2 0ast 2 2urious: The Other Label Awards

[Finch]

I should have waited until i got to my laptop

[swo17]

It's fine, I can handle tallying it

[therewillbeblus]

Best Overall Release
1. Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:voir)
2. Thriller: A Cruel Picture (Vinegar Syndrome)
3. The Oslo Trilogy: Three Films by Joachim Trier (Mubi)
4. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (Vinegar Syndrome)
5. The Music of Chance (Imprint)
6. Memoria (Sovereign Film Distribution)
7. House of Terrors (Mondo Macabro)
8. Freeway (Vinegar Syndrome)
9. Essential Film Noir Collection 3 (Imprint)
10. Intégrale Pierre Clémenti (Potemkine)
11. Married to the Mob (Fun City Editions)
12. The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)
13. Don't Deliver Us from Evil (Mondo Macabro)
14. The Most Dangerous Game (Eureka)
15. Three Films by Hong Sang-soo (Cinema Guild)

Best Upgrade
1. Born to Win (Fun City Editions)
2. Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (Grasshopper)
3. Gold Diggers of 1933 (Warner Archive)
4. Eastern Promises (Kino)
5. Come Back, Little Sheba (Imprint)

Best Boxset
1. Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:voir)
2. The Oslo Trilogy: Three Films by Joachim Trier (Mubi)
3. Essential Film Noir Collection 3 (Imprint)
4. Intégrale Pierre Clémenti (Potemkine)
5. The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)

Best Arrow Release
Twisting the Knife: Four Films by Claude Chabrol (Arrow)

Best BFI Release
Get Carter

Best Deaf Crocodile Release
The Time-Bending Mysteries of Shahram Mokri

Best 88 Films Release
1. The Seventh Curse
2. Dragons Forever

Best Eureka Release
The Most Dangerous Game

Best Fun City Editions Release
1. Married to the Mob
2. Heartbreakers

Best Imprint Release
1. The Music of Chance
2. Essential Film Noir Collection 3

Best Indicator Release
1. Universal Noir #1
2. Diary of a Mad Housewife
3. Remember the Night

Best Kino Release
Miklós Jancsó Collection

Best Second Run Release
1. The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda
2. Love
3. The Devil's Trap

Best Vinegar Syndrome Release
1. Thriller: A Cruel Picture
2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
3. Freeway

Best Warner Archive Release
Gold Diggers of 1933

Best Label
1. Fun City Editions
2. Second Run
3. Vinegar Syndrome

Best Commentary
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (Thriller: A Cruel Picture, Vinegar Syndrome)

Best Bonus Film
The Flicker (Lux Æterna, Yellow Veil)

Best Collection of Short Films
1. Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:voir)
2. Apocalypse After (Mondo Macabro)

Best Cover
1. The Most Dangerous Game
2. The Party and the Guests
3. Intégrale Pierre Clémenti

Worst Cover
Reservoir Dogs

Best Packaging
1. Cloak & Dagger (Vinegar Syndrome)
2. Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:voir)

Best Late Discovery
1. Siegfried A. Fruhauf: Nature and Abstractions (Re:voir)
2. A Reflection of Fear (Imprint)

Best Alternative to a Criterion Release
1. The Worst Person in the World (Mubi)
2. The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)

[Calvin]

Best Overall Release
01. Out of the Blue (Severin)
02. Nil By Mouth (BFI)
03. Nobuhiko Obayashi's 80s Kadokawa Years (Third Window)
04. Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:voir)
05. Miklos Jancso Collection (Kino)
06. The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)
07. The Witch (Second Sight)
08. The Party and the Guests (Second Run)
09. A Fugitive from the Past (Arrow)
10. Remember the Night (Indicator)


Best Upgrade
01. Casablanca (Warner)
02. Touch of Evil (Kino)
03. Singin' in the Rain (Warner)
04. The Godfather Trilogy (Paramount)
05. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Eureka)

Best Boxset
01. Nobuhiko Obayashi's 80s Kadokawa Years (Third Window)
02. Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:voir)
03. Miklos Jancso Collection (Kino)
04. The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)
05. The Other French New Wave Vol. 1 (Canadian International Pictures)

Best Arrow Release
A Fugitive from the Past

Best BFI Release
Nil By Mouth

Best Deaf Crocodile Release
The Time-Bending Mysteries of Shahram Mokri

Best 88 Films Release - abstain

Best Eureka Release
Vampyr

Best Fun City Editions Release - abstain

Best Imprint Release - abstain

Best Indicator Release
Remember the Night

Best Kino Release
Miklos Jancso Collection

Best Second Run Release
1. The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda
2. The Party and the Guests
3. Desire / All My Good Countrymen

