Shout Factory has been, for a long time, one of my favourite distributing companies. From a wide array of films to television series from my childhood (special mentions to Home Movies, ReBoot and Beast Wars), they have always known how to satisfy the itch of their fans with releases that are made with love and care.
    A bit over four years ago they launched their Scream Factory label, aimed more towards horror and cult films thatmight have otherwise not gotten the treatment in North America that they give it. To say that it's filled me with endless joy with the titles they've chosen so far would be an understatement. Then, this past summer, they began a series titled Shout! Select, releasing classics, cult, and other wide variety of films that, again, wouldn't necessarily be a go-to for other companies to do a proper treatment for (great releases they've had so far include Buckaroo Banzai, To Live and Die in LA, Midnight Run, and more).
    So, with me having spent a lot of time daydreaming over what I'd love from their horror and cult oriented label, and with the new possibilities under Shout! Select, I thought it'd be neat to try to cut down what I'd love to see the most. Why only five choices? Because I'm a jerk to myself and thought I should make it harder than I should. Needless to say, I'm sure there will be some kind of list like this again down the line because, whoa boy, there's a lot I'd love to see.

    Quick aside, because sometimes certain things work out in very peculariar ways; I wrote this piece on the last weekend of January. On the Monday that followed, Shout Factory revealed that they will actually be releasing the film I chose as my Shout! Select pick on Blu-ray in May. I thought about changing it and going with one of the many other films I'd love to see from them, but decided to keep it as is to show why I was as hopeful as I was. Though now I'm giddy with aniticipation.

+1 Shout! Select- Streets of Fire

     I have a personal connection with Streets of Fire, as it was one of the first films I vividly remember my mom recommending to me under the belief that it would be something I would absolutely love. And, obviously, she was right. Walter Hill's mix of 50's and 80's aesthetic, via B-movie goodness, has since been one of my favourite movies to revisit on nights where I just want to sit back and relax with something simple and fun. The entire film has, in my mind, always achieved what it set out to be; a rock and roll fable. I've always felt like it deserved a decent release, especially these days where there is more of an acceptance and want to, not just revisit, but discover movies that have fallen more towards the obscure or unappreciated side once released. I think, because of that, there are quite a few people who haven't seen or heard of Streets of Fire that would very much enjoy it for what it is. Of course, there's also the amazing soundtrack (which I was lucky enough to find on vinyl), which is still just as catchy as when I first saw the film. The movie is a fun, Saturday night romp with friends.

The Five Scream Factory

5) Felidae

     Adapted from the novel of the same name by Akif Pirincci, and Germany's most expensive animated film, Felidae is a neo-noir, murder-mystery about a cat that moves into a new neighborhood with his owner, only to discover that someone, or something, is killing other cats in the area.
    Felidae was odd to decide where to place, but I find that, given its tone and subject matter, it feels more in line with something Scream Factory related than Shout! Select. With a lot of consideration, this would have easily ranked as high as number two on this list, possibly even number one. I like this film a lot, and am generally a fan of animation that tells stories you're more used to seeing as live-action material. But it isn't just the fact that the film is dark that makes me love it, as it's a host of multiple fantastic pieces of nightmarish imagery along with its intriguing story. Are there problems? A simple one, as, since it's animated and therefore has more of a tighter runtime, the pace is very quick for a murder-mystery thriller. There's nothing wrong with that at all, but you do feel as though there could be some moments of breathe or expansion here and there. That isn't that big of an issue, though, as the experience of your first viewing of it sweeps all of that away and isn't something you would necessarily think or consider. It is hard hitting, quick, sad, and horrific. It stands out, easily, amongst a lot of other works that may try to do the same thing. So why did I put it at number five after gushing about it and mentioning it could have been top two material for me? Well...
    I decided that number five would be the proper place for it for one major, important reason. All of the picks I have on here, and will have in the future when I do another list like this, are obviously personal choices. It's what I'd love to see and hope for, under some capacity from anywhere. I tried my best to keep my expectations in check, whether or not a release would come from Shout themselves, or any other distributor. And that's where Felidae comes in. I honestly don't see, or believe, it ever getting a chance to be given a release in the same line as other titles here. This entry mostly comes from wishful thinking and deciding to use this time to talk about the film in a small capacity (I do plan on writing about it at length in the future). There are many factors that lead to this, one of the examples being the fact that people aren't entirely sure who even made up the majority of the English voice cast, though there are a few names that are attached and recognizable. It has been released before, as a VHS, Laserdisc, and DVD in Germany, but I doubt we would get an extensive release, even if all it includes is a new transfer, which would be enough for me.
    If you are curious about the movie, you can watch it on Youtube in its entirety. I am going to say this though, as a precautionary measure; the film is graphic. It's rated R. I know that may not seem as much since a lot of people still would say 'It's animated, can't be anything that bad', but for anyone that may be an animal lover or the like, it is very heavy in some of its subject matter and imagery. If you can get by some of the things that the movie presents and goes through, you may enjoy it as an interesting piece. The best way I can describe it at the time is something along the lines of Seven with animated, realistic cats.

