Badmovies.org Forum

On my DVD on Hydra which just arrived I noticed a sticker that said... well, see the thread title.

Strangely, I think this is the first time I've seen this. I mean, the Sci-Fi Channel not distributing DVD's, they're involved in the production of very few Sci-Fi Channel movies, as they usually commission them or buy the rights to existing ones (usually from companies that previously made low-budget creature features), and... I guess they'd have to mention their channel somehow.

(Note: Actually, if I understand correctly, according to Andrew's reviews of Dragon /fighter, etc., the production companies still have legal rights... what the heck is the Sci-Fi Channel's connection to these movies then? I'd assume there's some difference between say, Nu Image Sci-Fi channel movies like Flu Bird Horror and other Nu Image movies like Shark Attack 3 that aren't "Sci-Fi Channel movies" but air on the channel.)

So actually, the weird thing is not the sticker but its absence on other Sci-Fi Channel movie DVDs.

Has anyone else bought a Sci-Fi Channel movie DVD without the sticker, and where, if anywhere, was the SciFi Channel mentioned?

I would consider any label that reads, "As Seen On The Sci-Fi Channel" as a warning that the movie you are about to watch is bound to suck. I have yet to see a good movie made for that network or by that network that I enjoyed as a good horror or sci-fi film. Seen a lot however that I enjoy watching as bad films however.

Considering the usual quality, I wouldn't be surprised!

I thought Hydra was pretty good, actually. The hunters, who were the equivalent of the regular henchmen, were somewhat dangerous, the two main villains had chemistry, people had the sense to shoot a large carnivore in the head, and the monster wasn't bulletproof. And the last two were probably because of that one specific monster, but nevermind.

Or maybe I've just seen so many of these that a competently-made one registers as "good" in my mind. I don't know.

I think the SyFy Channel contributes about half the money to make some of those movies.  Sometimes the film makers themselves find the other half of the money from investors or something.  I know productions companies like the Asylum make movies for SyFy, but I guess it's some sort of financial arrangement.  Form what I've read, the film makers check with the network exec's, SyFy says "add more CGI", and that's about it.  It's a sweet deal for the Asylum because they get their movies shown on TV which otherwise would be pretty darned rare for them.

I've got several of their DVD's, it usually mentions the Sci-Fi Channel in the opening credits, like they're the main producer or production company or whatever.

There's no Sci-Fi label on my copy of Tin Man.  And they were proud of that one.  Might have been on the plastic rap-can't remember.

I don't have the link to it anymore, but I read and article about this a few years back. Those movies typically cost about $3mil and  SyFy gives them $750,000 which gives them the right to tweak the scripts and such.  I think the production company holds the DVD rights and SyFy keeps the broadcast rights.

I see now that Chiller and Sleuth (both owned by NBC as is SyFy) have begun showing these movies too.

Some of them I think they just buy and stick their SyFy original tag on.