1933 King Kong in November

I wonder if Barrie got his information from this thread.

The Digital Bits has never claimed that the information included in my lengthy summaries of upcoming classic releases is exclusive news. If you've read past columns, you will have seen that I addressed this issue extensively. I have acknowledged a lengthy list of sources from which the information is culled on a routine basis. I have, however, no intention of mentioning every source individually for each piece of release news in each column. Not only is that added work for me for what is after all simply a volunteer service to readers, but it also decreases the column's readability substantially. And after all, this is a summary of DVD release info, not a scientific paper. If such an approach rubs some people the wrong way, so be it.

Barrie

Barrie, I'm pretty sure Gordon was kidding. We all appreciate the great work you do in your Bits column.

Whatever the source, there is no doubt that KK will see a release later in the year. The likely range of dates has always been in the Q3/Q4 arena so November seems plausible and October/November has shown up from a number of sources (look at DVDTalk for more 'rumors'). At any rate we will finally see this released. Hopefully, the long wait won't put a damper on the event. There will always be those that will complain about something in a high profile release that has been long anticipated. For me it will be a pleasure to have it in my collection, finally .

Joel

I guess you can throw me into that catagory. If the film is ready to be released then release it. IMO don't wait until the remake appears. I believe this title can stand on its own hind legs.

I'll get my fire proof suit on now.

Why? If that's the way you feel about it then that's your opinion. Others might not agree with it, but based on your past posts on this matter, I don't see anybody else changing your mind.





Crawdaddy

This title definitely CAN stand on its own big hairy primate hind legs for classic/fantasy film fans, and would doubtless sell very well if released next week.

However, I'm sure that WB marketing thinks (probably correctly) that there is a significant incremental number of J6P-ish customers who will take a much higher interest in the original version while the hype is at a fever pitch for the new one ("...from the man who brought you 'The Lord of the Rings' yada yada..."). And everyone here at HTF who would buy it next week will still buy it then.

It's all about $$$.

Call me dense but I could never understand these timed releases. Why do the studios think a certain catalog title won't sell when released on its own, not to coincide with some big-budget remake or something. I just don't understand that logic at all. If people want to buy the 1933 King Kong, they will, because they want to, not because they've seen the new version.

Experience?

I agree with this completely, but from my experience what also works in this scenario is a promotion. The disc could easily be released tomorrow, and then in 10 months from now, they could offer a promotion where you get $5 off the dvd, if you present your movie-ticket stub or something along those lines. That or they could wait for the remake DVD, and do a promo with that where you get $5 off when buying both. I've seen similar promotions work very well in the past. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that they have multiple options.

Of course, we're still presuming that WB is holding this title for that reason. I do believe that there was a delay in order to improve the disc, but then the opportunity arose to delay it further in order to coincide and increase sales.

It's a sort of fad.

The fact that this November King Kong
will be the biggest draw in theaters is going
to substantially help the original sell more
copies than if sold on its own.

Think about it....

Young kid goes with Mom and Dad to the theater
to see the new 2005 King Kong movie. Next
day, while in the local supermarket or Walmart
that kid sees the 1933 version on the shelf.
"Oh Boy -- it's King Kong" exclaims the
kid, hopefully leading to a purchase and a new
generation turned onto a movie classic.

Scenerios like this happen all the time.
Studios look to time their DVD releases
either with a similar theatrical film or
even piggy-backing upon another studio's
huge DVD release.

The problem with those ideas is that a different studio is releasing the remake. Warner has little incentive to promote ticket or DVD sales for the remake; they're in a position where they want to syphon interest off of the remake.

DJ

Well wouldn't they know it's not the movie they just seen the other day in the theater? That that's not possible? Plus the cover will most definitely be in the same vintage style that WB has adopted with their classics, so just by looking at the cover you'll be instanly able to see that this isn't a 2005 movie.

I'm just hoping that WB puts out restored DVDs of SON OF KONG and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG at the same time.

I think Ron's "Oh Boy -- it's King Kong" exclamation referred to the child's recognition of and interest in the character and story, not confusion with regard to which film it is.

DJ

I know it is poorly regarded but I'd like to see Paramount release a special edition of the 1976 remake to tie in as well.

According to the IMDB the TV version had 45 minutes added to it. The troubled production would also make for an interesting documentary.

Anyway I wanted the original like yesterday, but I'm sure the wait will be worth it.

I've never seen King Kong before (:b) and I've held off renting it for the past year or so waiting for this release so this is good news for me.

