The HD cable channels that I receive have been showing high-def versions of some cool flicks like ISLAND OF TERROR (US uncut version), NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (doggie ending), PARASITE, SPACE HUNTER, DEATH WISH 2 (uncut!), and FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS. Others are showing up on MONSTERS-HD. This means that there must be high-def masters for these titles. So what are the chances of these hitting dvd, hd-dvd and/or Blu-ray? NIGHT OF THE CREEPS would look great on the shelf next to SLITHER.

I'd caution you to keep in mind that reputable companies have been pre-mastering their titles in HD for years, so the fact that they're now being utilized for broadcast isn't an indication of an imminent disc-based release.

Now, what that *does* mean is that, when it's considered a profitable venture, much of the transfer work will have already have been done on catalog titles. Unfortunately, this is another double-edged sword, because they were expensive masters, and there was a definite learning curve for them - there are some older masters being used on current HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, and some of them are noticeably lacking. More noticeably, in fact, than their companion Standard-Def issues, because the higher resolution brings their deficiencies into sharper relief.

Didn't FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS look beautiful, though? Some additional color work looks to have been done - it's much more robust-looking than the current DVD.

FVK looked a lot better in HD than BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA did. And the 80's titles like CREEPS, PARASITE and SPACE HUNTER will always have that slightly soft look to them (filmstock?), but this is by far the clearest and cleanest I've ever seen them. Especially the once 3D PARASITE, which used to be so dark and blurry that it was near unwatchable.

Watching THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS, now. It looks great, though there's still a bit of speckling, here and there. Worth keeping, though, as it looks much better then the current dvd. I really hope MGM gets around to releasing this on dvd, maybe with a Polanski commentary(?).

Phil, which channels are you referring to? I know that NIGHT OF THE CREEPS showed up on Monsters HD, but where has DEATH WISH II showed? I didn't know it was the uncut version.

I'll take speckling.

It reminds me that I'm watching something shot on film, and is a good indication that excessive noise reduction hasn't been applied to the image, killing deep detail. No problem at all for me.

Also, It's the same base transfer as the DVD - same speckles. Don't expect a Standard-Def reissue.

DEATH WISH II shows up on HDNet Movies.

Domenick - Jeffery's right about HDNet. You have to look at HDNet's schedule pretty close because genre stuff isn't played very often. If you're a fan of VIBES or QUICK CHANGE, there's plenty of showtimes. The others are showing up on Universal's HD station, which was recently added.