POLSELLI POLITICS
Monday, March 15, 2010
Does bad distribution in life result in distribution woes in death?
If your name is Renato Polselli then the answer must surely be "yes"...
With a career burdened by poor production decisions and erratic distribution, Renato Polselli painted himself into a corner, the results of which were a career's-worth of film projects destined for obscurity and confusion. And as the DVD revolution began to roll the obscurity remained, save for a few unearthed gems being rescued and afforded the digital treatment, with confusion reigning supreme over not just the whereabouts of certain film elements but ownership claims.
With all kinds of mystery surrounding some films and others having reverted back to the director's possession after the folding of certain video labels, the free-for-all during such confusion was apparent, with various labels taking liberties at the expense of the old-time filmmaker. Theft, dishonesty, disrespect...the last years of his life were rife with such treatment at the hands of so-called "fans" who now owned their own labels and who wanted a slice of glory at the expense of an old-timer.
Upon his passing, Renato and his cinematic legacy faired no better. And still to this day film rights and original elements are often shrouded in mystery. Not that it matters...as there are always those out there who, whether there is confusion or clarity, will always attempt to take liberties with the work of a downtrodden or deceased director...MYA Communications are one of "those".
A shady company forged by the remnants and associates of a former DVD label, they push forward with their "grey-area" label (or "professional-bootleg" outfit, if you will) churning out one film after another utilizing old worn video masters from the early-days of VHS and with little regard for those who own the rights.
A case in point: their announcing of 2 Polselli films on their future release schedule that they do not have license for releasing. Those 2 films, "OSCENITA'" and "LA VERITA' SECONDO SATANA" are to be released by Sarcophilous Films by way of formal license with the rights owner and we can say with 100% confidence that MYA Communications has not in any way approached the rights owner at any point to discuss leasing the rights, before or after their release schedule was announced online...
Beware...there are companies out there who are not genuine fans and who care little for such fans. Their sole interest is money. At the expense of the directors...at the expense of the rights owners...at the expense of your hard-earned money...at the expense of your viewing pleasure...
MYA Communications wishes to rip off rights owners to sell you unlicensed films in shoddy editions using substandard video master elements culled from old video labels at your great expense.
They are not the only ones. Bruno Vani, Polselli's longtime collaborator and secretary was even visited on his deathbed in hospital and duped into signing over rights to at least one of his films whilst in no fit state of mind to do so. Not by MYA Communications, but by someone close to them. Let's see whether TORINO - CENTRALE DEL VIZIO is the first step towards releasing more Vani and Polselli titles that have been obtained via dubious means or not legally obtained at all...
Sarcophilous Films, while no great "mover and shaker" in the DVD business, has the integrity to sacrifice ourselves on the block in an attempt to give the fans what they deserve. At the expense of our own financial resources (and sanity) we continue the struggle uphill with no distribution in place still and with a huge weight on our tiny shoulders. But we do it out of genuine passion for these films as well as those who created them and those who share our interest in resurrecting these little-seen gems. It may cripple us, it may even result in someone dragging the label's whimpering carcass behind the proverbial "woodshed" and putting us out of our misery one day. But we push forward anyway, fighting the costs and fighting our own disenchantment in an attempt to be recognised and to squeeze out as many unearthed gems as possible for ourselves, the fans and the directors and immortalize them by way of stuffed Special Editions...
Screw the money-grabbing pretenders! Support SARCOPHILOUS!
If your name is Renato Polselli then the answer must surely be "yes"...
With a career burdened by poor production decisions and erratic distribution, Renato Polselli painted himself into a corner, the results of which were a career's-worth of film projects destined for obscurity and confusion. And as the DVD revolution began to roll the obscurity remained, save for a few unearthed gems being rescued and afforded the digital treatment, with confusion reigning supreme over not just the whereabouts of certain film elements but ownership claims.
With all kinds of mystery surrounding some films and others having reverted back to the director's possession after the folding of certain video labels, the free-for-all during such confusion was apparent, with various labels taking liberties at the expense of the old-time filmmaker. Theft, dishonesty, disrespect...the last years of his life were rife with such treatment at the hands of so-called "fans" who now owned their own labels and who wanted a slice of glory at the expense of an old-timer.
Upon his passing, Renato and his cinematic legacy faired no better. And still to this day film rights and original elements are often shrouded in mystery. Not that it matters...as there are always those out there who, whether there is confusion or clarity, will always attempt to take liberties with the work of a downtrodden or deceased director...MYA Communications are one of "those".
A shady company forged by the remnants and associates of a former DVD label, they push forward with their "grey-area" label (or "professional-bootleg" outfit, if you will) churning out one film after another utilizing old worn video masters from the early-days of VHS and with little regard for those who own the rights.
A case in point: their announcing of 2 Polselli films on their future release schedule that they do not have license for releasing. Those 2 films, "OSCENITA'" and "LA VERITA' SECONDO SATANA" are to be released by Sarcophilous Films by way of formal license with the rights owner and we can say with 100% confidence that MYA Communications has not in any way approached the rights owner at any point to discuss leasing the rights, before or after their release schedule was announced online...
Beware...there are companies out there who are not genuine fans and who care little for such fans. Their sole interest is money. At the expense of the directors...at the expense of the rights owners...at the expense of your hard-earned money...at the expense of your viewing pleasure...
MYA Communications wishes to rip off rights owners to sell you unlicensed films in shoddy editions using substandard video master elements culled from old video labels at your great expense.
They are not the only ones. Bruno Vani, Polselli's longtime collaborator and secretary was even visited on his deathbed in hospital and duped into signing over rights to at least one of his films whilst in no fit state of mind to do so. Not by MYA Communications, but by someone close to them. Let's see whether TORINO - CENTRALE DEL VIZIO is the first step towards releasing more Vani and Polselli titles that have been obtained via dubious means or not legally obtained at all...
Sarcophilous Films, while no great "mover and shaker" in the DVD business, has the integrity to sacrifice ourselves on the block in an attempt to give the fans what they deserve. At the expense of our own financial resources (and sanity) we continue the struggle uphill with no distribution in place still and with a huge weight on our tiny shoulders. But we do it out of genuine passion for these films as well as those who created them and those who share our interest in resurrecting these little-seen gems. It may cripple us, it may even result in someone dragging the label's whimpering carcass behind the proverbial "woodshed" and putting us out of our misery one day. But we push forward anyway, fighting the costs and fighting our own disenchantment in an attempt to be recognised and to squeeze out as many unearthed gems as possible for ourselves, the fans and the directors and immortalize them by way of stuffed Special Editions...
Screw the money-grabbing pretenders! Support SARCOPHILOUS!
