Marc Morris, or anyone. Is the R2 UK HFTH disc with the corrected MAESTRO OF THE MACABRE documentary available yet?

I wanna pick it up, but The nicheflix rental copy I watched the other day had the documentary sans Mark Kermode's narration.

HFTH's transfer is glorius BTW, and the audio is a dramatic improvement over the Image R1 disc.

Thanks in advance!

I just got a copy from Play.com but it also contained the faulty soundtrack. Quite annoying because I held off for some time just to wait for the corrected version!

But according to the Anchor Bay website forum, the corrected versions are now in the shops and you can send old versions deirectly to Anchor Bay for replacement.

I've sent off for my replacement last week (there's an address listed on Anchor Bay UK's website for mailing faulty discs), but haven't received anything back so far. I'm hoping it'll turn up within the next few days.

Not really sure if there's been any kind of product recall on this title; if online retailers are still posting out defective discs, that would seem to indicate the contrary.

Corrected discs have been mailed out to those that returned their faulty discs.

And I assume that etailers are also stocking the corrected version now?

Hmmm.

Hate to say this, Marc, but I just got my "corrected" disc in the post yesterday and...

...the "Maestro of the Macabre" docu has STILL not been fixed.

There's no sign of the Mark Kermode narration whatsoever.

To say I'm fed up with ths situation would be understating the case. That's TWO copies of the DVD I've had so far that exhibit this stupid glitch. Well, good luck to anyone else out there who's expecting a fixed copy to turn up. Maybe you'll be lucky, maybe you won't. Either way, I'm certainly not incurring any further costs in sending this second screwed-up disc back to ABUK, just to get another identical version posted back to me.

How difficult can it be to issue a repressed DVD?

That's depressing news... Anchor Bay UK will not get my money until I'm certain that I'm not going to be fobbed off with a sub-standard product. The worst aspect of all this is that the actual print of the film is probably the best currently available. I do hope they are not going to become the Media Blasters of the UK DVD scene. Has anybody seen any evidence that 'corrected' discs really exist?

They have indeed been corrected. All I can assume is that an old batch were inadvertantly mixed-up with the new corrected batch. Rather than post these problems here, Anchor Bay UK have their own discussion forum and contact email address which would have been more appropriate.

Well, that's certainly encouraging news Marc. I guess mistakes do happen, I didn't mean to sound too negative, I'm just a little peeved that many of the discs I've been after for ages in definite versions are being flubbed by the relevant companies - at least AB UK seem to be trying to put things right unlike certain other labels... How will we know for sure if the copy we buy is 'corrected' or not, though? A sticker or something on the packaging might be helpful. It seems that a number of the old discs are still in circulation. Personally I would rather not have to go through the palaver of returning discs to the company involved. As for forums, I belong to several already so don't feel the immediate need to join another! Thanks for the update.

I reckon Anchor Bay is doing a fine job. I applaud their speedy response and commitment by implementing a replacement disc scheme. It's to their credit that they went and pressed new discs. Lesser companies would have held their hands up and said "it's only a supplement; is it not enough that the feature is fine?" or "ah sure it'll do for the time being" (Images "Twitch of the Death Nerve" might I suggest?).

Having said that, it is very frustrating. I remember posting on the old board long ago that I was so excited with the announcement since I love the film and missed the original Bava broadcast. So I was disappointed with the problem arising. I withheld ordering when I heard about the problem and recently, when Marc announced on the ABUK forum that the fixes were in circulation, I sent PLAY.COM a couple e-mails about their stock. I asked if they were shipping fixed product several times. To date no reply and there's been no positive news on this front from either the AnchorBay or MHVF forums. So it's been a long wait for me too.

It's not Marc's fault or AB's fault that PLAY mixed up their stock(unless there is no distinguishing mark on the packaging which'd be a bit silly) but it's disconcerting if ABUK are doing it too (as per Steve's post.) It's so frustrating that I'm still unable to place an order for this title. I'm in Ireland and there are no copies on the shelves here so I can't even pay (the premium) retail for a copy. I will definitely get it but I will probably wait a few months so that I can be absolutely sure I'll get the correct disc.

Victor

Absolutely! But it still is a little annoying to have to send in the disk after having held off ordering for this very reason.

