A new vintage film restoration and distribution company, Film Masters, has been launched by industry veteran and film historian Phil Hopkins.
The company plans to release one Blu-ray/DVD title each month, with the premiere release being a two-disc collection of the cult favorite “The Giant Gila Monster” with the bonus film “The Killer Shrews,” arriving on September 26, 2023. The films were initially released as a double-feature bill in 1959.
The initial release will be followed by the horror flick “Beast From Haunted Dove” on October 24 and the 1934 drama “The Scarlett Letter” on November 21.
“Preserving these films in an increasingly homogenized media world is more important than ever,” said Hopkins. “As a consortium of historians and avid enthusiasts, Film Masters was launched to celebrate the preservation and restoration of vintage movies, many of them cult films, that otherwise might not be seen or experienced by a new generation of film lovers. Each release will feature original bonus materials that contextualize and enhance the enjoyment and understanding of the film.”
The majority of the film releases will be restored from a new, 4k scan of 35mm, original film elements; will be offered in original aspect ratios; and will be presented on region-free discs with DTS-HD sound and Dolby AC3s sound.
As part of the Film Masters team, Hopkins is working with several other film historians, authors, and journalists to provide insights and viewpoints for use as original content for its bonus features as well as on its website and in four-color, collectible booklets inserted in its Blu-ray/DVD releases.
Among those being tapped to help with bonus features are:
- Author Larry Blamire
- Producer/director Daniel Griffith
- Author and film historian C. Courtney Joyner
- Professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney
- Film historian Sam Sherman
- Film historian Tom Weaver
Among those helping with website content and the release booklets are:
- Susan King, a film/TV/theater writer for the Los Angeles Times for 26 years specializing in classic Hollywood
- Award-winning journalist and author Don Stradley
- Karen Burroughs Hannsberry, author of two books on film noir and editor of “The Dark Pages” newsletter
- Author and filmmaker Anders Runestad
- Kami and Chris Spagenberg, editors of the Classic Couple website, which celebrates vintage movies and film history
On the company’s website, the Film Masters Blog will post multiple articles each month covering various topics, often to contextualize a film showing on the Film Masters YouTube Channel, which is now streaming a variety of classic films.
For more information on Film Masters, its mission, and its films, visit FilmMasters.com.