4) Creepshow

    Creepshow is probably the most obvious and unsurprising choice I have on this list, which is why I felt it right to have it near the bottom. This, of course, doesn't take away from the hope of seeing it getting a treatment from the company. What is surprising is the fact that the film has yet to have a proper release of any kind in North America. It has been put out on DVD and Blu-ray before, but it was very much a barebones edition (though the UK did get a 2-disc Special Edition about 10 years ago). Creepshow is George A. Romero and Stephen King coming together to tell five stories that are homages to the wonderful EC/DC horror comics of the 50's, and is done in such a loving style that the movie has always easily been one of the best and most fun choices someone could have for Halloween viewings with friends. It not only does a great job in retaining a very 'comic' style to its filmmaking, but is one of the best horror anthologies ever created. It has always struck me as being a go-to in terms of projects some companies would love to tackle if they had a chance, as it would be widely anticipated by many.
    Arrow Video has recently released the sequel in the UK as a special edition Blu-ray, so, in terms of the first, if it may be copyright or other studio related issues that may be holding it up, hopefully we may see something soon.

3) Martin

    Two George A. Romero films on the same list. Believe me, it was a complete accident, and one that didn't come to me until I was actually typing this up. I had written a large list of films I'd like to see released and, well, through random pickings and choosing, here we are. Shout Factory has already released a handful of George A. Romero's films (Knightriders by Shout, with The Dark Half, Monkey Shines, and Day of the Dead under the Scream label), and Martin seems primed to be a fantastic addition to that lineup. The film received a 2-disc release in the UK by Arrow Video back in 2010, but, like Creepshow, we have yet to see a proper release for it here in North America.
    Not only is it the first time that Romero and Tom Savini worked together, but Martin also holds the distinction of being Romero's favourite of the films that he has made. While the original 165-minute version seems to be lost, it would be incredibly neat to have Romero sit down and talk about some of the original footage that we may never see again, and how it added to the product or how he believes it may have changed or tweaked it as a whole.
    A possible remake has been tossed about since 2010, and though I'm not sure that that will happen at this point, it seems like a good incentive to get the original out for people that may not have had the chance to see it. Not to mention, 2018 will mark the 40th Anniversary of the film, so it would be a treat to see it get the release it deserves.

2) Tourist Trap

    An underrated horror film from the tail end of the 70's, Tourist Trap has been long overdue for a home video release. Over time, it has achieved a cult status that is incredibly well deserved and makes me believe that it would be widely appreciated by fans of horror who may not have seen, or even heard of it, beforehand. It is filled with some genuinely tense moments mixed with great imagery, a good sense of humour, and a wonderful score. Not to mention mannequins. Freaking mannequins...
    Waxwork Records released the score not too long ago on vinyl, so I am hoping that at some point we can look forward to a possible release. It's the perfect fit for Scream Factory in terms of lesser known horror in need of more appreciation and love.

1) Peter Jackson's 'Splatter' Trilogy

    Yeah, I'm just going to go ahead and cheat here, in some ways. Scream Factory have quite a few exceptional boxsets under their belt already (personal favourites being the Vincent Price Collections), and I would love to see what they would be able to do with Jackson's initial three films.
    Simply getting a wider release with good transfers of the three would be enough to entice fans. I also believe that, given the type of person he seems to be, Peter Jackson would be open to be a part of interviews and give insight into the making of the films. Bad Taste, Meet the Feebles, and Braindead have been a go-to for yearly viewings in my home for quite a while now, and they would be the perfect additions to Scream's catalogue. Even Jackson's mockumentary Forgotten Silver could work as a very neat bonus feature. While not all of them may be for everyone, and I plan on covering one or two of them specifically down the line, I can't help but always feel the need to recommend Dead Alive whenever someone talks about their love of horror-comedies. It still has some moments that make me laugh harder than some comedies, and the effects are incredible 20+ years later. The trilogy released in one set would be an absolute goldmine for fans of the films and the label itself.