Ron, respectfully,
this makes zero sense to me.

do you mean that, if title X is released in Jan of 2004 with little promotion, and then a strongly hyped/promoted remake is released 23 months later, that the masses who ignored the release originally will not want to buy it simply because its been on the shelf for 2 years?
23 months later the studio can simply press more, and then slap a big shiny sticker on the outside "NOW SEE THE ORIGINAL INSPIRATION FOR...!", and finally take out some print and tv ads to promote it (using the money they saved from not promoting it earlier, when only the 'base' knew it was released).
the way i see it Eric is right.
it doesn't matter when its released, what matters is when and how its promoted- because these hypothetical 'fashion followers', who need something to be in the pop culture spotlight before it grabs their attention, would have never have sought it out before- hence its 'new' to them.

slap a sticker on the shrinkwrap,
make some colorful, attention getting, p.o.p standees for the Best Buys and Circuit Citys,
take an ad out in People (or better yet, Time),
and maybe offer some promotional pricing

and they would see a big bump with the hype of the release of the other studios movie.
what they would also have had was an extra 23 months of sales.

yeah, they'll do good in November. but they could have been selling the thing somewhat steady for two years now.
i'll never understand the other reasoning, and God knows Warners is not the first or last studio to do it.

i want to make it clear though, i'm not whining about Warner and KK as much as i am ranting about the industry practice in general.
its very much, imo, thinking inside the box with a very constrained perspective.

Although this Kong-synergy bit still leaves me scratching my head why the fudge Universal didn't bother putting out a FRIGHTENERS box set (a la the LD version which was out for approximately 2 weeks) to tie in with LORD OF THE RINGS. Maybe with Universal putting out Jackson's KONG we'll get that as well.

Regardless, with WB's recent track record, the upcoming KONG DVD is in good hands.

Whether or not the WB's timing for King Kong on DVD makes sense to you or not, it's the way that they are going to do it. When the remake comes out, the words 'King Kong' will be on TVs, radios, and magazines everywhere. It's like free publicity for them and so that's when they're gonna put it out.

Don't you think Warner makes these decisions based on marketing research? Companies make product decisions that involves millions of dollars on collected data not personal opinion. These studio people aren't rookies when it comes to marketing their product.






Crawdaddy

I agree with Paul Scott. I think if released now, the 1933 King Kong will be a big seller for WB. It's a well-known classic, and lots of people have been waiting to get it. Surely the 2005 version will give them a little boost, but for the most part the 1933 version will sell itself on its own merit.

OK, guys...there's one MORE reason that WB could be holding off on this: with all the promotion you know that the new version will get, the original will also benefit. And a November release will make it a GREAT Christmas present! (I won't be able to wait that long, but it would be a great gift idea, AND IT WOULD GENERATE MORE SALES!!!) YES, the original would sell well now, but I really believe that they are going to take advantage of the "free advertising" that the remake will give them.

Although I've been anxious for this forever, I certainly understand Warner wanting to boost sales by linking it to the Peter Jackson remake. Maybe they've learned since they never bothered releasing the 1949 MIGHTY JOE YOUNG to go along with the 1998 Disney remake.

again, i'm not directing this at KK, just using that film as an example.
although i love the film and would invariably buy it on street day whenever it is released, i've seen it so many times thru the years i really can wait. in this case its not that big a deal to me.
however i still have to take exception to rationale.
for instance, what would preclude the disc being a Christmas gift purchase if it were released now?


but you guys are correct.
the studios spend millions of $ on market research so who am i to argue.

BTW i hear that the Jimmy Fallon remake of Taxi is testing thru the roof!
in fact, the studio is so tickled with these results, they are considering handing the director the reins of a certain blockbuster budgeted, mega-sized franchise to be.
shhh! keep it on the qt.

Robert you would be surprised at just much of the vaunted marketing process at the majors just comes down to the capricious whims of those involved.

Sure there may be a few surveys taken, and a P&L or two generated, but this is the entertainment business, not Proctor & Gamble. Things you expect to be smashes aren't, and many times massive hits come out of nowhere.

A lot of the voodoo is just common sense (taking advantage of a remake) and whatever else pops up in a marketing meeting. ("What a great idea from the intern!") All filtered through, of course, an executive in charge that is usually just barely running things by the seat of his pants.

Just read DisneyWar. (As dysfunctional as the Mouse is, a lot of what they do is SOP in the industry as a whole.)

It sure ain't rocket science.

The difference is that the fact it's a new release will get it in a different part of the store. It won't be stuck on the back shelves - it'll be at the front, and it'll get lots of publicity from various sources.

C'mon - there are people whose livelihood depends on maximizing sales - don't you think they have a good reason for tie-ins like this? You and I may look at re-releases of older titles keyed to sequels - like the new version of Miss Congeniality that's coming to tout the sequel - and think they're not going to do much, but they must sell and actively promote the new movies or we wouldn't see so many of them.

Sometimes people here forget that DVD fans with our level of knowledge and interest are WAY in the minority...