Best Vinegar Syndrome Release - abstain

Best Warner Archive Release
The Clock

Best Label
Second Run

Best Commentary - abstain

Best Bonus Film
The Hand (The Party and the Guests, Second Run)

Best Collection of Short Films
Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:voir)

Best Other On-Disc Extra
On Dragon's Return (Second Run)

Best Book
The Witch (Second Sight)

Best Cover
The Witch (Second Sight)

Worst Cover
Reservoir Dogs

Best Packaging
Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:voir)

Best Late Discovery - abstain

Best Alternative to a Criterion Release
The Party and the Guests

[swo17]

As a reminder, I was planning to close the vote after tonight and post results tomorrow. Until then, you can still vote here or in this thread

[ryannichols7]

as a sequel to my long-winded post in the Criterion Awards this year, I present my first vote in the "other label awards" - since many of the contributors to these releases are more likely to read this post than any of the Criterion ones, this one will probably be even longer. sorry if this bores or takes up too much space

Best Overall Release
01 The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)
02 Miklós Jancsó Collection (Kino)
03 Remember the Night (Indicator)
04 Vampyr (MoC)
05 The Pemini Organisation (Indicator)
06 Desire / All My Good Countrymen (Second Run)
07 Rainer Werner Fassbinder Collection Vol. 3 (Arrow)
08 Dersu Uzala (Imprint)
09 The Party and the Guests (Second Run)
10 Nobuhiko Obayashi's 80s Kadokawa Years (Third Window)
11 Universal Noir #1 (Indicator)
12 Three Films by Hong Sang-soo (Cinema Guild)
13 Love (Second Run)
14 A Fugitive from the Past (Arrow)
15 Diary of a Mad Housewife (Indicator)
16 The Most Dangerous Game (Eureka)
17 Dragon's Return (Second Run)
18 Adrift in Tokyo (Third Window Films)
19 Bartleby (Indicator)
20 Twisting the Knife: Four Films by Claude Chabrol (Arrow)
21 Coach to Vienna (Second Run)
22 Phantom of the Monastery (Indicator)
23 El vampiro negro (Flicker Alley)
24 The Devil's Trap (Second Run)
25 Bullfighter and the Lady (Indicator)

voted on by the edition, not the films themselves. I will cover most of these below. I liked the Cinema Guild box for Hong Sang Soo on an aesthetic/design level (obviously the films/transfers are good, and I'm glad it was a box instead of individual titles), but functionally they couldn't have gotten flimsier cardboard, a shame. but a truly minor complaint. Flicker Alley was kinda quiet this year for me, not as strong as years past. Third Window finally released multiple things I wanted in a single year, a nice surprise. anyway, further reading below...

Best Upgrade
01 Touch of Evil (Kino)
02 Singin' in the Rain (WB)
03 Casablanca (WB)
04 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (MoC)
05 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (WAC)
06 Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (Grasshopper)

a pretty good year for this. some of the Kino UHDs should've been up here so Touch of Evil will represent them all. I only care about the 1.85 ratio personally (looks most "correct" to me) so to get it for all three cuts is awesome. WB did a fantastic job with their big UHDs but I do wish they'd do the same for Gone With the Wind. Caligari is stunning and it's just a gift to have a silent on UHD. Grasshopper's Hong title was good though I wish there had been something, anything on that edition.

Best Boxset
01 The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)
02 Miklós Jancsó Collection (Kino)
03 The Pemini Organisation (Indicator)
04 Rainer Werner Fassbinder Collection Vol. 3 (Arrow)
05 Nobuhiko Obayashi's 80s Kadokawa Years (Third Window)

as I'll talk about the individual labels together, I will dedicate this space to Third Window, who pulled off licensing four hard to find films in really good restorations, gave them a nice package with some extras and all. bravo guys, I look forward to more things of this nature in the future!

