SEVERIN And SHUDDER/IFC FILMS Link Arms For Physical Media Releases!

There’s an old saying that goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. The point is that sometimes working with others is a better way to increase your reach, and it seems that is the page of the playbook that Severin Films and Shudder/IFC Films are taking for their newly-inked distribution deal! First reported on by Variety on Friday, the deal aims to bring a slew of the most popular Shudder Original films in Severin’s distinct special edition format. The article did cite the first wave of titles to be released, and they include:

Initial titles include Joko Anwar’s “Satan’s Slaves”; Brandon Cronenberg’s “Antiviral”; Can Evrenol’s “Baskin”; Franck Khalfoun’s 2012 remake of “Maniac”; Douglas Buck’s 2006 remake of “Sisters” and André Øvredal’s “The Autopsy of Jane Doe.”

This isn’t the first time that Severin has mingled with the folks over at Shudder, as many of the label’s releases have also been shown on the latter’s streaming service. This kind of partnership does wonders for fans of boutique physical media, but also plays into a trend that many collectors aren’t a fan of; double-dipping. Titles like “Antiviral”, “Baskin”, and “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” already have widely-available releases that are still in print. While this may signal that those editions will no longer be circulated, it does beg the question if these re-releases will provide that extra sheen to encourage collectors to pick it up. Another question is where does this put the RLJE Films relationship with Shudder? RLJE has taken the lead on releasing many of the service’s originals on Blu-ray, so will that continue in some capacity or shift entirely to Severin? If the latter, will this impact the number of Severin releases we are getting to make way for the Shudder/IFC influx? All good problems and questions to consider.

Concerns aside, this is great news for the genre and collectors. Severin does impeccable work with their releases, and Shudder has heaps of films that are screaming for the boutique label’s Midas touch. One thing we hope to see is a box set of all the V/H/S/ films as well as Demián Rugna’s first film, Terrified. We will bring you more information as it becomes available!

Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.