THE WATCHDOG BARKS
WHEN DONNA AND I announced the end of VIDEO WATCHDOG’s 27-year run last year, we had already assembled the bulk of this issue but were not financially able to produce it. We were touched by numerous details in the warm and support- ive letters that came in response to our news, but one stood out for us—that the thrill of finding that white or yellow envelope in your mailbox would be particularly missed.
Well, surprise! Here it is, one last time.
We regretted having to stop where and when we did, right in the middle of John-Paul Checkett’s glorious two-part CARMILLA article, but we reached a point when we had to admit that our venture was losing more money than it stood to make. When Richard Kaufman, one of our long-time subscribers and the editor of GENII Magazine, heard of our decision, he reached out to us—and, upon learning that we had one mostly completed issue still up our sleeves, he made the necessary magic happen.
We are extremely grateful to Richard and our Patrons for allowing us this opportunity for proper closure, to wrap things up, to say our good-byes in print, and to present a special Thank You to our subscribers for their unwa- vering devotion and support during this diffi- cult time. Although this issue will not be avail- able in stores, a limited number will be available through our website, and as always, the digital edition will be free to all. Only subscriber copies will feature the grace note found on the inside back cover.
On another personal note, now that I’ve had about a year to work through my emo- tions about ending the magazine, I can better see that it was time to do something else. If you peruse the latest issues of VW, you’ll find me unconsciously hinting at this, as I noted my intentions to accommodate more of a dialogue in future issues between the producers and restorationists working for Blu-ray com- panies, and to introduce more discussion of cinematography in our coverage. Truth be told, as a result of my work as an audio commentator for BD/DVD releases, I have become more interested in writing about films than in writing about films critically. After more than 30 years of doing so, for this and other publications, I have lost nearly all my appetite for comparing different versions of films and documenting their minutiae. The good news is that much of this work has been absorbed into the supplements that accompany new releases on DVD and Blu-ray; the bad news is that studio-controlled product sometimes exercises its power to control the truth. But, for the most part, the companies that specialize in our favorite films, the genre product, are unfailingly honest and clear- minded in their accompanying reportage. It’s not a bad turn of events; in fact, I have to say that the world of home video we enjoy today is almost exactly what I described as a distant hope in the editorials of our earliest issues. So... mission accomplished.
For 27 years, Donna and I, along with all the talented people in our Kennel, strove to pro- duce a magazine attentive to maverick cinema, written in a fair, intelligent, literary, and always loving way. We thank you for providing us with an audience for such a long run. While we don’t know what the future holds for us, we’re not thinking of producing another magazine. Of course, I have ideas about such things, but none that would make us comfortable in the years remaining to us. So it’s time to explore new avenues of expression.
Our website will continue to share my blogging, to inform you of our current activi- ties, and to offer our digital publications as well as remaining inventory of our print editions.
Don’t be a stranger.
And now, for one last time... enjoy!
Tim Lucas 3
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