SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

THAT sounds like it could be an interesting story!

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

LOL !!!!!!!!!!

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

I didn't mean it that way.I'll edit my post.Where's a smile for embarrassed?

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

I'm hoping for a Vol 2 as their best work was in the 30's as is the case with everything else as the 30's and pre-war 40's ruled.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Here's one!



But, actually, what did you mean? Was it hard to find a copy? I know it was difficult at some B&Ms near release day...

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

So how about Vol. 2? At this rate it's gonna be a hell of a long time if ever, when we see Shemp and Joe Besser shorts!

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

I've been wondering the same thing. Hopefully this is not another "one and done" effort from Sony like many of their T.V. releases.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

One and done with the sales its doing ???!!!???!!! You guys must be nuts !!!!Seriously, to this day at amazon.com, its still selling better than even looney tunes volume 5 or any other classic release!!!! I really think its obvious there only doing 1 volume per year, so its still early.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Yes. That's what I mean. I went to several stores on October 30th and not one of them had it.Two days later,went to some more stores and,the last store I went to,had a copy but,they wouldn't sell it to me then,saying it wasn't coming out until the next Tuesday.They said they'd hold it for me and phone me that Tuesday,which they never did.I eneded up paying almost $40.00 for it,when I was expecting to pay considerably less(This was when our loonie was at a record high and our Federal Finance Minister was saying stores should put prices on par with U.S. prices).And when I got home the bottom inch,or so,of the cardbord case and disc cases had damage to them.Like I said,in one of my above posts,I still enjoyed the shorts depite,going to,and encountering,all that trouble.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

All the more reason to release two sets per year.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Sure. If you've got a cash cow...milk it twice as much as usual! I'm sure even Moe would've figured that out.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

My God Stephen, almost 40dollars!!!!!!! Lol, with shipping and handling charges included, I paid a grand total of 26.47 dollars for the set at amazon, arriving in perfect shape to me all the way to Greece!!

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

From the forums at ThreeStooges.net


Is it just me or does it sound like this was a sales disaster (assuming the info in the post is accurate)? Sony probably didn't recoup the cost of restorations if this is all they sold. I'm a little skeptical since I doubt a Sony rep would give sales number to a consumer.

If true though and if sales drop off with each subsequent volume I'd be surprised if Sony even finished the Curly years much less made it to Shemp and Besser.

Steve

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Wow, I find it hard to believe that only 12,000 units were sold nationwide.
Although I am a classic comedy fanatic, I am not a Stooge-o-phile, and even I bought the set. Could it be that this set wasn't marketed in a way to distinguish it from the past, overpriced, 4-6 shorts-per-dvd previously released?

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Brian: I was thinking exactly the same thing. How could that report be correct? I bought the set...and I am a very casual Stooges fan.

I did, however, get yelled at by my wife for buying it! "They're not funny!"

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

10,000 sales is the cut-off point for series discs. 12,000 is pretty pathetic.

The problem is, Sony ruined the market unintentionally already with all of the older "Curley Classics" sets. Anyone who is a casual fan bought those and has no interest in double dipping, and since those older ones are being blown out now, anyone who just wants MEN IN BLACK or THREE LITTLE PIGSKINS, but not the rest has the chance to get them for $10 now.

Surprisingly, I think it will be the later sets that WILL do well, largely because those shorts *aren't* out on DVD now. But Sony has to be more aggressive with their advertising. The first set came out and half the people I told about it had no clue.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

The price was excellent, the restorations were excellent, and the shorts themselves are mostly terrific. The poor marketing side? They gave it almost no publicity and gave it packaging that looked exactly like the various Z-grade public domain sets. Except for the approximately 12,000 people who either knew about it ahead of time, saw that being from Sony that it would be worth it, or had $24 to burn either way. Most people probably took one glance at the front and figured it was just another crappy compilation of the same four shorts and the awful cartoons - except it cost $20 more.

Compare to Warner's first volume of Popeye cartoons. They did a lot of marketing, used excellent artwork, and made sure there was a sticker noting it was official. Although, I've heard that WB still didn't make a lot of sales from that, so who knows.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

I seriously doubt the 12,000 units sold number. Even if they made a lowball number of 12.00 per disc which is $144,000 how would that justify continuing an expensive restoration program of the shorts and expense of putting out future sets. I do not think Sony would let any concrete sales numbers out.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

The restoration of all of Sony's shorts is an ongoing project and the DVD productions has no bearing on them. At this point, I think they've gotten through all of the Stooge shorts, anyway, because the last ones I saw them working on were the Hugh Herbert/Dudley Dickerson series.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Why are they restoring all their comedy shorts? It sounds too good to be true.

I know a lot of obscure Columbia movies have been showing up on Turner Classic Movies the past few months. Will Turner be showing these comedy shorts, too? That would be great.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

i'm thrilled they're doing a second volume. Hopefully this time they'll do promotions with Spike to push the collections during their stooge show - giveaways? It's not like Spike doesn't waste a lot of time trying to stretch a single 2 reeler into a 30 minute slot.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

I find it hard to beleive this didnt sell good.To this day, its still selling better than Warners popeye volume 1 and looney tunes volume 5 on amazon.But amazon is only just a portion of total sales, since there are many many more stores , so who knows.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Why not? They're still marketable here and overseas as TV filler at the very least.

It's not just their comedy shorts, though. Sony has a VERY aggressive preservation and restoration program going on, which covers most everything in their library.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

It's smart to transfer and restore the shorts since they are part of your vault value. And you can throw them on vintage releases as bonus features.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Videoeta.com lists Volume 2 for release on May 27.

Mike Schlesinger recently posted on another site that "Volume 2 1937 - 1939" was forthcoming.

Since Sony usually sends out press info. 8 weeks prior to release date, we should know something definite in 2 or 3 weeks.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Not only does eta list volume 2 , but it shows a running time of 412 minutes for this set as well !!!!!!!

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

That's great. Not only did marketing woes plague volume 1 but there seemed to be distribution issues too. My local Best Buy got one copy (which I bought), while there are dozens of the PD Stooges rubbish on the shelves. A bigger coop advertising push would have certainly helped.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Yep. I always see people (especially in the TV DVD section) saying that advertising would have sold more copies of a title that has an extremely small number of people that want to own it but this is a rare time where I do think advertising would have helped because the Stooges do have a fanbase.

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

the people who suffer through the butchered Stooges that air on Spike would be interested in the uncut Curly shorts. When was the last time you saw Uncivil Warriors on TV?

Re: SPHE Press Release: The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: Years 1-2

Uncivil Warriors UNCUT hasn't been seen in awhile.. I'm not even sure if AMC aired it that way. Perhaps TBS in the 80s?

Either way I'm a long-time member of the ThreeStooges.net board, and the person who posted the information is VERY reliable and his Sony source is spot on.. whether or not she fudged the numbers remain a mystery.. but either way, this truly is miraculous.

Problem here was marketing, plain and simple. The ONLY way this set sold was word-of-mouth. No commercials, no advertisements in trade papers, NOTHING. 12,000 is fantastic given no money spent on advertising.. but I can see due to the restorations being so damn expensive.

They don't plan on doing anything for Vol. 2, so it looks like everyone will have to buy two copies if we want to see a third volume.

I also think Spike TV's contract ends the first of April to the Stooges.. I might be wrong though, so now would be the chance for Turner to take them back.