for a slate of upcoming film projects, in exchange for new scores by their roster of signed-up composers and recorded via Cutting Edge's own affiliate facilities, with Cutting Edge retaining all rights to the music. This is apparently attractive to producers who would otherwise find the cost of music scoring prohibitive. Signing away some rights is an alternate way to go about it. It also means the composers have what is in effect an agent with long reach, bringing them and prospective producers together. The result is a Varese focus on scores Cutting Edge produce, as opposed to scores that are judged solely on their merits or the whims of a Varese exec.
Old Varese scores they already own are ok for licensing and for recycling some CDs, but beyond that, they have eyes only for new scores. Inviting potential new clients to a concert at a film festival is also good for business. And being aged mainly in their 30s or 40s, such potential clients will identify with and much prefer to hear a concert of music of the 80s and 90s than something from the 1940s. Business is business. What golden age listeners care about is of zero consequence – they won't be making any decisions about signing over movie rights.
In other words, I don't think there's much concern about how many old CDs they sell. It's more about how much of a share of movie profits they can get their hands on, with an occasional film being a particularly big hit and making them a particularly big chunk of change.
I'm happy to be corrected if any of that is off the mark.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Jul 6, 2015 - 8:50 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
cody1949
(Member)
|
Here goes. If you don't like the crap they are putting out these days, don't buy it. Maybe they will come to their senses. You can't stay in business if not enough people buy your product.
As I understand it, the Cutting Edge business model is about securing chunks of movie rights and ongoing extended involvement with producers for a slate of upcoming film projects, in exchange for new scores by their roster of signed-up composers and recorded via Cutting Edge's own affiliate facilities. This is apparently attractive to producers who would otherwise find the cost of music scoring prohibitive. Signing away some rights or profits for the film is an alternate way to go about it. It also means the composers have what is in effect an agent with long reach, bringing them and prospective producers together. The result is a Varese focus on scores Cutting Edge produce, as opposed to scores that are judged solely on their merits or the whims of a Varese exec.
Old Varese scores they already own are ok for licensing and for recycling some CDs, but beyond that, they have eyes only for new scores. Inviting potential new clients to a concert at a film festival is also good for business. And being aged mainly in their 30s or 40s, such potential clients will identify with and much prefer to hear a concert of music of the 80s and 90s than something from the 1940s. Business is business. What golden age listeners care about is of zero consequence – they won't be making any decisions about signing over movie rights.
In other words, I don't think there's much concern about how many CDs they sell. It's more about how much of a share of movie profits they can get their hands on, with an occasional film being a particularly big hit and making them a particularly big chunk of change.
I'm happy to be corrected if any of that is off the mark.
I think you have explained it very well. Still, that doesn't soften my stand about what Varese has turned into. Obviously, they couldn't care less about what I think and I couldn't care less if they folded tomorrow. It's very mutual.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know, blow it all. Sure, I understand that Varese is not releasing the great stuff they used to. But everyone else (including Kritzerland, La La Land and Intrada, amongst others), are filling that gap.
I agree with most of you that Varese is not releasing the kind of great scores that they used to. BUT, other labels ARE. Just spend your money elsewhere, on items you REALLY want, and forget about the stuff you don't want from Varese. For the most part, Varese doesn't seem to have a stranglehold over any studios' holdings, so some other label could surely snap up what Varese doesn't release.
If you have a problem with the Varese releases as of late (as I will admit, I do too), just look elsewhere. Someone with better judgment will release what you want on another label.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is somebody going to answer the question about the car?! I'm on pins and needles here!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Jul 7, 2015 - 3:20 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Francis
(Member)
|
Schiffy has made some obvious points yet I question wether the recurrent self-entitled angry mob will heed the message as they will most likely be pitch-forking the next Varese releases and so forth. They only ever come out when Varese announces another club title (or possible during a full moon), only to shout nastily when their huge expectations aren't met, or to remain silent when Varese does release a crowd pleaser. Varese is the label that can't win around here.
Varese has changed and continues to.
A while back now. Wether you comment on the "Cutting Edge" business plan or their new concert driven releases, this is undeniable. Stop treating this as if it happened yesterday and let it sink into your loop-induced brain; they STOPPED being the market leader when it comes to deluxe expanded premiere editions and instead have continued their contemporary releases as well as concert series that serves as a reminder of the wealth of releases they have done in the past. When Thor mentioned that Townson is out and about on the festivals and treated as royalty, he should be quite honestly; Varese deserves recognition for putting soundtracks on the map; every film score fan owns a Varese album. As far as I'm concerned they owe us nothing. I owe them my gratitude for many releases that make up nearly a third of my collection. I'm also thankful they have started to mine their 90s in-perpetuation titles and I certainly don't expect them to be the label to put out premiere score releases; there are other labels for this now who have stronger ties with the studios. Yet, even they can't put out everything at once, it would be commercial suicide. Fans don't care about this, they wanted it yesterday.
In regards to Varese, their LP subscription series seems to be a hit and does what fans demanded; reissue their vinyl only titles. Though I uttered my disappointment at the high international shipping costs causing me to pass on it, I didn't throw a "tantrum" nor will I still be around when the next titles are announced to shout "Bah Humbug" like the angry mob that gathers whenever Varese puts out a club title. When they announced "Gremlins 2" and "Outbreak" I was as overjoyed as when they released "Predator 2" and "Nemesis" and so forth. I've come to accept that this does not happen every month like it often does with Intrada or La-La, but more like every half a year to sometimes even a year.
There are other labels that release batches (plural) of scores EVERY MONTH and there are other labels that cater to your wish lists. Sometimes a year will go by without any grails, it's funny how that can shift from label to label. But perhaps the list of scores I want to see released has shortened so considerably, that it's hard to get excited at some announcements. And if golden age is what you want, KRITZERLAND just did a kickstarter. Are you going to scream at Bruce as well when he doesn't release the titles you crave?
I don't see this IMO illogical Varese hatred dimming down anytime soon, perhaps they could kill off the "club titles" and reboot it with a new line of releases that doesn't lampoon a niche of people's expectations, but honestly that would only signify giving in to a loud minority who have already jumped ship a while ago.
When I look at my CD collection, Varese titles take up one shelve (about 100 CDs) and of those releases a third are regular brown spines, another third are club titles and the others a mix of limited and regular white spine releases. There is also that darned Star Trek deluxe edition that's sticking out at the top. But most of it is ranging from older scores to newer. A nice balance. The first scores I bought were on the Varese label and the last ones I ordered happened to be as well.
Among that shelve there are also some of their concert releases; the Goldsmith birthday celebration and the Alien concert DVDs, two other Fimucité concerts and I will be glad to add the latest release.
What I'm saying is: it's not all bad as some of you are making it out to be. Could it be better? Perhaps. But Varese has changed. I look forward to the next announcement when we do this all over again and I'll gladly show my support to a label that introduced me to soundtrack albums.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
