*** Something EVERY studio should learn: CTHV announces BLACK HAWK DOWN SE in ADVANCE (1 Viewer)

[JoshB]

No release date known yet. I would say, but don't quote me, to look for it before Christmas.

 

[Iain Jackson]

The Black Hawk Down 2-Disc SE has been announced for release in UK Region 2 in September. Full details of the features aren't known yet, but it will include "over 25 extra features including commentaries from Ridley Scott, Jerry Bruckheimer and cast and crew, four featurettes together with items on pre&post production and deleted scenes".
Check The R2 Project website for the announcement.
I would imagine that the Region 1 SE will be similar when it comes out.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Miramax (or at least View Askew) did this with Dogma - stated in advance of the regular edition that an SE would be coming.

Kudos to them and Columbia.

 

[Cliff B]

Guys, please help me out here. With a SE being released so soon, it makes me wonder why they bothered to release the initial version in the first place. Sure, I could see if it were 4 or 5 years later but this DVD really hasn't been out that long.
I just find it a little surprising that you're actually thanking them for this.

 

[Ted Lee]

we should be thanking them because they've given us the option of purchasing now or waiting until the se comes out.
i don't buy that many dvd's and i've already repurchased at least 3 or 4 just because they later came out with the se.
since they let me know in front, i've held off on picking up the bare-bones bhd and will wait until this se comes out!
i wish more companies would do this practice!

 

[DarrenA]

Guys, please help me out here. With a SE being released so soon, it makes me wonder why they bothered to release the initial version in the first place. Sure, I could see if it were 4 or 5 years later but this DVD really hasn't been out that long.

I just find it a little surprising that you're actually thanking them for this.

The reason for thanking them is simple. They announced in April that the June 11th release would be a "bare bones" release and that a SE is planned for later. This way for those of us who wanted to wait and get the SE version we wouldn't have to waste money on the first version when we know before the first release date that an SE is coming.

 

[Cliff B]

Okay. I understand the appreciation for the warning of an upcoming SE, but what I can't grasp is why they didn't just come out with the SE right out of the gate instead of going bare-boned at first.

It just seems like duoble-dipping to me and there's a bunch of posts here patting them on the back for it.

 

[DarrenA]

Ridley Scott was not available in the time alloted to sit down and do the commentary, and it takes time to get together materials for an SE.
As for double dipping...I only consider it "double dipping" if you A)choose to buy the second version after buying the original version, and B)the studio offers no PR about an upcoming SE release.
For Columbia I consider their sales of Superbit re-releases to be double dipping as we have no idea what titles are going to be selected prior to the initial DVD release. With BHD this is completely different as we have advanced notice to not buy the initial release thus avoiding the double dip.
Of course that's only for those savvy enough to look on these forums.

 

[JJR512]

This is not double-dipping. This is, in fact, prevention of double-dipping. Columbia wanted to have two releases, a bare-bones release for the people that just want the movie and don't care about all the extras, and the SE, for people who do want the extras and are willing to pay more. For whatever reason, if it was scheduling or the amount of time to prepare the SE or whatever, it was not possible to release both on the same date. So in order to try to prevent double-dipping, Columbia announced ahead of time that if you did want the SE, do not buy the regular version now.

Double-dipping would be if Columbia had said "You want the movie, you buy this now!", then later on said, "Ha ha, you already bought the regular version, now if you want the SE, you give us more money!"

 

[Cliff B]

Hmm. So bascially they engage in the same practices as every other studio with DVD revisits, but in their case it's okay because they've warned us about it ahead of time.

I still say do it right the first time and spend some energy on movies that haven't even seen a release yet.

 

[Chad R]

But, if they waited on the SE, and didn't release the bare-bones, than the VHS would have preceded the DVD by six months or so (like Saving Private Ryan was), and people would complain about that.

The point is that they could not, no matter how hard they tried, release a viable SE by June 11th. They wanted to have a DVD available concurrently with the VHS, and since a SE was not possible they went with the bare-bones. We are all just happy that they warned us about the upcoming SE, so we can specifically avoid double-dipping on this title.

Double-dipping isn't something the studios do, it's something we do. We decide whether or not to buy a title twice. This heads up info was enough to help us make that choice. For that, they should be applauded.

 

[DarrenA]

Hmm. So bascially they engage in the same practices as every other studio with DVD revisits, but in their case it's okay because they've warned us about it ahead of time.

Short answer, yes. Unlike other studios that revisit titles with no prior warning, they chose to announce that they were still putting together materials for a SE release.

Unless you purchased the initial release of BHD and just now found this thread, I don't understand the hosility towards Columbia about their April press release of a SE that is currently being worked on for later release. Sometimes these SE DVDs take time to get everyone and everything together in order to make it happen, and that's exactly what is hapening here. Would you simply be happier to not have the SE released at all?

 

[Ted Lee]

cliff -

what's the deal? the studio did right by it's customers.

would you rather have bought the bare-bones, only to find out 6 months later that they're coming out with the se and then being forced to decide if you want to purchase it again?

instead they gave you a notice that down the line they're going to release a se - essentially allowing YOU to make up your mind the first time. they saved YOU money by not forcing you (if you were going to) buy the dvd twice.

as martha stewart says, "and that's a good thing!"

 

[Michael St. Clair]

With the popularity of DVD rental, it just is not feasible to wait until an SE can be completed. You want to get the movie out while the mainstream public still has it fairly fresh in their minds, but you don't want to release VHS by itself with no DVD counterpart. So you release an SE later.
There is no reason to criticize a studio for this practice as long as they are upfront about what they are doing.

 

[Cliff B]

No, I didn't purchase the bare-bones release and stumble across this thread after the fact. Hostility? I don't think I would go as far to say I'm feeling hostile. Just mildly annoyed.
The point was brought up earlier by someone else. Everybody here is assuming that anyone interested in this DVD is internet savy. That's basically the only mode for this SE release info. I have a few friends who like to collect DVDs that don't use a computer. How were they supposed to find out about this?
Tell me what you think about this scenario: what if Columbia put out a television commercial stating "Hey! We've just released BHD BUT we're re-releasing it again in a new, bigger, better version coming soon". How do you honestly think that would come across? Absurd? Quite possibly.
I just really think this whole thing is laughable. There are so many good films out there deserving of a release yet studios seem to revisit the same ones over and over again.