Best Arrow Release
01 Rainer Werner Fassbinder Collection Vol. 3
02 Come Drink With Me
03 A Fugitive From the Past
04 Twisting the Knife: Four Films by Claude Chabrol
05 Red Angel

not exactly my taste for Arrow this year as much but they still got out some great stuff. since I missed the first Fassbinder box, these three volumes were a godsend. getting many of the "rarer" films in volume 3 with gorgeous transfers, commentaries, and other extras was incredible, top notch stuff. I loved the Come Drink With Me edition - despite an older master (what the hell, Celestial!), they went all out with the extras, including an incredible commentary from Tony Rayns which was a total clinic on King Hu. fantastic stuff all around. A Fugitive From the Past was a cool film and I liked Jasper Sharp's approach to producing the select scene commentaries for this (long) movie. more Irene Gonzalez Lopez please. still working through Chabrol but cool to see even "lesser" titles (according to many of this forum's experts) get such a cool treatment. I would've rather voted for To Sleep as so is to Dream (an incredible film) instead of Red Angel but I'll boost more Masumura. please, Kisses, The Blue Sky Maiden, and the "wife" films!

Best BFI Release
Get Carter

not the best BFI year at all, I don't even like the film I'm voting for but the edition is undeniably terrific. BFI knew it was a big title to get and they didn't disappoint at all.

Best Eureka Release
01 Vampyr
02 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
03 The Most Dangerous Game

it was worth the long wait for an MOC upgrade, but awesome to see them release the definitive version of Dreyer's film. Criterion beat them out on Joan of Arc (though the MOC is still an essential own) and MOC wins handily on Vampyr. just a fantastic edition. I spoke on Caligari a bit above, but props to Jacob and Jon for adding even more onto an already loaded edition! and Most Dangerous Game, another really definitive edition of a film with many releases. all around, a solid year for MOC..just hope we aren't left in the dust with the HK releases.

Best Imprint Release
Dersu Uzala

with Mosfilm a no go any time soon, I'm glad Imprint got this out on disc. it's serviceable transfer wise with really strong extras from Stuart Galbraith and MichaelB.

Best Indicator Release
01 Remember the Night
02 The Pemini Organization
03 Universal Noir #3
04 Diary of a Mad Housewife
05 Bartleby
06 The Phantom of the Monastery
07 A Time for Dying
08 Bullfighter and the Lady
09 Robin Hood at Hammer

I make it no secret how much I enjoy Indicator's work - aside from Second Run, there isn't a label I'm more willing to blind buy and take a chance from. even if the film isn't my thing, their treatment and contextualization will be. it is a sheer treat to see a hardbox treatment for a classic Hollywood film, no less a film with these key players. Adrian Martin didn't get a commentary nomination due to the late release of this film, but he was up to the challenge on Remember the Night. Pamela Hutchinson and Geoff Andrew's scholarly contributions were top notch as well. and speaking of blind faith and pure context - The Pemini Organization is a shining example. who would've ever even thought of these films? but there's Indicator with a phenomenal deep dive into something I would've never known about - this is such an impressive set. I'm a sucker for the Noir sets, be it Columbia or Universal. I dream of Paramount or Fox getting a similar line. I liked Diary of a Mad Housewife a lot, the scholarly extras on here were really comprehensive and fascinating. not only did I like the film more than the much regarded The Swimmer, but I thought the edition was a lot better too. Bartleby was a really cool little obscurity I would've never heard of if not for this label, and I like that the director (only feature!) was interviewed. the Mexican Gothic titles were great, lots of good extras there as well. for Budd Boetticher, I gotta hand it to Indicator for giving his maligned final film a pretty royal treatment. Bullfighter and the Lady wasn't far behind - I love the pairing of Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme, but I'll also take those two in any context. all the extras about Boetticher across both sets were great. and again, Robin Hood at Hammer is something i'd never buy if another label did it. Indicator took me to school, as they did many times this past year. thank you Sam, John, Anthony, Michael, James, David, and Nick...and anyone else I may have forgotten!

PS: Hoffman was an awesome edition too

Best Kino Release
01 Miklós Jancsó Collection
02 Touch of Evil

the label that releases so much did good this year too, though I'm still playing catch up with them. the crowning jewel is the Jancsó set we all loved. $25 net you six incredible films, a boatload of shorts, and commentaries on every single film. while not all of the tracks were winners, most were and the transfers were glorious. I kept it from #1 overall release of the year for silly reasons - it came in a blue case, and I wish each film had gotten its own art. but I fully acknowledge that's ridiculous, this was a dream come true set.

