trailers on Paramount releases (1 Viewer)

[Phil E]

Hello to all,

I'm new at posting so if I did it wrong, please overlook the goofs. I would like to know if Paramount decided to go with a "no trailers on the dvd" policy as one of their New Year resolutions. While I applaud their quality transfers, and anamorphic to boot, I am dismayed that catalogue titles released on dvd since 2002 began ( and some new releases as well, if I'm not mistaken ) have been trailer-less. Consider the useful advertising tool that a trailer is as well as the historical importance and enjoyment of seeing a film's original theatrical trailer. What about the fact that there are occasions when clips from an alternate version of a scene or one completely absent from the final cut are visible in said film's trailer? This is particularly nice, when the deleted footage doesn't exist any longer or hasn't been included on the dvd as a bonus. The fact is that many film fans love the trailers for any number of reasons and I don't see that it's asking so much for them to be included on the dvd, especially when little else besides the film is. And for the record, let me state that Warner and Disney have also gone with no trailers from time to time; Paramount, however, seems to be making trailerless dvds on a regular basis. Please don't let this become the norm. Thanks.

 

[Patrick McCart]

I agree that trailers should be the the one extra on a DVD if nothing else.

Sadly, trailers are not preserved very well. (Take a look at the trailer for Lawrence of Arabia)

 

[rutger_s]

Martin Blythe of Paramount Home Entertainment has already covered this.

If a trailer is not on a release, most of the time its due to music rights issues.

 

[LukeB]

I find it interesting that Paramount has so many more trailers with music-rights issues than other studios. I can recall some brand new movies (released in theaters in 2000) not having trailers on the DVD. Wouldn't a DVD release be a standard part of a music-rights for a trailer deal?

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

I can recall some brand new movies (released in theaters in 2000) not having trailers on the DVD. Wouldn't a DVD release be a standard part of a music-rights for a trailer deal?

Exactly, this is what many of us are growing concerned with. All of us here understand and are sympathetic to the problem of older titles and how suddenly rightsholders who had been long unseen suddenly come forward and want exorbitant prices to relicense music for DVD. But most of your newer films coming to DVD (TOMB RAIDER, FOCUS, HARDBALL, OUR LADY OF THE ASSASSINS) have not had trailers. Would it not be covered in any standard music license deal that DVD's are part of the bargain?

What bothers us is that while this may seem insignificant (after all, none of those trailers were great pieces of salesmanship, unlike the very funny trailers for REAL LIFE or THE ADDAMS FAMILY, which you have thankfully included), this is one symptom of how all the studios are beginning to take the DVD customer for granted. Whether it is your company omitting trailers, or Columbia foisting pan-scan versions of their "B" titles, or Universal re-re-releasing titles in "buy me again" editions, or Warner Bros. sitting on the largest library in the world. The pieces create an uneasy feeling among us DVD lovers, that we are going to see our beloved format "dumbed down" in the name of relative pennies' worth of savings or the whims of merchants.

We are extremely grateful that Paramount has been very cooperative and attentive to our concerns, regardless of whether or not they have agreed with us. I certainly hope this dialogue continues.

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

A few months later, I am bumping up this thread to keep fresh the sadness many of us feel at the absence of trailers on recent Paramount DVD's. Not just in the obvious cases such as SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, but in the little ones, like NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY. That trailer specifically, is one of the most interesting trailers ever made for it's time period. I was able to see it as part of historian/archivist Jenni Olson's compilation SON OF TRAILER CAMP, and I eagerly awaited to own it on DVD, to show future generations how great trailers used to be made.

In the case of both LADY and FEVER, I am confused as to how the old standby of "music clearances" would affect these trailers. Unless I am wrong, I do not recall any music other than that already featured in the film being used for these items. Would it be safe to say that even if you are using music that has been cleared for the film itself, it has to be recleared for the trailer as well? (I figured this is the reason why the trailer for FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF, which admittedly does make liberal use of The Beatles' "Twist and Shout", was left off its DVD.)

And while you were good enough to provide a trailer for the GREASE DVD, I was a little let down to see it was the '98 reissue trailer and not the original '78 or even the first revival trailer. Would this be a matter of elements not being found, or is this a music question as well? Perhaps you could include this original ad materials in the rumored "special edition" that is plannned for 2004?

I understand the pressure you are under to deliver DVD's that are cost-effective to release, and how much record companies and music publishers want to squeeze you for what they see as lucrative new income. I only ask that for your future catalog releases that some effort be made with these parties to resolve these cost issues so that we can all benefit. And again, Mr. Blythe, you are wonderful to give us your time and patience in keeping dialogue with us DVD fans.

 

[Frank Sadler]

We want Trailers on the releases !

 

[Eugene Esterly]

We want Trailers on the releases !

