Typical packaging from a boutique label

Boutique Labels generally release culturally or artistically significant, obscure/rare, cult, mondo, foreign, or otherwise unconventional or uncommon films. They are usually released with the highest level of quality in mind, often include exclusive supplemental material and premium packaging. 

Specialty Labels are similar to Boutique Labels except they specialize on a certain genre or specific type of media such as anime or music.

Bargain Labels release cheap and affordable titles but provides subpar picture quality and sometimes lack bonus material.

For menu interactivity, the majority of these boutique labels use HDMV mode. So, the majority of their BD titles will play on your PC (Windows & Linux) without the Java Runtime Environment. Criterion always uses BD-J mode and sometimes Shout! Factory uses BD-J.

List of Boutique labels

Region A: The Americas, Japan, and South East Asia

Active:

• Criterion - Focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". They helped standardized home video. It's the top of all Boutique Labels, respectively. Sometimes they'll sale films to the U.K. (Region B/Free)
• Shout! Factory - Not always the best restorations, but Shout usually nabs movies that have crappy, bare-bones releases already and pack the sucker with bonus features, new art, etc.
  
• Kino Lobar - Sometimes they're like Criterion, sometimes they're like Vinegar syndrome. They offer lots of forgotten noirs, westerns, occasionally some big horror titles, lots of old Hollywood movies, and some TV shows. Their releases aren't bad, but they're usually coming under stuff like Criterion. They put out a ton of releases, sometimes 20+ a month.
• Arrow Video - European crime movies, shot-on-video horror, Asian extreme films, classic horror, spaghetti westerns, Japanese kaiju, John Hughes movies, something for everyone. They offer awesome restorations, bonus features, and amazing packaging for their limited edition releases. They're also UK-based, so, you may see some overlap in titles with other companies because the rights holders license it to different regions separately. 
• Vinegar Syndrome - Offers VHS-era oddities and forgotten films. They focus on restoring genre, exploitation, and erotic films, including horror and action. They don't always provide bonus meterial but if you're buying a VS disc, you're buying a restoration that will blow your socks off. Their slipcovers are limited, gorgeous, and sought after. 
  
• Severin - Similar to Vinegar Syndrome they focus on cult films. They tend to shoot for more European sleaze with cannibals, killer sharks, slashers/giallo, and Jess Franco movies. Bonus features and restorations are usually on point. The packaging could be better, but their director boxsets (Andy Milligan, Al Adamson) are gorgeous sets.  Sometimes they release weird children's films under their Severin Kids sub-label
• Synapse Films - Similar to Shout! Factory. Their sub-label, MVD Rewind Collection, features cult movies not previously released on Blu-ray in North America, and some that were never even released on DVD. The line offers tons of bonus material and nice packaging.
• Discotek Media - Focused on distributing and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, a lot of them "license rescued" from other companies. They pioneered the SD-BD concept.
  
• Classic Flix - Focuses exclusively on classic film (pre-1960) and television (pre-1970)
• Mondo Macabro - Similar to Vinegar Syndrome and Severin. Focus on releasing cult and exploitation films
• MVD Entertainment - Similar to Shout! Factory. Thier sub-label, MVD Rewind Collection, features cult movies not previously released on Blu-ray in North America, and some that were never even released on DVD. The line offers tons of bonus material and nice packaging.
• Blue Underground - Similar to Vinegar Syndrome and Severin. Focus on releasing cult and exploitation films
• Powerhouse/Indicator -Based in the U.K. Known for their beautiful box sets with lovingly assembled extra features, including improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, and contain exclusive booklets featuring newly commissioned essays and contemporary materials. Not all titles are Region A/Free.
• Arbelos - An LA film distributor that restore and release art house cinema, they are Different films from different countries, like Iceland, Hungary and some from the US. Small, but high quality.
  

Defunct:

• Twilight Time - Specializing in releasing limited edition DVD and Blu-ray discs of classic films, a la Limited Run Games.
• Olive Films - Specializing on classic and underrated film.

 

Region B: Britain, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Australia

Active:

• Arrow Video - European crime movies, shot-on-video horror, Asian extreme films, classic horror, spaghetti westerns, Japanese kaiju, John Hughes movies, something for everyone. They offer awesome restorations, bonus features, and amazing packaging for their limited edition releases.
• 88 Films - Based in the UK, they release films from around the world such as Hong Kong cinema, Japanese, Italian movies, Slashers, MGM classics, etc. Sometimes they'll sale films to the U.S. (Region A/Free)
  
• 101 Films - Based in the U.K. (not affiliated with 88 films) 101 Films’ Black and Red physical imprint continues to reinvent, restore and re-release cult and classic films with packaging and extras. However, they've been criticized for altering gamma levels of their releases.
  
• Powerhouse/Indicator -Known for their beautiful box sets with lovingly assembled extra features, including improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, and contain exclusive booklets featuring newly commissioned essays and contemporary materials. Sometimes they'll sale films to the U.S. (Region A/Free)
• Eureka Entertainment - Often called the "Criterion of Europe" Provides a wide variety of movies, including world cinema, action, horror, sci-fi, indie dramas, Hollywood classics, comedy, and thriller films, as well as TV titles. Offers tons of bonus material and nice packaging. (Sometimes with Criterion-style cases.)
• Umbrella - Restores and distributes rare, classic, and cult titles from Australia including Ozploitation. Sometimes they'll release non-Australian films as well. All restorations are scanned in either 4K and 2K from original film materials.
• Second Sight - Specializing in classic and cult film and TV series from around the world. Often include new restorations and bonus features, audio commentaries, archive material, special limited packaging and much more. 
• Radiance - Classic, cult and arthouse films from around the world. Nice packaging with Criterion-style cases.
  

 

 

 

List of Specialty labels

 Active:

Japanese Animation (Anime) - Region A:

• Crunchyroll/Funimation - Focuses on new and older Japanese Anime with both dubs and subs (generally in a Californian accent). In recent years, they've been criticized for "sabotaging" English dubs.
  
• Viz Media - Similar to Crunchyroll/Funimation.
  
• Sentai Filmworks - Similar to Crunchyroll/Funimation. Sometimes release SD-BD titles.
• Aniplex - Releases critically acclaimed anime to the U.S. with neat packaging and high quality audio/video, but they're very expensive.
  

Asian Cinema - Region A:

• Well Go USA - Specializing on Asian cinema (particularly from Mainland China)

European Music - Region Free:

• 2L - Specializing on modern (and legit) European music that are culturally significant. Offering surround sound and different formats (Dolby, DTS, PCM, and Auro).

 

 

 

List of Bargain Labels

 Active:

• Mill Creek - Releases cheap BD titles (usually older under-the-radar films and tv shows) with subpar picture/audio quality, uses BD-25s, and minimal or barebones packaging. But one cannot deny it's affordable prices.

 

 

List of Boutique-esque labels

Note: These should not be considered as boutique labels, since they're from mainstream studios.

 Active:

• Warner Archive - Releases Warner Bros. and pre-1986 MGM movies and TV series.
  
• Paramount Presents - Releases older and underrated Paramount and pre-2010 Dreamworks films with nice packaging and slipcovers.
  
• Vestron Video - From Lionsgate, releases cult classic films from the 80s and 90s from their catalogue with nice packaging and slipcovers.
  

Author(s) : Æ Firestone