Best Second Run Release
01 The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda
02 Desire / All My Good Countrymen
03 The Party and the Guests
04 Love
05 Dragon's Return
06 Coach to Vienna
07 The Devil's Trap

if you know me, you know how much I love this label and own every single one of their Bluray releases. The War Trilogy was such a way to announce "we cracked the Polish code"! truly! MichaelB and Michał Oleszczyk totally outdid themselves here, the art is incredible, the transfers great, and just having Kanal and A Generation is top notch. glad to hear from Wajda and see his shorts, as well as get contributions from Tony Rayns, Peter Hames, and Ewa Mazierska. all around, my favorite release of the year, just thrilled to see it on the shelf. the Jasny set of Desire / All My Good Countrymen had gotten their own cases, as both covers are gorgeous (I pleaded with Second Run to get a second with my order), but both films got gorgeous transfers, as well as Czech Rhapsody and It's Not Always Cloudy - the latter wonderfully appearing on Coach to Vienna as well. points were docked on that one because I didn't like the commentary there as much. I'll actually cover The Party and the Guests below, Love was great to get a lot of contributions from Karoly Makk. Dragon's Return was a glorious upgrade - so many cool features on there and I love the updates to the transfer and the cover. lastly The Devil's Trap - please more Vlacil! banner year for our best label working today, thank you Mr. Modi, Chris, and anyone else behind the curtain assisting this label.

Best Vinegar Syndrome Release
this label is the exact opposite of my taste, and unfortunately many of their partner labels are as well, all of which have been excluded.

Best Warner Archive Release
01 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
02 The Clock
03 Gold Diggers of 1933
04 Stage Fright

not the best year, but as George says, 2023 is the comeback year for WAC. still some cool ones though!

Best Label
01 Second Run
02 Indicator
03 Kino
04 Arrow
05 Warner Archive
06 BFI

the top 2 are the same top 2 I would've voted in 2022. sorry if this is uninteresting, it's also unlikely to change judging from 2023 so far...

Best Commentary
01 Michael Brooke (The Round-Up, Kino)
02 David Kalat (The Saphead, MoC)

two all timers in the ring. Kalat has won this many times - no forum bias to MichaelB but he absolutely laid down the law on this track. one for the ages, bravo, and it couldn't be on a better movie!

Best Bonus Film
01 It's Not Always Cloudy (Second Run)
02 The Hand (The Party and the Guests, Second Run)

the Jasny/Kachyna debut was a perfect inclusion on both discs, as the film set me up for appreciating each director wonderfully. it's also a pretty lovely watch in its own right! I even watched it twice.

Best Collection of Short Films
Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:Voir)

I don't own this yet (it's just so expensive) but this should win, just because it seems they got everything on here.

Best Other On-Disc Extra
On Dragon's Return (Second Run)

Best Book
Remember the Night (Indicator)

more 80 page booklets for the classic Hollywood titles, please.

Best Cover
01 Coach to Vienna (Second Run)
02 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (MoC)
03 The Party and the Guests (Second Run)
04 The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter (Arrow)
05 The Most Dangerous Game (MoC)

Coach to Vienna is basically a perfect film and I feel bad voting it lower on the range for best SR release above. the cover (and menu art, for that matter) are incredibly striking, so it handily wins. I like the Caligari and MDG art but both weren't original pieces so I (only slightly, in Caligari's case) docked them. Caligari is higher because they somehow managed to release something really cool to house an already iconic cover. The Party and the Guests is a great upgrade over the DVD cover. I like The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter - this release deserved some more love overall.

Worst Cover
Reservoir Dogs

OrbitDVD has this on clearance because clearly no one wants to own this, even steelbook fanboys.

Best Alternative to a Criterion Release
01 The Party and the Guests (Second Run)
02 Vampyr (MoC)
03 The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)
04 The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Studio Canal)

The Party and the Guests should not be on an eclipse DVD only - it deserves way better and it feels way unlikely Criterion will do such. Second Run tricked it out with TWO commentaries and their old Peter Hames piece, topping it off with The Hand and an excellent essay from MichaelB that seems to add on to his Diamonds of the Night commentary. an easy winner for me. as mentioned above, Vampyr is ultra definitive and pretty substantial of an edition. The War Trilogy should gain points for including Kanal and A Generation but it already won two categories for me and the Criterion Ashes and Diamonds wasn't a bad standalone disc. lastly - I hope Canal upgrades their other Bunuels. it's great that Criterion got the three back in print (in a box, no less) but the transfers were certainly dated. Canal can make up for this by doing UHDs of them all, I'll be in.

okay that wasn't as lengthy as I thought, but thank you again to everyone who contributed to any of these!! and thank you to all of you who regularly support these labels as well, they truly deserve it

[Maltic]

Great post Ryan. I was a little uneasy about voting this year myself, as I haven't put as much time and effort into each release as I usually do.