Anyway, I followed Marc's advice and headed over to the Anchor Bay UK forum. They have some GREAT box sets coming up, like Pete Walker and Tigon, but they are only marginally Eurocult so I suggest you all look for yourselves:

Anchor Bay forum (visit Your Feedback for interesting info)

I never sent Anchor Bay my defective disc. I just informed them via email that my copy had the glitch. They have kindly sent me a new copy (which I received today). But I'm afraid the new one has that same glitch.

So, now I'm sitting here with two defective copies. Bit of a dilemma - do I return one of both of them? ;)

Looks like this sorry saga is going to run and run...

From Henrik's post, it seems that ABUK have displayed a rather inconsistent approach to the issuing of replacements; the two emails I sent them initially regarding the DVD glitch were roundly ignored, and only on the third attempt was I favoured with an address to return my faulty disc...

Looking at the responses to this issue on AB's feedback forum, it seems like we're not alone in having received duff copies instead of the corrected ones. Sigh. Well, at least the film itself is intact. At this point, I'm just going to have to shrug my shoulders and move on - there are too many other hassles in my life at the moment to allow this one to fester.

Don't worry, it will be sorted asap.

I received an upgraded disc today with the narration intact (the name tags of the docu interviewees were also missing on the corrupted discs). All is well that ends well, then.

My only gripe is that it cost me $10 to return two faulty discs. From the stamps on the packet AB UK sent me, I see that postage is half as expensive in the UK as it is here in Sweden. <_<

Sorry to keep going with this thread but as I will be in London in the following
days and found a few cheap copies of HATCHET in Virgin, is it absolutely certain
that it is the correct edition?
Also, could anyone reccomend places for cheap DVDs here in London? I am
afraid that the cost of life here is twice that of my country...

The best place to currently buy cheap DVDs in a shop in London would be to head down to HMV's flagship store on Oxford Street (it's located between Tottenham Ct Rd and Oxford Circus tubes) where there is a mammoth sale on. It might end soon though as it's been running awhile. As an example, I bought Lost In La Mancha there for a fiver (£4.99 to be exact).

Apart from that there are a few cheaper shops with poor selections - downstairs in Music Zone, also on Oxford Street, and numerous retailers in Soho. But, you're best buying online as it's far cheaper. I rarely buy in the shops here as all UK R2 DVDs seem to hit half price online within a few months of release.

I have no idea if your Hatchet is the correct edition but I see no reason why it shouldn't be, seeing as ABUK have said they've recalled all faulty discs.

Thanks, will do. HMV in Oxford Street looked really good yesterday, and they
actually have lots of stuff cheaper than they are online, like the new hammers (TASTE THE BLOOD..., DRACULA HAS RISEN.., BLOOD FROM THE ...) for 7.99 plus the old 3-movie boxes for 9.99. It's good to know that I don't need to look for good stores in vain so that I can focus on pub-crawling.

Quote from Marc Morris:

"Don't worry, it will be sorted asap."

Well, there's still no sign of this fabled corrected disc - and now ABUK have decided to ignore my emails (again). The unfailing sign of a courteous, customer-focused organisation. :(

Actually, corrected DVDs have been sent out to most people. More will be sent out on return from the AFM.

Happy to report, Marc, that you were ab-so-lutely correct: just got my corrected disc this weekend...and yes, it really IS corrected!

If there was an emoticon on this board for a suitably penitent Robert Morley being force-fed humble pie by a leering Vincent Price figure, a la THEATRE OF BLOOD, I'd be appending it to this post now. :P

Suffice to say, thanks ABUK.

I really wanna pick this up, but would rather get the corrected version first time - is there any way of differentiating between the old and the new pressings?

Thanks,
Gary

I asked the very same question weeks ago Gary, and got no answer... I too am unwilling to part with money if it means having to go through the nonsense of returning discs at my own expense to AB UK for a replacement copy. So come on someone at AB UK, just HOW can we be sure we're buying a corrected disc, especially as it seems that there are still a considerable number of faulty pressings out there in the shops still? Are there stickers or what? And if not, why not? I don't consider this an unreasonable question, so please don't take it as an attack/slur on AB UK. I'd just like to know, that's all!

The faulty discs were in deed recalled. New corrected discs are now in-store. For any further AB UK questions, you're advised to email them direct via www.anchorbay.co.uk