Hi folks! Welcome to Spotlight section, where we each month we will spotlight one special subject with access to all the earlier popular (and relevant) reports archived for your horrific delectation - Enjoy!!

This month we launch our first annual...

SGM DVD Awards 2000

At last, over the past months you have all been voting in your droves for the first annual 'SGM DVD Awards'. Since the launch of DVD to the home market, it's importance in the Horror scene has continually grown with an ever growing number of genre releases flowing onto the market. We felt it was time that you got the chance to vote and let the Industry know what you've appreciated (and disliked) from them in the past year. So, here we go...

First up, we look at the DVD Suppliers. The folk that you've being giving your hard earned cash to. With the Internet, shopping for DVD's has never been better, and customer service is always at the fore when buying those essential discs for your collection.

We start here in the UK. We were pleased to see the bulk of the votes going to the fine companies that we link to here at SGM. 'DVD Mod', 'DC-Dvd', 'Admit One' and 'Sovereign/Crypt of Horror' all got an even spread of the votes, but it was 'Blackstar' that took the edge with your voting. DVD buyers from both the UK and the US noted the great service that 'Blackstar' has to offer with the supply of Region 2 material, proving theirs to be a very popular shopping site. Congratulations to 'Blackstar' !

The votes for the Best European Supplier now, with the most popular suppliers from the continent including 'DVD Go', 'R0 Disc', 'Play 247' and 'Chainsaw Video'. But, the grand winner will be met with mixed reaction as the prize goes to in Austria. 'Sazuma'. Although for some time they've been a somewhat small operation, they've strived to supply a large variety of rare DVD releases from all over the globe to a customer base that is spread just as widely. Well done to 'Sazuma'.

There was a fair bit of comment regarding the voting for the Worst DVD Supplier, with many votes going to the likes of corporate retailer 'HMV' and 'DVD World' here in the UK. But strangely enough, the bulk of the votes went to the winners of the Best Euro Supplier - 'Sazuma'. Although many people have been impressed with the large range of rare discs in their catalogue, many people have expressed their disapointment with Sazuma's customer service. So, it's a mixed bag for the folk there being voted both the Best and the Worst - which I'm sure they will use to try improve their service with future business improvements.

It's a double whammy next with the votes for both 'Best US DVD Supplier' and the top prize on the Suppliers front 'Top DVD Supplier'. The votes for the 'Best US Supplier' up first. The same names kept popping up with your nominations, including 'Ken Crane's DVD Planet', 'Lasers Edge', 'DVD Express' and 'Shocking Images'. But the outright winner was 'Amazon', which amused us here at SGM as we don't link to them at our DVD Suppliers page (oops!) Everyone mentioned in the Suppliers awards where all in the running for the top award for 'Best DVD Supplier', but once again 'Amazon' skipped in there with the bulk of the votes to be recognised as the No.1 Supplier. Massively popular with SGM's US readers, 'Amazon' prove themselves no.1 for quality service in the US disc supply front - well done !! Voters where keen to point the quality customer service and the fact that "they do have the best prices".

Now, we move on from the retail side of the DVD scene to the discs themselves and the people that produce them...

Well, this one seemed a nightmare for you folk to decide on, with votes coming in for just about every genre related disc that's on the market. The most popular runners-up though included (both the Region 1 and 2) 'Alien Legacy' box set, the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' special edition (Region 1 and 2 again) and surprisingly MGM's 'Phantasm' special edition disc.

But, in first place (and no surprise to us here at SGM), scooping SGM's first Award for 'Best DVD' is Anchor Bay's 'Deep Red'. Although purists gagged at the freeze frame finale of the film itself, horror DVD collectors all over have voted en masse declaring 'Deep Red' as their No.1 DVD. As well as being one of Dario Argento's strongest films to date, the disc contained a gorgeous remastered (and enhanced) widescreen print with both English and Italian 5.1 Dolby Surround soundtrack, a specially commissioned 25th Anniversary documentary and a selection of trailers. A must have in any collection, so if you haven't already got this beauty - what are you waiting for !

Next up was the selection for the 'Worst DVD' which included no surprises here. Nominations included Diamond Entertainments release of 'Eaten Alive', 'The Grim Reaper', Laser Paradise's Red Edition line - 'Dawn of the Mummy' and 'Nightmare City', as well as Noveaux Pictures release of 'Suspiria' which annoyed Argento's many fans. But the outright hands-down winner was 'Skinner', a disc that even we had been tempted to pick up until we heard just how awful a presentation it was. Shame on all companies involved in any of the aforementioned releases.

There really was no need for a second count when it came to the voting for the 'Top Producer' Award - it was no surpise that over 90% of you voted for 'Anchor Bay' (with the other 10% of votes going to the other key players including Synapse, Japan Shock, Full Moon and Troma).

Anchor Bay have swept Horror DVD fans off their feet with an outstanding catalogue of great looking DVD's including ongoing line's of the fan favorites like Argento, Romero, Fulci and Raimi. Pleasing fans all over by chasing down great prints of genre classics and taking great care to remaster and deliver them in the best possible package they can make available. Hard work that fans obviously do appreciate - congratulations to Anchor Bay.

And finally, it's time for a couple of Special SGM Awards - in recognition for services above and beyond the call of duty to the genre scene.

There really was only one choice for this years first award for 'Outstanding Contribution to Horror DVD', and that is William Lustig for his phenomenal work, not only in the movie scene with his work as a director, but for the hard graft sourcing all the great releases for Anchor Bay. With the explosion of the DVD scene, Bill Lustig's hard work has enabled countless horror fans everywhere to enjoy such delights as the Dario Argento Collection. Bill Lustig really has acted beyond the call of duty and shared his love and respect for the industry with all, which shines in the projects he has been involved in.

SGM's first Lifetime Achievement award goes to one of the most enthusiastic and hard working men in the movie scene - Lloyd Kaufman.

This award goes to Lloyd in recognition for his hard work beyond the call of duty in the independent movie scene (with a tip of the hat to his partner in crime Michael Herz of course!). Often maligned by the corporate snobs in Hollywood - Lloyd has unceasingly gave his all to the genre movie scene, through good times and bad, never swaying from his ideas of what Troma Films should be all about. Constantly embracing new media formats - from cinema, video to DVD, cartoons, comic books and much more. Promoting and supporting the independent scene and entertaining people the world over in his own creative and dynamic style.

Mr Kaufman - we salute you !

Well, that's your lot for this year folks. We pulled a name from the list of voters and a very lucky Rob Murphy has won a whole slew of discs, comics and mags that have been lying around gathering dust at SGM Towers - congratulation Rob !!