[swo17]

BEST OVERALL RELEASES OF 2022

01 Remember the Night (Indicator)
02 Miklós Jancsó Collection (Kino)
03 Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:voir)
04 The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)
05 Freeway (Vinegar Syndrome)
06 Out of the Blue (Severin)
07 The Music of Chance (Imprint)
08 Bartleby (Indicator)
09 Desire / All My Good Countrymen (Second Run)
10 The Most Dangerous Game (Eureka)
11 Red Angel (Arrow)
12 Nobuhiko Obayashi's 80s Kadokawa Years (Third Window)
13 The Pemini Organisation (Indicator)
14 The Party and the Guests (Second Run)
15 Dersu Uzala (Imprint)
16 Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (Vinegar Syndrome)
17 The Appointment (BFI)
18 A Time for Dying (Indicator)
19 The Other French New Wave Vol. 1 (Canadian International Pictures)
20 Warriors Two + The Prodigal Son (Eureka)

BEST UPGRADES

01 Gold Diggers of 1933 (Warner Archive)
02 Singin' in the Rain (WB)
03 Born to Win (Fun City Editions)
04 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (MoC)
05 Touch of Evil (Kino)
06 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) (Warner Archive)
07 The Godfather Trilogy (Paramount)
08 Casablanca (WB)
09 The Clock (Warner Archive)
10 Tenebre (Arrow)

BEST BOXSETS

01 Jonas Mekas: Diaries, Notes & Sketches Vol. 1-8 (Re:voir)
02 Miklós Jancsó Collection (Kino)
03 The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)
04 Ghost Stories For Christmas Vol. 1 (BFI)
05 Nobuhiko Obayashi's 80s Kadokawa Years (Third Window)
06 Tavernier: The Essential Collection (StudioCanal)
07 The Godfather Trilogy (Paramount)
08 The Pemini Organisation (Indicator)
09 Shawscope Volume 2 (Arrow)
10 After Dark: Neo Noir Cinema Collection Vol. 1 (Imprint)
(tie) The Other French New Wave Vol. 1 (Canadian International Pictures)

BEST ARROW RELEASE

Runner-up: Rainer Werner Fassbinder Collection Vol. 3

BEST BFI RELEASE

Runner-up: Get Carter

BEST DEAF CROCODILE RELEASE

Runner-up: Sampo

BEST 88 FILMS RELEASE

Runner-up: Righting Wrongs

BEST EUREKA RELEASE

Runner-up: The Most Dangerous Game

BEST FUN CITY EDITIONS RELEASE

Runner-up: Heartbreakers

BEST IMPRINT RELEASE

Runner-up: Dersu Uzala

BEST INDICATOR RELEASE

Runner-up: The Pemini Organisation

BEST KINO RELEASE

Runner-up: Touch of Evil

BEST SECOND RUN RELEASE

Runner-up: Desire / All My Good Countrymen

BEST VINEGAR SYNDROME RELEASE

Runner-up: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

BEST WARNER ARCHIVE RELEASE

Runner-up: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

BEST LABEL


Runner-up: Second Run

BEST COMMENTARY: David Kalat

Runner-up: Michael Brooke (The Round-Up, Kino)

BEST BONUS FILM: The Hand

Runner-up: The Flicker (Lux Æterna, Yellow Veil)

BEST COLLECTION OF SHORT FILMS

Runner-up: Apocalypse After (Mondo Macabro)

BEST OTHER ON-DISC EXTRA: On Dragon's Return

Runner-up: Shahram Mokri interviews (Deaf Crocodile)

BEST BOOK

Runner-up: The Witch (Second Sight)

BEST COVER

Runner-up: Dog Soldiers (Second Sight)

WORST COVER
Reservoir Dogs (Lionsgate)

BEST PACKAGING

Runner-up: Cloak & Dagger (Vinegar Syndrome)

BEST LATE DISCOVERY

Runner-up: A Reflection of Fear (Imprint)

BEST ALTERNATIVE TO A CRITERION RELEASE

Runner-up: The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (Second Run)

[Finch]

Thanks for arranging and tallying the vote, swo!

[therewillbeblus]

Thanks swo! And a hearty congrats to FCE! Maybe it's finally time to reinstate its own thread

[swo17]

Maybe it's finally time to reinstate its own thread

Fine