So do I. IMO, trailers are very important. When I buy a movie on DVD which was released theatrically, I want to be able to view the trailer.

 

[Dick]

Does anyone else besides myself see this trend as another symptom of the disease that is "Release dvd's with the general public in mind (i.e. Joe Six Pack)" and ignore the true film collector? I think Paramount could easily include many trailers they are not including, because J6P doesn't give a hoot in hell about them, so why should the company take the time or spend the money to add them in? This is just another turn of the screw for us HTF members, IMO. I, too, like Paramount's quality, but why should they not succumb to the lowest-common-denominator mindset everyone else is engaged in right now? It's only gonna get worse.

 

[Lafe F]

Couldn't the non-cleared music be stripped off the trailers and replaced with other music? Some argue that this would not reflect the trailers as they were, but it would be better than nothing.

I don't understand why the first six Friday the 13th DVDs could have trailers, but parts 7 & 8 couldn't. I don't understand Paramount lately.

 

[Walt Riarson]

I think someone burned up the trailer vault over at Paramount.

No Trailers on... We Were Soldiers, April Fool's Day, Friday the 13th Part 7, Friday the 13th Part 8 (a great trailer), My Bloody Valentine, Better Off Dead, Brain Candy, Trading Places, Major League, Saturday Night Fever...the list goes on.

It can't ALL be due to music rights issues can it? This seems too widespread for one studio to be blamed simply on music rights issues. Heck, I remember seeing the Major League preview on a Paramount VHS tape way back when. There has evidently been a policy change, and this is a policy change I do not like.

I think a certain studio is losing money and is cutting corners, when available. This is getting bad, folks.

 

[James L White]

IMO Paramount expects to sell DVDs just by the title alone, they seem to be going downhill on their catalog transfers lately. A real shame since they have a fine catalog.

 

[JohnRyan]

I, too, believe that trailers are an essential part of DVDs. It's always a hoot to see what trailers were like for "older" movies (1980s and earlier, since I was a mere youngin' during those times).

Anyway, if Paramount does not want to include trailers for whatever reason, FINE. BUT they should consider lowering their ridiculous prices if they are going to keep releasing bare bones DVDs!

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the fact that they are even released on DVD at all, but I don't think their pricing reflects their content.

 

[Dick]

Actually, Paramount did respond to our earlier cries for lower prices. Most of their catalog titles are now MSLP of $24.95, five bucks lower than they started out, plus there have been regular price drops after an initial sales period. That means we can find many great Paramount titles for under twenty bucks (some at under fifteen now)at a discount outlet. But the lack of trailers is still disheartening. Anyone who has a decent home theater and who has audiences attend shows loves to include a preview of coming attractions. It's part of the fun, and is also of historical value.

 

[Larry Gardner]

In defense of Paramount, you have to look at the history of the studio (especially when it comes to supplements on DVDs).

Back it the old days, it was not uncommon for studios to toss supplemental feature film content after the theatrical run. It was deemed not worth the storage - and was tossed. Not only supplemental content - but sometimes the film negatives as well.

If the studios didn't toss it, then it was shipped off to some obscure film vault and forgotten.

In most studios eyes, it is not cost effective to spend resources to locate this supplemental content. If by chance it may be found later, then they can re-release the video.

And when I said back in the old days - I'm not talking about 40-50 years ago. It is also more like 10 years ago. Remember trailers only came about with the advent of special features on laserdiscs. You never saw them on VHS releases. I don't recall many Paramount LDs providing trailers - if any - and I have over 6000 LDs. So, I'm assuming that they probably don't have them - or don't know where they are - and that is why they don't appear on DVDs.

Add this to the rights issue (not just music rights) of trailers. Just because they secured the rights for VHS - doesn't hold true for DVDs. Like I said, most Paramount LDs didn't have trailers. I'm assuming that Paramount probably didn't secure rights in all cases for home video. Why pay for something - you aren't going to use?

HOWEVER, this SHOULD not hold true for new releases. When negotiating rights for home video, this should automatically be included. However, if the owner wishes to make a killing on some feature in the trailer, I can understand whey studios would be reluctant to agree to terms on rights for trailers.

 

[GregoryP]

I'm a huge fan of theatrical trailers because I enjoy seeing how a movie was marketed. There was an excellent article around the time Signs came out talking about how film trailers are made. One of the things it said was that the trailer for Rosemary's Baby was groundbreaking because it didn't show anything from the film. Unfortunately I cannot see this groundbreaking trailer because it was not included on the DVD. :frowning:
I understand how music rights can be a concern for older movies and would not mind seeing trailers that do not include the music or else contain alternate music. There is no excuse for recent films not to contain the trailer though. That's just sloppy in my opinion.
Gregory